“Exiles” #1-4 Review

Exiles, Issues 1-4

Writer: Jeff Parker

Pencils: Casey Jones

Inks: Karl Kesel

Colors: Anthony Washington

Exiles has long been a fan-favorite book with a small cult following.  Spinning somewhat directly out of the immensely popular “Age of Apocalypse” storyline.  The goal of the team has always remained the same: to travel throughout the many alternate universes and fix the little “hiccups” in time and space that have manifested themselves. 

The latest volume of Exiles is by far the most fun to date.  The characters are younger, less serious versions of the ones in previous incarnations (Most notable New Exiles, which featured a much more militant team than before), and make things just all around damn enjoyable to read.  Sure, the Black Panther is more Spider-Man than he is T’Challa, but they’re from alternate Earths; what could you really expect?  The only downside is the definite lack of fan favorite Morph, who is serving as the Time Broker to this team , and has not yet let on to the team that he was once an Exile himself.

The pairing of the new members is working nicely, as everyone on the team comes across as competent and likable.  The team, this time comprised of alternate reality mutants who were all pulled out of their respective lives one second before they died, demonstrate remarkable intelligence and tactical prowess, working together as a unified force.  Its a nice shake-up from the typical “clumsy outing in the first team-up” formula.

Exiles is proving itself to be a fun, light-hearted romp through Marvel’s many alternate realities.  The stories aren’t as deep and engaging as Marvel’s other titles, but it instead focuses on creating adventures that are easy to pick up and enjoyable to read.  There’s still plenty of mystery to be had and lots of character development to establish, but Jeff Parker is doing a fantastic job with these characters, and the art team is doing an equally beautiful job with a style reminiscent of classic Marvel and extra attention to details like facial expressions.  Recently rebooted, the first three issues of the latest volume of Exiles are available at your local comic shop.  Issue #4, “Ok Computer” is out today and kicks off a new story with the Exiles stranded on a world where machines have taken over.

Final Grade: B.