New Mutants #24 Review *spoilers*

[ZephyrSurf]

This is an issue largely of conclusions and resolutions

This will be ordered in the resolutions that come to fruition in each moment

1. Rahne and Dani finally have their full unfiltered heart to heart to get to the core of the issues Rahne's been having
2. The New Mutants facilitate Cosmar meeting with Masque so that she doesn't have to go through the Crucible just for the body she deserves
3. We get a data page detailing warpath's feelings about his brother and his outlook on life. It then cuts to his reunion with Thunderbird where we learn his lack of wanting to meet his newly resurrected brother comes from his feelings of failure in having done nothing to avenge him.
4. New Mutants submit documents and No Girl FINALLY HAS A BODY and has changed her title to Cerebella
5. Farouk has been put into rehabilitative exile until a time he'd deemed fit to be allowed to return and it has been agreed by the New Mutants to allow him to assist Legion when the situation has been resolved
6. The entire back and forth between Magik and Rictor is interspliced throughout the issue, the resolution appearing to be the reason she chose to speak with him about it is her own curiosity in the idea of Mutant Magic, she doesn't trust Apocalypse, but she is curious about whatever he was trying before his machinations led him elsewhere.
7. But before Magik can devote any time to the idea, she feels she needs to meet with Madelyn Pryor. She has a challenge for her.

[sunofdarkchild]

Overall a good issue. The faces still look wrong to me and the philosophical aspects of Ayala's writing never really work for me, but everything else was solid and emotional and make sense for these characters and the story that's been told so far.

[BobbysWorld]

I really wish this issue hadn't been delayed so long, because I feel like so many of the emotional beats would have hit harder if this came out weeks ago - the Proudstar brothers reuniting, Dani's changed perspective on Cosmar, Martha and the others' body issues, Rahne's stuff, etc. But it was a solid downtime issue that gave a lot of closure and character perspective on a bunch of plot points that really needed and deserved that focus. So honestly? I feel like this kinda issue is exactly what was needed here and a lot more books could benefit from using issues like this in between or at the end of major story arcs.

I really like that there seems to be a swerve coming in the Illyana and Madelyne Pryor stuff and it might not be the outright battle that we've been anticipating but veer off in another direction entirely. I'm actually very interested in Ayala's take on Maddy given their focus on ideas of rehabilitation, forgiveness, etc. I also really like the acknowledgment that Farouk was a victim himself but that doesn't stop him from being the figure in so many other peoples' nightmares and that there's not a singular opinion on him moving forward....that Rahne can forgive him but Xi'an's like I'm not there yet and might not ever be. Also yes to more of Xi'an and Galuda, its long past time she got an actual girlfriend and I'm glad those past moments of flirtation to them seem to be building to something more.

This is the kinda transitional issue that really works well IMO. It 'puts away' the toys used in the previous arcs but in such a way as to not shove them out of sight out of mind, or render them irrelevant by not really ever doing anything with the story's events once they're over....but more just....clear a path to new stuff from this point on. Like it feels like we're very nicely positioned at this point to see what unfolds now with Illyana and Madelyne and whatever's actually brewing between them. Similarly, we know Amahl's headed to Legion of X which I think is a GREAT place to revisit and explore his character more, can't wait to see what Spurrier does with him there, especially given all the Astral Plane elements he's working with as well as the extensive history between the Shadow King and Legion, someone who has been both a hero and villain himself at times, often without being totally in control of his own actions. I'm also so ready for Dani, Rahne and whomever else to go on a quest in search of Tier and find out where he is and what's happened to him, and even though John Proudstar is likely to pop up more in other books and not be a core cast member here, I'd love to see him show up every now and then in a background role, like the other New Mutants go to grab James for one of their adventures from where he's currently chilling with his brother, that sorta thing.

And yesssss to Martha FINALLY getting a body, and I like that they found a way to address Cosmar's body dysmorphia issues without just being like resurrection is the only way to address this sorta thing.

[Will Evans]

This is an issue largely of conclusions and resolutions

This will be ordered in the resolutions that come to fruition in each moment

1. Rahne and Dani finally have their full unfiltered heart to heart to get to the core of the issues Rahne's been having
2. The New Mutants facilitate Cosmar meeting with Masque so that she doesn't have to go through the Crucible just for the body she deserves
3. We get a data page detailing warpath's feelings about his brother and his outlook on life. It then cuts to his reunion with Thunderbird where we learn his lack of wanting to meet his newly resurrected brother comes from his feelings of failure in having done nothing to avenge him.
4. New Mutants submit documents and No Girl FINALLY HAS A BODY and has changed her title to Cerebella
5. Farouk has been put into rehabilitative exile until a time he'd deemed fit to be allowed to return and it has been agreed by the New Mutants to allow him to assist Legion when the situation has been resolved
6. The entire back and forth between Magik and Rictor is interspliced throughout the issue, the resolution appearing to be the reason she chose to speak with him about it is her own curiosity in the idea of Mutant Magic, she doesn't trust Apocalypse, but she is curious about whatever he was trying before his machinations led him elsewhere.
7. But before Magik can devote any time to the idea, she feels she needs to meet with Madelyn Pryor. She has a challenge for her.

Anything with Karma?
I curious how she feels about her leg, her twin brother, her younger siblings?

[Krakoa]

This issue was great! Ayala found a fantastic middle ground between the NM and the Lost Club here. No, Rain Boy, Anole, and Cosmar didn't need the Crucible. But for Cosmar, who was obviously the most impacted of the three, they found an alternative solution that lets her work towards what she needs the right way. And they also recognized that, yeah, Martha did deserve the Crucible and sometimes exceptions need to be made (which is a similar conclusion as the one that was brought for Gabby in this run). I enjoy how the NM have pushed back on some of what doesn't work about Krakoa and the way the rules are working, the way the young are being raised, etc., while at the same time the series still fundamentally shows Krakoa as good. It's just a work in progress.

There were great moments for all of the core adult cast in this issue, who all have had strong personal arcs. Rahne's Tier arc moved forward, Dani's leadership arc, Karma's arc with the Shadow King (though I want to see more of her brother), Warpath's background arc about his brother, and for the first time we're getting the start of an (exciting) story for Magik since Ayala took over.

Also... is Cerebelle supposed to evoke the look and name of Cylobel? I definitely got that impression.

[ZephyrSurf]

Anything with Karma?
I curious how she feels about her leg, her twin brother, her younger siblings?

There's only stuff about her confronting Farouk. Her siblings, especially her brother, are still a mystery. Her leg thing was addressed a while back. I dunno why people think their hang ups are comic story points.

[Krakoa]

Anything with Karma?
I curious how she feels about her leg, her twin brother, her younger siblings?

Karma's brother isn't addressed, but she does get a strong moment with Farouk where she refuses to forgive him for what he's done to her but reaffirms that she does believe in Krakoa as a place for rehabilitation. She also has a cute moment with her new love interest from the Pride issue.

[ZephyrSurf]

This issue was great! Ayala found a fantastic middle ground between the NM and the Lost Club here. No, Rain Boy, Anole, and Cosmar didn't need the Crucible. But for Cosmar, who was obviously the most impacted of the three, they found an alternative solution that lets her work towards what she needs the right way. And they also recognized that, yeah, Martha did deserve the Crucible and sometimes exceptions need to be made (which is a similar conclusion as the one that was brought for Gabby in this run). I enjoy how the NM have pushed back on some of what doesn't work about Krakoa and the way the rules are working, the way the young are being raised, etc., while at the same time the series still fundamentally shows Krakoa as good. It's just a work in progress.

There were great moments for all of the core adult cast in this issue, who all have had strong personal arcs. Rahne's Tier arc moved forward, Dani's leadership arc, Karma's arc with the Shadow King (though I want to see more of her brother), Warpath's background arc about his brother, and for the first time we're getting the start of an (exciting) story for Magik since Ayala took over.

Also... is Cerebelle supposed to evoke the look and name of Cylobel? I definitely got that impression.

Both the name and her design give that explicit impression that's the case

[BobbysWorld]

This issue was great! Ayala found a fantastic middle ground between the NM and the Lost Club here. No, Rain Boy, Anole, and Cosmar didn't need the Crucible. But for Cosmar, who was obviously the most impacted of the three, they found an alternative solution that lets her work towards what she needs the right way. And they also recognized that, yeah, Martha did deserve the Crucible and sometimes exceptions need to be made (which is a similar conclusion as the one that was brought for Gabby in this run). I enjoy how the NM have pushed back on some of what doesn't work about Krakoa and the way the rules are working, the way the young are being raised, etc., while at the same time the series still fundamentally shows Krakoa as good. It's just a work in progress.

There were great moments for all of the core adult cast in this issue, who all have had strong personal arcs. Rahne's Tier arc moved forward, Dani's leadership arc, Karma's arc with the Shadow King (though I want to see more of her brother), Warpath's background arc about his brother, and for the first time we're getting the start of an (exciting) story for Magik since Ayala took over.

Also... is Cerebelle supposed to evoke the look and name of Cylobel? I definitely got that impression.

I'm not sure if this is likely to happen, but I would love for Tran to also be involved in either a) whatever the next arc brings us with Madelyne or b) to head over to the House of L or whatever its called with Farouk and Legion. Given his history, he feels like he could easily be an extremely relevant POV for either story.

Also like Will Evans mentioned, I would love to see more of Karma's younger siblings too. But I have a hunch that might not happen until the Tier story gets resolved, like there's already so many characters and moving parts to this book I wouldn't be surprised if the next time we see them might just be something like them playing with Tier once he finally ends up on Krakoa.

[ZephyrSurf]

I can't imagine Tran would be apart of the Magik plot line. Especially given that Ayala clearly notes that Magik and Xian still have bad blood from the Dead Souls arc and Tran's like all of the things Magik doesn't like about Xian at 100

[sunofdarkchild]

I can't imagine Tran would be apart of the Magik plot line. Especially given that Ayala clearly notes that Magik and Xian still have bad blood from the Dead Souls arc and Tran's like all of the things Magik doesn't like about Xian at 100

Where is anything like that noted? Ayala wrote the pride story where Magik tells Karma she deserves happiness and serves as her wingman in asking out Galuda. The data page about the attempts to separate her from Tran also said nothing about there being bad blood and simply had Magik attempting to help and it not working.

[BobbysWorld]

I can't imagine Tran would be apart of the Magik plot line. Especially given that Ayala clearly notes that Magik and Xian still have bad blood from the Dead Souls arc and Tran's like all of the things Magik doesn't like about Xian at 100

Well given the blatant focus on themes of rehabilitation and forgiveness and how its not one size fits all I think that's why it could be a good stress test for a lot of what Ayala is deliberately bringing front and center in their book. But like I said, could be interesting to see Tran followed up on in Legion of X instead, which seems to have a lot of overlap with Ayala's preferred themes. Mostly I just hope he's followed up on somewhere because he just feels too relevant to so many of the current themes and tones to just forget about, especially right after making a point to bring him back from comic book limbo.

[ericng]

Anything with Karma?
I curious how she feels about her leg, her twin brother, her younger siblings?

Karma got a new love interest with a bird lady. Who the heck is the she-Angel?

Has she appeared before?

[sunofdarkchild]

Karma got a new love interest with a bird lady. Who the heck is the she-Angel?

Has she appeared before?

Yes. In the Marvel Pride issue the Karma story took place at the Hellfire Gala. Karma was pining for this character and Magik gave her a pep talk to get her to ask her out.

[ZephyrSurf]

Where is anything like that noted? Ayala wrote the pride story where Magik tells Karma she deserves happiness and serves as her wingman in asking out Galuda. The data page about the attempts to separate her from Tran also said nothing about there being bad blood and simply had Magik attempting to help and it not working.

It was earlier than that. Back before the tran assistance arc. When they were primarily just training the kids. The moment where Dani and karma were trying to help rahne. It seemed pretty clear that Karma and Magik still had some hang ups with each other. I'm not saying they hate each other with the vitriol of a thousand suns. But it's clear they're not the best with each other.