X-Lapsed, Episode 169 – New Mutants #16 (2021)
X-Lapsed, Episode One Hundred Sixty-Nine
New Mutants (vol.4) #16 (April, 2021)
“One Step Behind”
Writer – Vita Ayala
Art – Rod Reis
Letters – VC’s Travis Lanham
Design – Tom Muller
Head of X – Hickman
Edits – Bissa, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $3.99
On-Sale: February 24, 2021
Just when I thought it was safe to look forward to New Mutants… we’re taken back into Otherworld!
Many of the story beats of the last few issues that I cared about are squashed into a scant handful of pages so we might engage in yet another romp through the Fair and Foul Kingdoms. Huzzah?
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@acecomics / @cosmictmill / weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com
I clearly have a higher tolerance for Otherworld stories than you because I really enjoyed this issue of New Mutants. It helps that Vita Ayala appears to be going for an Alice in Wonderland riff rather than a D&D one.
My favourite thing about the revamped New Mutants is how Claremontian it is. Every plot thread gets a little addition every issue slowly building towards becoming the focus. There have to be pay offs to all the little bits and pieces. Weirdly I'm becoming most invested in Scout, I wonder how she'll cope with her sister being on the X-Men.
Talking of X-Men I think it's totally legitimate for the kids to view certain characters as X-Men even if there is no official team. Even when the X-Men reform surely Magik will continue to outrank them in Krakoan terms but I could still see people within that World viewing her as not an X-Man.
You seem to be dreading the storyline going to Asgard but I imagine that Rod Reis will deliver the most amazing depiction of Asgard. Then again is Tier on Asgard? Can Cerebro back-up from Asgard? Needless to say Rod Reis does a fantastic Otherworld. I get my new comics digitally but I feel like I'm missing out by not getting these on paper. I might have to buy them again.
Based on recent issues New Mutants may be edging above Marauders for me as the best Reign of X book. I'm loving this run.
You're going to hear from me sooner than you might expect as I picked up the 2 part X-Men in the Vault story even though I usually skip X-Men. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts as I remember being unsure about it when I read it.
Anyway, until Wolfsbane swaps bodies with the Karate rabbit,Make Mine X-Lapsed!