Marvel has released a new trailer for Exceptional X-Men, which features the third X-Men team to join the post-Krakoa status quo. Written by Eve L. Ewing and with art by Carmen Carnero, Exceptional X-Men features Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde as the two leaders of a new team of mutants. Exceptional X-Men #1 is now available in digital storefronts and comic book shops. The trailer shares a sneak peek at the first issue as well as what to expect from this exciting series.
The team, revealed earlier this year, features the debut of three new mutants: the metallic and whip-wielding Bronze, the emotion-stirring Axo, and the stealth-skilled fighter Melee. They will be part of the new generation of mutants that Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde will guide, and they must learn to live and survive in a world that fears and hates them. Exceptional X-Men #1 is expectd to give the spotlight to Kitty Pryde and Melee, while the second issue will feature Bronze and Axo. Iceman will also be joining the cast of the series in Exceptional X-Men #4, releasing this December.
Writer Eve L. Ewing shared some hints on how the new X-Men comic gets its "Exceptional" title, explaining, "Well, those who know that I was a poet long before becoming a comics creator will appreciate that EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN, in a world full of X-adjectives, simply sounds really good. But right now, they are exceptional in that they don't carry a lot of the same history on their shoulders as the main characters in our other titles. For better or worse, they have no ties to Krakoa or broader team politics or the previous era of mutantdom. They're just a group of awkward kids in the Midwest trying to figure out their abilities, like generations of young mutants before them."
"Regarding the young mutants, I think the whole team fell in love with all three of them," artist Carmen Carnero added. "I love that they are such opposites. Eve had very clear personalities, hobbies, musical tastes, how they feel… And when it came to designing them, it all developed naturally, and the whole team had a clear vision of what their final looks would be. I can't wait for readers to meet them."
What is Exceptional X-Men about?
Marvel provided an official synopsis for Exceptional X-Men:
Exceptional X-Men begins with Kitty trying to get as far away from all things X as she possibly can. After the actions she took during Fall of X, Kitty craves normalcy and takes a job as a regular-degular bartender. She's definitely NOT getting ready to head up an all-new team of wayward young mutants while avoiding the watchful gaze of Emma Frost. Nothing but work, dating and staving off depression. That's it. Let's see how long it lasts…
“Regarding the young mutants, I think the whole team fell in love with all three of them,” Carnero said in a previous press release. “I love that they are such opposites. Eve had very clear personalities, hobbies, musical tastes, how they feel… And when it came to designing them, it all developed naturally, and the whole team had a clear vision of what their final looks would be. I can’t wait for readers to meet them.”
Ewing also shared about how the mutants will connect with both new and longtime X-Men fans: "I always try to strike a chord between appealing to veteran comics fans and new readers, but since so many people fell in love with the X-Men as teens and this book is about a team of young folks, that feels especially important to me here."
The new X-Men series will join two other flagship titles of the upcoming From the Ashes relaunch: X-Men by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, and Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone and David Marquez. Other series in the relaunch include X-Force, X-Factor, Phoenix, Wolverine and a NYX revival.
