There are some new mutants in town this Wednesday in Marvel Comics’ NEW MUTANTS #3, no not the New Mutants, but another cast of rambunctious teenage mutants!
Although New Mutants #3 doesn’t follow the hip gang from the past two issues, it does reference them. For that reason, you should pop over and check our review for issue one, and two. Or pick them up at your local comic shop.
A Group of New Mutants in Town
As you may have noticed, New Mutants #3 doesn’t contain the same group of mutants as the previous two issues. Instead, it revolves around: Armor, Glob, Sage, Boom-Boom, Maxime, and Manon. This grouping of mutants happens to live in the same “housing unit” as the New Mutants—Akademos Habitat. In this habitat resides eight different teams of younger generation mutants. Here they all live together while passing ideas through each other and teaching one another. All are students. All are teachers.
New Mutants #3 may be focused on a differing set of mutants, but Ed Brisson keeps the plotting roughly the same. Noticing that some mutants are missing from Krakoa, Armor goes out into the world to extend a welcoming hand; even though Charles has already done this. Luckily this isn’t swept under the table, as Sage mentions this. Nonetheless, Armor rounds up a few other young mutants and goes out to invite Beak and Angel into the mutant utopia. But, as any X-title goes the “team” gets attacked. The word, “team” is quoted in the previous sentence because although the five mutants group up, they never feel like a team.
Whereas the previous two issues focused on the original New Mutants team with a few members, New Mutants #3 feels like Armor and Glob randomly run into people that help. New Mutants #1 had the original team and newcomers going to space to bring Sam to Krakoa. Yet, where the previous team felt like a family that jokes and fights together, New Mutants #3 never feels like this.
Different Team, Different Art
The changing of teams doesn’t stop with the New Mutants, as New Mutants #3 features a different visual team with Flaviano on pencils and Carlos Lopez on colors. Although Flaviano’s art is completely opposite of Rod Reis’ it works in conjunction with the story being told. Seeing as the beginning of the new story focuses more on setting up the plot and less on violence, Flaviano’s realistic art bodes well with Brisson’s words. The same can be said on Lopez’ colors.
By keeping the colors in a spectrum that’s realistic, Lopez makes the more colorful moments pop out in contrast. This usage of bright colors helps distinguish the main characters from the background and mutants powers happening all around them. It may seem weird that compared to the backgrounds the main characters feel realistic, yet it works. Resuming lettering from the previous issues is VC’s Travis Lanham. New Mutants #3 is heavier in dialogue, which shows in some cases. For the most part, Lanham is able to easily guide the readers eyes through the page. But in some moments this isn’t the case, as the word bubbles become too much and clutter the art.
Conclusion
New Mutants #3 never hits the fun chaotic feeling that the previous two issues had, yet it seems like it wasn’t going for that. Instead, Brisson and team wanted to tell the beginning of a new team on a more grounded note, than the interstellar other New Mutants. At times the characters shine through, but never as a group as they should. Hopefully, when this “team” is explored further down the line they start to feel more organic.
Memorable Quote: “I guess this is why they always send Wolverine first.” – Maxime
If I was the leader of any team including Wolverine I’d always send him first. The little guy is immensely terrifying.
Dear Reader
What did you think of the switching of teams? Let us know!
