They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and that’s never been more true than with Marvel‘s Exceptional X-Men #1. Written by Eve L. Ewing, with art by Carmen Carnero, the cover sells this as yet another costumed X-Men team, led by Emma Frost. Instead, this issue is an emotional, nuanced, and exciting character study of Kitty Pryde, and per the moniker is, indeed, exceptional.
So far, the first few months of the X-Men’s “From the Ashes” era, which picks up after the end of the mutant island state of Krakoa, have been a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re looking for classic X-Men team dynamics, Uncanny X-Men has been the best of the bunch. NYX is delving into the teen and 20-something characters in New York in ways that are pushing them forward. What Exceptional X-Men does, at least in the first issue, is deal with what it’s like to reach your thirties and realize nothing matters. What if you spent your whole life so far doing one thing — in Kitty’s example, that’s being in the X-Men — and it changed nothing?
That’s the emotional concept here, but the closest analog to the tone of the book is Fleabag, the critically acclaimed series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge. While Kitty is nowhere near as terrible as the main character there, she spends a lot of time addressing the “camera” and narrating her life. And she wants nothing to do with anyone. She’s moved back to Chicago, is tending bar, and is trying to avoid the whole “mutant” thing as much as possible.
Naturally, it finds her in the form of a new mutant who needs her help, and she gets a little of her lower-case “m” mojo back. But I’d venture getting over what Ewing parallels to a layoff, or the dissolution of a company is not going to leave Kitty behind permanently after 30 pages.
While it might be frustrating to some fans for the X-Men to turn the clock back to the “hated and feared” dynamic for mutants, what Ewing expertly does here is give that feeling to Kitty. It sucks to see mutants be relegated by the world of prejudice. Kitty hates it, we hate it, and through the script and action, we’re able to work through those feelings via proxy. Kitty Pryde is right there with you, friends.
And the action is great, by the way. Carnero draws dynamic scenes that range from bottomless brunch to a chase through a concert, and they are fun. Kitty may be wallowing, but this book moves, all thanks to Carnero’s expert pencils.
We’re also given a little teaser of something that’s bubbled in the background for decades, as Kitty goes on a date with a woman. Or, tries to go on a date with a woman, but it doesn’t quite work out. Still, kudos to Ewing for canonizing something fans have suspected pretty much since the Claremont era.
And last but not least, the book is funny, too. Per the Fleabag of it all, there are meta winks throughout the issue, leading up to a very fun few final pages that layer on the twists and character reveals fast and furious. The bulk of the “running time” is extremely focused on Kitty, but it looks like this series will widen out in subsequent issues.
All in all? Yes, this book is exceptional. Just don’t judge it by the cover.
Exceptional X-Men #1 Rating:
Exceptional X-Men #1 Official Synopsis:
KATE PRYDE LEADS A TEAM OF ALL-NEW X-MEN! After the fall of Krakoa, Kate Pryde is trying to get as far away from all things X as she possibly can. She’s just a regular-degular bartender now. Definitely NOT getting ready to head up an ALL-NEW TEAM of wayward young mutants while avoiding the watchful gaze of Emma Frost. Nothing in this title but work, dating and staving off depression. That’s it. No never-before-seen EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN to see here!
