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New X-Men: Academy X (Collected Editions)
New X-Men: Childhood's End, Vol. 5: Quest for Magik
The demon lord Belasco has pulled the Xavier Institute into Limbo, but he's not after the X-Men... he's come for the New X-Men. With their leaders cut off, most of the team captured, and a group of students thrown into the demon infested wastelands, all hope seems lost. But the kids aren't alone in Limbo...and things are about to get much, much worse.
Collecting: New X-Men 37-43
Collecting: New X-Men 37-43
168 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 8, 2021
So now we have the search for my favourite Marvel character in this very grown-up themes run, which is the perfect fit to maintain the darkness! The art however, is very Manga-style by Skottie Young, and was a huge turn-off for me. A firm 7 out of 12 for story, but the art alone would have been a DNF!
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October 27, 2017
I really rather enjoyed this one. A big action-packed battle in Limbo, the return of one of my all-time favourite characters, followed by a nice 'day in the life' type story, all wrapped up in some great Scottie Young artwork. Nice.
August 25, 2019
Este número de los New Mutants es uno muy importante por muchas cosas. Cuenta el regreso de Magik quien me parece hasta esta época era dada por muerta.
El demonio Belasco quien crió a Ilyana en su niñez y le enseñó los poderes de magia y del manejo del limbo está tratando de volver para lo cual expurgó del limbo a la que se había quedado heredera de la Espada Alma de Magik, Amara, que fue la segunda en usar el nombre de Magik.
Cuando Belasco logra volver se enfrentará a los New Mutants, yo lo conocía un poco pero esta vez se vio realmente amenazador.
También en este número se explica el nuevo aspecto de Anole y sobre todo el momento en el cual Pixie, la mutante hada cambiará para siempre no sólo con un nuevo poder sino con una nueva alma.
El demonio Belasco quien crió a Ilyana en su niñez y le enseñó los poderes de magia y del manejo del limbo está tratando de volver para lo cual expurgó del limbo a la que se había quedado heredera de la Espada Alma de Magik, Amara, que fue la segunda en usar el nombre de Magik.
Cuando Belasco logra volver se enfrentará a los New Mutants, yo lo conocía un poco pero esta vez se vio realmente amenazador.
También en este número se explica el nuevo aspecto de Anole y sobre todo el momento en el cual Pixie, la mutante hada cambiará para siempre no sólo con un nuevo poder sino con una nueva alma.
August 20, 2018
And here comes the end to Kyle's run on X-Men. Shame too because this was pretty entertaining stuff.
The final arc includes Magick and honestly, never been a huge fan of her. However, the devil comes out to play and he's kind of pissed off. He wants her back and these poor X-Men kids have to go through hell (no pun intended) to survive. Half the group is split up and that makes for some very screwed up deaths, fights, and mayham. The last two issues are basically a closing chapter, a goodbye to a lot of characters, and also the prologue to these kids entering Massiah Complex event (which already reviewed and it was awesome!)
Good: I really enjoy this art. Very cartoony but it works so well. The characters all get a chance to shine here, and it's about the whole team which was nice, and of course in bloody fashion we have some screwed up deaths. I also thought the closing chapters were bitter sweet since what comes next is not too nice.
Bad: I thought it was a little heavy on the action. I could have used a few more somber moments or funny moments with the kids and of course with the series getting canned it feels a bit rushed.
Overall this was really fun run. It had great moments throughout, mostly good, never really terrible, and that's all you can ask for. A 3.5 out of 5.
The final arc includes Magick and honestly, never been a huge fan of her. However, the devil comes out to play and he's kind of pissed off. He wants her back and these poor X-Men kids have to go through hell (no pun intended) to survive. Half the group is split up and that makes for some very screwed up deaths, fights, and mayham. The last two issues are basically a closing chapter, a goodbye to a lot of characters, and also the prologue to these kids entering Massiah Complex event (which already reviewed and it was awesome!)
Good: I really enjoy this art. Very cartoony but it works so well. The characters all get a chance to shine here, and it's about the whole team which was nice, and of course in bloody fashion we have some screwed up deaths. I also thought the closing chapters were bitter sweet since what comes next is not too nice.
Bad: I thought it was a little heavy on the action. I could have used a few more somber moments or funny moments with the kids and of course with the series getting canned it feels a bit rushed.
Overall this was really fun run. It had great moments throughout, mostly good, never really terrible, and that's all you can ask for. A 3.5 out of 5.
August 23, 2014
Illyana died in 1993, in one of the most genuinely tearjerking comics I've ever read. She stayed dead for over a decade, becoming one of those rare deaths that sticks. Then Kyle and Yost - along with artist Skottie Young - came along to unstick it. But while this is Illyana's revival story, it's the New X-Men students who get the most focus, as it should be. Kyle and Yost write the characters wonderfully. They're rich, complex characters, and they all have unique reactions to everything that happens to them. The story is dark, but there's still plenty of humour to be found. Skottie Young's artwork is always excellent. It's cartoonish, but that just makes it expressive, and it doesn't make Limbo any less creepy.
This is a great story, well worth reading.
This is a great story, well worth reading.
November 9, 2016
I was not the biggest fan of the illustrations in this one.
Not any offense to the artist, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Not any offense to the artist, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
June 18, 2024
Não ligo muito pro universo místico da Marvel, então achei esse volume chatinho. Gostei do foco que deram pra personagens mais de fundo como a Pixie e o Victor
September 21, 2016
Quest for Magic (37-41). It's great to see Illyana back (sort of), as she was used so poorly in "Inferno", then "Dream's End", with the end result being that a great character was gone. Now she's back (sort of). Meanwhile, this story of also does a nice job of expanding the cast, bringing new characters like Blindfold, Santo, and Pixie to prominence. The storyline itself has a bit too much fighting, which doesn't allow for much depth, but everything surrounding that is very nice. Still, this is probably the weakest storyline by Kyle + Yost [6+/10].
Coda (42-43). The last two issues are obvious water-treading in advance of the big crossover that ends New X-Men, but they're nonetheless nice with a great focus on character. They're also pretty nice closure for this run of the comic [7+/10].
Coda (42-43). The last two issues are obvious water-treading in advance of the big crossover that ends New X-Men, but they're nonetheless nice with a great focus on character. They're also pretty nice closure for this run of the comic [7+/10].
November 18, 2013
There's no quest. The whole story is Belasco asking where Illyana is. Either way this is a series where I always wanna read the next issue to see what happens next. (or who dies). The prelude with Blindfolds warning/ campfire story is great.
37-41. Quest
42-43. Children of the X-Men . Prelude to Messiah Complex.
37-41. Quest
42-43. Children of the X-Men . Prelude to Messiah Complex.
August 12, 2013
New mutants for a new age.
June 23, 2019
La llegada de Craig Kyle y Cristopher Yost a New X-Men fue como un tsunami que lo arrasó todo en la colección y que consiguió que esta serie, que ocupaba un papel secundario en el universo mutante, saltara al primer plano. La que sería la saga más importante en años, Complejo de Mesías, se gestó casi por completo en las páginas de la andadura de estos dos guionistas por la colección, que fue la que mostró de forma más desgarrada las consecuencias del Día M.
Y es que es precisamente la desaparición de la práctica totalidad de la población mutante fue el leit motiv del primer año de la colección, una historia que es prácticamente una trilogía, formada por tres historias: el Fin de la Infancia, Cruzada y Nimrod, y que forman (desde mi punto de vista) una de las mejores historias que he leído nunca, y que aún a día de hoy ha vuelto a darme momentos en los que rondaban las lagrimitas. Quizá porque DeFilippis y Weir habían conseguido que empatizara especialmente con los personajes de esta colección y Kyle y Yost parecían decididos a no dejar títere con cabeza. Creo que es en esta colección donde mejor se ve la desesperación de los mutantes, convertidos ahora en una especie en extinción, en sus miembros más jóvenes, que pasan de ser los herederos del futuro a ser cazados y exterminados, literalmente.
En esta primera parte de su estancia y la colección, Kyle y Yost recurrieron a dos enemigos clásicos de los X-Men, el reverendo Stryker y el centinela futurista Nimrod, en una saga oscura y retorcida que sirvió para dejar atrás la escuela de los muchos grupos y convertir a los estudiantes en una nueva versión de la Patrulla-X, que luego protagonizaría otras dos sagas: la Caída de Azogue (o la Caída de Mercurio, pero prefiero Azogue para Cessily Kincaid, que así no se confunde con Pietro Maximoff, que en aquellos tiempos estaba de máxima actualidad después de su participación en Dinastía de M), y la Búsqueda de Magik. La primera de las dos quizá sea la más flojita de la etapa, aunque es una historia muy centrada en los nuevos personajes y especialmente en X-23, la aportación del dúo al elenco de la colección, para luego pasar a una historia oscura en guión y dibujo, con un Skottie Young que me ha dado la sensación de haber ganado con el paso del tiempo, y que sirvió para recuperar la relación de los X-Men con el mundo mágico, que parecía haberse olvidado en los últimos años, pero que venía de muy atrás, de los tiempos en los que, precisamente, la Patrulla-X había tenido que hacer frente a Belasco, e Illyana Rasputin se había convertido en Magik...
En fin, que es una de mis sagas favoritas. Me encanta.
Y es que es precisamente la desaparición de la práctica totalidad de la población mutante fue el leit motiv del primer año de la colección, una historia que es prácticamente una trilogía, formada por tres historias: el Fin de la Infancia, Cruzada y Nimrod, y que forman (desde mi punto de vista) una de las mejores historias que he leído nunca, y que aún a día de hoy ha vuelto a darme momentos en los que rondaban las lagrimitas. Quizá porque DeFilippis y Weir habían conseguido que empatizara especialmente con los personajes de esta colección y Kyle y Yost parecían decididos a no dejar títere con cabeza. Creo que es en esta colección donde mejor se ve la desesperación de los mutantes, convertidos ahora en una especie en extinción, en sus miembros más jóvenes, que pasan de ser los herederos del futuro a ser cazados y exterminados, literalmente.
En esta primera parte de su estancia y la colección, Kyle y Yost recurrieron a dos enemigos clásicos de los X-Men, el reverendo Stryker y el centinela futurista Nimrod, en una saga oscura y retorcida que sirvió para dejar atrás la escuela de los muchos grupos y convertir a los estudiantes en una nueva versión de la Patrulla-X, que luego protagonizaría otras dos sagas: la Caída de Azogue (o la Caída de Mercurio, pero prefiero Azogue para Cessily Kincaid, que así no se confunde con Pietro Maximoff, que en aquellos tiempos estaba de máxima actualidad después de su participación en Dinastía de M), y la Búsqueda de Magik. La primera de las dos quizá sea la más flojita de la etapa, aunque es una historia muy centrada en los nuevos personajes y especialmente en X-23, la aportación del dúo al elenco de la colección, para luego pasar a una historia oscura en guión y dibujo, con un Skottie Young que me ha dado la sensación de haber ganado con el paso del tiempo, y que sirvió para recuperar la relación de los X-Men con el mundo mágico, que parecía haberse olvidado en los últimos años, pero que venía de muy atrás, de los tiempos en los que, precisamente, la Patrulla-X había tenido que hacer frente a Belasco, e Illyana Rasputin se había convertido en Magik...
En fin, que es una de mis sagas favoritas. Me encanta.
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January 29, 2022Y se acabó. Ahora sí que sí.
Han sido buenos chavales. Les he acabado cogiendo mucho cariño a la mayoría, y saber que casi ninguno pasa a las grandes ligas me entristece un poco. Han tenido apariciones aquí y allá, pero no el calado suficiente como para convertirse en buques insignia de la franquicia. Esta última aventura ha sido la mayor ida de olla a la que posiblemente se hayan enfrentado estos personajes, porque las otras amenazas eran más terrenales y aquí acaban pegándose con un demonio. No han llegado a estar bajo los focos hasta muy tarde, pero Pixie y Anole me han gustado cuando les han dado un poco más de tiempo aquí. También he de decir que el estilo de Skottie Young hay veces que se me hace un poco raro (especialmente con las caras), pero de los artistas que han tenido un estilo amerimanga en este título creo que es quien mejor me ha funcionado.
Me entristece un poco que después de tantos números este título no tenga una conclusión como tal, no os voy a engañar. En Complejo de Mesías el grupo termina de separarse (sin tener una despedida como tal) y creo que nunca han vuelto a juntarse, a excepción de una breve reunión en el X-Factor de Leah Williams y David Baldeón. Los personajes que tienen más peso ahora en la franquicia diría que son Laura, que es una X-Men de pleno derecho; Elixir, que está en los Cinco; Pixie, que ha estado por Way of X y será una legionaria; y Prodigy, que fue miembro de X-Factor y los Jóvenes Vengadores. Sofia se pasó por X-Factor y X-Corp, pero ningún caso tuvo protagonismo como tal.
Así que eso. Estas etapas no están dentro de lo mejor que he leído de los mutantes porque ahí están Hickman, Complejo de Mesías y Second Coming, pero las etapas de DeFilippis/Weir y Kyle/Yost, especialmente la primera, me parecen historias a reivindicar por ofrecer algo diferente y más juvenil. Es difícil no cogerle cariño a estos chavales y ya digo, voy a echar de menos no verlos más juntos.
Ahora, y confirmo que estos son mis favoritos (aunque el primer puesto es trampa, porque Laura tiene un rincón especial en mi corazón) y cierro: Laura > Mercury > Surge > Sooraya > Elixir > Hellion > Pixie. El resto están bien, pero estos son los mejores para mí.
Han sido buenos chavales. Les he acabado cogiendo mucho cariño a la mayoría, y saber que casi ninguno pasa a las grandes ligas me entristece un poco. Han tenido apariciones aquí y allá, pero no el calado suficiente como para convertirse en buques insignia de la franquicia. Esta última aventura ha sido la mayor ida de olla a la que posiblemente se hayan enfrentado estos personajes, porque las otras amenazas eran más terrenales y aquí acaban pegándose con un demonio. No han llegado a estar bajo los focos hasta muy tarde, pero Pixie y Anole me han gustado cuando les han dado un poco más de tiempo aquí. También he de decir que el estilo de Skottie Young hay veces que se me hace un poco raro (especialmente con las caras), pero de los artistas que han tenido un estilo amerimanga en este título creo que es quien mejor me ha funcionado.
Me entristece un poco que después de tantos números este título no tenga una conclusión como tal, no os voy a engañar. En Complejo de Mesías el grupo termina de separarse (sin tener una despedida como tal) y creo que nunca han vuelto a juntarse, a excepción de una breve reunión en el X-Factor de Leah Williams y David Baldeón. Los personajes que tienen más peso ahora en la franquicia diría que son Laura, que es una X-Men de pleno derecho; Elixir, que está en los Cinco; Pixie, que ha estado por Way of X y será una legionaria; y Prodigy, que fue miembro de X-Factor y los Jóvenes Vengadores. Sofia se pasó por X-Factor y X-Corp, pero ningún caso tuvo protagonismo como tal.
Así que eso. Estas etapas no están dentro de lo mejor que he leído de los mutantes porque ahí están Hickman, Complejo de Mesías y Second Coming, pero las etapas de DeFilippis/Weir y Kyle/Yost, especialmente la primera, me parecen historias a reivindicar por ofrecer algo diferente y más juvenil. Es difícil no cogerle cariño a estos chavales y ya digo, voy a echar de menos no verlos más juntos.
Ahora, y confirmo que estos son mis favoritos (aunque el primer puesto es trampa, porque Laura tiene un rincón especial en mi corazón) y cierro: Laura > Mercury > Surge > Sooraya > Elixir > Hellion > Pixie. El resto están bien, pero estos son los mejores para mí.
October 2, 2024
If I had a nickel for every time Christopher Yost wrote a superhero series about depressed teenagers, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. (The other series I'm referring to is Red Robin).
The characters are great, and I think it's really sad that they basically dropped off the face of the earth after this, some had some crazy development (like Josh/Elixir). I would have loved if this series continued, I'm very interested in learning about the rest of the students at Xavier's (Indra, Loa, Pixie, Anole, etc.). I loved the scenes of all the students just hanging out. Also, I really liked Skottie Young's art here, I enjoy his variant covers but I haven't seen him do the art for any actual stories. I think it fits very well with the vibe.
I saw something today talking about how this might be a way to introduce the X-Men to the MCU, with all the established characters. I think there are both upsides and downsides to this.
Pros: This series/time-period is the first time that the Institute felt like an actual SCHOOL, not just a group of like six kids. The characters are visually and thematically interesting. There are great interpersonal relationships. It's intense and twisty.
Cons: Skipping pretty much every iconic story and character. It might be a little too teeny for some people. The second-half (and best part) of the series is defined by the House of M/Decimation event, which would take a lot of set-up. Plus bringing in the Scarlet Witch would be all kinds of legal rights trouble.
Overall, I really loved this series and would love to see some characters whenever the X-Men are introduced. But they should probably incorporate them into some more mainstream X-Men characters arcs and plots. I am a huge proponent of superheroes in animation, I think this would work great as an animated TV show. If X-Men '97 is venturing into the 2000's territory for stories, it would be so cool if these characters show up (especially Hellion 😉🥰)!
The characters are great, and I think it's really sad that they basically dropped off the face of the earth after this, some had some crazy development (like Josh/Elixir). I would have loved if this series continued, I'm very interested in learning about the rest of the students at Xavier's (Indra, Loa, Pixie, Anole, etc.). I loved the scenes of all the students just hanging out. Also, I really liked Skottie Young's art here, I enjoy his variant covers but I haven't seen him do the art for any actual stories. I think it fits very well with the vibe.
I saw something today talking about how this might be a way to introduce the X-Men to the MCU, with all the established characters. I think there are both upsides and downsides to this.
Pros: This series/time-period is the first time that the Institute felt like an actual SCHOOL, not just a group of like six kids. The characters are visually and thematically interesting. There are great interpersonal relationships. It's intense and twisty.
Cons: Skipping pretty much every iconic story and character. It might be a little too teeny for some people. The second-half (and best part) of the series is defined by the House of M/Decimation event, which would take a lot of set-up. Plus bringing in the Scarlet Witch would be all kinds of legal rights trouble.
Overall, I really loved this series and would love to see some characters whenever the X-Men are introduced. But they should probably incorporate them into some more mainstream X-Men characters arcs and plots. I am a huge proponent of superheroes in animation, I think this would work great as an animated TV show. If X-Men '97 is venturing into the 2000's territory for stories, it would be so cool if these characters show up (especially Hellion 😉🥰)!
Read
March 17, 2022Oddly, I didn't actually find this as grimdark as earlier volumes in the Childhood's End section of the series. As I read, I remembered more about Magik, and Limbo, and the history there. It was hard to tell who was who sometimes, because features and bodies of the characters were so exaggerated in odd ways.
I was glad to learn how Anole's arm had taken on that enlarged and spiky appearance. It was cut off in a battle, and that is the appearance it took when it grew back. Also, Anole came out to Rockslide, who shared the information with the group, but some of the other students were unsurprised by that news.
I was glad to learn how Anole's arm had taken on that enlarged and spiky appearance. It was cut off in a battle, and that is the appearance it took when it grew back. Also, Anole came out to Rockslide, who shared the information with the group, but some of the other students were unsurprised by that news.
February 11, 2021
3.5 // satisfied but also kinda underwhelmed? the vibe of this one felt really off from the rest of the childhood’s end volumes which was kinda disappointing because i probably loved this the most from the new mutants line :(
plot-wise, it was interesting but it did feel off from the previous one :/ but the illustrations are gorgeous, i love the new style and those full page panels are absolutely insaneeee !!
plot-wise, it was interesting but it did feel off from the previous one :/ but the illustrations are gorgeous, i love the new style and those full page panels are absolutely insaneeee !!
February 16, 2018
Continuing the great x-read of 2017/18...
While a bit weaker than this series typically is in some ways, I still really enjoyed it. I considered giving it a 3 star rating, but the post-Illyana issues were so good that they bumped it up and the characters make what is otherwise a drawn-out story )Illyana's rebirth) more fun than it otherwise would have been. I just love these characters...
While a bit weaker than this series typically is in some ways, I still really enjoyed it. I considered giving it a 3 star rating, but the post-Illyana issues were so good that they bumped it up and the characters make what is otherwise a drawn-out story )Illyana's rebirth) more fun than it otherwise would have been. I just love these characters...
June 13, 2021
It’s not the strongest entry in the New X-Men series but it still has a lot of great, clear characterization. I got all the X-Men comics that tied in with Endangered Species, but this was the only series I sent back and read earlier issues because of this story and the characters. (I always meant to do that with X-Factor but this was the only one where I actually did it.)
December 29, 2023
Looking back on the series, they kind of ended it without ever addressing the subplot with Laurie's father.
Also the clothes they draw some of these teen girls in (specifically x-23) is super uncomfy. But overall this series tackles a lot of issues relevant to the world it's set in and is a really intriguing read.
Also the clothes they draw some of these teen girls in (specifically x-23) is super uncomfy. But overall this series tackles a lot of issues relevant to the world it's set in and is a really intriguing read.
January 10, 2024
After Craig Kyle took over this series got so much better. I blasted through everything up until Messiah Complex and besides only 1 maybe 2 of the volumes (including this one) it was great. The only problem I have with this run so far is that Emma Frost feels a little nerfed but other than that I had a lot of fun with this.
May 24, 2017
Kyle and Yost have had a great run here, and I really liked Youngs art, but in general this volume felt like an uninteresting side story between bigger arcs. Some of this is probably because I haven't come across Belasco or Illyana, leaving me cold towards the main players here.
August 9, 2017
Dost slabé zakončení. První příběh docela nudný, nové postavy jsou spíše otravné.
May 12, 2020
The story just did not bother me at all. I gave it three stars for the last two issues, which were fine. I don't care about Magik or all the demon and limbo stuff...
June 12, 2022
PIXIE PIXIE PIXIE
May 19, 2023
Re-read!
November 4, 2024
Cessily and Laura and Sooraya changed lives... Julian you bum get out of my lesbo polycule
October 25, 2019
Confusingly, one of my friends "liked" my 1-star review despite the fact he gave this abomination 4 stars himself. This motivates me to explain exactly what my problem is.
When this graphic novel came out in 2007, Magik had been officially dead for well over a decade. Illyana (Magik) had been at her most popular and powerful during the classic run on New Mutants in the late 80s. There, she was the beautiful teenage witch, always brandishing the soulsword with one arm covered in soulsteel. Sometimes she would manifest horns and goat legs, outwardly projecting her inner demonic influence, as ruler of Limbo. She was reverted to her childhood form after "Inferno" came out around 1990 (I could look it up but can't work up the energy right now). She then contracted the legacy virus and died around 92 or 93, just about right when I started reading comic books.
Alternate reality versions of Illyana popped up occasionally. There was even one noteworthy scene in X-Men comics where Wolverine believed he met with the now-angelic ghost of Illyana when he was in a near-death state after having his adamantium removed. Shortly before this came out, an alternate reality version of Illyana was traveling with the reality-hopping Exiles. But not counting all these other appearances, THIS is the definitive return of Illyana to the 616 universe following House of M.
Her House of M persona motivated this resurrection, but the version of Illyana shown here is not that version. That was a much more chipper, uniformed version of Illyana who carried a soulsword that someone else gifted her, evasively informing her it was somehow tied to her powers. (This was all nonsense, of course; we know that in the 616 universe Illyana created the soulsword herself, out of her own magic and innocence, and it doesn't have much to do with her mutant power of creating portals at all.) We are vaguely given to understand that the House of M Illyana passed through Limbo and somehow motivated the dimension to recreate the classic Illyana (ambiguous as to her age; is she a teenager again?), sans her soul.
While I was thrilled to see Illyana in her classic "Darkchild" persona, with horns and goat legs and swinging the soulsword, the artwork was abysmal. Everything was cartoonish and disproportionate. But what infuriated me beyond all reason is that Illyana was resurrected and immediately forced to interact with a bunch of strange children. The "New X-Men" here were a bunch of strange new characters whom neither Illyana nor I had any emotional connection with. Illyana appeared confused and asked about her friends, such as Kitty or her brother Peter, but no one had an answer for her. The bratty child mutants were transported to Limbo and treated Illyana like just another demon herself, despite the fact she has a long, respected history with the X-Men. These mutants did not, and they had no appreciation for the fact Illyana should outrank all of them.
This whole experience left me feeling dirty. Cheated.
Illyana was turned into a borderline-villain and snubbed by all her actual friends. She was instead forced to interact with characters I considered to be little more than cannon fodder. Then she was forced to share some of her special-ness (magical talent and a soulsteel weapon) with one such cannon fodder character, Pixie.
Pixie was just some bubbly, pink-haired mutant brat with fairy wings at this point, and she had no deeper character development or backstory to justify her stealing Illyana's. Suddenly, Pixie was wielding a "souldagger," and it was suggested that Illyana was just advancing this unremarkable, newer character as a kind of plot device. Sure, in the original 4-issue miniseries in the 80s we observed Illyana growing up in Limbo, fighting the demon Belasco, and finally learning to master some degree of swordfighting and sorcery after years of torture. But, okay; let's give this new character a soulsteel weapon out of the blue for no particular reason. That's fair.
Illyana wasn't shown any love or respect by other characters, but instead was treated like a wicked witch out of a fairy tale, cursing the *actual* protagonist children.
In subsequent years Illyana has been shown more respect. At times her teleportation powers have made her function as a kind of supernatural taxi service for the X-Men. Sometimes she is treated as a respected teammate, sometimes she is hailed as a mighty sorceress and ruler of Limbo. On VERY rare occasions she is allowed to renew her friendship with Kitty. Although now it appears writers are unwilling to let Illyana stick her tongue out and joke around like she used to back in the 80s; now her personality has transformed into something stoic, as becomes a demon queen. I guess.
This was an INSULTING method of reintroducing Illyana to the 616 universe. That is all.
When this graphic novel came out in 2007, Magik had been officially dead for well over a decade. Illyana (Magik) had been at her most popular and powerful during the classic run on New Mutants in the late 80s. There, she was the beautiful teenage witch, always brandishing the soulsword with one arm covered in soulsteel. Sometimes she would manifest horns and goat legs, outwardly projecting her inner demonic influence, as ruler of Limbo. She was reverted to her childhood form after "Inferno" came out around 1990 (I could look it up but can't work up the energy right now). She then contracted the legacy virus and died around 92 or 93, just about right when I started reading comic books.
Alternate reality versions of Illyana popped up occasionally. There was even one noteworthy scene in X-Men comics where Wolverine believed he met with the now-angelic ghost of Illyana when he was in a near-death state after having his adamantium removed. Shortly before this came out, an alternate reality version of Illyana was traveling with the reality-hopping Exiles. But not counting all these other appearances, THIS is the definitive return of Illyana to the 616 universe following House of M.
Her House of M persona motivated this resurrection, but the version of Illyana shown here is not that version. That was a much more chipper, uniformed version of Illyana who carried a soulsword that someone else gifted her, evasively informing her it was somehow tied to her powers. (This was all nonsense, of course; we know that in the 616 universe Illyana created the soulsword herself, out of her own magic and innocence, and it doesn't have much to do with her mutant power of creating portals at all.) We are vaguely given to understand that the House of M Illyana passed through Limbo and somehow motivated the dimension to recreate the classic Illyana (ambiguous as to her age; is she a teenager again?), sans her soul.
While I was thrilled to see Illyana in her classic "Darkchild" persona, with horns and goat legs and swinging the soulsword, the artwork was abysmal. Everything was cartoonish and disproportionate. But what infuriated me beyond all reason is that Illyana was resurrected and immediately forced to interact with a bunch of strange children. The "New X-Men" here were a bunch of strange new characters whom neither Illyana nor I had any emotional connection with. Illyana appeared confused and asked about her friends, such as Kitty or her brother Peter, but no one had an answer for her. The bratty child mutants were transported to Limbo and treated Illyana like just another demon herself, despite the fact she has a long, respected history with the X-Men. These mutants did not, and they had no appreciation for the fact Illyana should outrank all of them.
This whole experience left me feeling dirty. Cheated.
Illyana was turned into a borderline-villain and snubbed by all her actual friends. She was instead forced to interact with characters I considered to be little more than cannon fodder. Then she was forced to share some of her special-ness (magical talent and a soulsteel weapon) with one such cannon fodder character, Pixie.
Pixie was just some bubbly, pink-haired mutant brat with fairy wings at this point, and she had no deeper character development or backstory to justify her stealing Illyana's. Suddenly, Pixie was wielding a "souldagger," and it was suggested that Illyana was just advancing this unremarkable, newer character as a kind of plot device. Sure, in the original 4-issue miniseries in the 80s we observed Illyana growing up in Limbo, fighting the demon Belasco, and finally learning to master some degree of swordfighting and sorcery after years of torture. But, okay; let's give this new character a soulsteel weapon out of the blue for no particular reason. That's fair.
Illyana wasn't shown any love or respect by other characters, but instead was treated like a wicked witch out of a fairy tale, cursing the *actual* protagonist children.
In subsequent years Illyana has been shown more respect. At times her teleportation powers have made her function as a kind of supernatural taxi service for the X-Men. Sometimes she is treated as a respected teammate, sometimes she is hailed as a mighty sorceress and ruler of Limbo. On VERY rare occasions she is allowed to renew her friendship with Kitty. Although now it appears writers are unwilling to let Illyana stick her tongue out and joke around like she used to back in the 80s; now her personality has transformed into something stoic, as becomes a demon queen. I guess.
This was an INSULTING method of reintroducing Illyana to the 616 universe. That is all.
August 14, 2025
Updated During 2025 X-Read:
This time I made sure to read every single word, and I was just as bored.
If you're a fan of Claremont's magic stories, the New Mutants issues focused on Magik, Inferno, or Excalibur-style shenanigans, this might be much more enjoyable for you.
For me, the highlight was Skottie Young's art.
***
Original 2018 Review: The Claremont magic/Limbo storylines that this volume draws from are one of my least favorite parts of the X-Men mythos, and every time they show up, I get a little bored.
The first issue's framing device, having the entirety of the Magik/Limbo storyline explained by Blindfold telling a ghost story was an inspired concept, and actually gave me hope that this wold be the first Limbo story I enjoyed.
Unfortunately, as it progressed, I was less and less interested in the Belasco/Magik power struggle, and I eventually just started scanning pages instead of reading them.
There are some great character developments that happen while the team is in Limbo, we learn more about Anole and Rockslide's powers. Elixir levels up, Pixie starts on her path to becoming a more major character. But these beats are surrounded by developments about Belasco and Amanda Sefton, two characters I can't imagine ever being interested in.
I recommend it to fans of Inferno, and Claremont's weird, original Excalibur run.
This time I made sure to read every single word, and I was just as bored.
If you're a fan of Claremont's magic stories, the New Mutants issues focused on Magik, Inferno, or Excalibur-style shenanigans, this might be much more enjoyable for you.
For me, the highlight was Skottie Young's art.
***
Original 2018 Review: The Claremont magic/Limbo storylines that this volume draws from are one of my least favorite parts of the X-Men mythos, and every time they show up, I get a little bored.
The first issue's framing device, having the entirety of the Magik/Limbo storyline explained by Blindfold telling a ghost story was an inspired concept, and actually gave me hope that this wold be the first Limbo story I enjoyed.
Unfortunately, as it progressed, I was less and less interested in the Belasco/Magik power struggle, and I eventually just started scanning pages instead of reading them.
There are some great character developments that happen while the team is in Limbo, we learn more about Anole and Rockslide's powers. Elixir levels up, Pixie starts on her path to becoming a more major character. But these beats are surrounded by developments about Belasco and Amanda Sefton, two characters I can't imagine ever being interested in.
I recommend it to fans of Inferno, and Claremont's weird, original Excalibur run.
August 13, 2013
The X-kids find themselves in a battle for their very souls in the latest volume by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, with some help on the pencils from Skottie Young. An evening of scary stories catapults the young trainees into Limbo at the whim of the demonic Belasco. Having sesned Illyana Rasputin's brief return during the House of M event, Belasco has abducted the students in order to pry Illyana's current location from them. While half the group goes through torture, the other half has encountered Illyana - but in her nasty Darkchylde form. Pushing Pixie, Rockslide, and Anole past their limits in order to reclaim her throne, the former Magik proves to be just as ruthless as Belasco. In order to return to the school, the X-kids must decide which devil they can trust. Costs and consequences abound as the team finds out the hard way how quickly things can change. The true power of this volume is in showcasing the effects of pushing someone too far, too fast. Anole loses his arm, only to grow a more monstrous version. Rockslide is destroyed and must rebuild himself from Limbo rock. Pixie parts with a piece of her soul at the request of Magik in order to save her friends. Yost and Kyle have found Magik, but the kids - and the reader - will pay the price.
January 26, 2010
(Okay, read this rating as three stars plus Skottie Young art.)
Illyana Rasputin and Skottie Young... How could I not like this? Well there are plenty of ways I could not like this, but in the end, none of those appeared.
The Kyle and Yost team is making me really upset (exaggeration) that Messiah Complex came to wipe out New X-Men. This book is doing the exact opposite of Generation X, which started out strong and went out with a whimper... or two... or three.
Drat and bother! To know this series gets stopped in three more issues that is a big crossover event is such a shame. Herein lies the problem with ongoing series that are so dependent on the whims of the publisher and editors and other writers of the bigger series. I can understand the writers' frustration from these things.
It is a blessing and a curse to be mired in a pre-existing universe.
Illyana Rasputin and Skottie Young... How could I not like this? Well there are plenty of ways I could not like this, but in the end, none of those appeared.
The Kyle and Yost team is making me really upset (exaggeration) that Messiah Complex came to wipe out New X-Men. This book is doing the exact opposite of Generation X, which started out strong and went out with a whimper... or two... or three.
Drat and bother! To know this series gets stopped in three more issues that is a big crossover event is such a shame. Herein lies the problem with ongoing series that are so dependent on the whims of the publisher and editors and other writers of the bigger series. I can understand the writers' frustration from these things.
It is a blessing and a curse to be mired in a pre-existing universe.
January 30, 2017
On the weaker scale of things for this underrated series. The Magik stuff is weirdly paced, switching between a few groups of people, one of which is basically just a 4-issue long group torture scene. I wonder if some of this is due to the series' impending cancellation - with Kyle and Yost needing to cram a bunch of stuff into a short amount of time - but this storyline doesn't have a sense of finality to it, so it's probably just an unfortunate sour spot on an otherwise excellent run.
Meanwhile, the switch to Skottie Young on art duties is a double-edged sword. While he's brilliant from an illustration perspective, his artwork is less communicative, which leads to action scenes and some big moments not hitting as well as they should. The two issues that follow, which are quieter character pieces, fare better.
Meanwhile, the switch to Skottie Young on art duties is a double-edged sword. While he's brilliant from an illustration perspective, his artwork is less communicative, which leads to action scenes and some big moments not hitting as well as they should. The two issues that follow, which are quieter character pieces, fare better.
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