Silence the critics.
Kill the cancellation conspiracy theories.
Marvel put superstars Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos on the new flagship X-book and the future is Extraordinary.
After reading X-books for decades and seeing everything, Extraordinary X-Men #1 still made me excited and energized for the next evolution of the mutant heroes.
Set eight months after the Secret Wars finale and the events of Uncanny X-Men #600, the Children of the Atom are facing a new threat as humanity fears and hates them like never before.
Cyclops is MIA but he did something that inflamed the world’s hatred of mutants and the Terrigen Mists are killing and sterilizing mutants.
It opens with somber Storm seeking inspiration from Professor X and later when she declares, “to me, my X-Men..the war for survival has begun” it feels right, inspiring and long overdue. There’s no one better than Ororo to lead the X-Men. Lemire and Ramos capture her powerfully and it makes for a great start.
Lemire quickly “assembles” Ororo’s strike team, reminding us of why we love each member he’s chosen, sets the stage for their Extraordinary mission and launches into multiple mysteries:
“M-Pox” is the derogatory term for an outbreak of sick and dying mutants. Is the world falsely assuming the strange new Inhumans are mutants fanning the flames of fear?
What did Cyclops do and where is he? Scott and Emma are both MIA. Are they victims of the Terrigen Mists? Did Cyclops commit or was he framed for a violent public attack that inflamed mutant hate?
Who’s hunting Nightcrawler? Kurt is on the run from strange new stalkers out to recapture their boss’s “prize specimen” but who are they? Lemire revealed Mister Sinister is the the first big villain so could they be a new version of The Marauders and why would Essex suddenly be obsessed with Wagner?
Where is X-Haven? Where is Storm taking rescued mutants to protect them from the Terrigen Mists?
Yes, the Terrigen killing mutants may seem familiar (No More Mutants, Legacy Virus) and there’s some nostalgic moments for old school fans but this first issue feels exciting, fresh and makes me want to see more of this new team.
Extraordinary X-Men #1 is a dramatic first stop on a thrilling new adventure longtime and new readers will enjoy. To Lemire and Ramos, X-readers!
By Editor