You have to admit that the X-Men haven’t received the best treatment in recent years, despite being one of Marvel’s most beloved properties. Thankfully, things have taken a more positive turn as of late as our favorite mutants have had their line of books gradually expanded, one addition of which is the much talked about X-Men Gold.
Brought to us by the dream team of writer Marc Guggenheim (whom you may know as executive producer of hit TV series such as Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) and artist Ardian Syaf (Superman: Earth One Volume 3), this eclectic team led by Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat also includes the likes of Rachel Grey, Old Man Logan, Colossus, Storm and Nightcrawler.
Speaking of which, Guggenheim had this to say to CBR regarding placing Kitty in a leadership role:
“Kitty is the ‘kid who made good. She’s the apprentice who’s returning to become the master… My first X-Men issue that I read was #139, which was the ‘Welcome to the X-Men, Kitty Pryde – Hope You Survive the Experience’ issue. From the moment I was offered the gig, I knew I wanted to return Kitty to the team if the character was available. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was an opportunity to do more than scratch a nostalgic itch. I realized I had the chance to tell a very classic story: the story of the apprentice who becomes the master. To me, her becoming the leader of the team was the ultimate realization of that arc.”
X-Men Gold #1 arrives in comic shops on Wednesday, April 5. But before you go, be sure to check out Syaf’s covers for issues #3 & 4 at the top, which feature Kitty and Gambit, respectively. Given the latter’s great popularity in the 1990s, I find it fitting that an artist whose style is similar to Jim Lee’s carry on the Cajun’s legacy.