Comic Books

X-Men Monday #265 – Jason Loo Talks ‘Dazzler’

Plus, an eXclusive look at ‘Dazzler’ #1!

September 2, 2024

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

One of the biggest surprises of the “From the Ashes” era has to be the fact that Dazzler’s back — and getting her own mini-series! But really, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, we’ve been told Alison Blaire’s world tour has already sold out. Mutantkind’s favorite pop princess is a pretty big deal!

Writer Jason Loo will be acting as Ali’s tour manager throughout the four-issue Dazzler mini-series. Ahead of the first issue’s release on September 18, 2024, Jason agreed to share some details about the music event of 2024. Let’s see what he has to say.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Jason! Like Kate Pryde and Emma Frost, Dazzler debuted during “The Dark Phoenix Saga” in 1980. And, like those two icons, Alison plays a key role in the “From the Ashes” era, headlining her own mini-series. So, 44 years later, what, in your opinion, has kept Dazzler relevant to comic readers?

Jason Loo: Dazzler is your favorite Marvel superhero’s favorite pop star. And I don’t think her iconic disco look has ever aged. She’s timeless. Even if she isn’t the central character in a story or event, her concert posters can be seen almost everywhere. Or at least I’d like to think so.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Obviously, having been around for 44 years, Dazzler’s been through a lot. X-Fan Michael W. Anderson of the Age of Dazzler Facebook Group was curious to learn how your take on Dazzler is fresh, while moving her forward for longtime readers.

Jason: As her tour manager, I think she’s in an introspective phase in her music career. She’s got lots of stories to share through her songs that cover her time in the Marvel Universe. And she’s going to perform them at the height of her career with a sold-out world tour… but during a time when it’s NOT popular to be a mutant. New and old fans are going to experience Dazzler with backstage access as she figures out how to entertain everyone while not hiding who she is.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan MONARCH DAFEY asked if there are any characters from Dazzler’s original series or her tenure with the Outback X-Men team that will appear… such as MONARCH’s favorite X-Man ever, Longshot.

Jason: There will be lots of nods and references to Dazzler’s storied career throughout this limited series, without scaring any new fans. Nods not only from her original series and Outback era, but also her movie, her mini-series with Beast, and even up to X-Terminators! But just you wait for the Longshot nod. I think you’re all going to scream when that time comes.

AIPT: One character we know will be appearing in Dazzler is Wind Dancer. The “From the Ashes” era has been good to Academy X fans, so what can you share about Sofia’s role in your story?

Jason: Sofia is going to navigate Dazzler as Ali’s lifestyle/PR manager through this troubling time for mutants. As Dazzler wants to unite humans with mutants through her music, Sofia is going to make some questionable decisions that will tone down Dazzler’s homo superior image to the public.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Interesting. And beyond Wind Dancer, what can we expect from the rest of Dazzler’s entourage?

Jason: Well, we got Domino as head of security, who also trains Dazzler to defend herself from any unforeseen threats. And then there’s Strong Guy and Multiple Man as the production team and security detail to make sure things run smoothly during the tour (spoiler alert: things won’t). And then we’ve got Shark Girl as Dazzler’s bandmate on drums.

AIPT: You’re no stranger to writing Multiple Man and Strong Guy adventures. Should readers coming into Dazzler catch up on any of your past X-Men Unlimited arcs to enhance their reading experience?

Jason: Not that it’s really necessary, but for those who already have, you’ll be treated to some payoffs in the Dazzler series for sure. You’ll later find out how Dazzler and her crew travel from one city to another on the other side of the world. Psst… it’s the Forever Ship!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan Matthias Marschall Jones asked if there’ll be any duets with other Marvel musicians.

Jason: Yes! As you can see in the solicit for Dazzler #3, there will be one with Lila Cheney! That might be it for now…

AIPT: Something cool X-Fans may not realize is they’ve already “heard” a bit of one of Dazzler’s new songs in NYX #1, when Prodigy’s phone rings. “Rich Angel” is clearly about Ali’s time dating Warren Worthington III. So the question is… how do Dazzler’s exes feel about her penning songs about their romantic pasts with the superstar?

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Jason: Well, according to Dazzler in the first issue of this series, she thinks her and Warren are still cool after the fact. And I think Beast would feel very touched by “Beauty in the Beast.” But we’ll see how they really feel when her songs are played on the radio.

AIPT: Also cool — the fact you wrote original lyrics for new Dazzler songs. Could you share a bit about your creative process? Was it equal parts flipping through past Dazzler appearances and creating Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa playlists?

Jason: Yeah, this was like another level of solving puzzles from The New York Times. I’ll first jot down story notes and try to write them in a poetic way. Then I’ll study some rhythmic patterns from Taylor Swift or Dua Lipa’s song lyrics, counting syllables in each verse, and then try to cram those story notes in these very elaborate haikus. It’s a lot of wordplay, finding the right synonyms that will rhyme with the next verse. Then I’ll sing them out loud to see where Dazzler would add her vocal embellishments.

AIPT: Leak those Jason Loo Dazzler demos! Now, speaking of songs, X-Fan Malifest asked, if Dazzler was a song, what song would she be?

Jason: This might come out of left field but I think I’ll have to go with Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in my Pocket.” It might not be the song Dazzler would sing herself, but it’s definitely the soundtrack for this run.

AIPT: What can you tease about artist Rafael Loureiro’s visuals for Dazzler?

Jason: Rafael’s making the world tour concert experience look so stunning! Everything looks so bright and sparkly. Rafael also has a musical background, so he puts a lot of attention to detail in all the music equipment and stage productions. And he captures the right mannerisms and gestures, even while Dazzler’s singing. Everything looks so tight!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics and ComicBook.com

AIPT: As we wrap up, I’m paraphrasing, but Tom Brevoort has basically said the X-line is designed to have a book for every reader. So with that said… who is the ideal audience for your Dazzler mini-series?

Jason: I think this series is for anyone who loves drama in the music industry, mixed with action and intrigue. If this is a Swiftie’s first entry into Marvel, they are going to have an awesome time. And for the die-hard Dazzler fans who’ve been waiting for a new series with the titular character, they’re going to have a blast as well!

AIPT: Finally, even if you’ve never been to a Taylor Swift concert, it’s hard not to know something about the seemingly wonderful sense of community her fans share. So with that in mind, what type of experience would you say awaits Dazzler concert attendees in the Marvel Universe?

Jason: Impromptu action and danger! ‘Nuff said!

Courtesy of Marvel Comics and ComicBook.com

AIPT: Maybe not what I want to experience the next time I go to a concert, but I certainly don’t mind reading about it in a comic book! Looking forward to it! But on that note, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday, Jason!

Remember, X-Fans, Dazzler #1 goes on sale September 18, 2024. As that’s still a few weeks away, we’ve got the preview pages as this week’s X-Men Monday eXclusive, courtesy of our friends at Marvel.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

In the next edition of X-Men Monday: Writer Murewa Ayodele makes his X-Men Monday debut to discuss his “From the Ashes” Storm series. Click here to submit questions to Murewa by September 3, 2024 at 8 PM ET.