Did you forget we’re supposed to get more X-Men ’97 this year? Either way, Marvel’s got plans to capitalize on the hit animated series’ return with, what else, a tie-in comic.
Written by Steve Foxe and drawn by artist Salva Espin—who also did a prelude comic for season one—this new five-issue series focuses on Bishop, Sunspot, Jubilee, and Forge, who were left in the present day at the end of last season. With the other X-Men scattered across various time periods, this group is left to protect mutantkind and maybe find a way to help their displaced friends find a way back home.
Interestingly, the comic won’t just set up plot events meant to pay off in X-Men ’97 proper: its press release mentions a spotlight on “the major new characters—and teams—joining the cast.” Last season had several references and cameos for X-Men and other Marvel characters and referenced teams like X-Force. It sounds like Foxe has quite a sandbox to play around in, since he said the comic “doesn’t take any cheats or shortcuts around [season one’s] wild status quo. We got to work closely with the series team to make sure this comic is a vital, additive experience for our mutants—what’s left of the X-Men, anyway.”
The X-Men ’97: Season Two comic will launch June 3, with the show’s second season premiering on Disney+ sometime in the weeks beyond.
