Noteworthy Issues: New Mutants #2 (November, 2019)

Of all the various House of X books, it does seem as if New Mutants of all things is going a very different route, namely one that employs more humor than traditional superheroing.

I’m basing that idea off the fact that there hasn’t been any sort of superhero battles or fight scenes after two issues.  For all I know, there’s a massive brawl in #3.  But as for the second issue…

Issue:  New Mutants #2, November 2019

Writer:  Jonathan Hickman

Artist:  Rod Reis

The Plot:  The New Mutants, on their way to find Sam “Cannonball” Guthrie, end up in space jail.

Commentary:  Yeah, this is clearly supposed to be the funny book.  After annoying the heck out of the Starjammers in the first issue, the New Mutants thought they were going to liberate a planet from oppressive overlords.  Instead, they were caught holding the proverbial bag when they instead found the Starjammers robbing the place, and it turns out that annoying each and every one of the space pirates taking you across the galaxy can lead to their deciding to leave you behind.  As such, much of this issue deals with the New Mutants–Wolfbane, Sunspot, Mirage, Karma, Cypher, Magick, Mondo, and Chamber–sitting in space jail.

They actually call it space jail.

Fortunately, Roberto DaCosta has the power of more money than sense, so he has a call put in to his space lawyer, who may or may not be the best alien lawyer Earth money can hire.  That may be the highlight in terms of humor as the New Mutants, who could probably easily break out of the Shi’ar prison, instead just try to wait until they can get out legally.

Now, all this was done so they could find Sam Guthrie, who left Earth with his new wife the Imperial Guardsman Smasher, and it does beg the question whether or not he really wants to go with them.  The romance between Sam and Dizzy was from Hickman’s run on the Avengers, and there’s no real hint that Sam, now a husband and father, is miserable or anything out in Shi’ar space.  Roberto just assumes so, and yes, Sam is glad to see his friends.  Dizzy, less so, but that’s probably more about Sunspot than the others.  Roberto was on that Avengers team as well after all, and the series seems to be playing up the “Sunspot is an obnoxious doofus who doesn’t really know what he’s doing” vibe.  Given he seems to be acting as the series narrator so far, that also fits.

Suffice to say, the New Mutants don’t, despite their best efforts, stay in space jail, but they end the issue with another mission on behalf of the Shi’ar Imperium.  That might lead to trouble later, but I suspect it will be caused more by Roberto shooting his mouth off the wrong way or the others ignoring him.  And maybe, just maybe, Sam will weigh in on whether or not he even wants to go back to Earth to live on or at least visit Krakoa.

Grade:  B+