Back in 2019, the House of X and Powers of X miniseries by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silba, and Marte Gracia introduced the world to the island nation of Krakoa and the new status quo for Marvel’s X-books, and ushered in the Dawn of X. Now Marvel is teasing the start of the next phase for the X-Men titles. Coming in January, the previously-teased X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine will release on an alternating weekly schedule, similar to HoX/PoX‘s release pattern. The two series will be written by Benjamin Percy, with Joshua Cassara illustrating Lives and Federico Vicentini on Deaths. Adam Kubert will provide covers for both series.
Here’s how Marvel describes X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine:
Logan. James Howlett. Weapon X. The mutant best known as Wolverine has lived many lives under many identities and in many places, but never before has the fate of the future been so entwined with the past! Fan-favorite eras of Wolverine’s saga are explored anew, along with never-before-seen episodes as Logan must travel to various points in time to prevent the death of a key figure in mutant history. But these lives are only one side of the story… If Wolverine’s future lies in the past, what does that mean for the present?
No one is safe. The future is at stake. The only certainty in life is DEATH and WOLVERINE.
In an interview with EW about the new series, Percy described how the pitch for X Lives/Deaths of Wolverine was included in his original proposal for taking over the Wolverine ongoing series. He also discussed how the series spins out of his work on both Wolverine and X-Force:
Logan ain’t drinking the Kool-Aid. He appreciates Krakoa — because it’s given him a home, a nation, a family — but he’s never been a follower. And, as a constant loner, he naturally chafes against all forms of team and community. He also recognizes that some of what Beast has been up to — as the chief intelligence officer of X-Force, the mutant CIA — is morally repugnant. You bet I’ve been setting up a reckoning.
X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine were both initially teased by Marvel back in August as part of the publisher’s plans for 2022. January will also see the debut of a new She-Hulk series by Rainbow Rowell and Rogê Antônio, as well as the next Fantastic Four storyline, Fantastic Four: Reckoning War, from Dan Slott, Carlos Pacheco, and Rachael Stott.
Check out more covers for the first two issues of both X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine below. The series kick off on Wednesday, January 4th.
