Review: ‘New Mutants: Lethal Legion’ #1 Faces Some Big Leaguers
by Tony Thornley
The New Mutants are one of the great mainstays of Marvel’s Merry Mutants. The current status quo mixes classic characters with new faces, and New Mutants: Lethal Legion shows that could be a volatile mix.
Charlie Jane Anders, Enid Balam, Elisabetta D’Amico, Matt Milla, and Travis Lanham get the kids in trouble.
Moonstar, Karma, Warpath and Wolfsbane are doing their best to keep the kids out of trouble while putting an end to the U-Men. Unfortunately that means Escapade, Cerebella and Gabby are getting bored. When Count Nefaria begins putting together a new Lethal Legion, that means the girls might be getting into a little trouble- maybe even a little bit over their heads!
Anders knows how to balance silly fun, high concepts and character-centered stories. It’s made her one of my favorite writers in the last decade. Honestly, I missed her story that closed the previous volume of New Mutants, but I was glad I stepped back in here. Though Escapade is a huge part of the story, Anders’ creation is by no means the only point of view character. She balances each of the characters wonderfully, giving a spotlight both to the fan favorites and the new kids. The concept is interesting enough to grab me (though the story doesn’t get far into it here) but the characters are why I’m interested in coming back.
Balam and D’Amico’s art is another great draw. They make each power look visually engaging, whether it’s the very familiar aura of Karma’s powers, or Moonstar’s psychic arrows, or the newer effects of Escapade. Each character’s personality comes through in their body language, and you can understand the relationships between one another through how we can see them interact. I was unfamiliar with the art team before this issue, but they made me enjoy their work quickly.
Milla’s colors match the line-art’s energy and creates a sense of realism with their cartoony linework. He’s also great at setting mood with the use of specific palettes throughout the issue. Lanham’s letters makes a dialogue heavy issue (particularly as the girls discuss their plot) blend into the art.
This launch is a lot of fun, and sets the stage for an engaging and entertaining adventure to come.
New Mutants: Lethal Legion #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Overview
This launch is a lot of fun, and sets the stage for an engaging and entertaining adventure to come.
