The 1st Ben Raab Interview
BRaab1013: HiRahsas: Hey Raab, a friend of mind want to know if you will be writing any appearances of Storm soon (whether it be in a limited series or Excalibur)?
BRaab1013: No. None planned just now.
Rahsas: Will Nightcrawler come back to the X-Men anytime soon?
BRaab1013: Nope. Although he will make a phone call to the mansion in #120...a quick cutaway scene....but that's about it for now.
Rahsas: Will we see the team together more and less scattered around in Limited Series (or other places)?
BRaab1013: No more limited series coming up. But they won't all necessarily be going on missions together in a couple of soon-to-happen stories.
Rahsas: Is it possible that Wolfsbane has the Legacy Virus?
BRaab1013: It's POSSIBLE... ;-)
BRaab1013: But it's not DEFINITE... ;-)
BRaab1013: Wait and see!
Rahsas: What things do you like about Excalibur and what things do you dislike about it?
BRaab1013: Wow.... that's a big question. Would you mind terribly if we got into that another time? Kinda need to get back to work....
Rahsas: Okay bye, you can email me the answer if you want.
BRaab1013: If you have any other questions, just email 'em all to me and I'll try to answer when I have the time. :-)
BRaab1013: Take care!
Rahsas: Ok.
Later over email:
1. What things do you like about Excalibur and what things do you dislike about it?
I love the characters. I've loved the "main X" characters since I was a kid, and I loved Captain Britain and Meggan when I first read their appearances in the old Alan Davis CAPTAIN BRITAIN series. The thing I dislike about the book is that 3 consecutive editors with 3 radically different visions about what the book/characters should be has prevented me from doing anything focused with the stories/people. Individually, each of their visions could work -- only problem is, they overlap each other and haven't allowed for more coherent stories. At least, that's been the problem since I took over the writing chores.
2. Do you plan to focus more on characterization, more on action or a balanced combination of both?
In my opinion, if you only have one or the other, the book is unbalanced. I strive to strike a good balance between "character" and "action" in whatever story I'm trying to tell. I may not always succeed, but the intent is there. Over time, as my skills mature, the success rate should increase, and hopefully I'll be able to tell some really dramatic stories that excite and entertain at the same time that they touch people's hearts. Y'know... DRAMA.
3. What can be expected from the Hellfire Club LS should it ever see the light of day?
Well, the intent is to tell the "origin" of the Hellfire Club and show how the Shaw family line was influential in certain key events throughout American history.
4. Just's who's who in the current Hellfire Club? (Specifically, Sebastian's group)
Far as I can tell, there's Shaw, Pierce, Tessa, Fitzroy, Madelyne PryorÉand I think that's it. Not sure if anyone else is involved with the U.S. chapter of the Club.
5. That current Cable storyline is a real mess. How did Pierce come back to life? Do you know if they plan on explaining this? Will you explain this in your focus on the Hellfire Club?
Well, I actually wrote the return of Pierce in the DOMINO Limited Series (which details how he was brought back to life). But no, the Limited series -- IF it comes out -- is history-spanning story focusing on the Shaw bloodline. And while it might include ancestors of certain current members, it won't include another explanation about Pierce's return.
Go on to the 2nd Raab Interview.
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