Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities The New Mutants - original team reunited in ongoing title!

Finally got to read Exodus today.

Me, too. I'd heard people complain that Fraction had too much of the story happen off-panel, but I didn't realize how bad it was until this. Not just Dani's storyline, either. The whole Archangel/Bullseye fight happened off panel and so did most of the Wolverine/Omni fight. I'm still not sure what happened with Sentry.

Cobbie, Dani's a regular character in New Mutants, as far as I know. Issue #5 is supposed to be dealing with the fallout from Exodus. The solicitations mention Illyanna's actions in Exodus, but if she did anything more than teleport people it must have happened off-panel, too.

off panel is the new black.

September's issue was a surprise. The art was unexpectedly different. I mostly liked it, though several panels seemed rushed or unfinished or something. I enjoyed the different kinds of faces used for the characters. Mostly.

Sunspot had some funny lines, which were welcome among the Karma drama <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> she evidently killed a person/personality while in Legion's mind </span></span> and the Sam/Dani confrontation and resulting make-up.

The Hela/Valkyrie stuff from the special isn't ignored. Brightwind's on Utopia Island (unfortunately, this artist draws the worst winged horse *ever*), though it doesn't seem that Dani's retained the strength boost. I was glad to see that.

The promise she made Hela is mentioned, but not elaborated upon-- I hope this isn't a massively long-running subplot.

Sam's reasoning doesn't ring true-- you can sort of tell that he sees that as it's coming out of his mouth as he explains his thoughts to Dani.

Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be reversed at some point? That Sam'll be without powers for some reason and Dani will have to decide whether or not he's still part of the team?

Not enough Magma, except for her bit as straight woman to Sunspot's joking. Not a particularly natural place for Amara. But I like those two together...

Also, I miss the non New Mutant new mutants (if that makes sense). I don't want them taking over the book, but I like a scene or two here and there that shows how the two 'generations' interact.

Definitely the worst winged horse ever. For a minute, I thought it was a statue.

Interesting about the debt to Hela. In an interview Fraction said that the boon was on Cyclops's behalf, so Cyclops would be the one paying it back. Of course, it'd be just like Hela to make them both pay.

I liked how the Sam/Dani confrontation went. It would have been easy to make one or the other look bad, but Wells avoided that.

I don't know that I'd like to see the situation reversed. I'm really hoping Dani gets her empathic powers back soon, though. Magneto got his back, and he's on the island with Dani. Surely, she'd be a priority.

Agreed, not enough Magma, but with <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Selene freeing Empath</span></span> I think she'll get some focus soon.

Sorry for the delay...

The art really wasn't working for me. Dani drawn with the feathers and pig tails... still? Rogue never looked so rigid. There was no energy, every panel looked like a sketch drawing as opposed to fluid story telling. I agree- some panels looked rushed, making them seem little more than crayon drawings.

I couldn't get behind Dani's argument with Sam. Her point holds some validity, but to deck Sam three times over shows a lack of maturity. This aggressive, hard hitting Dani isn't the one we've come to see in the last few years. Fighting Sam, to be on a "combat team," to prevent violence against others?

Shan's personal story holds a little more appeal for me. More because of the implications for Magik's character than the burden now placed on Shan. Our little Snowflake seems to have a bit of a temptress in her...

no review of number 6? hatred?

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">kinda hated it myself, evil doug...gross, very bloody violence, tender moment with mystique pretending to be prof x!!! i did like the obvious inter species affection from warlock. >)</span></span>

The Doug as badass thing just proves that a creative writer can make any character a powerhouse (provided the reader uses a smidge of suspension of belief).

I got the NECROSHA 1-shot and NM 6 yesterday... Selene was a fave of mine back in the day... looks like BLACKEST NIGHT has hit the Marvel universe.

Looks like it. I liked #6. (And the Necrosha one-shot.) I'm too tired to talk much about it, but I thought all the little character moments were great. Doug was brutal, but at the end I thought his expression showed that he didn't want to do the things he was doing.

I found out yesterday that NM#11 is going to be a Siege tie in. Hopefully Dani will get some spotlight. Maybe Rahne will make an appearance, too, since she's sleeping with the Wolf Prince these days. (And maybe Daken since he's involved in Siege. Well, I can hope.)

I see Disaster Boy says the Prof was Mystique? Is that true? Becuase I didn't get that and if he was, it makes all of my subsequent comments irrelavent...

Anyway, I thought #6 was the best issue so far. It underscored some of the important parts of the New Mutants, including history and cast, in that (A) they have really grown a long way since their introduction and (B) their intense friendships and relationships with each other are what is great with the team.

I actually really liked the tender moments with Prof. X. For so many years now it has felt like every time Xiavier shows up in a comic it leads to some crappy, awkward scene and I felt like this issue kind of shot back a great argument against that. The New Mutants for the most part show just how much good he's done and are probably his great success. I'm glad he and they still have a strong friendship, and its obvious he's proud of them and they still respect him greatly. It seems like the main X-comics just can't find a place for the Professer and have struggled with that for like 30 years; here it feels like if there is one place Prof X might fit in perfectly, it could be with the New Mutants. Seeing him interact with Sam and the rest is much nicer than seeing another Cyclops/Xiavier posturing contest.

Meanwhile, Doug was creepy and the tension / drama / action was well-done. My reading history with the New Mutants is different than probably a lot of you because the time I was even aware of the characters X-Force had already become super-popular; while I went back and read the whole X-Men run from inception, I never really read much of the New Mutants actual comics, just occassional back issues over the years in no real order. So I don't really know Doug Ramsey all that well outside of his friendship with Kitty. Yet I did find the emotional ramifications of the team seeing him again to be pretty exciting.

I wonder if any long term New Mutants readers saw Warlock's entrance as a cheer-worthy moment? It certainly felt like it was meant to be that way.

I think Wells has found his footing on the title and its getting better and better. Now if only they could get some decent costumes...

Norman Osbourn was using Mystique to pose as Prof X, while the real Professor was in Osbourn's prison, but he was rescued at the end of the Utopia crossover. (Off panel, of course. :rolleyes: ) That's the real Prof in NM#6.

I think Warlock's entrance was cheer-worthy for a lot of fans. He was never my favourite, though. (And I've known he was coming back for months.)

They're putting out New Mutant Essential editions, if you want to see what you've missed.

oh boy, i haven't been using my off panel glasses! sorry CK! thanks Arachne.

ok now i have to reread the whole issue and try to forget my jaded first impression.....i like it alot better now. ha ha

hmm, i thought the prof (mystique) was trying to deliberately undermine cyclops over in x-men....i guess they're really just not getting along. i haven't liked how prof x has been written since morrison. which is like 5 years now. hes characterized as manipulative, ruthless...and not really the ghandi of mutant kind that i grew up with.

i cheered for warlock! but he's not my favorite, i wouldve cheered more if amara got pissed and burned evil doug to a crisp after he hit her on the head.

selene probably made doug be extra vicious to amara.

any chance for a boom boom, rictor, skids appearance?

i still call them by their first names.

Another good issue, IMHO. Issue #9 is a downtime issue focusing on Doug and Illyana.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> The other characters aren't sure what to do about Doug. Amara is understandably upset with the guy, but he wins her over with some heartfelt words in a language only they can understand. That he made up. But she understands it. That was the weak point of the issue, because I have a really hard time believing it's possible. I have to wonder, too, if they really can trust Doug. His upgraded powers would make it all too easy for him to lie. We also have Emma Frost (who's in character) confronting Illyana after Warlock says she's a pirated copy of the original. Illyana makes it clear that she is the real deal as far as she's concerned, but at the same time she considers herself an abomination because of her lack of soul. And maybe she is. Illyana's been gone for years since X-Infernous. Off looking for the pieces of her soul. On her quest she came across the X-Men being slaughtered (apparently by the Elder Gods) and returns to the present to stop it. But is she back to save lives or is it because she thinks she'll find her soul?</span></span>

The art was good, too. I wouldn't mind it if Davidson was sticking around. It sounds like Neves is off the series.

Not much Dani in this issue, but I can live with that since she's getting the spotlight in #11.

I liked #9 heaps. Amara's reaction to Sunspot's 'baby' was cute. So was her part in the scene Arachne mentioned. <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">'Only they can understand' did stretch believibility, didn't it? What does that mean, practicaly? I'm not so sure it was a language of words-- I wondered if Doug somehow duplicated the language of molten earth, reaching Amara on an elemental level? Or was it classical Latin? Was the 'everyone' just those nearby? Anyway, Doug's ability makes me want to read more about him-- I want to trust him, but I can see why anyone wouldn't... </span></span>

I'm looking forward to Dani's spotlight, too. Is this the one that's going to reference her deal with Hela? That should be exciting.

I hope Doug's not the only one to survive Necrosha, assuming he does. I'm pulling for Darkstar and Catseye...

That's the one. They've got a really impressive artist for it, too. I just can't remember his name right now. It's also a different writer, Keiron Gillen? Something else else like that. I'm afraid that'll mean nothing too important will happen.

From the latest X-Position at CBR it seems Wells wants the Hellions back, too.

I'm behind an issue but I just read #8. All in all, pretty good! Most of the New Mutants shined in their own way and seeing them play off against the Hellions again was a lil' bit of "Old Times" but also felt fresh. Magik continues to shine as my favorite and the Warlock / Doug sequence felt nicely but not overly emotional.

The Dani / Feral sequence felt intense--despite pretty much hating Feral as a character, I have to admit an undead Feral is pretty frightening because she was cold-blooded.

The big surprise was that Doug appears to really be back! Since I read the issue, I saw the above posts--is Doug really back from the dead? I always figured he'd be one of the few X-Characters (or comics characters in general) that would never come back, like Thunderbird.

Also, the Amara / Roberto romance feels like weird to me. Anyone else? I'm not the most thorough and longtime New Mutants fan--is there some historical thing there I'm not aware of?

Yep, it seems Doug is really back. I'm not convinced he should be trusted, though. It'd be so easy for him to lie. (Oh, and Thunderbird is back, too. At least temporarily.)

Yeah, the Amara/Roberto thing is a little weird. I think he flirted with her a bit when she first joined, but that's all. I would have thought Amara/Sam and Roberto/Illyana was more likely. Sam had a huge crush on Amara. And I thought it was sweet that 'Berto was afraid of Illyana, but hid it because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. (I might have been reading too much into that, though.)

Not enough Sauron in #10-- he's much more interesting than Savage Land escapees. Most of the issue is devoted to Cyclops and Emma discussing the New Mutants and why they've been fielded as a team, once again.

Cyclop's reasoning is interesting, at least in the ways his decision may affect the wider X-verse. Emma seems like a forced-in devil's advocate, especially considering her interactions with the characters being discussed over the years.

Not enough characterization of the New Mutants themselves, but hopefully that will change going forward. It would've been nice to read one or more of them vocalize their own feelings about being together again. I suspect Cyclops' plans might someday reach an unforeseen roadblock...

Yeah, like one of them dying in two issues. My money's on Sam, just because it'd have the most impact on the X-universe. (Of course, they might not be killing a NM, but they're certainly trying to imply it.)

As for the leadership race, I think if Cyclops is looking for a new Xavier, Karma might fit the bill best. She's not a tactician, though. Dani, on the other hand, now has the unique experience of living as a human among mutants. That might have an impact. (If she gets her powers back.)

Personally, I wouldn't mind Roberto dying. I dunno, I just don't feel anything for him.

I couldn't get this month's issue because of the snow.

Hate it when that happens.

Not a whole lot happened this issue, anyway. I can't wait for next month.

I know, and I work at the comic store.

I go in on Wednesdays. I make room on the shelves, unpack the stuff, put the new stuff up, and then put aside what people are gonna pick up later. The guy takes twenty dollars off my purchases.

Nice. My shop's to small to need help.

Re: New Mutants dying

Sam's on the X-Men Legacy cover in the MAy solicitations, so he's safe, darn it. (I like the guy, but I always feel Dani got kicked out of New Mutants to make him look better; I'd like to see the tables turned.)

Also, Magik is going to get seriously hurt, and then get the Hellbound miniseries, so maybe none of the New Mutants are the ones to die.

There is reference to a "beloved X-Man" dying, though. People seem to be betting on Nightcrawler right now. :7

Hate to say it, but the NM have a dearth of males, so killing another seems literally like overkill. Taking that into account (though I haven't picked this series up since issue 5 or 6) and based on their use (or lack of) in those issues, I'd say Amara or Xian would be more likely to go.

Your a bit out of date. There's four males and four females now.

Amara's the easy choice, she doesn't have much going on besides a hinted at love triangle. Xian's safe, I think, because Illyana says she's important and Illyana's story isn't supposed to be dealt with until after Second Coming. Although, Hellbound might change things.

Sam and Nightcrawler in the same post... what do you have against my guys?