Marvel is about to dive into an untold chapter of the X-Men story, specifically that of Betsey Braddock with Psylocke: Ninja. Going on sale in January, the five-issue series will take readers into Betsy’s transformation into a deadly assassin as well as her first encounter with Elektra. From writer Tim Seeley and with art by Nico Leon, the new series might be one of the most exciting books Marvel has in the pipeline for the new year and ComicBook has a first look at the debut issue of the story that Seeley is describing as a big revenge tale.
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Speaking with ComicBook, Seeley opened up about the personal nature of Betsy’s story as she deals with the wild body swap situation, teasing that not only will the story get into everything Betsy is dealing with, but feature some really cool genre combinations as well, offering X-Men fans a wild ride that sounds like something totally new.
Psylocke: Ninja Is Bigger Than Just an X-Men Story
ComicBook: You have done a lot of really cool things with the X-Men. What makes Psylocke: Ninja exciting for you?
Tim Seeley: Ninja allows to pick up on an approach I honed with Rogue: The Savage Land, and that’s going back to read some of my favorite 80s/90s comic books and figuring out where there are little gaps that could be filled in with all-new story, that still respects the existing continuity. Savage Land had to be, by design, fairly contained, but with Ninja, I was able to pull in not only Uncanny X-Men issues, but also Daredevil, Wolverine and even New Warriors! So, this is a very personal story for Betsy, but it’s also pretty personal for me, as I smash all my back issues together into something new!
With the X-Men having such a long history full of iconic moments and stories, what did you find particularly challenging about digging into this time in Psylocke’s history?
Well, Betsy Braddock becoming ninja Psylocke is some really dense continuity–it’s also got some conflicting ideas that don’t quite line up! So, I had to focus on what I thought made it a great story in the first place, and that’s Betsy essentially being remade into someone else, then becoming comfortable with, and really adapting to who she was the whole time. I think she has to have agency, while also letting her roll with a very crazy sci-fi body-swap brainwash story–and that takes some serious thinking.
What has been your favorite thing about Psylocke: Ninja?
At its heart, it’s a big revenge story, set in Madripoor, which allowed me to combine some of my favorite genres into something new. It’s a Cyberpunk/pinky violence/martial arts spectacular!
Without spoilers, what is something that you think readers will be surprised by with this book — and what is something about it that surprised you?
Well, I was really surprised at how well you can combine Uncanny X-Men, Elektra: Assassin, Daredevil: Fall From Grace, and the Night Thrasher solo series into a coherent narrative! And hopefully, readers will be surprised to see that I pull it off!
Get An Exclusive Look at the Covers For Psylocke: Ninja #2
If the hype for Psylocke: Ninja wasn’t already intense, ComicBook also has an exclusive look at the covers for Psylocke: Ninja #2. The covers feature art by Derrick Chew and a variant cover by Joshua “Sway” Swaby and the issue goes on sale February 25th.
Here’s how Marvel describes Psylocke: Ninja #2: “Elektra must die! The Hand has given Psylocke a brutal order: Kill Electra! Will Psylocke be able to resist the Hand’s control? And even if she can, how will she evade Elektra’s wrath?!”
Are you excited for Psylocke: Ninja? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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