New Mutants #17 Review

Artist: Rod Reis

Publisher: Marvel Comics

 

This book took me multiple times of picking it up, putting down, and then picking it up again just so I could finish it. ‘New Mutants’ used to be one of the best current x-books, but unfortunately I can’t say that about it anymore. It is such a drawn out drag to read.

 

While this issue specifically isn’t bad, it does suffer from too much going on resulting in it being a little scattered. I understand that this is the young mutant book and they want to cover a lot of the younger mutants. Where the series succeeded before and where it is failing now is how it is set up. Before we would get an issue or two following one set of young mutants, then an issue or two following another group. That was such a unique idea and I actually really enjoyed it. This creative team though is trying to tell multiple stories like earlier in the series, but doing it all in the same issue.

 

There is one story out of the two that shines over the other and that is the one with Dani and Karma. Those two have such a great relationship, so seeing them on a mission together has been a lot of fun. That being said, I haven’t fully been able to enjoy it because there has been so much back and forth with the secondary story that is alright, but nowhere near as exciting as Dani and Karmas. There is a moment at the end of this issue between them that got me really excited.

 

The secondary story with Anole has its moments. The stuff with the Shadow King has been awesome. Also this story touches on a lot of issues that we used to see from the Morlocks. It’s an important story plot but it is getting buried because the story is drawn out so much from each issue trying to service both. If we had gotten the full story arc of Dani & Karma, then the story with the Shadow King and Anole this book wouldn’t be such a drag to read and might still be one of the best x-books out.

 

What is truly saving this series is the art. It continues to be outstanding, this issue especially. Otherworld looks so cool, and I love how each page is laid out. The colors and painted look give me series calls back to issues from the original series in the 1980s.

 

Overall this series is hitting some bumps in the road. Trying to tell two completely different stories at the same time is really hurting the book. This issue really suffered for those reasons. If it wasn’t for the exceptional art, I probably would have dropped this series already.