J. Holtham Sets Up an X-Men Time Travel Mystery in Bishop: War College (Exclusive)

By Timothy Adams

Bishop is about to give his War College their first lesson in time travel shenanigans. Lucas Bishop was named the new Captain Commander of Krakoa, replacing Cyclops when he took membership on Krakoa's first official X-Men team. Since then, Bishop has taken his new duties seriously, training young mutants in what's been dubbed a "war college" in the pages of Marauders. These events all lead up to Bishop: War College, a new five-issue limited series from writer J. Holtham and artist Sean Damien Hill, and we now have an idea of what fans can expect out of the X-Men spinoff.

ComicBook.com spoke to writer J. Holtham to gather some clues regarding Bishop: War College. Holtham has a prolific career as a writer and story editor on TV for shows such as Cloak & Dagger and Jessica Jones, as well as Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye podcast series. We discuss the unique lineup for Bishop: War College, how the current Krakoan era plays into the plot, the role time travel plays, and how X-Men: The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop inspired the series. What makes the 2009 three-issue limited series by Duane Swierczynski and Larry Stroman relevant is it focused on a young Bishop who had dreams of the X-Men in his alternate future before he even got to meet them. Since Bishop had never seen what the X-Men looked like, his imagination envisioned the heroes as Black characters when he was growing up since there were no records or photos of them.

Along with our discussion with J. Holtham, we also have an exclusive look at the March cover of Bishop: War College #2 by Ken Lashley, a variant cover by Ron Lim, and interior inks for the first issue.

Bishop: War College #2 Cover by Ken Lashley

bishopwarcollege2023002-cvr.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Comics)
prevnext

Bishop and Time Travel

ComicBook.com: Bishop: War College has an interesting lineup and premise, and solicits for the first two issues allude to time travel being an important theme. What else can you reveal about the plot of the limited series?

J. Holtham: Well, it's not like you can do a Bishop story and NOT include some time shenanigans. As seen in MARAUDERS, Bishop has been holding a "war college" to train some of the young mutants, to get them ready to defend Krakoa against the attacks he's sure will come. During the exercise, things get...real when they stumble across a real plot against Krakoa. But then the timey-wimey stuff happens and both Bishop and the kids face challenges they couldn't have expected.

prevnext

.

bishopwarcollege2023001002-col.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Comics)
prevnext

How Krakoa Era Factors In

The War College cover hints at an alternate universe, how much does the current Krakoan era of the X-Men play into the threats Bishop and his students will face?

It's all in the Krakoan era, even in the new world we find ourselves in. There is such fun to play with in Krakoa, with ORCHIS, with all of it. The threats just come from unexpected places and take them all to some very surprising spaces. It's a real journey for all of them.

prevnext

.

bishopwarcollege2023001004-col.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Comics)
prevnext

Bishop: War College Lineup

Did you get to pick which X-Men would make up the roster of Bishop's War College?

I did! I was excited to pick up Vita's ball and run with some of the characters they created and brought in to NEW MUTANTS. There are some recent additions to the world that we haven't really seen in action so that was a challenge I wanted to take on.

prevnext

Collaboration With Sean Damien Hill

What has the collaboration process been like with Sean Damien Hill? His previous work looks tailor-made for this kind of story.

Sean has been amazing! His work is really inspiring as a writer and pushes me to do even more fun things so he has more fun things to draw. Seeing his work develop, his great character designs, it's all been an absolute treat. I can't wait for people to see what he's come up with.

prevnext

.

bishopwarcollege2023001015-col.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Comics)
prevnext

Bucket List Characters

You've written for superhero TV shows like Cloak & Dagger and Jessica Jones, along with Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye podcast. Are there any other Marvel heroes you'd like a crack a penning a story for?

Oh, man, that's a great question. I have had a ton of fun writing for Bishop and I've also gotten to write a Sam Wilson short and for Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen and Black Panther for Marvel Unlimited recently as well. Still on my bucket list: Luke Cage, Misty Knight, She-Hulk and the Fantastic Four. I grew up reading Marvel Comics, so this is all dream come true territory. Getting to do more, that would just be gravy.

prevnext

The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop

How did Larry Stroman and Duane Swierczynski's X-Men: The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop limited series inspire you? And how did the scene from that series of Lucas Bishop's childhood vision of the X-Men impact your idea for this new story?

That was a BIG inspiration. Particularly the part about Bishop imagining the X-Men were Black when he heard their stories as a child. Bishop's childhood hangs over his head, the awful things he experienced, the dark world he was born into. I wanted to dive into that, into how that makes him who he is...and who he might have been if he was raised in a different world.

prevnext

Bishop: War College #2 Variant by Ron Lim

bishopwarcollege2023002-lim-var.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Comics)
prevnext

BISHOP: WAR COLLEGE #2 (OF 5)

  • J. Holtham (W) • Sean Damien Hill & Alberto Foche (A) • Cover by Ken Lashley
  • BISHOP FACES OFF AGAINST...THE X-MEN?
  • What's a Bishop story without time travel? Shunted to a strange future, Lucas discovers familiar faces who will permanently alter his worldview.
  • Meanwhile his students are in danger, and not just of failing his course.
  • Helped by shocking allies, the anti-mutant organization Orchis has finally found a way onto Krakoa. Is this the end of the island?
prev
0comments
Start the Conversation

of