Marvel Comics has announced the signing of artist Aaron Kuder to an exclusive contract.  Kuder’s first assignment will be drawing the four-issue Death of X miniseries written by Charles Soule and Jeff Lemire that will debut this October.  Set after the events of Secret Wars, Death of X chronicles the previously untold story of rising tensions between two of Marvel’s most iconic groups – and sets the stage for the blockbuster Inhumans vs. X-Men event later this year.

While DC has been very active in pursuing “exclusive” contracts with creators this year (see “DC’s 12th 2016 Exclusive”), Marvel has been selective, choosing to renew its agreement with top drawer scribe Brian Michael Bendis (see “Marvel Banks on Bendis Again”), and now snagging an up-and-coming artist with an energized style in Kuder, whose interior art work will be on full display when Death of X #1 debuts in October.  The duration and terms of Kuder’s agreement with Marvel were not released.