Connect with us
'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time

Comic Books

‘New X-Men: The Quest for Magik – The Complete Collection’ is a hell of a good time

Welcome to the (New) X-Men, mutant teens. Hope you survive the X-perience!

[amazon_link asins=’1302918370′ template=’AiPTProductAd’ store=’aiptcomics-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7a769640-25cf-41ac-967e-6a47c00bf385′]

Any long term fan of the X-Men has a favorite era. Whether you’re a Claremont die-hard or you swear by Grant Morrison or Joss Wedon’s runs with Marvel’s most magnanimous mutants, there’s usually a time and place that you instantly think of when you think of the X-Men. Though I’ve been a fan since the ’80s, my favorite period of the X-Men to date may just be the decimation era. Coming out of the House of M crossover, mutantkind was reduced to a mere 198 (sort of; they never really stuck to that number in any meaningful way) and a new spotlight was shone on the next generation of X-Men. The New X-Men, as they were known (though they would be called everything from “Young X-Men” to “New Mutants” over the years), was a fun roster of interesting and well-developed characters with unique personalities whose formative years were run asunder by the near extinction of their race. Characters like Surge, Prodigy, Hellion and the rest got a chance to step into the forefront and deal with real dire issues that made them grow and develop. That they were then dropped unceremoniously and all but forgotten is besides the point, this was their time to shine — and they never shined brighter than in the Quest for Magik arc.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!
'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time

Young’s insane, kinetic style really adds to the madness of the Limbo dimension. Marvel Comics

While the storyline was really just an excuse to reintroduce Illyana Rasputin to the X-Men, the most interesting part of Colossus’ little sister’s recurrence came as most of the New X-Men were sucked into the hellish dimension of Limbo. Throwing barely trained X-kids into the literal fires of hell would be bad enough, but it turns out that ersatz Mephisto, Belasco, is back in charge and he’s got a hankering for some spankering — which, in this case, means brutally murdering X-Men, reviving them with dark magics, and then doing it all again. See, the Dark Prince of Bel Air is looking for Illyana Rasputin and can’t seem to differentiate the smells of people who lived in her old house from the real deal. While half the squad faces off Wild Bel Hickock, the others are working alongside the resurgent Illyana, here in her Darkchylde form, who is trying to steal junior X-person Pixie’s soul to recreate her most powerful weapon: the soul sword! This arc, which ran from New X-Men #37-43, are honestly some of my favorite comics of all time.

'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time

It doesn’t take itself too seriously, either. Marvel Comics

Sure, there are other pieces in this sizable trade, including a prequel piece about Colossus’ guilt at the loss of his sister (a side story from X-Men Unlimited #14), the arc that revealed X-23’s horrifying past to her New X-Men teammates (NXM #33-36), and the inevitable return of Illyana’s human legs and soul (X-Infernus #1-4), but the Quest for Magik arc is the meat and potatoes here. Everything is firing on all cylinders — Craig Kyle and Chrisopher Yost expertly craft a tale that introduces a lot of lesser known characters and makes them feel whole, while the hyper-stylized pencils of Skottie Young (who had not yet entered his “Marvel Babies” cover phase) adds so much personality to the young cast, as well as the demonic landscape of Limbo. This is the series that made people care about characters like Pixie, Anole and Rockslide (three of my personal favorites), revitalized waning stars like Prodigy, and inspired my (and few others it seems) devotion to the dynamic between Surge and Hellion. It also introduced interesting side characters like Gentle, Wolf Cub and Match, and provided the most coherent version of Blindfold outside of the Legion series. It’s really effing good, is what I’m getting at.

'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time

Plus the awesome redesign of Rockslide that was abandoned all too quickly.

That’s not to suggest that the rest of the trade is bad, of course (though Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebuski’s X-Infernus series is undoubtedly the weakest element), but the main thrust of the trade is so strong that it’s hard to avoid the feeling that the rest of the inclusions — no matter how well told — are just padding. Kyle and Yost’s X-23 story is good, and Cebulski’s X-Men Unlimited story is a heartfelt portrait of a normally stoic hero, but they are relegated to window dressing in the face of the brilliant Limbo arc. So much of import happens, whether that be Rockslide or Anole learning new facets of their powerset, Pixie growing into a darker and more relatable character, or the simple human characteristics starting to show cracks in the Darkchylde’s monstrous facade. It really is masterful storytelling and shines the light on some underserved characters without feeling forced. It’s honestly something I really miss in X-Men comics.

'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time

Develop new characters in an ongoing series and I’ll probably defend your book. Marvel Comics

At 392 pages long, this trade is a welcome addition to any shelf, but particularly fans of the younger X-Men. These are seminally important developments in the lives of many emerging characters in the X-canon. Sure, a lot of them aren’t really around much anymore (bring back Surge and Hellion, you cowards!), but these are the kinds of stories that make fans of these more obscure characters. If you’re a fan of Illyana, this is a pretty good pickup, but if you’re a fan of Pixie, this is mandatory reading.

'New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection' is a hell of a good time
New X-Men: The Quest for Magik - The Complete Collection
Is it good?
The Limbo arc alone is worth the price of admission, so like, yeah, this is a pretty good trade. Cebulski's work is fun and adds color, but this is Craig and Yost's book. Their understanding of these characters is so perfect and complete, and with Skottie Young's best pencils to date, this is a trade you want on your shelf.
The Good
My favorite work by Skottie Young of all time.
Craig and Yost have a real understanding of the characters and it makes the dialogue crackle with energy.
There is a ton of content here, making this a great value.
The Bad
X-Infernus isn't that great or memorable, which is a problem since some important things happen.
9
Great

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Gail Simone photo by Gage Skidmore Gail Simone photo by Gage Skidmore

Writer Gail Simone joins X-Men CBR message boards

Comic Books

X-Men Monday #241 - Steve Foxe Talks 'X-Men '97,' 'Dead X-Men,' and 'X-Men: Blood Hunt - Psylocke' X-Men Monday #241 - Steve Foxe Talks 'X-Men '97,' 'Dead X-Men,' and 'X-Men: Blood Hunt - Psylocke'

X-Men Monday #241 – Steve Foxe Talks ‘X-Men ’97,’ ‘Dead X-Men,’ and ‘X-Men: Blood Hunt – Psylocke’

Comic Books

Films to check out at SXSW Films to check out at SXSW

Films to check out at SXSW

Movies

Connect
Newsletter Signup