Fans clamoring to see the debut of Fantomex during the current Marvel Comics X-Men relaunch have finally gotten their wish, as the character will be getting a special issue all to himself in Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 this May. The issue, which current X-Men scribe and Dawn of X figurehead Jonathan Hickman will write with artist Rod Reis, will detail how the French thief is adjusting to the world of the X-Men in a bold, transformative era.
Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 is a part of a series of one-shot issues from Hickman that put solo characters in the spotlight during this second wave of Dawn of X comics, following the initial run of team-centric series. The first of these, Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost #1, hits shelves this month, followed by Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto #1 in March and then Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler #1 in April. The title of this series of issues is inspired by the iconic 1975 comic Giant-Size X-Men #1 from writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, an issue that marked the first appearances of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Thunderbird.
According to The A.V. Club, Reis and Hickman’s reasoning for choosing Fantomex to get the latest Giant-Size X-Men treatment is that they want to expand upon the cast of characters currently being utilized across the Dawn of X line and explore weirder, lesser-known figures. Reis indicates that Fantomex will be the perfect fit for a book that will feature imaginative paneling and linework.
Fantomex has been a fan-favorite character since his introduction in New X-Men #128 from writer Grant Morrison and artist Igor Kodey back in 2002. Since then, Fantomex was a part of writer Rick Remender’s seminal Uncanny X-Force run, as well as stints with newer iterations of X-Force and the Astonishing X-Men. Hickman bringing Fantomex back into the fold is quite fitting, as Hickman’s current X-Men comics are heavily influenced by Morrison’s classic New X-Men run at the turn of the century.
Given the revitalization of the X-Men line over the last several months, comic fans should certainly be excited to see Hickman continuing on his path to putting the mutants back on the map as a premier property at Marvel. Collaborating with Reis, an artist he’s worked with on the latest New Mutants volume, makes it all the better. With Hickman serving as a spiritual successor to X-Men-era Morrison, there is no better character for the writer to be showcasing than Fantomex, making Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 a must-read for audiences both new and old.
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