Thoughts

After the crazy whiplash caused by the abrupt change of art styles when Bill Sienkiewicz comes on the title – this annual feels even more jarring as we’re flung back into the old style.

And, actually, it proves quite a good illustration of how the more conservative style might have worked. This is a fun comic, with lots of big ideas and giant leaps in location, held together by a team that have a nice chemistry together.

I complained with some of the later New Mutants issues before Sienkiewicz came on board that the title did feel lost. The writing had got flat and it was hard to see what the title was really about, or even to care about some of the characters. There’s none of that here. All of the team get characterised enough to work as part of the team, and enough to make them seem interesting and to want to know more. In that respect, it really feels like the early issues of Claremont’s run on Uncanny X-men. Which is something that they never quite managed with the main titles often enough.

Fun Panel

Another great team shot. Also fun to see how a non-Sienkiewicz artist gets to grips with the very Sienkiewiczian (is that word!?!) character of Warlock.

It was a Product of its Time

Lila Cheney crashes into the Mutant World in this issue, a teleporting rock star that seems a weird combination of very early eighties and also very dated for the early eighties at the same time.

Like Dazzler, she’s a character doomed to date with virtually every appearance over the years. Her weird pop/Pat Benetar vibes presented here don’t last too long. She develops Cyndi Lauper vibes in the late eighties/early nineties (again, surely already dated for the time?) before morphing into a more indie performer in recent times. No soubt to change again going forward. Which I hope we see, as she’s an interesting concept thats been underused by the X-universe.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem