In the late '80s, legendary Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont and superstar artist Marc Silvestri took Marvel's Merry Mutants down under for a transformative period of the franchise known as the "Outback Era."
Featuring a dynamic lineup of X-Men who put the outlaw in "outlaw heroes" and bold storytelling hot enough to fan the flames of an Inferno, this era remains beloved by many fans. However, this short-but-sweet period in X-Men history always felt full of untapped potential.
Well, that changes this June when two modern mutant masters, writer Steve Orlando (X-Men Unlimited, Sorcerer Supreme) and artist Stephen Segovia (Hellions, New Avengers), reveal an all-new saga set during this iconic era in X-Men: Outback, a five-issue retro limited series with covers by acclaimed X-Men artist Russell Dauterman.
Here's the official description for X-Men: Outback #1:
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK!
Journey back to a time when the public believed Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Dazzler, Havok, Psylocke and Longshot were dead. But from the shadows, these X-Men protected humanity from their Australian headquarters! But why did the team choose the Outback as their home base? How did tensions between them almost tear the team apart? And which of their old enemies threatened to expose their secret?
"It's a rare thing, something you logically don't expect, to get the chance as a creator to work in the time period that made you love a comic, a team, or a character," Orlando shared. "For me, picking up issues where I could at flea markets and spinner racks of the late '80s and '90s, the outback was the first place I met the X-Men on the page. And they all but leapt off it."
"The tension, the struggle to carve out a new life, the explosive personalities...and the new! It was such a bold era, enough to make me a fan for life. Now, to get to work in that time period with X-Men: Outback? That's not even something the young me would've thought possible."
The writer added, "We've got an incredible team with Stephen Segovia and Russell Dauterman—and we're cooking up stories that celebrate and elevate the era. And in its spirit, you'll of course be seeing some familiar faces...but just the same—there'll be all new threats, connections, and secret exes on the way!"
The latest "retro" series (somewhere along the line, Marvel realised that comics set in the past sell as well as, if not better than, those in the present), delivering all-new stories set during definitive Marvel Comics eras, X-Men: Outback follows recent X-hits like Psylocke: Ninja and Emma Frost: The White Queen.
Check out Dauterman's first cover below, and stay tuned for more on this one in the coming months.
X-MEN: OUTBACK #1 (OF 5)
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
On Sale 6/24