At a time when Sins of Sinister has taken over much of the X-Men fanbase’s interest, a new miniseries has dropped that could become your favorite X-Men series, period. New Mutants: Lethal Legion kicks off this week with creators Charlie Jane Anders and Enid Balám delivering a different team lineup, the threat of a new Lethal Legion rising up, and the ideal approach to great character writing we’ve come to expect for X-Men comics.
There are a couple of reasons to be excited for New Mutants: Lethal Legion, including the team that features the new trans hero Escapade, but also the ongoing adventures of a New Mutants team. The book has been away for a hot minute, but returning in full force is a wide range of characters worth exploring. By the end of the issue, you’ll feel a little more connected to a few of them, especially Escapade, Cerebella, and Morgan Red, while also geared up for a heist sort of tale.
New Mutants: Lethal Legion opens with Escapade taking out a few U-Men soldiers in Florida. She’s got Cerebella, Warpath, Karma, and Wolfsbane by her side to make short work of them. The scene is a nice reminder of Escapade’s powers which, leads to some bonding between her and Cerebella.
These two characters bond over the course of the issue.
Credit: Marvel
A theme discussed and shared in this issue is the idea of forgetting the pain and erasing the bad things that happen to us. In a bit of wisdom, Escapade says about bad things, “All you can do is make them part of a bigger story.” It’s a core concept of mutants in these stories, and one that real people reading them can get behind and feel empowered. There’s also the old adage of eating the rich to feel better about things, which leads to the Legal Legion’s part in all this.
Another heady topic that’ll get fans talking is Morgan Red’s argument about why Krakoa isn’t for him. I won’t spoil it, but it gets you thinking about what it means to be a mutant when their defense isn’t with weapons or walls but with their people. What is the toll on a society when you live, die, and repeat? Certainly, it’s just one point of view, but it’s an interesting one that gets you thinking about the Krakoa era in a new way if you haven’t already.
Balám’s art is super clean and easy on the eyes, with a wide range of bright colors by Matt Milla. Balám is backed up by inker Elisabetta D’Amico, who gives everything a sharper tone. Overall the art is event-caliber in quality, and while the majority of the book is dialogue and characters talking, the visuals keep your interest.
The latter detail is the weakest part of this issue. It’s light on action, which will be an issue for some since this is a superhero book. Balám does supply a cool-looking monster at one point, and the full-page splash that ends the book is a show-stopper. I found myself transfixed with how Balám draws Cerebella’s head, showing us her brain under a glass dome. It’s the perfect amount of weird that suits an X-Men book.
Data pages are creative and a bit different than most. You won’t find the usual memo or email, but a funny flyer from the Lethal Legion.
New Mutants: Lethal Legion #1 is an insightful delight and a strong start to your new favorite X-Men series. It offers insights into characters, offers a clever take on Krakoa, and supplies plenty of visually appealing art. New Mutants: Lethal Legion is filled with characters that are complex and interesting.
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