Striking Back
New Mutants #14
Second Coming: Chapter 11
I’ve gone on and on about the writing and the art of the individual issues for this story arc, so much that I need to take the time to reflect on the covers. I don’t know what Adi Granov is doing the digital painting thing that Clayton Crain does or what, but if he can make covers this good I want to see him start to do some interiors on books that I read. I may not have cared much for the Charlie’s Angels pose that Rogue and Hope are in on the cover, but I have to compliment his use of light and shading. I haven’t been truly displeased with a cover yet.
Something scary happens in this issue. (I know genocide in itself is scary, but I’m referring to scary in a different way.) The standing order given to Charles Xavier last chapter was to bring out a heavy hitter. Someone that could pretty much destroy the mutants trapped in the dome by himself if left with no supervision. This is also someone that Xavier is very afraid of. David isn’t a bad guy by himself. A lot of the issues that come about are the multiple personalities that are involved. These personalities have been secured in an area of Legion’s mind and are now going to be utilized under the “Nemisis protocols” I assume that Dr. Nemisis is the one that designed or thought up of the system that Xavier is using with Legion. Though the personalities that are utilized and their powers may surprise you.
I think he is making it to the battle at a good time. The X-Men are struggling in dealing with the Nimrods and their instantly adaptive battle tactics. This results in a number of “OH @#$@” moments during the fight sequences.
Rogue was ordered to watch Hope. She does, but Cyclops didn’t say where exactly to do it…did he? They go arm themselves so that they can roll in and save the day. I guess Hope’s powers haven’t manifested yet, but she is still a well trained soldier.
We jump to join X-force in the future and I think we finally start to see Cypher utilized in a way that wasn’t really done much in the past. I just wonder how he and warlock are coping about being separated for the mission, as we haven’t heard from Warlock since his “incident” with Cameron Hodge. I love seeing Cypher being depicted as not only useful, but critical. X-Force is a collection of individuals that are the best at what they do, and they are the ones that get stuff done. Entering the large compound battling future Sentinels, they come to a horrifying fact that there are two Master mold type Setninel manufacturing robots here in this future.
The issue concludes with Beast in the sick bay readying to fight Nimrod class sentinels in order to keep his patients safe. I don’t know what he thought he would do against them, but it is the thought that counts. Thankfully one of his patients takes initiative, and crawls out of bed to commence the whooping of Nimrod behind.
This story does leave some casualties in its wake, but nothing significant enough to have any real morning on the readers part, but the issue is a solid read and continues the greatness of this arc.
5 out of 5 Nimrods per Wave.
