With Emma Frost now on the scene, old wounds and differing outlooks threaten to derail the team before they even start. Your Major Spoilers review of Exceptional X-Men #3, awaits!

EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN #3

Writer: Eve L. Ewing
Artist: Carmen Carnero
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Tom Breevort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 20th, 2024

Previously in Exceptional X-Men: Kate Pryde has tried her best to put her days as a member of the X-Men behind her and instead lead an everyday low-key life. But a series of events winds up putting the care of three young mutants in her care. On top of that, Emma Frost has now shown up, with unknown motives.

OLD GRUDGES, NEW SCHOOL

Exceptional X-Men #3 opens with Kate confronting Emma Frost, who has the three young mutants Kate has been helping wrapped up in mind control. The two then start arguing about what Emma is doing there. Emma claims to have a vision for Kate’s and everyone else’s life and that they should be grateful. When she tries to leave with the mind-controlled mutants, Kate intervenes, and the two duke it out. Kate’s roommate shows up and puts a stop to the fight. Everyone then pleads their case that Kate needs to teach the newer mutants how to be a team. Kate agrees to teach them some basic self-defense and how to manage their powers so they can survive on the streets, but that’s all. The next day, during training, the students give themselves codenames: Melee, Bronze, and Axo. Emma is late but eventually shows up with costumes for everyone. The team is suddenly set upon by goblin-like creatures just before another unexpected arrival.

A BATTLE OF WILLS

One of my biggest complaints about the newest offerings of X-Men-centric titles has been their retreading of old ideas and themes in ways that don’t allow them to be the effective symbolic characters that they’ve always been. Now, I won’t say that Exceptional X-Men #3 is taking X-men in a brand new and totally unexplored area, but it’s at least framing its themes in a way that feels right for this day and age. Much of this issue revolves around the idea of how extensive the Melee, Bronze, and Axo’s training should be, and if it’s even ethical for Emma and Kate to train them at all if it will inevitably encourage them to become heroes. Also, this issue touches on the sins of Charles Xavier, and while this is definitely something that has been examined quite a bit, the angle this title seems to be taking is focused on the trauma being thrown into action at a young age can cause, even if it was for a grand mission of peace. Having this debate between Kate and Emma play out is the perfect choice as well since these two have had such a strong antagonistic friendship over the years. It’s clear in these pages that the two respect each other greatly but also kind of hate each other for making them respect each other. Beyond the themes of the issue, there are some pacing problems. There’s just too much shoved into this issue, which results in some of it feeling incomplete and rushed. In particular, the fight toward the end with the goblins is lackluster, to say the best, and it fails to let the new characters struggle and then shine. Instead, we get a page of some fighting, and then a solution just sort of happens. Plus, with the fight between Emma and Kate earlier in the issue it wasn’t as if there was a lack of action that needed to be addressed.

EVERYONE LOOKS LIKE SPIDER-MAN

I only have one big complaint about the visuals of Exceptional X-Men #3, and that’s the look of the uniforms Emma gives Melee, Axo, and Bronze. The combination of the primary color red and the stylized X logo makes these suits look like alternate Spider-Man costumes more than X-Men. What’s strange about this, is that the costumes in the issue are not the same costumes on the cover, with the ones on the cover being far more visually interesting. So maybe some more variation is on the way and there was just some miscommunication, but right now these new duds just aren’t getting the job done.

BOTTOM LINE: A FLAWED ISSUE THAT HAS A GOOD HEART

Exceptional X-Men #3 does a great job in establishing a theme that sets this series apart from the rest of the X-Men books being released right now. The new characters are endearing in this issue as they start to become a bigger part of the story. Some pacing problems and inconsistent character design hinder the reading experience, but the main ideas still get through. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.