Thanks CaBil.

Woo hoo!!! We'll be getting the real Kitty Pryde back!

Joss, do you plan to do any cameos with Kitty's favorite band, Cats Laughing, at any point? Right back when Excaliber was starting up (before the big makeover that diluted much of Kitty's specialness), the writers were playing her up as the band's equivalent to Little Willow with the Mutant Enemy folks.

Astonishing is a new title, tied in with the main X-men/Marvel universe. Not a standalone like Ultimate X-men that Bryan Singer is doing

I've read that Astonishing (not Astounishing, I have to keep reminding myself) can be considered the replacement (not the right word, but continuance is probably wrong, too) for Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men. (To confuse matters further, Marvel will be coming out with a title called New X-Men: Academy X that is supposed to be a continuation of New Mutants. Gotta love Marvel).

I remember that Joss mentioned Kitty Pride as an inspiration in his intro to the Fray collection. I specifically remember his comment that most guys would think they had a shot with her, since Colossus wasn't all that bright.

The current New Mutants? It's a limited run? Say it ain't so! It's lovely.

No, it is being cancelled and replaced, ita. But the new title will have the same creative team. I think they just want to have all the X titles to have X in their name.

For instance, they are starting up a title about a mutant slum in NYC called District X, starring Bishop, which is supposed to be a replacement/continuance of NYX. Whose X I guess is not prominent enough...

Cancelled and replaced with the same people telling similar stories about the same characters?

Basically yeah. They are changing some of the background details of the school though.

Here is the solicitation copy...

New X-Men: Academy X #1 Written by NUNZIO DEFILIPPIS & Christina Weir Pencils & Cover by RandY Green "CHOOSING SIDES" pt. 1 (of 5) For the young mutants at the Xavier Institute, life will never be the same! The children at the X-Mansion thought they had it tough when Professor X was running things - but now that X-Men Cyclops and Emma Frost have taken over the reins of the school, they're wishing for the simpler times of yesterday! Codenames, school-issued uniforms and mandatory training sessions in the Danger Room are just a few of the changes being implemented around the Institute - but when the entire student body is forced to divide itself up into small squads and "choose sides," Xavier's will never be the same again!

Cyclops is running the school? Doesn't he have to have X-ier adventures?

Pfft.

Hmm. Well, I'd like them to keep the existing students and teachers and relationships. God, I missed Dani.

Does she still have the Valkyrie crap tacked on to her original character concept?

Whatever happened to Banshee?

I don't think they've mentioned it. She's barely even used her powers -- she's coming back to teach at the Academy, and dealing with being adult. Shan's back too.

If only they could resurrect Cypher. It wouldn't be cheap at all, I swear.