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New Mutants Omnibus
New Mutants Omnibus, Vol. 2
The New Mutants take a road trip to Asgard — with the trickster god Loki guiding them to all the wrong places! Then, it’s back to class under a new schoolmaster: Magneto! The former villain has sworn to atone for his crimes — but winning the New Mutants’ trust won’t be easy. As the team contends with their rivals the Hellions, they’ll face death and rebirth, a mutant massacre, a twisted future timeline, a rebellion in Limbo and much more! But why have Sunspot and Warlock run away to join the Fallen Angels? Chris Claremont’s foundational run concludes here!
COLLECTING: New Mutants (1983) 35-54; New Mutants Annual (1984) 2-3; New Mutants Special Edition (1985) 1; X-Men Annual (1970) 9-10; Power Pack (1984) 20, 33; Fallen Angels (1987) 1-8; Firestar (1986) 1-4; New Mutants: War Children (2019) 1; material from Web of Spider-Man Annual (1985) 2
COLLECTING: New Mutants (1983) 35-54; New Mutants Annual (1984) 2-3; New Mutants Special Edition (1985) 1; X-Men Annual (1970) 9-10; Power Pack (1984) 20, 33; Fallen Angels (1987) 1-8; Firestar (1986) 1-4; New Mutants: War Children (2019) 1; material from Web of Spider-Man Annual (1985) 2
1240 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1987
8 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,280 books888 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 13, 2024
3.5 stars. Stopped reading this halfway thru to read the Mutant Massacre omnibus then came back to finish this as things were happening simultaneously with that book. Lot of stuff goes down in here. Magneto is now in charge at Xavier’s school and the New Mutants are getting acclimated to him. Also, they deal with the Beyonder which really affects them. Some are like what’s the purpose of life if there is a being that is basically god and can do or undo whatever he wants. Magneto has a hard time getting the kids back on track after that and Emma Frost convinces Maggy to let her take the New Mutants as she can use her mental powers to help them get back to normal. This of course backfires and leads to some drama with Maggy and the Avengers. We get some cool solo stories with Dani Moonstar and with Cannonball with his family meeting his GF Lani. We go to Mojoverse for a battle to get Betsy Braddock back from Mojo and the Magus shows back up coming for Warlock for one last big battle. The Fallen Angels 8 issue mini series was pretty solid. Robert DeCosta is down on himself feeling like he’s no hero and doesn’t belong and leaves. Warlock goes after him and they fall in with the rag tag group calling themselves the Fallen Angels. Jamie Maddrox and Banshee’s daughter, Siryn join in as well for some wild adventures. The Firestar 4 issue mini was pretty good also. Angelica Jones is recruited by Emma Frost and was used in a ploy to take out the Black Queen. It was pretty jacked up all of the traumatic experiences she went thru in that story. Well, the mutant train keeps rolling. Fall of the Mutants omnibus is up next after I finish my spooky October reads.
May 3, 2025
This is a rather odd volume of material here. It starts off in the mess that is Secret Wars II, which I've bemoaned a lot. Then it meanders around with a lot of character specific stories, building up more backstory for everyone and evolving the place of The New Mutants in the greater Marvel Universe. Then it caps off with the Mutant Massacre and it's aftermath, which is honestly one of the hardest parts to read because that event carried across so many different books. Some of those books that are relevant to the team are collected here, but others are not because they're in the omnibus's devoted to that event or the main Uncanny X-Men omnibus for that era. It means a proper read through this era is either going to be filled with spoilers in one title for another, or you're going to be hopping between a couple different omnis regularly.
All of that said, this is still loaded with some fun and great stories. It was good to see the evolution of The Hellions a bit, and some proper time spent with up and coming characters like Warlock and Boom Boom, especially in that Fallen Angels miniseries. Seeing how Magneto runs the team was also quite entertaining. Taking him out of the villain role really does a lot to expand his character. And yeah, just lots of really good stuff, even if the era is a bit of a mess to read in a coherent order.
All of that said, this is still loaded with some fun and great stories. It was good to see the evolution of The Hellions a bit, and some proper time spent with up and coming characters like Warlock and Boom Boom, especially in that Fallen Angels miniseries. Seeing how Magneto runs the team was also quite entertaining. Taking him out of the villain role really does a lot to expand his character. And yeah, just lots of really good stuff, even if the era is a bit of a mess to read in a coherent order.
September 3, 2022
(Zero spoiler review)
This is a fairly exemplary run by Claremont, unfortunately dragged down with countless cuts in the main run itself, robbing it of any consistency and impetus, and therefore significantly affecting the score I can give it. This here is a fairly chunky boy, and you certainly get a fair bit of bang for your buck. But when most of that bang is misfires in the form of annuals (which are almost always out of continuity garbage), cross overs and mini series of varying qualities, the 50% of this book that is Claremont's run proper can't support the wait of such meandering mediocrity. If this was an unbroken Claremont run, it would easily be a four. Hell, if we could get a long run from a talented, and unchanging) creative team, it could even push towards a 4.5, though I might be being a tad misty eyed and generous there. But not only does this book waver to and fro with content and quality writing, but it's the same story with the art. I was annoyed to see Sienkiwicz's run continuing from omnibus 1. Losing Sal Buscema's clean cut art to Bill's experimental style was a blow to that book, and its still a blow here now. Thankfully it ends fairly quickly, although we never get anything close to a long, consistent run in the art department. Some quality comes and goes. Some lesser talent comes and goes. If you totalled every artist on this book, you would probably get writers cramp from writing so many names. None of this mish mash like collection is what I like in my runs. I get that it needed to be collected somewhere for completionism's sake, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Claremont's run proper here is solidly strong. Not Uncanny levels of goodness, but not a hell of a distance from it either. Sadly, the up and down nature of everything else here robs this of the higher score it probably deserves. Still worth a read though. I mean, have you read a modern X-men book? God help you if you have. 3/5
OmniBen.
This is a fairly exemplary run by Claremont, unfortunately dragged down with countless cuts in the main run itself, robbing it of any consistency and impetus, and therefore significantly affecting the score I can give it. This here is a fairly chunky boy, and you certainly get a fair bit of bang for your buck. But when most of that bang is misfires in the form of annuals (which are almost always out of continuity garbage), cross overs and mini series of varying qualities, the 50% of this book that is Claremont's run proper can't support the wait of such meandering mediocrity. If this was an unbroken Claremont run, it would easily be a four. Hell, if we could get a long run from a talented, and unchanging) creative team, it could even push towards a 4.5, though I might be being a tad misty eyed and generous there. But not only does this book waver to and fro with content and quality writing, but it's the same story with the art. I was annoyed to see Sienkiwicz's run continuing from omnibus 1. Losing Sal Buscema's clean cut art to Bill's experimental style was a blow to that book, and its still a blow here now. Thankfully it ends fairly quickly, although we never get anything close to a long, consistent run in the art department. Some quality comes and goes. Some lesser talent comes and goes. If you totalled every artist on this book, you would probably get writers cramp from writing so many names. None of this mish mash like collection is what I like in my runs. I get that it needed to be collected somewhere for completionism's sake, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Claremont's run proper here is solidly strong. Not Uncanny levels of goodness, but not a hell of a distance from it either. Sadly, the up and down nature of everything else here robs this of the higher score it probably deserves. Still worth a read though. I mean, have you read a modern X-men book? God help you if you have. 3/5
OmniBen.
June 13, 2025
While this isn’t the highest highs of the series, it still has some great stuff with the Hellions and the Mutant Massacre. It also contains some awkward middle sections as the X-Men crossover era starts, though it’s not as bad as it will get. This also contains the Fallen Angels miniseries, which is mediocre, and the Firestar miniseries, which I really like. It’s a good collection of a great team.
New Mutants Special Edition #1 ⧫ 4 Stars “Home Is Where the Heart Is”
Despite having a somewhat silly opening, most of what happens is character development for the team. Moonstar, Karma, Cannonball, and Magik have probably the best arcs with Moonstar’s journey particularly echoing in the future. Magma’s isn’t great, but the others are fine. The team definitely looks like twenty-somethings the way Arthur Adams draws them, which helps make the opening more palatable. I wish this stayed with the New Mutants as the next issue…
Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 ⧫ 3 Stars “There's No Place Like Home”
The X-Men arrive, and the story gets way too cluttered. Why have the full team? Kitty, Colossus, Storm, and maybe Nightcrawler would have been better. It’s still cool, but there’s just not enough room.
*Read Uncanny X-Men #200 here; it’s worth it.*
New Mutants #35 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Times, They Are A'Changin'”
Magneto takes over as headmaster and must prove himself to the wary New Mutants team. This continues one of the great Magneto arcs, and I love it.
New Mutants #36 ⧫ 3 Stars “Subway to Salvation!”
Secret Wars II strikes here, the original event comic that just interrupted all the cools 80s arcs. Claremont tends to fare better than other writers, and this is just okay. I like the idea of Magik being tempted and making a tough choice, but the execution is goofy.
Power Pack #20 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Turning Point”
This issue actually does much more with the escaped demon plot by blending it with Dani’s new abilities. It’s just weird that this is in an issue of Power Pack, also a good series, but this is very much a strong Dani focused issue!
New Mutants #37 ⧫ 4.5 Stars “If I Should Die”
I hate how cool this episode is. The Beyonder is dumb, and his reasoning is beyond ridiculous, but Claremont uses it to further Dani’s fears and show how the New Mutants face death, and it’s actually really great.
*There are some pages from the aforementioned Secret Wars II, issue 9. Behold, its mediocre stupidity.*
New Mutants #38 ⧫ 4 Stars “Aftermath!”
What’s there to live for? Magneto is taken advantage of as he cannot get the students out of their post-death depression, though it isn’t entirely his fault…
New Mutants #39 ⧫ 4 Stars “Pawns of the White Queen”
This issue is really dark. I like it, but damn, you can’t just fix trauma. That Dani scene in the Danger room is one of the most depressing scenes of the series.
New Mutants #40 ⧫ 4 Stars “Avengers Assemble!”
Magneto rushes to fix his mistake, and the end isn’t simple, but it is quick in the terms of page count. I still really like it, but it definitely could have had more to the ending.
New Mutants #41 ⧫ 4 Stars “Way of the Warrior”
Dani vs. Death. Great idea. Mostly great execution. I think the Pat thing let him off too easily, but overall. I really liked it.
New Mutants #42 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “New Song for Old”
Another cute coming home episode, though the lover’s fight is even more forced. Still, I love the Guthries, and I can’t wait for them to become more prominent, though I am trying not to think about a few bad writing choices later in the timeline.
New Mutants #43 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Getting Even”
Seriously though, the New Mutants are right. Empath deserves everything he gets.
New Mutants #44 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Runaway!”
This is a good self-contained issue that’s maybe a little too neat of an arc for Sunspot. It seems like the thing they avoided in the death arc.
Web of Spider-Man Annual #2 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Wake Me Up I Gotta Be Dreaming”
This is a fun Warlock and Spider-Man story that is a little loose in the lesson department, but is good enough. Warlock as Godzilla and King Kong are great, and I’m glad Spider-Man becomes anti-animal testing.
New Mutants Annual #2 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Why do we do these things we do?”
Alan Davis really handles the insanity of this issue well. It’s an issue where feeling trumps sense, and it’s the art that holds it together. Psylocke officially collides into the X-Books, though she bookends the issues. It’s Doug Ramsey who gets main character status with an assist from Warlock, and I really like his journey. If all Mojo stories were like this, I probably wouldn’t despise them so much.
Uncanny X-Men Annual #10 ⧫ 3 Stars “Performance”
This is sort of the less-good retread of the previous issue. Also, the graduated New Mutant costumes look terrible. The one good thing is that Psylocke continues to worry about her eyes.
New Mutants #45 ⧫ 3 Stars “We Were Only Foolin'”
A very special issue of New Mutants. Feels weird being placed right before the Mutant Massacre issue, and it definitely feels artificial.
New Mutants #46 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Bloody Sunday”
I love the team feeling useless, and their childishness getting the better of them. Then, they get jettisoned from the event and into their own adventure.
New Mutants #47 ⧫ 4 Stars “My Heart for the Highlands”
This is a cool little time hopping start. Magus forcing them around time is pretty fun.
New Mutants #48 ⧫ 3 Stars “Ashes of the Heart”
Days of Future Mutants. Claremont has done this before and will do so again, but this is so similar without being the same that it didn’t leave much of an impression.
New Mutants #49 ⧫ 3 Stars “Ashes of the Soul”
This one is more interesting and different, but there’s just not much time to develop it.
New Mutants #50 ⧫ 4 Stars “Father's Day!”
The first half is a little rough. Prof. X and Binary end up helping the New Mutants out of their futures. The end is cool, though. The New Mutants team up to defeat Magus!
New Mutants #51 ⧫ 4 Stars “Teacher's Choice”
Xavier is tempted and falls into several of his signature faults. Not all of them, but enough of them. Poor Magik really should not forgive him.
New Mutants Annual #3 ⧫ 4 Stars “Anything You Can Do–!”
This is a fun issue that seems like it’s going nowhere, but I’d argue the end is perfect. Also, I’m a sucker for some Alan Davis art!
New Mutants #52 ⧫ 4 Stars “Grounded Forever”
More teen drama with some nice moments for Magik.
Fallen Angels #1 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Runaway”
Sunspot runs from the track he finds himself on and the guilt of trauma he inflicted. It establishes the setting and new characters, the first of way, way too many for 8 issues.
Fallen Angels #2 ⧫ 3 Stars “I'll Take The High Road And I'll Take the Low Road (And I'll Get To Sunspot Before Me)”
The series gets weirder, and I have no idea where it’s going.
Fallen Angels #3 ⧫ 3 Stars “Every Card is Wild”
A ton of backstory and wandering around. I think this is the first time that one of Jamie’s dupes expresses the desire for independence, which is a concept that will make future X-Factor series incredible.
Fallen Angels #4 ⧫ 3 Stars “A Devil Among the Angels!”
Love of this series will greatly depend on your love of random things happening. This gets a boost for the ‘Devil,’ but we’re halfway through, the cast is huge and not a ton is happening on either the character or plot front.
Fallen Angels #5 ⧫ 2 Stars “Lost and Found”
The teens run around and do essentially nothing until the shocking(?) ending. Also, the art takes a dive.
Fallen Angels #6 ⧫ 2 Stars “The Coconut Grove”
Some interesting Multiple Man stuff, but largely, this could have been much shorter.
Fallen Angels #7 ⧫ 2 Stars “Triple Cross”
Oh no, the new random place is dangerous! :/
Fallen Angels #8 ⧫ 2 Stars “Grownups and Children”
A lesson is learned, I guess. I was looking forward to this, but much of it is random nonsense. The original characters are rarely used again, and the planned sequel series was never published.
New Mutants #53 ⧫ 4 Stars “Seduced and Abandoned”
The Gala will be a huge thing 35 years after this! Also, Hellions vs. New Mutants! I am glad to be back to characters I care about.
New Mutants #54 ⧫ 4 Stars “Rat Race”
A strong end to the conflict! I really love it when the two teams interact.
Power Pack #33 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Special Effects!”
Very cute! The kids try to help Sunspot. Teenagers indeed!
Firestar #1 ⧫ 4 Stars “Mark of the Mutant”
A little standard for a mutant story? Maybe, but this might also be the first time this was told in a manner this straightforward. I’ve been reading the series semi-chronologically this time around, and this is the closest that we’ve gotten to seeing a mutant finding themselves at a normal high school. This is something that will become common, see the X-Men: Evolution animated series, but here, it’s novel.
Firestar #2 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Players and the Pawn!”
I forgot how this one ended, and damn, I really like it. Also, is that a Firestarter reference? Maybe. The art is a little uneven. Some parts look great, some get pretty sketchy. It might be a deadline thing. Sam and Angelica are a cute couple!
Firestar #3 ⧫ 4 Stars “This Lady Kills!”
It’s cool that the perspective of her bodyguard is used to give the reader more, but not too much information, letting that suspense build.
Firestar #4 ⧫ 4 Stars “Now Strikes the Assassin!”
I like the end, though it seems weird that Emma Frost would actually let anything go. I can’t remember what happens to Firestar between this and her time with the New Warriors, though that’s not that far off. It’s a good end for now and sets Firestar up as an interesting character in the Marvel Universe.
New Mutants: War Children ⧫ 4 Stars
A later addition that should be placed somewhere earlier in this collection, but Marvel has been tossing in later additions at the end of some of these omnis. This hints at some stuff to come, and the story is merely fine, but it’s elevated by some amazing art, and I like that they went back to these characters who get very badly used in the 90s and beyond.
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New Mutants Special Edition #1 ⧫ 4 Stars “Home Is Where the Heart Is”
Despite having a somewhat silly opening, most of what happens is character development for the team. Moonstar, Karma, Cannonball, and Magik have probably the best arcs with Moonstar’s journey particularly echoing in the future. Magma’s isn’t great, but the others are fine. The team definitely looks like twenty-somethings the way Arthur Adams draws them, which helps make the opening more palatable. I wish this stayed with the New Mutants as the next issue…
Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 ⧫ 3 Stars “There's No Place Like Home”
The X-Men arrive, and the story gets way too cluttered. Why have the full team? Kitty, Colossus, Storm, and maybe Nightcrawler would have been better. It’s still cool, but there’s just not enough room.
*Read Uncanny X-Men #200 here; it’s worth it.*
New Mutants #35 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Times, They Are A'Changin'”
Magneto takes over as headmaster and must prove himself to the wary New Mutants team. This continues one of the great Magneto arcs, and I love it.
New Mutants #36 ⧫ 3 Stars “Subway to Salvation!”
Secret Wars II strikes here, the original event comic that just interrupted all the cools 80s arcs. Claremont tends to fare better than other writers, and this is just okay. I like the idea of Magik being tempted and making a tough choice, but the execution is goofy.
Power Pack #20 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Turning Point”
This issue actually does much more with the escaped demon plot by blending it with Dani’s new abilities. It’s just weird that this is in an issue of Power Pack, also a good series, but this is very much a strong Dani focused issue!
New Mutants #37 ⧫ 4.5 Stars “If I Should Die”
I hate how cool this episode is. The Beyonder is dumb, and his reasoning is beyond ridiculous, but Claremont uses it to further Dani’s fears and show how the New Mutants face death, and it’s actually really great.
*There are some pages from the aforementioned Secret Wars II, issue 9. Behold, its mediocre stupidity.*
New Mutants #38 ⧫ 4 Stars “Aftermath!”
What’s there to live for? Magneto is taken advantage of as he cannot get the students out of their post-death depression, though it isn’t entirely his fault…
New Mutants #39 ⧫ 4 Stars “Pawns of the White Queen”
This issue is really dark. I like it, but damn, you can’t just fix trauma. That Dani scene in the Danger room is one of the most depressing scenes of the series.
New Mutants #40 ⧫ 4 Stars “Avengers Assemble!”
Magneto rushes to fix his mistake, and the end isn’t simple, but it is quick in the terms of page count. I still really like it, but it definitely could have had more to the ending.
New Mutants #41 ⧫ 4 Stars “Way of the Warrior”
Dani vs. Death. Great idea. Mostly great execution. I think the Pat thing let him off too easily, but overall. I really liked it.
New Mutants #42 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “New Song for Old”
Another cute coming home episode, though the lover’s fight is even more forced. Still, I love the Guthries, and I can’t wait for them to become more prominent, though I am trying not to think about a few bad writing choices later in the timeline.
New Mutants #43 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Getting Even”
Seriously though, the New Mutants are right. Empath deserves everything he gets.
New Mutants #44 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Runaway!”
This is a good self-contained issue that’s maybe a little too neat of an arc for Sunspot. It seems like the thing they avoided in the death arc.
Web of Spider-Man Annual #2 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Wake Me Up I Gotta Be Dreaming”
This is a fun Warlock and Spider-Man story that is a little loose in the lesson department, but is good enough. Warlock as Godzilla and King Kong are great, and I’m glad Spider-Man becomes anti-animal testing.
New Mutants Annual #2 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Why do we do these things we do?”
Alan Davis really handles the insanity of this issue well. It’s an issue where feeling trumps sense, and it’s the art that holds it together. Psylocke officially collides into the X-Books, though she bookends the issues. It’s Doug Ramsey who gets main character status with an assist from Warlock, and I really like his journey. If all Mojo stories were like this, I probably wouldn’t despise them so much.
Uncanny X-Men Annual #10 ⧫ 3 Stars “Performance”
This is sort of the less-good retread of the previous issue. Also, the graduated New Mutant costumes look terrible. The one good thing is that Psylocke continues to worry about her eyes.
New Mutants #45 ⧫ 3 Stars “We Were Only Foolin'”
A very special issue of New Mutants. Feels weird being placed right before the Mutant Massacre issue, and it definitely feels artificial.
New Mutants #46 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Bloody Sunday”
I love the team feeling useless, and their childishness getting the better of them. Then, they get jettisoned from the event and into their own adventure.
New Mutants #47 ⧫ 4 Stars “My Heart for the Highlands”
This is a cool little time hopping start. Magus forcing them around time is pretty fun.
New Mutants #48 ⧫ 3 Stars “Ashes of the Heart”
Days of Future Mutants. Claremont has done this before and will do so again, but this is so similar without being the same that it didn’t leave much of an impression.
New Mutants #49 ⧫ 3 Stars “Ashes of the Soul”
This one is more interesting and different, but there’s just not much time to develop it.
New Mutants #50 ⧫ 4 Stars “Father's Day!”
The first half is a little rough. Prof. X and Binary end up helping the New Mutants out of their futures. The end is cool, though. The New Mutants team up to defeat Magus!
New Mutants #51 ⧫ 4 Stars “Teacher's Choice”
Xavier is tempted and falls into several of his signature faults. Not all of them, but enough of them. Poor Magik really should not forgive him.
New Mutants Annual #3 ⧫ 4 Stars “Anything You Can Do–!”
This is a fun issue that seems like it’s going nowhere, but I’d argue the end is perfect. Also, I’m a sucker for some Alan Davis art!
New Mutants #52 ⧫ 4 Stars “Grounded Forever”
More teen drama with some nice moments for Magik.
Fallen Angels #1 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Runaway”
Sunspot runs from the track he finds himself on and the guilt of trauma he inflicted. It establishes the setting and new characters, the first of way, way too many for 8 issues.
Fallen Angels #2 ⧫ 3 Stars “I'll Take The High Road And I'll Take the Low Road (And I'll Get To Sunspot Before Me)”
The series gets weirder, and I have no idea where it’s going.
Fallen Angels #3 ⧫ 3 Stars “Every Card is Wild”
A ton of backstory and wandering around. I think this is the first time that one of Jamie’s dupes expresses the desire for independence, which is a concept that will make future X-Factor series incredible.
Fallen Angels #4 ⧫ 3 Stars “A Devil Among the Angels!”
Love of this series will greatly depend on your love of random things happening. This gets a boost for the ‘Devil,’ but we’re halfway through, the cast is huge and not a ton is happening on either the character or plot front.
Fallen Angels #5 ⧫ 2 Stars “Lost and Found”
The teens run around and do essentially nothing until the shocking(?) ending. Also, the art takes a dive.
Fallen Angels #6 ⧫ 2 Stars “The Coconut Grove”
Some interesting Multiple Man stuff, but largely, this could have been much shorter.
Fallen Angels #7 ⧫ 2 Stars “Triple Cross”
Oh no, the new random place is dangerous! :/
Fallen Angels #8 ⧫ 2 Stars “Grownups and Children”
A lesson is learned, I guess. I was looking forward to this, but much of it is random nonsense. The original characters are rarely used again, and the planned sequel series was never published.
New Mutants #53 ⧫ 4 Stars “Seduced and Abandoned”
The Gala will be a huge thing 35 years after this! Also, Hellions vs. New Mutants! I am glad to be back to characters I care about.
New Mutants #54 ⧫ 4 Stars “Rat Race”
A strong end to the conflict! I really love it when the two teams interact.
Power Pack #33 ⧫ 3.5 Stars “Special Effects!”
Very cute! The kids try to help Sunspot. Teenagers indeed!
Firestar #1 ⧫ 4 Stars “Mark of the Mutant”
A little standard for a mutant story? Maybe, but this might also be the first time this was told in a manner this straightforward. I’ve been reading the series semi-chronologically this time around, and this is the closest that we’ve gotten to seeing a mutant finding themselves at a normal high school. This is something that will become common, see the X-Men: Evolution animated series, but here, it’s novel.
Firestar #2 ⧫ 4 Stars “The Players and the Pawn!”
I forgot how this one ended, and damn, I really like it. Also, is that a Firestarter reference? Maybe. The art is a little uneven. Some parts look great, some get pretty sketchy. It might be a deadline thing. Sam and Angelica are a cute couple!
Firestar #3 ⧫ 4 Stars “This Lady Kills!”
It’s cool that the perspective of her bodyguard is used to give the reader more, but not too much information, letting that suspense build.
Firestar #4 ⧫ 4 Stars “Now Strikes the Assassin!”
I like the end, though it seems weird that Emma Frost would actually let anything go. I can’t remember what happens to Firestar between this and her time with the New Warriors, though that’s not that far off. It’s a good end for now and sets Firestar up as an interesting character in the Marvel Universe.
New Mutants: War Children ⧫ 4 Stars
A later addition that should be placed somewhere earlier in this collection, but Marvel has been tossing in later additions at the end of some of these omnis. This hints at some stuff to come, and the story is merely fine, but it’s elevated by some amazing art, and I like that they went back to these characters who get very badly used in the 90s and beyond.
Other Comics Reviews
X-Men Omnibus #1
X-Men Omnibus #2
Epic Collection Volume 4: It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn
Champions Classic Complete Collection
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #1
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #2
X-Men Classic Omnibus
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #3
New Mutants Omnibus #1
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #4
Defenders Epic Collection Vol. 8: The New Defenders
Defenders Epic Collection Vol. 9: The End of All Songs
Alpha Flight Omnibus #1
Dazzler Omnibus
Captain Britain Omnibus
Power Pack Omnibus #1
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus #5
X-Men: Mutant Massacre Omnibus
October 8, 2023
I hate censorship. In New Mutants 45 a teenager commits suicide because his classmates thought he was a mutant. It’s a very good metaphor for a certain gay experience. God damn thankfully, in many parts of the world these kinds of teen suicides must be increasingly rarer—with all the time in the universe I don’t think you could possibly explain to most gay kids in the Western world today just how utterly hopeless and desperate it felt being closeted in the 20th century. Hell, you can’t even explain to them that queer is a slur, a taunt that definitely hurt a ton of homosexuals for a long time and still doesn’t sit right with plenty. Although all the straight people who identity as queer seem to rely on the word’s current lack of definability, the feelings of genuine gays be damned.
Fear of the PC police has stripped this issue of its power by censoring Kitty Pryde’s haunting speech at the end of the issue. “Nigger, spic, wop, slope, faggot, mutie” are replaced by black bars. I doubt the enormity of this was lost on the editors. More likely they were too cowardly to publish the raw—yes, raw—text lest they offend the new Christian Right, the puritanical bloggers and professional cry bullies who live to be offended on the behalf of others.
The original issue can still make the hairs stand up on the back of one’s neck. Recognizing oneself in those slurs makes the reader feel like their every raw nerve was exposed for all to see. Then it all clicks. Mutie, faggot, nigger, spic. The mutant metaphor obviously works best with homosexuals since they are both concealable traits, but the metaphor doesn’t map perfectly anywhere when you really think about it. Nevertheless, someone coming across this issue for the first time in this omnibus will never have the intended experience and that sucks.
The backwards conservatives hated this issue when it was published but at least it was publishable. I think it’s very telling that that is no longer the case. Today’s allegedly forward-thinking slimeballs would probably put a leaf over Michelangelo’s David’s junk given the chance. That’s progressive? They literally don’t mind being called Orwellian. The mind boggles.(Grossly over-expanded definition of) safety first!
Censorship aside, this omnibus shows New Mutants at its best and at its worst. There are some great stories here: undeniable classic comics. Especially the Special Edition with the New Mutants and X-Men in Asgard as well as the Mojo annuals, with art by Art Adams and Alan Davis respectively. But there’s also a lot of Claremont’s grating bullshit here: dead ends, dropped plots, undeveloped ideas, wasted potential, super cliches. Besides the New Mutants issues, this volume also includes two related miniseries. One is pretty good, one’s awful. Firestar, the character from the classic Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon, is introduced in her own limited series to the Marvel universe—it’s a pretty good, well-drawn comic that tells a complete story fleshing out the character and her world. (Claremont used Firestar in X-Men 193 but for some reason he oddly never incorporated her into the other Hellions appearances.) The other limited series is Fallen Angels. It’s “zany.” I can’t find anything good to say about it. It’s the epitome of wasted opportunity. We finally get Maddox and Siryn in a story and it’s… this. The rest of the volume is rounded out with some guest appearances. Your enjoyment of these largely depends on your tolerance for both Louise Simonson and Power Pack.
Chris Claremont—and I love the heck out of this guy!—really didn’t know what to do with the New Mutants. The title was something his own ego forced onto his plate: Marvel wanted a spin-off so he gave them one, but his heart was rarely in it. More so than Uncanny, New Mutants got derailed by new Claremont ideas before the old ones were ever explored. Most of the cast is glorified wallpaper. The exception being Cannonball and Mirage, for the most part. Cannonball’s not too bad, but Mirage is a little… much. She’s not just an Indian, she’s the MOST Indian of anyone who’s ever Indian-ed. She’s always nagging and reprimanding the others with atrocious dialogue liberally sprinkled with Native American cliches. (“I understand. I don’t care! As WAR-CHIEF of the Mutants, I pledged our good behavior to Magneto. I won’t be forsworn.”) Keep in mind, this is a teenager in the 1980s. Granted she was also one of Claremont’s staple “comically-complicated warrior women characters,” so she was also a Valkyrie. But he never really explored what that meant. Aside from having a flying horse and the desire to bitch and moan about death now and then.
As for the bonus story from 2019: good God. The team is infected by the TO virus? Big whoop. Why would Claremont plot a story so similar to the opening of #53? After all this time, these two creators reunite on these characters… for this? Not post-91 Claremont’s worst work, sure, but his twee quirks are there: Kitty Pryde (why is she even there?) calls Doug her best friend and then calls Illyana her best friend in the span of a page or two. So dumb. Art-wise, it’s Bill Sankaship. Definitely. And it’s not terrible, surprisingly. Although it devolves into pinups when it’s not dissolving into incomprehensibility. Production salvaged it, in large part due to the colorist. I hate when DC re-colored Neal Adams’ Batman but I’d love to see Chris Sotomayor recolor Bill’s original run. Overall, “War Children” has some pretty art but the story is a confusing mess.
Chris Claremont actually sucked at writing teenagers, and New Mutants is a title that’s schizophrenic in tone and sensibility and story, yet it’s beloved for two reasons:
1) The characters. They were often just in the background and remained undeveloped, but they were interesting and visually arresting when together.
2) Uncanny X-Men was just that great—the X-universe was so interesting at this point that we can’t get enough—even when more isn’t necessarily good, and even when the two titles don’t even feel like they’re sharing the same continuity.
Of course, the law of diminishing returns kicks in real fast when the x-line expands further but back when there were only two mutant titles, it was something special. And when Claremont’s paired with an Art Adams or an Alan Davis, he kicks ass so much his faults are forgiven. So, yeah, there are just as many meh New Mutants stories as classics, but we remember the highs.
Fear of the PC police has stripped this issue of its power by censoring Kitty Pryde’s haunting speech at the end of the issue. “Nigger, spic, wop, slope, faggot, mutie” are replaced by black bars. I doubt the enormity of this was lost on the editors. More likely they were too cowardly to publish the raw—yes, raw—text lest they offend the new Christian Right, the puritanical bloggers and professional cry bullies who live to be offended on the behalf of others.
The original issue can still make the hairs stand up on the back of one’s neck. Recognizing oneself in those slurs makes the reader feel like their every raw nerve was exposed for all to see. Then it all clicks. Mutie, faggot, nigger, spic. The mutant metaphor obviously works best with homosexuals since they are both concealable traits, but the metaphor doesn’t map perfectly anywhere when you really think about it. Nevertheless, someone coming across this issue for the first time in this omnibus will never have the intended experience and that sucks.
The backwards conservatives hated this issue when it was published but at least it was publishable. I think it’s very telling that that is no longer the case. Today’s allegedly forward-thinking slimeballs would probably put a leaf over Michelangelo’s David’s junk given the chance. That’s progressive? They literally don’t mind being called Orwellian. The mind boggles.(Grossly over-expanded definition of) safety first!
Censorship aside, this omnibus shows New Mutants at its best and at its worst. There are some great stories here: undeniable classic comics. Especially the Special Edition with the New Mutants and X-Men in Asgard as well as the Mojo annuals, with art by Art Adams and Alan Davis respectively. But there’s also a lot of Claremont’s grating bullshit here: dead ends, dropped plots, undeveloped ideas, wasted potential, super cliches. Besides the New Mutants issues, this volume also includes two related miniseries. One is pretty good, one’s awful. Firestar, the character from the classic Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon, is introduced in her own limited series to the Marvel universe—it’s a pretty good, well-drawn comic that tells a complete story fleshing out the character and her world. (Claremont used Firestar in X-Men 193 but for some reason he oddly never incorporated her into the other Hellions appearances.) The other limited series is Fallen Angels. It’s “zany.” I can’t find anything good to say about it. It’s the epitome of wasted opportunity. We finally get Maddox and Siryn in a story and it’s… this. The rest of the volume is rounded out with some guest appearances. Your enjoyment of these largely depends on your tolerance for both Louise Simonson and Power Pack.
Chris Claremont—and I love the heck out of this guy!—really didn’t know what to do with the New Mutants. The title was something his own ego forced onto his plate: Marvel wanted a spin-off so he gave them one, but his heart was rarely in it. More so than Uncanny, New Mutants got derailed by new Claremont ideas before the old ones were ever explored. Most of the cast is glorified wallpaper. The exception being Cannonball and Mirage, for the most part. Cannonball’s not too bad, but Mirage is a little… much. She’s not just an Indian, she’s the MOST Indian of anyone who’s ever Indian-ed. She’s always nagging and reprimanding the others with atrocious dialogue liberally sprinkled with Native American cliches. (“I understand. I don’t care! As WAR-CHIEF of the Mutants, I pledged our good behavior to Magneto. I won’t be forsworn.”) Keep in mind, this is a teenager in the 1980s. Granted she was also one of Claremont’s staple “comically-complicated warrior women characters,” so she was also a Valkyrie. But he never really explored what that meant. Aside from having a flying horse and the desire to bitch and moan about death now and then.
As for the bonus story from 2019: good God. The team is infected by the TO virus? Big whoop. Why would Claremont plot a story so similar to the opening of #53? After all this time, these two creators reunite on these characters… for this? Not post-91 Claremont’s worst work, sure, but his twee quirks are there: Kitty Pryde (why is she even there?) calls Doug her best friend and then calls Illyana her best friend in the span of a page or two. So dumb. Art-wise, it’s Bill Sankaship. Definitely. And it’s not terrible, surprisingly. Although it devolves into pinups when it’s not dissolving into incomprehensibility. Production salvaged it, in large part due to the colorist. I hate when DC re-colored Neal Adams’ Batman but I’d love to see Chris Sotomayor recolor Bill’s original run. Overall, “War Children” has some pretty art but the story is a confusing mess.
Chris Claremont actually sucked at writing teenagers, and New Mutants is a title that’s schizophrenic in tone and sensibility and story, yet it’s beloved for two reasons:
1) The characters. They were often just in the background and remained undeveloped, but they were interesting and visually arresting when together.
2) Uncanny X-Men was just that great—the X-universe was so interesting at this point that we can’t get enough—even when more isn’t necessarily good, and even when the two titles don’t even feel like they’re sharing the same continuity.
Of course, the law of diminishing returns kicks in real fast when the x-line expands further but back when there were only two mutant titles, it was something special. And when Claremont’s paired with an Art Adams or an Alan Davis, he kicks ass so much his faults are forgiven. So, yeah, there are just as many meh New Mutants stories as classics, but we remember the highs.
November 4, 2022
Some of the best and most consistently well-written work by Chris Claremont. While the first 20-ish issues of the series was Chris Claremont finding the characters voices, this run reaches the exemplary standard of the Uncanny X-Men. It has some of the best character moments yet, especially with Magneto taking charge of the school and Dani co-leading the team. Most of the characters get their individual moments to shine, and the group as a whole becomes a much more tight-knit family.
Individual issues/arcs ratings:
Magneto Takes Charge (#35): 8/10
Secret Wars 2 Tie-in (#36-37): 8/10
Death of the New Mutants (#38-40): 9/10
Mirage Alone (#41): 8/10
Cannonball Alone (#42): 8/10
Reunion (#43): 7/10
Return of Legion (#44): 7/10
We Were Only Foolin' (#45): 9/10
Wildways (Annual #2): 7/10
Mutant Massacre Tie-in and Magus (#46-47): 8/10
Ashes of the Heart, Ashes of the Soul (#48-50): 8/10
Home at Last (#51-52): 9/10
Anything You Can Do (Annual #3): 8/10
Hellfire Gala (#53-54): 8/10
Individual issues/arcs ratings:
Magneto Takes Charge (#35): 8/10
Secret Wars 2 Tie-in (#36-37): 8/10
Death of the New Mutants (#38-40): 9/10
Mirage Alone (#41): 8/10
Cannonball Alone (#42): 8/10
Reunion (#43): 7/10
Return of Legion (#44): 7/10
We Were Only Foolin' (#45): 9/10
Wildways (Annual #2): 7/10
Mutant Massacre Tie-in and Magus (#46-47): 8/10
Ashes of the Heart, Ashes of the Soul (#48-50): 8/10
Home at Last (#51-52): 9/10
Anything You Can Do (Annual #3): 8/10
Hellfire Gala (#53-54): 8/10
December 9, 2024
While all the stories have to do with the New Mutants, only about half the issues are from the New Mutant's titles. The others are Fallen Angels 1-8, Firestar 1-4, an X-Men annual, two issues of Power Pack, a few pages from Secret Wars #9, and New Mutants: Warchild. But I still enjoyed the entire thing, ripping through it record time. Reliving old issues I'd read and discovering the odd new one I had missed.
This also marks Bill Sienkiewicz run on the series, which took comic art to a new height. It is a weird mix of superhero antics, teen angst, and soap opera shenanigans. When Magneto takes over as the new headmaster of the school, an uneasy element of moral ambiguity is added which takes the comic to the next level. The constant push and pull between him and Emma Frost, the New Mutants and the Hellions make the book worthwhile. Claremont is a master of foreshadowing and plotting, and he never seems to get enough credit for being one of the best writers in the industry.
This also marks Bill Sienkiewicz run on the series, which took comic art to a new height. It is a weird mix of superhero antics, teen angst, and soap opera shenanigans. When Magneto takes over as the new headmaster of the school, an uneasy element of moral ambiguity is added which takes the comic to the next level. The constant push and pull between him and Emma Frost, the New Mutants and the Hellions make the book worthwhile. Claremont is a master of foreshadowing and plotting, and he never seems to get enough credit for being one of the best writers in the industry.
August 1, 2022
This omnibus is so much better than I remembered. Chris Claremont delivers wild soap opera swings, a classic trip to Asgard, and sets up some great dangling plot threads. This is a comic where Magneto and Magik can bond over their traumatic childhood and it doesn't feel forced. Mary Wilshire, Jackson Guice and Art Adams deliver pencils that aren't as imaginative as Sienkewicz, but a lot better suited to the character drama of the late 80s. Tom DeFalco's Firestar miniseries is the last great appearance of Evil Emma Frost, and really nails the introduction of a new character into a current ongoing series. Jo Duffy's Fallen Angels miniseries is, although not good, at least wacky Nextwave-style nonsense. Even War Children is the best thing Claremont has written in the past few years.
1986 was a high water mark for superhero comics. New Mutants isn't at the peak of its run, but it's still really good here.
1986 was a high water mark for superhero comics. New Mutants isn't at the peak of its run, but it's still really good here.
May 21, 2023
This was a start and stop read for me. If you are a marvel fan who really wants to know the back story of many x-men related characters then this is a must read. It’s full of hidden gems that help explain much of the relationship structures that are used in the 2000 era and beyond comics. Great art and nice story arcs make it a cool read. You will need to accept that the last third of this omnibus is dedicated to the origin of Firestar, a failed attempt at a spin off via the fallen angels, and an 80th anniversary lost story of the team. If you are a movie fan or just casual marvel reader this is probably not your cup of tea.
August 23, 2022
New Mutants is just something special. They’re the team that you keep hoping doesn’t have to be heroes even though you know they will. They’re adventures are some of the best in this era of X-men (and that’s quite an achievement) and the interaction between the team members and their personal growth along the way makes for a truly special book.
*edit* The 8-issue Fallen Angels series here is just difficult to get through, unlike the rest of the issues presented here. You can totally skip over the cybernetic lobsters and campy dialogue and not miss much. Read the synopsis on Wikipedia and save yourself some time.
*edit* The 8-issue Fallen Angels series here is just difficult to get through, unlike the rest of the issues presented here. You can totally skip over the cybernetic lobsters and campy dialogue and not miss much. Read the synopsis on Wikipedia and save yourself some time.
January 6, 2025
2.5 stars.
Issues 45, 50 and 52 were outstanding.
Fallen Angels and Firestar, the last two NM issues and annual were crap. Kerry Gammil art in fallen angels was outstanding!
The Asgardian Wars two parter is pretty good. Adams' art is fantastic.
The rest was fairly mediocre. I liked the plots and some character moments, but the dialogue is far too dense and repetitive in a collected edition. Monthly at release would have been great.
Magik slowly becoming the star character - I love it. Moonstar has some good moments as well. Magma needs some more moments. Cannonball was pretty cool. Sunspot is a whinger. Doug needs to accept his role in the team. Warlock needs to fight Magus already and stop talking. I can't stand their dialogue. Rahne is alright. Karma definitely needed to leave rhe team and deal with her siblings. The Magneto headmaster era feels less impactful as he is barely around. Joining the Hellfire club was interesting.
I'll read volume 3 in epics and I'm done.
Issues 45, 50 and 52 were outstanding.
Fallen Angels and Firestar, the last two NM issues and annual were crap. Kerry Gammil art in fallen angels was outstanding!
The Asgardian Wars two parter is pretty good. Adams' art is fantastic.
The rest was fairly mediocre. I liked the plots and some character moments, but the dialogue is far too dense and repetitive in a collected edition. Monthly at release would have been great.
Magik slowly becoming the star character - I love it. Moonstar has some good moments as well. Magma needs some more moments. Cannonball was pretty cool. Sunspot is a whinger. Doug needs to accept his role in the team. Warlock needs to fight Magus already and stop talking. I can't stand their dialogue. Rahne is alright. Karma definitely needed to leave rhe team and deal with her siblings. The Magneto headmaster era feels less impactful as he is barely around. Joining the Hellfire club was interesting.
I'll read volume 3 in epics and I'm done.
October 15, 2024
The New Mutants book 2 has its high points, especially as its extension of the larger X-Men universe recaptures some of the magic inherent to the X-Men’s early adventures at the beginning of the Chris Claremont run. The overall through-line of stories here though result in a reading experience that makes this the length of this omnibus feel prominent even if the ensemble is excellent.
February 3, 2023
A great book but unfortunately two things derailed it.
1) WAY too many pacing problems by barely integrating bigger storylines like Secret Wars and Mutant Massacre, which ties directly to:
2) Who the heck is the the headmaster? Get like it swapped between Magneto and Xavier every issue.
1) WAY too many pacing problems by barely integrating bigger storylines like Secret Wars and Mutant Massacre, which ties directly to:
2) Who the heck is the the headmaster? Get like it swapped between Magneto and Xavier every issue.
December 21, 2025
3.5 stars (if I could give it)
Good core issues again that loses stars due to the inclusion of fallen angels (8 issue mini series), firestarter (4 issue mini), war children 1 shot and poor power pack issue. The them out, reduce the page count by 350+ pages and it’s a 5 star book
Good core issues again that loses stars due to the inclusion of fallen angels (8 issue mini series), firestarter (4 issue mini), war children 1 shot and poor power pack issue. The them out, reduce the page count by 350+ pages and it’s a 5 star book
June 2, 2022
Great for filling in my X-Men/New Mutants history
November 21, 2024
God some amazing moments throughout, the back to back issues in Asgard to kick off this book are still the highlight
April 29, 2025
I really enjoyed this Omnibus, including Fallen Angels and the Firestar miniseries. New Mutants 45 was very good at making clear the allegory mutantkind has always had and having the New Mutants act out as kids when dealing with prejudice is something that I think really hammers home the message. I don't think I'll be collecting the third Omni though mainly because all the event omnis cover a fair share of NM going forward.
Part of the reason I may have enjoyed this more though is that it double dips with Uncanny X-Men Omni 5 with some of the long specials so I skipped through them. The Mojo stuff has never been my taste so if I read it for the first time here it may have affected my rating.
Part of the reason I may have enjoyed this more though is that it double dips with Uncanny X-Men Omni 5 with some of the long specials so I skipped through them. The Mojo stuff has never been my taste so if I read it for the first time here it may have affected my rating.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews