EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN #8 – The Plan in Action

Creative Team – Eve L. Ewing(writer). Carmen Carnero(artist). Nolan Woodard(color artist). VC’s Travis Lanham(letterer). Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard(cover artists).

Published by Marvel Entertainment

Catch up with Exceptional X-Men #7 here!

“Our guy AXO is in trouble. Big trouble. He’s bitten off more than he can chew in his relationship with charismatic technologist and Verate C.E.O. Sheldon Xenos, and now he’s being held hostage while an Alex clone wanders around in his stead. Can the rest of the Exceptional team bail him out, or will they fall for the dupe of their beloved friend?” (Credit: Marvel)

The Story

After it was revealed in Exceptional X-Men #7 that Sheldon Xenos wasn’t who he claimed to be. It seems Mister Sinister’s plans are in full throttle. Mister Sinister had his eye on Axo from the start. He played the role of the Verate CEO perfectly to pull him into his trap.

Now that he has Axo locked up against his will, Mister Sinister can put his plans to action. No one can stop him as no one knows Axo is gone.

It seems Mister Sinister has thought through every step of his evil plan. He has an Axo clone on the outside pretending to be the empathetic mutant to his friends and family. Of course, this should work out flawlessly for Mister Sinister, but he underestimates the young mutants of the Exceptional X-Men.

The Writing

What I really loved about Exceptional X-Men #8 was when Bronze and Melee realized that the Axo they were with wasn’t the real Axo. It really showed how intuitive the young mutants are and how close they truly have grown since becoming a team. Not only that, but when they realize that something wasn’t right with Axo, they jumped into action to save their friend.

When there was an emergency at the mall, they immediately took it upon themselves to help the civilians and take control of the situation. These two continue to prove that they grow more and more aligned with the X-Men way. They are growing into their roles as heroes.

Eve L. Ewing does a fantastic job at showing how far the young mutants have come since the days of being unable to control their mutant abilities and having a lack of trust in anyone that offered help.

Melee and Bronze really stood out in Exceptional X-Men #8 . I hope to see their character continue to grow and thrive in their new roles as heroes.

The Art

Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, and Travis Lanham continue to elevated this already exciting storyline by bringing it to life with their artistic talents. I really enjoyed how much darker this installment was in comparison to its predecessors, as it matched the energy of Mister Sinister quite well.

It was really interesting to see how the artists were able to jump back and forth between tones, such a Melee and Bronze in the midst of panic to Kitty singing her heart out in the shower. It added a lot of different emotions to the comic, which made it even more of a joy to read.

Overall Grade – 8.7/10

Let me know in the comments below how you’re liking Exceptional X-Men so far!

This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Exceptional X-Men #8, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!