The age of Krakoa is gone, and from the ashes of the great mutant experiment, there are a plethora of stories to be told. The latest of those stories is brought to us in the pages of Exceptional X-Men.

As the story begins, we find that Kitty Pryde has returned to her roots and headed back to Chicago. She has once again taken up the mantle of bartender. Slinging drinks for the locals enjoying their Mimosas and Bloody Marys during their Sunday brunches. Like many of the mutants out there in the world she is carrying scars from the rise and eventual fall of Krakoa, and the leaders she had grown to rely on and trust. While trying to forget her past and live a simpler life that does not involved spandex, she encounters a young woman who runs into trouble because of her mutant powers. Before she knows it, the life Kitty was trying to leave behind comes back into her present. But for how long?

Thus far many of the books that have come From The Ashes, have focused on the lives of established characters after the fall of Krakoa. Exceptional X-men is the first to focus more on what some of the lives for those younger generation of mutants. The ones that were too young to be able to relocate to Krakoa but are now dealing with the repercussions of the choices made by the likes of Professor X, and Mister Sinister. Instead of introducing a slew of new mutants, Eve Ewing only introduces us to one new mutant. Trista was on her way to see her favorite band, and because of her mutant gene, she was denied access which led to a much bigger problem. Ewing is leaning heavily on X-Men traditions with this introduction as many new mutants and mutant teams have been introduced to readers this way. When it is a formula that tends to work, why stray too far from it? Ewing’s narrative also does an excellent job of expressing Kitty’s internal struggle with her own personal journey and getting involved when she sees the young mutant Trista in danger.

Carmen Carnero’s art is light and bright and full of expressive faces and movements that drive home the story that Ewing has created. Her character design for Trista fits perfectly for an inner-city club kid out with her friend for a night of music and fun. Kitty is drawn in a way that reminds readers that she is not the young girl readers met all those years ago, but she is not aged to the point where she is unrecognizable. The way that Carnero draws the use of both Kitty and Trista’s powers helps to emphasize how the powers work without mudding the panels. Kitty’s phasing power is especially well represented. Nolan Woodard comes in with the colors that help Carnero’s lines and designs pop.

Based on previous solicits Exceptional X-Men is going to introduce more new characters in the future. It is safe to assume that Kitty will become a de facto leader of a group of new characters, combining her leadership from the Krakoa era, and her time as Head Mistress of Xavier’s School. If as much care is taken with the new characters as is done with Trista here, then Exceptional X-Men will become a must-read book.