WIZARD WORLD EAST: X-MEN PANEL

Marc Silverstri's New X-Men story begins in December and Salvador Larroca will become the new regular artist of Uncanny X-Men, it was revealed Saturday at the X-Men panel at Wizard World East in Philadelphia.

Silvestri is the one-time Uncanny X-Men artist who went on to found Top Cow Productions. He is teaming with writer Grant Morrison beginning with New X-Men #151.

"I'm having a great time," said Silvestri, who is already working on his second issue, after the panel at the Top Cow booth. "How can anybody not want to work with Grant Morrison. It's a lot of fun, and the second issue is turning out better than the first."

Details of the arc are sketchy, but Silvestri did confirm the story takes place in the future and that a Sentinel appears in his first issue.

Larroca is currently drawing Namor after two years on X-Treme X-Men. His first issue of Uncanny will be early next year.

In other X-Men news from the panel:

* Although X-editor Mike Marts didn't comment in response to a question about the X-Men getting more colorful costumes, both Marvel president Bill Jemas and editor-in-chief Joe Quesada addressed the issue in other panels.

"There is a day when you might see colorful costumes on the X-Men again," Quesada said. "There are certain constituencies in comics, including little kids, who want to see the colorful costumes."

"We definitely went too far," Jemas said. "We didn't want too many different versions of the characters running around. We tried to have a hybrid between the movie and classic look. We went too far towards the movie look.

"And over the next year, you'll see some of the bright, distinctive colors come out. I think it's helpful as a storyteller, especially on a book with so many characters like the X-Men, that there is a distinct look. So that will come out more."

* X-Treme X-Men writer Chris Claremont said that Rogue and Gambit return in September's X-Treme X-Men #31. "They are basically the core of the next arc, which will take us into the new year," Claremont said.

* Claremont on the X-Treme X-Men art of Igor Kordey: "He's doing some exciting work and I would match it against the best of any Marvel book."

* Claremont on bringing back Psylocke, who died: "Things are sort of locked in place. Will it stay that way? That's what I thought about Phoenix. Things can change."

Asked about Psylocke in another panel, Quesada, who has adopted a dead-is-dead policy, said: "He was going in one direction, and the rule came in at the same time. I love Chris, and if he really wants Psylocke back, he's going to have to talk to me."

* Claremont said Bishop will be more on center stage in upcoming issues.

* Marts said Morrison will remain on New X-Men "for at least all of 2004."

* Ultimate X-Men editor C.B. Cebulski said that Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch with have a 12-issue run, with no fill-ins.

* X-Statix editor Axel Alonso said that upcoming events in the book will include the resurrection of one of the world's most recognizable figures as a new member of the team; X-Statix taking on another high-profile team in the Marvel Universe; and the return of the original X-Force.

* Phil Jimenez has drawn two issues so far for "Planet X," the story arc that runs in New X-Men #146-150 and focuses on Jean Grey.

"The scripts are some of the most exciting things I've dealt with," Jimenez said. "It sounds silly, but I can't wait to wake up and go to my desk and start drawing."

* Wolverine editor Alonso on relaunching the book with a new #1 with the creative team of Greg Rucka and Darick Robertson: "It just made sense. It didn't feel like the book that came before it."

* After the first six-issue Wolverine arc, Leandro Fernandez will draw an arc before Robertson returns. Robertson also will be finishing work on his Deathlok mini-series.

Marts on the roster for Uncanny: "The team will be pared down a bit and solidified."

* John Middleton has completed the artwork for the first issue of NYX, but Marvel is not announcing the writer. Asked if the writer is female, Cebulski said, "No comment."