Fans of the cult Marvel X-Statix comic were overjoyed when the books original team that included writer Peter Milligan, artist Michael Allred, colorist Laura Allred, and letterer Nate Piekos reunited for a Giant-Sized X-Statix one-shot back in 2019. As teased at the end of the one-shot, a relaunched title called X-Cellent featuring a new iteration of the team was intended to arrive in 2020. It’s safe to assume the pandemic put a wrench in the original release plans, but good things come to those who wait for today the publisher officially announced that X-Cellent will be arriving in February.
Here’s how Marvel described the series:
Back in the 2000s, X-STATIX stunned readers with its unique spin on Marvel super heroics and off-beat characters. Now, this hit series is back along with the original creative team for more comic book brilliance overflowing with wit, charm, and high-octane thrills! Get ready for more adventures of X-STATIX starring your favorite heroes from the classic series along with a brand-new team of rivals that will take this one-of-a-kind series to a fresh and exciting new future!
They were loved by their adoring fans. They were reviled by the harsh press. They lived, they loved, they fought and they died…a lot — all for the sake of fame. They were the X-Statix, a team of mutant celebrities fighting for a brighter world and an even brighter spotlight! But they’re old news now, because there’s a new mutant team that will live harder, love harder, fight harder and die a whole lot harder than those has-beens! Meet…THE X-CELLENT!
In a statement announcing the series, writer Peter Milligan described reuniting with his previous artistic collaborators:
“I’m thoroughly X-Statix to be working with Mike and Laura Allred again,” Milligan said. “And it’s been truly X-CELLENT to discover that we’ve lost none of our alchemical fizz in conjuring up this new comic, this new title, this new beginning: The X-CELLENT!”
Michael Allred likewise shared Milligan’s sentiments:
“The ol’ gang is back together again! Working with Peter Milligan is always a party,” Michael Allred added. “The future is looking brighter for 2022 as we get to show the world how we’ve been playing with our X-Statix Marvel mutants and their new adversaries, THE X-CELLENT! LOVE these characters! Everyone come play with us!”
Originally a revamp of the X-Force mutant team before spinning off into their own series in the early aughts, X-Statix was unlike any other X-Men title (or superhero book for that matter) on the market, serving as a satire on celebrity and media culture, casting its protagonists as something closer to reality stars than real superheroes. Though a critically acclaimed darling, it was never a major sales hit.
Though Marvel is playing details of the new series close to vest, readers will recall in the aforementioned one-shot that Katie Sawyer, daughter of U-Go Girl, joined a new version of the X-Statix consisting of original members such as Doop, Mister Sensitive, and Vivisector who miraculously returned from the dead, as well as new recruits like The A, son of Anarchist, and Phatty, daughter of Phat. Meanwhile, former X-Statix member Zeitgeist also returns from the dead to forms a new team, the titular X-Cellent, consisting of new mutant characters like Hurt John, Mirror Girl and Uno. It’s safe to assume that the teams will collide.
X-Cellent #1 arrives in stores in February 2022.
Guessing that first “Zeitgeist” was supposed to be “Doop”?
Corrected/Updated!
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