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Sabretooth & The Exiles #1
- Writer:
- Victor LaValle
- Artist:
- Leonard Kirk
- Letterer:
- VC"s Cory Petit
- Cover Artist:
- Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-11-09
- Colorist:
- Rain Beredo
Marvel's Sabretooth and the Exiles focuses on the mutants cast aside by Krakoa. The Krakoan dream is one of promise and prosperity, but not all mutantdom is accepted on the island nation. Those who break any of the fundamental laws of the land are exiled and thrown into a pit. Chief among the exiled is Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth. Victor eventually escaped from the pit, and in response, some other exiles are secretly sent to track him down before he causes further harm to humanity. Written by Victor LaValle with art by Leonard Kirk, colors by Rain Beredo, letters by Corey Petit, and design by Tom Muller and Jay Bowen, Sabretooth and the Exiles #1 is a great introduction to some of the worst mutantkind has to offer.
This issue is sure to be many readers' first exposure to the Exiles -- Toad, Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Third Eye, Madison Jeffries, Oya, Nekra, and Melter -- and it does an excellent job introducing its large cast. The exiles are hunting Sabretooth, who has been apprehended by the anti-mutant organization, Orchis. Dr. Barrington is established as the series' main antagonist, and she's clinically vile. Devoted to her research, the doctor will stop at nothing to further her studies of mutant anatomy, and Sabretooth is the perfect specimen. The ensuing chaos brought about by the Exiles' hunt for Sabretooth and his attempted escape set the stage for a wild series spotlighting some lesser-known villains.
LaValle does an excellent job establishing the tone for this series right out of the gate. A data page expanding on story types to open the issue lets readers know what they're in for. From there, the cast of characters maintains the established tone, these are bad people, but they're fun to watch. The banter between team members is witty and helps establish everyone's personality, a must for grounding readers unfamiliar with the cast. The narrative itself is also engaging. A simple hunt turns into much more as dangers are revealed.
Kirk's art is consistently strong throughout. Page layouts are never too repetitive, and it's always immediately evident where readers' eyes should go next. The action is a particular highlight. There are some truly bombastic sequences on display, and Kirk does an exceptional job conveying scale. Things get brutal, and the level of detail sells the ferocity of what's happening. Each character is easy to pick out in a crowd, and the geography within scenes is easy to discern.
Beredo's colors are solid and fit the art style well. Yellow and orange hues pop on the page to represent different mutants' powers. There is a nice level of consistent contrast throughout the issue. No scene leans too far into one color spectrum or another. Petit's letters are excellent. The sound effects work stands out, selling the impact of a ton of different moments and adding another layer to the book. Muller and Bowen's design also gets time to shine on a couple of data pages that establish tone and introduce the characters.
Readers looking for a book focusing on a group of misfits will have a good time with this first issue. It does what it sets out to do well and gives the spotlight to some lesser-used characters. It's interesting to explore what happens to mutants who aren't living on Krakoa, and that seems to be the mission statement of this series. With Sabretooth and the Exiles #1, LaValle and the rest of the creative team deliver a violent and promising first issue.