Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants

[iamrman]

Writer: Chris Claremont

Pencils/inks: Bob McLeod

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Let’s revisit one of my favourite titles. Has my opinion changed after all these years?

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Thankfully, Dani being an angry stereotype was dropped when the New Mutants got their own ongoing series.

In Rio de Janeiro, young mutant Roberto DaCosta has been captured by Donald Pierce and his goons.

In Kentucky, Professor Xavier is on the look out for a young man that is nigh-invulnerable while blastin’.

I haven’t included Rahne’s introduction scene, but I had to include her doing something. She is my favouritest after all.

Eff ‘em up Rahne, eff ‘em up!

I had it in my mind that Rahne was always getting taken out of the fight right away. Maybe it didn’t happen quite as much as I remembered.

Some time later, the New Mutants try on their new uniforms.

Comments

[beyondthefringe]

It was an interesting introduction to the New Mutants. Lots of nice characterization and early bits which would help define the characters for decades to come. It was interesting that they included Karma, a pre-existing character when deciding to introduce a batch of new ones.

At least the initial team was diverse, since after this they'd recruit three blondes and space Gumby.

And the art is gorgeous.
Even if that show of Dani with her uniform at the end makes little sense when you think about it... she's basically holding up the leotard portion while already wearing the pants portion and it's like... did you get the order wrong? (And the subtle difference between the guys' uniforms and the girls' uniforms... with regards to the black vs yellow necklines...)
(Not shown: Dani choosing to recognize her heritage by customizing her boots and belt...)

[jkcarrier]

"It was interesting that they included Karma, a pre-existing character when deciding to introduce a batch of new ones."

Well, she was another Claremont creation, so it wasn't a huge stretch. (See also: Len Wein introducing Wolverine in an issue of HULK, then bringing him back as part of his X-MEN revival).

[scorntx]

When Claremont is on form, he is on form.
And this is one of those times.

(Which is a little odd given the backstory behind things, where he was told "if you don't, someone else will.")

A good introduction to the whole team. Interesting to see the things that stayed and changed.
Like how Charles is supposedly super best friends with Dani's grandpa, one of those details that just really fell by the wayside and wasn't explored.
(When did it happen? Before Charles got Dear John'd by Moira? Before he met Erik and Gabrielle? Who knows. Also Dani's grandad turns out to be magic, cuz of course he does.)
And Rahne having a healing factor and the ability to leap so high. That's really been forgotten.
And the mention of Xuan being potentially as powerful a psychic as Chuck... though given her whole origin and deal of not being terribly invested in superheroics, can see why she wouldn't explore that.

Reverend Craig starting as he means to go on; total bawbag among bawbags.
Though what Moira was doing wandering the hills outside Ullapool at night is anyone's guess.

And there's a jarring bit where Sam's having to drop out of school and get a job working down the coal mine because his mom's "too proud" to go on welfare.
Which... I don't know how degrading and bullying the system is over that side (or was in the 80s), but when you've got 6+ kids and your oldest has to go into the same system that killed your husband because you were too proud... makes Ma Guthrie look not so great.
Especially since later showings have her be all sensible and level-headed. More-so than her son.
(Maybe it's just one of those times where even the most sensible of people have one thing they will be stubborn or stupid about, and this is that.
But still. Jarring.)

Hey, look. It's Tessa. Being all cool and important and memorable. What a dynamic character she is.
And of course Pierce returns to be an unimpressive waste of space. Good going, Tessa.

And Chuck nearly throwing a fit just because Dani decides to swap out the boots and belt.
Individuality! In his mansion?! The horror...

[beyondthefringe]

Tessa is such a bizarre example of a Claremont retcon. She was just Shaw's bondage-maid-clad assistant until suddenly she was Xavier's secret spy with kewl mutant powers and super-duper important.

Sam was always big on responsibility and family. Which I can actually see. Appalachian culture and coal mining communities are very stubborn and insular.
(And honestly, Sam and Rahne could have connected hard over the culture connections between Appalachia and areas of the United Kingdom, given how many folks immigrated from Scotland and Ireland and whatnot and promptly vanished into the mountains which were so much like home...)

[scorntx]

Her turning out to be Xavier's secret spy really makes Charles thinking he doesn't trust her look kind of... well, jerk-y of him.
Though their commitment to the bit is impressive.

Sam's justified reasoning is that with his dad dead, he had to be The Man of The Family.
It's just why his mother is apparently okay with this.
(If it was that there were no other jobs beside coal mining for Pierce, okay, yeah, could understand that, but her not doing so because of pride, forcing her son into a job that did kill her husband and had Sam not suddenly turned out to become nigh-invulnerable when blastin' would've killed him on day one... not the best look.
... huh, where this soapbox come from?)