X-Men United #1 Tries to Do Something New and Falls on Its Face (Review)

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2025 was a rough year for the X-Men. A reboot called “From the Ashes” didn’t resonate with fans, and many disliked the new direction set by editor Tom Brevoort and his team. Things haven’t improved much since then, with a common complaint being that the different X-Men teams don’t feel connected. 2026 began with a new initiative called “Shadows of Tomorrow,” which followed a poorly received storyline called “Age of Revelation.” Fans were hoping this new direction would finally bring their favorite characters together in a cohesive way. This new series, X-Men United, took over the spot previously held by the unsuccessful Exceptional X-Men, and even features the same writer.

The first issue of X-Men United, written by Eve Ewing (known for her work on Exceptional and Black Panther) and illustrated by Tiago Palma, aims to unite all the X-Men teams and their students in a new school setting. However, readers unfamiliar with Ewing’s Exceptional may find this issue underwhelming, as it doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of its title and falls short as an X-Men comic.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Pros Cons
Graymatter Lane recycles a good Krakoa Era idea The only characters that stand out are from Exceptional, so if you don’t like them, you’re out of luck
The art looks strange; it’s not terrible, but it’s also not good, and Cyclops looks very bad
The art looks strange; it’s not terrible, but it’s also not good and Cyclops looks very bad

X-Men United #1 Doesn’t Make an Argument For Its Existence

Eve Ewing’s Exceptional X-Men didn’t perform as well as the other new X-Men titles after the “From the Ashes” launch, and it struggled to gain a wider following. Ewing is a capable writer, particularly strong with character development, but X-Men United #1 largely caters to existing fans of Exceptional X-Men. If you weren’t already invested in that series, you likely won’t enjoy this one. The most compelling aspect of the book is the introduction of a new telepathic school, which closely resembles the Altar – a mental space created by Legion during the Krakoa era in Way of X. Ultimately, that’s the core of what this issue offers.

The book promised to bring the mutant community together again, and it generally delivers on that promise. However, the first issue itself is surprisingly dull. It’s mostly setup – a meeting of established mutants, a training session, and a new student arriving at the school – but these scenes don’t capture the nostalgic feel they’re aiming for, and the issue ends without building any excitement. Frankly, there’s little reason to pick up this comic. The story feels unoriginal, many characters are underdeveloped, and it seems the writer is simply creating conflict for the sake of it. It doesn’t offer anything new or engaging for X-Men fans, which is a worrying sign for the future of the series.

X-Men United #1’s Art Doesn’t Look Great

Tiago Palma, a relatively new artist at Marvel, provides the artwork for this book. Unfortunately, the art doesn’t stand out and feels unremarkable, much like the writing. Palma’s depiction of characters is often strange; I first noticed this with Cyclops in the first issue. He appears oddly drawn, and this inconsistency is a recurring issue – some characters look good, while others don’t.

The artwork just doesn’t quite work. The characters look strangely proportioned, and their expressions don’t effectively convey the scene’s emotions. The backgrounds and settings are unremarkable, and the single action sequence lacks energy and smooth movement. Overall, the comic is visually bland, which is a major issue. The fact that Marvel didn’t assign a top-tier artist to this project is concerning.

As a long-time X-Men fan, I have to say X-Men United #1 left me feeling pretty disappointed. It just doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and honestly, it doesn’t address the issues that have been plaguing the X-books lately. It feels like we’re revisiting the same old story – Cyclops getting frustrated because everyone doesn’t follow his orders – which was already the central theme of the ‘From the Ashes’ storyline. If you enjoyed Exceptional X-Men, you might find something to like here, but if you weren’t a fan, I’d recommend sticking with Uncanny X-Men instead.

X-Men United #1 is on sale now.

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2026-03-11 16:42