Children of the Atom #1 Review/Spoiler - Old Enough to Know Better

[Kingdom X]

Gay people come from a lot of different cultures, are they not an actual minority?

Got ‘em.

But in all seriousness I think Vita is very aware of all this and I’m looking forward to seeing how they tackle the appropriation angle and the issues of minority vs. minority metaphor.

[Havok83]

I'm tired of this, mutants come from a lot of different cultures. It's not the same as the situation with actual minorities

mutantkind in and of itself is a culture. Morrison explored this as have other writers. There is appropriation and there is homage. Its too earlier to say which group these kids would fall under. Mutants are an actual minority group in the MU, especially post M-Day

Gay people come from a lot of different cultures, are they not an actual minority?

great analogy. The gay community has its own culture which doesnt negate them belonging to another culture

[Grunty]

That's one of the mysteries to be solved...isn't it?

So...going by Jean's dialogue to Scott, it's more likely that they are mutants or quite possibly a new/different off-shoot of mutants. Which would really make their existence quite an interesting puzzle.

Question is, how do the X-men even know these kids are actualy mutants at all when they don't show up on Cerebro?

Was anything about taken DNA samples mentioned in the issue?
Otherwise it would be strange for them to automatically think of them as mutants, especialy since in the comcs they don't exist in a bubble like the movies and cartoons.
There are dozens of other ways to super empower people in the Marvel Universe. Only a few months ago there were two giant green gas clouds floating around Earth and empowering any humans comming into contact with them if one of their ancestor had a matress samba with an Inhuman long ago, resulting in hundreds of super powered people showing up all across the world.

And that's just a recent mass empowering events, there are many other localized phenomena which have given super powers. Plus all kind of technology and magic to do the same.
So again, if some random person with flame throwers hidden in the sleeves would proclaim to be a mutant would the X-men right away assume them to be one?

Actauly thinking about it. How did the Helles Belles automatically assume the kids to be mutants?

Maybe the same thing that blocks Cerebro also makes people assume them to be mutants? Like how Forget Me Not makes everyone forget him.

[Kingdom X]

Question is, how do the X-men even know these kids are actualy mutants at all when they don't show up on Cerebro?

Was anything about taken DNA samples mentioned in the issue?
Otherwise it would be strange for them to automatically think of them as mutants, especialy since in the comcs they don't exist in a bubble like the movies and cartoons.
There are dozens of other ways to super empower people in the Marvel Universe. Only a few months ago there were two giant green gas clouds floating around Earth and empowering any humans comming into contact with them if one of their ancestor had a matress samba with an Inhuman long ago, resulting in hundreds of super powered people showing up all across the world.

And that's just a recent mass empowering events, there are many other localized phenomena which have given super powers. Plus all kind of technology and magic to do the same.
So again, if some random person with flame throwers hidden in the sleeves would proclaim to be a mutant would the X-men right away assume them to be one?

Actauly thinking about it. How did the Helles Belles automatically asume the kids to be mutants?

Maybe the same thing that blocks Cerebro also makes people assume them to be mutants? Like how Forget Me Not makes everyone forget him.

I think the main reason they’re assuming that they’re mutants is because the kids modeled themselves off of the X-Men. That X is a target on your back so I wouldn’t think that any logical human would unnecessarily associate themselves with being hated and feared.

[Grunty]

I think the main reason they’re assuming that they’re mutants is because the kids modeled themselves off of the X-Men. That X is a target on your back so I wouldn’t think that any logical human would unnecessarily associate themselves with being hated and feared.

Considering we are talking about humanity and especialy teenagers, this would make the X-men look like fools who have no clue about the world around them or even some of their own past.
Or making them sound like Vulcans from Star Trek.

You can't have the X-men complain about normal humans as a collective acting overly emotional and illogicaly hating mutants and at the same time assume all humans are completely logical and lacking irrational emotional reactions, not to be envious of mutants and wanting to be like them in some cases (U-Men say hi).

Especialy when it comes to teenagers who have a tendency to form counter-cultures and trying to adapt livestyles and cultural elements that aren't from their "boring" own one.

[Devaishwarya]

It's possible that some of the kids are flatscans and some can be superhumans of other origins like Wiccan and think they're mutants.



They probably will but I don't know why people are jumping to conclusions so fa.. oh yeah it's the internet.

Well...exactatiously.
The initial reaction to the situation seemed a bit overblown and premature considering nobody knows who or what they are, yet but...CBR forums is Twitter-lite so...yeah...not really surprised.

[Rnap22]

I like Vita’s New Mutants so far, but I think this is going to be a miss for me. Sounds more like kids that want emulate their heroes and have no powers of their own. If they passed right through the gates without landing in Krakoa, then they are human. Doesn’t interest me in an X book. I hope at least the people looking forward to it coming out enjoyed it though

[PetPigeon]

They should just re-power the Hells Belles and have them murder these losers.

[Havok83]

I like Vita’s New Mutants so far, but I think this is going to be a miss for me. Sounds more like kids that want emulate their heroes and have no powers of their own. If they passed right through the gates without landing in Krakoa, then they are human. Doesn’t interest me in an X book. I hope at least the people looking forward to it coming out enjoyed it though

Kitty cant pass through the gates, yet she's still a mutant. I wonder if there will be a connection there

[skyvolt2000]

How would this story work with pre-existing characters.

There are enough used folks in Marvel to pick 5 who develop powers or use technology (mind everyone Night Thrasher made weapons for depower mutants too once) versus making new ones.

Spyder from Wonder-Man
Troop from Luke Cage
Wildstreak from Fantastic Four
Nightcat from Spider-Man
Various folks from New Universe since Blurr somehow lived.
Various folks from Ultimate Marvel

[LordUltimus]

Kitty cant pass through the gates, yet she's still a mutant. I wonder if there will be a connection there

She got forced out, they can walk through but aren't teleported, it's different.

[Frobisher]

Also, did everyone clock that the high school is named for Super-Doctor-Astronaut Peter Corbeau?

[Havok83]

Also, did everyone clock that the high school is named for Super-Doctor-Astronaut Peter Corbeau?

yes its referenced in the first post

[Dante Milton]

I have no doubt that Ayala will acknowledge and develop the appropriation angle, it may even be very well executed. But it isn't a concept I'm at all interested in reading about, and that's pretty much all this book has going for it. Complicating the matter is that we know at least three of the kids belong to real life marginalized identities (and CyLass and Marvel Guy probably will be revealed to be in some way as well) and the culture they are appropriating is fictitious, which makes what should be a pretty clear cut issue very messy. Putting the core concept aside, there just isn't much else in the book to continue reading for. None of these new characters are particularly memorable or enjoyable. Even Buddy, who gets spotlighted this issue, is kind of hollow. All we get for her is a vague feeling of alienation, with no real reason why behind it (although I could guess), and an absolutely tired potential love triangle.

[Uncanny X-Man]

I thought this was a decent first issue. The art was pretty and Vita Ayala is very good at getting into their characters' heads and make you care. There's also a lot to love in the way they write the X-Men proper.

That said... this was always going to be a hard sell and the ugly step-child of the X-line, necessitating a shocker of a last page to get you hooked. And I feel it failed at that - while interesting I don't think the last page delivered enough of a cliffhanger to pack a punch. Or at least, a slower burn works if you know this is going to be a mini and you're writing for the trade, so you're saving the reveal for later issues.