Ewing & Palma Draw Mutantkind Together In Marvel’s ‘X-Men United’
by Tony Thornley
In March, the X-Men finally come together to build the new future for mutantkind after Krakoa in the new ongoing series X-Men United.
X-Men United is the next chapter in Marvel Comics’ Shadows of Tomorrow initiative. Acclaimed writer Eve Ewing and rising star artist Tiago Palma join forces to chronicle this exciting new chapter in the X-Men’s history. The story will draw from the entire X-Tapestry, featuring characters from every era and faction at the newest school for mutantkind. Founded by Emma Frost, with faculty including Wolverine, Magneto, Beast, Rogue and Storm and guest teachers from across the Marvel Universe, Graymatter Lane is more than just an academy — it’s the central hub for mutant interaction across the world and beyond.
“Build a school,” Charles Xavier told them, and the X-Men have done so — but in a manner nobody saw coming! Welcome to Graymatter Lane, a place where mutants anywhere in the world can come together in unity to teach one another the skills needed for their survival! With the greatest of the X-Men as teachers and a campus unlike any before seen, it’s the crossroads of the X-Universe as a student body from across the globe works to take mutantkind to the next step in their evolution — and to cope with a brewing threat to all of their number!
“X-Men United forms the center point of the mutant world,” said Conductor of X Tom Brevoort. “Steeped in the tradition of series like Astonishing X-Men and Wolverine & the X-Men, Graymatter Lane is a place where all of the major players in the X world will come together to fight, hook up and hash out their differences. There’ll be action, drama, faces old and new and dangers galore. Which young mutant is critically injured on the first day — and which X-Man is responsible? What secret is uncovered in Sinister’s lab? What distance-separated couple rekindles their connection? And how far will Cyclops go to bring the whole endeavor to the ground?”
“Working on the X-team for the past couple of years has been some of the most fun I’ve had writing comics ever,” Ewing said. “The idea for Graymatter Lane was a collective one, from lots of writers in a room brainstorming, and it’s so cool because the psychic space allows for things to be weirder and more surreal, while still building on the classic Xavier’s School energy we’ve all loved for decades.”
“Unreal! That’s how I would sum up the feeling of working on this new chapter of X-Men,” Palma shared. “And what an honor to get the chance to design the new Graymatter Lane campus. Loved the freedom to really play around with different shapes and super trippy ideas for such an iconic space for the group.”
Ewing frankly created the best book of the From The Ashes era. Exceptional X-Men pointed to the future while honoring the past. Her take on Emma and Kitty Pryde showed how nuanced the duo are. Widening the scope of that while keeping Emma front and center will be a lot of fun.
Check out the first cover from the series and watch for more news about X-Men United before it debuts.
