New Mutants #20 review *spoilers*

[Starfish]

I thought Anole would be showing up in X-Corp and instead he doing dis... the only acceptable explanation will be if losing Rockslide messed him up and he's secretly been drinking this whole time after his shifts at the bar.

I had hoped someone could have spared at least a couple panels by now to show Rockslide's closest friends react to what happened to him. And I don't know why use Anole in this story like this when a younger and less experienced character would probably have been a better fit. It's especially jarring because the X-books finally seem to acknowledge the New X-Men generation as young adults, including Anole when he's showing up in other titles.

[ericng]

So...this Amahl Farouk and the Kiddos storytline has been going on for seven issues now and it's still not resolved? WTF?
I like the writing but...this plot needs to wrap up and soon. I need a break from teenagers making stupid decisions and doing dumb ****. And I need to not see these particular teens for a very long while.

Why do we need to wait so long for the next issue which is coming out only in September?

Hopefully we can see a conclusion to the Rahne subplot in the next two issues which is suggested from the cover page of New Mutants #21 and #22. I think Shadow King has possessed Rahne and Rahne is fighting the other girls.

New Mutants #21



All the New Mutants fighting the Shadow King.

New Mutants #22

[Alphaxman]

My main question is he just Farouk or is he the entity known as the Shadow King? Or is Farouk acting like the SK because he was possessed for decades before his death? Everyone is acting like he's the SK even though no one but Xavier and Storm ever met Farouk. To me, I always believed the SK was a psionic parasite that is hundreds - even thousands - of years old, that may or may not have been a mutant. Farouk was just his longest host in the modern era. I can't believe anyone on the QC would allow the SK to roam around the island, but I can see Xavier giving Farouk a second chance at life, free from the SK. But in Xavier's hubris he hadn't realize that Farouk hasn't had an identity outside of the SK since he was a small child, so of course he'll act like that monster.

I hope when this storyline concludes Alaya will make it concretely clear if Farouk and the SK are two separate beings or if the SK is using his longest host once again.

[Starfish]

My main question is he just Farouk or is he the entity known as the Shadow King? Or is Farouk acting like the SK because he was possessed for decades before his death? Everyone is acting like he's the SK even though no one but Xavier and Storm ever met Farouk. To me, I always believed the SK was a psionic parasite that is hundreds - even thousands - of years old, that may or may not have been a mutant. Farouk was just his longest host in the modern era. I can't believe anyone on the QC would allow the SK to roam around the island, but I can see Xavier giving Farouk a second chance at life, free from the SK. But in Xavier's hubris he hadn't realize that Farouk hasn't had an identity outside of the SK since he was a small child, so of course he'll act like that monster.

I hope when this storyline concludes Alaya will make it concretely clear if Farouk and the SK are two separate beings or if the SK is using his longest host once again.

The solicit for issue #22 mentions spoilers:

"the NEW MUTANTS now battle an old foe…the psychic entity known as the Shadow King!"

end of spoilers

[Paragon]

I had hoped someone could have spared at least a couple panels by now to show Rockslide's closest friends react to what happened to him. And I don't know why use Anole in this story like this when a younger and less experienced character would probably have been a better fit. It's especially jarring because the X-books finally seem to acknowledge the New X-Men generation as young adults, including Anole when he's showing up in other titles.

If Anole, Hellion, Mercury, etc. didn't get to have a scene reacting to Rockslide in that reunion issue of X-Factor, I'm not going to hold my breath for one happening any time soon.

On that note, it's kind of a shame that Anole didn't come across San2 in the issue of New Mutants where they snuck into the Boneyard.

[Alphaxman]

If Anole, Hellion, Mercury, etc. didn't get to have a scene reacting to Rockslide in that reunion issue of X-Factor, I'm not going to hold my breath for one happening any time soon.

On that note, it's kind of a shame that Anole didn't come across San2 in the issue of New Mutants where they snuck into the Boneyard.

This Anole is a completely different character then when he was at the school or during the Utopian era. This was the kid Warren let run his company during his rebirth stage. You would never think that Rockslide was his bestfriend after his death or that he even had friends before Krakoa. He would seem to be too experienced to fall into the SK clutches, unlike the other kids.

Martha is another one who's story doesn't make sense within this era. There are too many options for her to get a body now and she wouldn't even have to die to get one. Oh, and she's been around the block too long to be that distrusting of the adults.

[Dante Milton]

I can buy Anole's characterization in the earlier issues of this run, his problems with his self image are well established so his earlier frustration is believable to me. But this issue was sort of a tipping point where I don't think he would behave the way he was depicted here, and his interaction with Elixir in particular was just weird. I always found the teen CEO story from back when kind of stupid though, I don't mind that being ignored.

[lefthanded]

The series seems to be having Farouk be the collision point for three storylines (teenagers, Rahne, and New Mutant's guiding the next generation), but there seems to be too much decompression. I am liking the various character interactions, but the drama/plot development seems a bit too leisurely for me.

Teenagers making mistakes, and teenagers having trouble with self-image are strong topics that can drive many a strong storyline, but here it is both underdeveloped (the love for Gabby comes out of nowhere) and overdeveloped (repeating the one-note of Cosmar struggling with how she now appears).

[Rev9]

My main question is he just Farouk or is he the entity known as the Shadow King? Or is Farouk acting like the SK because he was possessed for decades before his death? Everyone is acting like he's the SK even though no one but Xavier and Storm ever met Farouk. To me, I always believed the SK was a psionic parasite that is hundreds - even thousands - of years old, that may or may not have been a mutant. Farouk was just his longest host in the modern era. I can't believe anyone on the QC would allow the SK to roam around the island, but I can see Xavier giving Farouk a second chance at life, free from the SK. But in Xavier's hubris he hadn't realize that Farouk hasn't had an identity outside of the SK since he was a small child, so of course he'll act like that monster.

I hope when this storyline concludes Alaya will make it concretely clear if Farouk and the SK are two separate beings or if the SK is using his longest host once again.

Great points, my thinking though I may be jumping the gun(without panel evidence) is it's Farouk the mutant but longing to be reunited with the SK , to make him whole.Maybe that is why he is corrupting the kids..or whatever it is he is doing, in an attempt for SK to come back filling multiple vessels like some black magic sacrifice.Anyway just my musing because I agree with you for Xavier to allow a ravenous and evil entity onto the island through Farouk is just criminal at this point especially if he knows SK is still in Farouk.

[Devaishwarya]

Are all Karma's uniforms one-legged? Eventhough it's a prosthetic, does she know she can still wear two-legged pants and the left sides of her shoes? Where is Forge?

[gonnagiveittoya]

I mean if she can't feel the leg there's not a ton of value to wearing a shoe on it

[rcaguy]

Are all Karma's uniforms one-legged? Eventhough it's a prosthetic, does she know she can still wear two-legged pants and the left sides of her shoes? Where is Forge?

She does in Astonishing X-Men 52. Her leg does actually look like a working leg there. The current design is just too akward-looking. For some reason too many artists seem to feel this need to be cutesy with drawing it.

[rcaguy]

I mean if she can't feel the leg there's not a ton of value to wearing a shoe on it

Actually there is. Balance and traction when she moves, and deading the sound of metal coming in contact with the ground/floor as she walks.

[Devaishwarya]

I mean if she can't feel the leg there's not a ton of value to wearing a shoe on it

Just because it's a prosthetic doesn't mean all sense of style and fashion goes out the window, never to be seen again.

[Devaishwarya]

Actually there is. Balance and traction when she moves, and deading the sound of metal coming in contact with the ground/floor as she walks.

Exactatiously.