Many long-time fans considerExilestheX-Menfranchise’s best spin-off series ever, so why does it seem like Marvel is reluctant to revisit the original book’s concept, and its fan-favorite team? It is a question without an easy answer, but it is one that speaks volumes about the chances in Marvel’s publishing ethos over the past twenty years.
Exiles#1, by the creative team of Judd Winick and Mike McCone, was released in the summer of 2001, and the series flourished, continuing for nearly a decade.
Subsequent volumes failed to catch on in the same way, and in the years since, Marvel has been content to use theExilesname, while the series itself has languished in creative limbo.
“Exiles” Is X-Men’s Best Spin-Off, But Marvel Doesn’t Recognize Its Importance To The Franchise
Exiles#1, By The Creative Team Of Judd Winick And Mike McCone; Released In 2001
ExilesVolume 1 is an artifact of its time and place in Marvel history, and it is notable inX-Mencanon for a number of reasons.Exileswas among the firstX-stories to fully understand, and exploit, thepotential of the Multiverse. By extension, the series popularized the concept of character “variants”, which is now essential to Marvel lore.
That is,Exiles' concept allowed for an endless reinterpretation of classic characters in new and unexpected forms. Perhaps this is one reason the series isn’t a priority for Marvel. What made it stand out twenty-five years ago has now become a routine creative exercise at Marvel; the publisher constantly floods the market with out-of-continuity storiesand Multiversal variants.
Still,Exileswas a pioneering title for theX-Menfranchise, which makes it surprising that it has largely lain dormant over the past fifteen years. Recently, Marvel’s announcement of theupcomingImperial War: Exilesseriesthrew this into sharp relief, given that the series bears no relation at all to its predecessors save for the name.
“Exiles” Is Long Overdue For A Comeback, On The Page Or On The Screen
ExilesHas The Perfect Premise For A Live-Action Adaptation
Exilesis also noteworthy because the original series lasted one-hundred issues, ranking it amongX-Men’slongest-running spin-offs. In this way, it is a testament to how different Marvel’s creative-business model is today, compared to how it was in the 2000s. That is, few series are afforded the opportunity to thrive unimpeded for that long.
In essence,Exileswas allowed to grow into its own distinct franchise,having spawned fromX-Men, but operating with its own mythos and playing by its own set of rules. This is something readers would think Marvel would want to cultivate more of, butExilesbeing put on the shelf indicates otherwise.
For years,X-fans have citedExilesas a series they want to see adapted for film or television. The concept is perfectly suited for live-action, and perhaps that is the only thing that can prompt Marvel to resurrect the fan-favorite book for another, more sustained volume. For the time being,ExilesremainsX-Men’sgreatest and most underappreciated spin-off.
