CABLE #75 - January 2000

Who is Worthy to Break the Seals…?

Credits:  Joe Pruett (script), Rob Liefeld (penciler), Lary Stucker (inker), Optic Studios (colors), Richard Starkings & Comicraft (letters)

Summary:  Apocalypse taunts Cable, who is now his captive.  He leaves Cable’s psimitar in front of him as a final insult and leaves the room.  Death enters, shocking Cable.  Cable telepathically uses his psimitar to attack Death and free himself.  He tries to draw Wolverine’s persona out of Death, but fails.  Eventually, Apocalypse returns and fights Cable to a standstill.  Cable’s forced to give up when Death appears with Caliban as a hostage.

Continuity Note:  Rob Liefeld (or perhaps the inker) is still unable to decide which of Cable’s eyes have pupils.  On one page, both of them do.  On other pages, neither has a pupil.  Occasionally, he gets it right and remembers that it’s Cable right eye, the one surrounded by scars, which has a pupil.  (Although the colorist screws this up on one page and gives Cable’s right eye the mechanical glowing effect.)

“Huh?” Moment:  Death/Wolverine falls down a seemingly bottomless pit to his death during his fight with Cable.  A few pages later, he magically returns with Caliban as a hostage.

Creative Differences:  There is no credited plotter for this story, only Joe Pruett and Rob Liefeld as “storytellers.”  Pruett was very clear at the time that he did not plot this story and was only responsible for scripting the pages sent to him.

Miscellaneous Note:  The title of this issue is a reference to the fifth chapter of Revelation.

Review:  Not that Rob Liefeld’s run on Cable was very popular on the internet in the first place, but this issue was especially loathed.  This double-sized anniversary issue, the one people believed for years would be the ultimate battle between Cable and Apocalypse, is instead a collection of clumsy fight scenes that advance the ongoing storyline not one inch.  Literally -- the first and last page of the story have Apocalypse lording over the restrained Cable, with the same narration detailing Cable’s failure on both pages.  And even as a mindless fight scene, this is awful.  Splash page after splash page of awkward poses, ugly faces, and nonexistent backgrounds.

As far as I know, no one’s ever taken credit for plotting this issue.  The fan theory at the time was that Liefeld was told to just draw a big fight scene for the issue, but I believe Liefeld denied having any role in plotting the story.  If the story wasn’t plotted by Pruett or Liefeld, that probably leaves editorial.  And since editor Mark Powers already had a reputation as a heavy rewriter, many people just assumed this was something he slapped together during his lunch break.  Who knows the truth, but I can’t blame whoever is responsible for not wanting his or her face revealed.

BATMAN #500 - October 1993 (Part Two)

Dark Angel II:  The Descent
Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Mike Manley (artist), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman finds Bane after he announces himself on an electronic billboard.  He cuts off Bane’s Venom supply and chases him on to the city’s elevated trains.  Bane kills a conductor and takes control of a train.  Robin arrives to rescue the passengers as Batman has a brutal confrontation with Bane.  Eventually, the train goes off the tracks and crashes into an abandoned building.  Batman has an opportunity to kill Bane, but leaves him for the police.  Later, Robin admits he was wrong and tells Jean-Paul he’s earned the mantle of Batman.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Bane’s message on the electronic billboard reads “‘Batman’ Now.”  Gordon notices the quote marks, but isn’t willing to believe that Batman has been replaced.  Gordon’s inability to realize that the original Batman is gone stretches credibility quite a bit, unless the reader is supposed believe Jean-Paul can perfectly mimic Batman’s voice and body language.

Review:  Talk about commitment to a misdirection -- the story actually ends with the skeptical Robin admitting he was wrong and giving Azrael his blessing to become Batman.  Moreover, this follows a lengthy dramatic sequence that has AzBats fighting “the System” and refusing to kill Bane when he has a chance.  So, Gotham has a darker new Batman, but one that still isn’t willing to cross that final line.  Even though this was never intended to be permanent, it reads as a more sincere attempt to sell the replacement hero than any of the Spider-Man clone comics I can think of.  (And Marvel was actually serious about their ridiculous hero swap!)  

While several of Moench’s previous issues would lead you to believe he was apathetic towards this event, he seems to be putting a real effort into selling this as the conclusion to the long running Bane storyline, and the true beginning of Jean-Paul as Batman.  And it’s as about as brutal as you could expect a Comics Code Approved fight featuring Batman could be at the time.  Visually, this is the best Batman/Bane fight so far.  The setting of a runaway elevated train adds more suspense to the fight, and gives Mike Manley some cool visuals to play with.  (Hmm… fight scene during climax of the story set on an elevated train running through the worst areas of Gotham…could this be another moment that influenced Nolan?)  

Robin even gets to do something more than complain this time, as he rescues the civilians that Bane has trapped in the final car.  Now, here’s another instance where it’s hard to tell what Moench is going for.  Leading up to this scene, we see Jean-Paul race past an elderly woman that Bane has pushed aside, and arrive too late to stop Bane from killing the train’s conductor.  (Robin sees none of this, which would help to explain why he’s willing to give Jean-Paul his blessing later.)  No civilians are saved by the new Batman this issue; nor are there any narrative captions or thought balloons to indicate that he’s even given them a single thought.  Is this Moench’s way of subverting the superficial point of the story, by allowing Robin to be the true hero while Batman is concerned with beating up the guy who beat him up first?  If so, it totally went over my head as a kid.  I finished the issue convinced that DC was absolutely serious about this new Batman.  Not that I truly expected the change to last, but I had no idea the creators already had the resolution mapped out.

BATMAN #500 - October 1993 (Part One)

Dark Angel I:  The Fall
Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Jim Aparo (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman drops off the scaffold and maneuvers his way to the ground.  He lands in a fountain, but there isn’t enough water to protect him from injuries.  Bane escapes.  Later, Robin confronts Batman about his methods, but Jean-Paul refuses to listen.  That night, Nightwing arrives and discovers Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman.  He advises Robin to trust Bruce’s judgment and allow Jean-Paul to continue as Batman.  Meanwhile, Bane replenishes his Venom supply, as Jean-Paul designs a new Batman costume.

Irrelevant Continuity:  We learn that Harold has been living in a hidden room (apparently attached to the Batcave), spying on Jean-Paul.

Total N00B:  I’m assuming the dog that briefly appears in the Batcave this issue is the ‘90s Ace.  He walks away from Jean-Paul and is then fed by Harold.  I read this issue as a kid and had no idea what to make of that scene, but I understood that I was walking into a huge event and my knowledge of certain areas of Bat-continuity was spotty.

Gimmicks:  A foil-enhanced alternate cover by Joe Quesada was also released for this issue.

Review:  I can still remember Denny O’Neil appearing on The Today Show, promoting this issue in the summer of 1993.  He didn’t drop the façade for one second; anyone watching that interview would assume DC had created a new Batman for the gritty ‘90s and that Bruce Wayne was now retired.  Issue #500 is the obvious issue to use as the lynchpin of a major marketing campaign, which likely explains why this is the issue that finally shows Dick Grayson’s response to the events of “Knightfall,” and provides at least a brief flashback to the past of the new Batman, Jean-Paul Valley.  (Only existing readers would understand that scene with Harold and Ace, but it’s a mere two pages out of a double-sized comic, so I doubt anyone was truly bothered by it.)  

I had been reading comics enough years to be cynical about major changes to the status quo by this point, but I have to admit that the prospect of a darker, more violent Batman appealed to me in my early teens.  I didn’t necessarily want to see Bruce Wayne replaced by a new character, but I didn’t object to the prospect of Batman himself becoming colder and more willing to kill.  (This is fairly consistent with Tim Burton’s portrayal of the character from the movies, which were inanely popular at the time.)  The speech Jean-Paul gives Robin about meeting your opponent on his own terms and “chivalry is just a handicap” seems tailor-made to appeal to a teenage boy’s bloodlust; I remember reading it and thinking that it made perfect sense.  And if you’re still wondering why Christopher Nolan ventured into ‘90s continuity when making his final Batman film, another line from the speech might provide a clue.  What’s Jean-Paul’s response when Robin tells him that he’s becoming like Bane?  “Maybe so.  And maybe Gotham will fear and hate me when I’m done.”  Is this the origin of Nolan’s bizarre theory that Gotham must hate Batman in order for him to fulfill his role?  That Gotham is not only willing, but eager to turn on Batman?  

As I’ve said before, knowing in retrospect that this was all done to prove a larger point about heroism and reaffirm the true Batman’s value system makes the whole affair seem genuinely remarkable.  The adolescent readers (and adult readers with adolescent attitudes) got their nasty, faux-Miller Batman for a year or so, and then Bruce Wayne returns to set things right and show why this thinking is all wrong.  Of course, DC couldn’t leave well enough alone and couldn’t resist making Bruce Wayne increasingly unstable and antisocial years after this event had made its point, but that’s a rant for another time.

DETECTIVE COMICS #666 - September 1993

The Devil You Know
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman learns from Commissioner Gordon that Bane’s three henchmen are being kept in police custody.  Tricking Trogg, Bird, and Zombie into believing that Bane has orchestrated their release, Batman breaks the trio out of jail and follows them to Bane’s hideout.  Batman confronts Bane, and is soon physically thrown out of his apartment.  The fight moves to a construction site.  Batman’s life hangs in the balance as Bane cuts away the rope that’s keeping him tied to a scaffold.

Dramatic Exits:  Commissioner Gordon expects Batman to abruptly leave during their conversation, and is shocked when he doesn’t.  The new Batman doesn’t understand why he would leave when someone is still talking.

Review:  Comparing this issue to Batman #499, it’s not hard to get the impression that Chuck Dixon was into this storyline much more than Doug Moench.  Not that every Moench chapter is bad, but too often he seems to be going through the motions, dutifully recapping the previous issue’s events while setting up the story for the next chapter to begin.  Dixon seems to be having more fun with the crossover, as he creates a genuinely humorous moment between the new Batman and Gordon, fakes out the reader (and the villains) with a phony prison escape, and crafts a decent fight scene between Bane and Batman.  Bane is allowed to do more than just growl and beat his chest this issue, even if the story is emphasizing his physical strength and not his mental prowess.  He simply has more personality when Dixon writes him, which goes a long way towards salvaging the storyline.

BATMAN #499 - September 1993

The Venom Connection
Credits:  Doug Moench (writer), Jim Aparo (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ken Bruzenak (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Bruce Wayne examines a blood sample left on one of the kidnappers’ masks and discovers he’s vaccinated against a specific strain of malaria.  With Oracle’s help, he learns that the nearest country with that strain is Santa Prisca.  He departs on his private jet with Alfred, and while in midair, learns that Selina Kyle has snuck along.  Meanwhile, Robin helps Batman rescue mobster Tough Tony’s children.  With the aid of his new gloves, subconsciously designed by the System, Batman defeats Bane’s main henchmen.  Later, Robin returns home to discover his father’s been kidnapped.

Irrelevant Continuity:

• Selina Kyle introduces herself to Bruce Wayne as someone he once met at a charity function.  It’s amazing to think that the two characters have such a meager connection so deep into post-Crisis continuity.
• This issue marks the debut of the Azrael-Batman’s new gloves.  Not only are they ridiculously large, but they have sharp talons and shoot out tiny bat-shuriken.  If Kenner never made toys out of these things, I would be amazed.

Total N00B:  Batman calls out to Harold in the Batcave and discovers he’s gone.  In the 600+ pages of this book, Harold only makes a one-page cameo in the last story, and there’s no explanation of who he is.  Later, Robin asks if Ace is gone, too.  I’m guessing this is a reference to a post-Crisis Ace the Bathound, which I had no idea even existed.

Review:  Is Moench making an intentional point by having Bruce Wayne leave the country without telling Tim Drake his father’s been kidnapped, or is this indicative of his plotting style?  If Moench is making the case that Bruce is so divorced from normal human interaction that he can’t be bothered to comfort his teenage ward, then it’s a defensible move (and having Alfred, not Bruce, sign the note left on Tim’s bed explaining the situation is a nice touch).  If not, this just comes across as shoddy plotting.  Structuring the issue to give Bruce and Tim some time together, or at least more than a few panels for Tim to react to his father’s kidnapping, wouldn’t have hurt the story one bit.  Instead, Robin spends the entire issue angsting over Jean-Paul/Azrael/Batman (who’s acting so much like All-Star Batman it’s past comedy at this point), which is of course what he’s already been doing the past few issues.  One subplot is advanced, as Bane reacts to the news that Batman has returned, but unfortunately Moench doesn’t get a lot of material out of the scene.  He writes Bane as an irrationally angry steroid-freak, lashing out as his flunkies for no real reason, which doesn’t seem to match his characterization from the Chuck Dixon chapters. 

SHADOW OF THE BAT #18 - Early October 1993

The God of Fear - Part Three
Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Bret Blevins (penciler), Steve George (inker), Tod Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Batman scours the city for Scarecrow, who’s preparing to infect Gotham with his fear serum.  Anarky spies on Scarecrow, wondering when Batman will arrive.  Eventually, he shows, and with Anarky’s help, subdues Scarecrow.  Scarecrow orders the brainwashed Phil Herold to distract Anarky, enabling him to inject both Batman and Anarky with his fear serum.   Batman’s programming allows him to fight through the fear, forcing Scarecrow to order Phil to jump off the roof as another distraction.  Batman ignores Phil and knocks out Scarecrow, forcing Anarky to save him.  When Anarky questions Batman’s motivations, Batman threatens his life and leaves.

Irrelevant Continuity:  I believe this is the first time the younger Herold is given the first name “Phil.”

Total N00B:  Azrael/Batman makes numerous references to his “programming” and curses the mysterious “St. Dumas” for taking away his ability to feel fear.  Once again, this makes no sense to anyone who hasn’t read the original Azrael miniseries.

Review:  Many threads in this arc, none of which truly come together.  The “fear as a new religion” concept only receives one line of dialogue this issue, Scarecrow’s connection to Phil’s deceased father never amounts to much, the brainwashed teenage Scarecrows just kill a few pages, Anarky barely factors into the main story, and we don’t even get to see what the new Batman fears, because he’s already been programmed not to fear.  

In terms of advancing the overall theme of “Knightfall,” there is one significant scene, as the reader learns that Azrael is more than willing to sacrifice an innocent if it’s for the “greater good” of the city.  And when someone questions his reasoning, he threatens to kill him.  So, Azrael is now more Punisher than Punisher, but the story fails to make this work as a parody or an overall statement about what the true Batman is supposed to represent.  The general execution of this arc just feels shoddy.  I like the idea of Scarecrow encountering the son of his first murder victim, but Phil remains a nonentity throughout the storyline.  And the significance of his father’s connection to Scarecrow doesn’t serve any obvious point in the story.  In addition, this issue plays up the idea that this new Batman isn’t a detective and isn’t going to have an easy time finding the Scarecrow’s hideout…until he magically appears with no explanation in time for the climax.  Since I can’t imagine Shadow of the Bat, one of the more “prestigious” Bat-books, could normally be so disappointing, I can only assume Alan Grant’s just doesn't want to do this crossover.  Hopefully, he adjusts in the future, because this thing is far from over.

SHADOW OF THE BAT #17 - Late September 1993

The God of Fear - Part Two
Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Bret Blevins (penciler and inker), Todd Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Scarecrow sends his brainwashed doppelgangers into the city to wreck havoc, as he visits the home of the son of his first victim, Paul Herold.  While searching the family’s massive library, Scarecrow recounts his origin to Paul’s son.  After watching a booby-trapped tape left for him, Batman searches the city for Scarecrow.  Anarky simultaneously catches one of Scarecrow’s doppelgangers.  When Scarecrow sends a massive holographic message for the entire city, Anarky decides to use the opportunity to catch both Scarecrow and Batman.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Scarecrow is obsessed with books, which is an idea that I don’t think has made it into any outside media adaptations.  I’m assuming the origin story he presents here of a misanthropic college professor who turns to crime to help feed his book addiction is fairly close to his first origin story.

I Love the ‘90s:  Scarecrow leaves a VHS tape for Batman at the university.  The magnesium is booby-trapped to explode.

Review:  I’m not sure how well this arc holds up when compared to other Scarecrow storylines from this era, but it’s becoming a chore to read.  The hook of the story appears to be some vague ideas about fear replacing religion as the new means of maintaining order in society, but the execution is a mess.  Grant spends an inordinate amount of time having Scarecrow recount his origin and elucidate his philosophy on fear, but never succeeds in making him an engaging enough villain to stand out amongst the thousand other “sophisticated” foes that quote Shakespeare repeatedly.  Making matters worse is Batman doing the same thing he did last issue (beating up faceless thugs), and Anarky doing the same thing he did last issue (beating up faceless thugs, while also trying to justify why killing Batman fits into his philosophy).  It’s dull, which is the last thing a Scarecrow story should be.

SHADOW OF THE BAT #16 - Early September 1993

The God of Fear - Part One
Credits:  Alan Grant (writer), Bret Blevins (penciler), Mike Manley (inker), Todd Klein (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Scarecrow rents a hall at Gotham University under an assumed name.  He’s recognized by Herold, a student whose father was killed by Scarecrow ten years earlier.  Scarecrow incapacitates him and uses his fear-based virtual reality program to brainwash the rest of the students.  He declares that he’ll end religion and become the god of fear.  Meanwhile, Anarky escapes juvenile hall and patrols the city.  He decides that Batman is indirectly responsible for Gotham’s supervillains and vows to stop him.

Production Note:  The Knightfall trade doesn’t reprint the title page from this issue, which means the full credits and title aren’t in the book.

I Love the ‘90s:  Anarky claims that he was rewarded with shop duty in juvenile hall after telling the staff he’s “glad the Democrats won.”

Review:  For anyone who might be unaware, Shadow of the Bat was the fourth monthly Batman title, launched in the summer of 1992 to coincide with the release of Batman Returns.  Batman ended up with a fourth monthly title for the same reason Spider-Man received one -- the market was incredibly strong at the time and retailers wanted more product from the major franchises.  Like Legends of the Dark Knight, Shadow of the Bat was a higher-quality format series that consisted of self-contained arcs that rarely had anything to do with Batman and Detective.  However, while Legends of the Dark Knight was set in the past, and as fans later learned, not even considered in-continuity within DC (unless Denny O’Neil wrote the arc), Shadow of the Bat occurred in the present day.  Not surprisingly, many fans drifted towards Shadow in favor of LODK, since it seemed to “count” in a way the previous spinoff did not.  Shadow of the Bat was also nominally in-continuity, even if it rarely participated in any of the ongoing storylines at the time.

“Knightfall” was too large to be ignored, however, so now Shadow must find some way to incorporate the events of the past few months, while still remaining vaguely “standalone.”  It’s obvious when the Shadow issues begin in the Knightfall trade because the pages are abruptly full-bleed, making the sides of the book look as if someone took a Sharpie to them.  The actual stories are also an awkward fit, as someone has decided that this three-issue arc takes place after Detective #665.  That’s the issue that ended with the new Batman already unhinged and pursuing his vendetta against Bane, while Robin’s father and Shondra are kidnapped and Bruce Wayne lies helpless in the Drakes’ lawn.  This story has Jean-Paul still trying to follow Bruce’s wishes, Tim in no real distress, and presumably Bruce Wayne safe at home.  There’s no numbering on the cover to indicate when this storyline should be taking place within the larger event, but clearly it’s before the last chapter the audience read.  

As a story, there’s little more than setup.  A nerdy college student is introduced who will presumably play a role in Scarecrow’s schemes, the new Batman has a few pages to go all Miller on a few hoods, and Alan Grant’s pet character Anarky is awkwardly shoehorned into the plot.  The only real excitement comes from Bret Blevins’ art, although some readers might think his anorexic Scarecrow is a little too preposterous.

DETECTIVE COMICS #665 - August 1993

Lightning Changes
Credits:  Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Dick Giordando (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)

Summary:  Jean-Paul becomes increasingly violent as Batman, forcing Robin to question if he can fill the part.  Disobeying Bruce’s orders, Jean-Paul targets Bane.  He crashes a gangland meeting and corners Bane’s emissary, Tough Tony Bressi.  When Bressi reveals Bane is holding his children hostage, Jean-Paul swings away with him, leaving Robin behind.  Meanwhile, Bruce travels to the Drakes’ home to see Shondra.  Bane’s men arrive simultaneously to kidnap Jack Drake and Shondra.  Bruce tries to stop them but is knocked out of his wheelchair and left on the ground.

Irrelevant Continuity:  Tim Drake’s father Jack is paralyzed following a previous story that hasn’t been mentioned in the crossover yet.  Bruce met Shondra through Jack.

I Love the ‘90s:  One of the gang members Batman and Robin face in the opening scene is wearing a Malcolm X baseball cap.

Review:  Probably my biggest surprise when reading “Knightfall” in one collection is seeing that Jean-Paul didn’t descend into madness after assuming Batman’s identity.  He just started out that way.  Considering the sheer length of this storyline and DC’s commitment to it, that just seems like an odd choice to make.  Bruce Wayne hands over the reins to a man the audience immediately sees is unhinged?  What does that say about Bruce?  If Jean-Paul started out as a sincere believer in Batman’s cause and was slowly driven over the edge by the crime and corruption in Gotham, not only would this help to sell him as a legitimate replacement in the early issues, but it would also provide a lot of material that could stretch out over several months of the storyline.  I realize that Azrael-as-Batman, or AzBats as he’s often called, was always intended as a parody of the Frank Miller style of Batman that the fans claimed to want so much, but I don’t see the dramatic significance of starting him out that way.  

Bruce Wayne’s other bit of idiocy was not realizing that if Bane knew his identity, he knew Robin’s as well, so now Tim’s father is exposed.  Dixon does have Bruce curse himself for not realizing this sooner, but it’s only after he heads to the Drakes’ home to…reveal his secret identity to Shondra.  Unless there’s a lot of material with Shondra that precedes the stories reprinted in the collection, this is far too abrupt to work.  If the story really needed a motivation to get Bruce over to the Drakes’ home, Bruce could’ve independently realized that Jack was in trouble, and heroically wheeled himself there on his own (since no one was around to help).  He still would’ve failed and ended up in the same position, but at least he wouldn’t look quite as dumb.

NEW MUTANTS #97 - January 1991

WAR

Credits:  Louise Simonson (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inker), Steve Buccellato (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  Storm repowers the captured mutants, as a bomb planted by Forge forces Cameron Hodge to retreat.  Elsewhere, Rictor, Boom-Boom, and Jubilee encounter Dr. Moreau.  He takes them to his lab, where they meet Wolfsbane in her Mutate form for the first time.  Moreau reveals that Wipeout is dead, but their powers are soon restored by Storm, who arrives with Cable, Sunspot, and Cannonball.  They damage Hodge’s power source, drawing his attention.  The ensuing battle kills Moreau and injures many of the New Mutants.  Wolfsbane gives Boom-Boom an urn with Warlock’s ashes, then leaves with Cable to finish the fight.

Continuity Notes:  

• Dr. Moreau turned against Cameron Hodge in the previous chapters of “X-Tinction Agenda.”  He genetically engineered Storm to return to her true age, and gave her the ability to restore powers erased by Wipeout.
• Cable asks Forge to help him repair his metal arm following their first battle with Hodge.  Another clue (or "glaringly obvious sign" to be more precise) that no one had the techno-organic virus in mind when writing Cable’s early appearances.
• Wolfsbane appears in her half-human/half-wolf form for the first time.  According to Dr. Moreau, if she reverts to her human form, she’ll become a Mutate again.  She only has freewill in her wolf or half-wolf forms, a status quo that isn’t changed for three years.
• Wolfsbane is referred to as “Wolfgirl” twice in the issue.  Once by Cameron Hodge, and once by Wolfsbane herself.  If this was an attempt to change her codename, it didn’t stick.

Review:  “X-Tinction Agenda” is only one chapter away from its conclusion, so more of the X-Men and X-Factor characters are beginning to spill over into this book as everyone gets into place for the big climax.  This isn’t very satisfying as an issue; Simonson has to resort to an excessive amount of expository dialogue in order to explain what exactly has been happening in the other chapters, too many characters are clogging up the plot, and Guang Yap’s art is too subdued to make the dramatic events seem very dramatic.  (Although, in fairness, Yap is asked to cram a lot of plot into most of these pages.)  The storyline is still structured so that a New Mutants chapter has relevance for the team, as the cast meets the new Mutate-Wolfsbane for the first time, but it doesn’t feel as if there’s enough space for Simonson to do anything with the characters.