Customer Reviews

Cable And The New Mutants TPB

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Rob Liefeld is the most-hated man in comics today. But back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was the hottest artist in the industry. I wonder what happened to his fans then? Maybe they simply grew up and suddenly felt embarrassed over their one-time affection for the steroids-pumped characters of Liefeld?

Check out this volume to see the work that made Rob Liefeld a star in the late '80s. It collects the final issues of New Mutants, a title that was deteriorating until Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld turned it around with the stories in this volume. And they did it in such a simple fashion - they injected in a Terminator-knock-off called Cable and the book was suddenly infused with a new life, a new energy like never before. And as with every new character to be introduced into the X-Books in those days, there is the inevitable clash with Wolverine, somewhat like a "baptism of fire" or something like that (rest assured, that's also reprinted in this volume).

Cable and the New Mutants collects New Mutants 88-91, 93-94 and also the final two pages of NM 86 and most of 87. (The parts not included from issue 87 are wrapping up the previous story arc in which the New Mutants are leaving Asgard.) It chronicles the first appearances of Cable and sets up his becoming the new leader and mentor to the New Mutants (at this point in time: Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane (Rahne), Warlock, Boom-Boom, and Rictor). There is very little here in terms of explaining or describing his origins, only the first stories he was involved in.

I have to begin by saying that Liefeld art is what really attracted me to comics in the first place. I know. I know. In the early 90's I found out about the X-men and was drawn most to the characters of X-force. So, reading through this TPB is fun for the nostalgia of finding the characters I love in their early awkward stages. Not a lot actually happens between Cable's first appearance and X-tinction Agenda (which takes place immediately following this trade). There are a few battles and some character development, but the trade as a whole gives the feeling that nothing much is happening. Perhaps my favorite part of the trade is the inclusion of a Liefeld rendering of a New Mutants line-up that never existed: Boom-Boom, Skids, Rusty, Warlock, Cannonball, Sunspot and Rictor with Wolfsbane in the foreground: if before Cable, where is Mirage?; if after Cable, why are Rusty and Skids still around?

(It is fun to see references to issues going on in X-world at large: Moira is "not herself" as she shows up to take Rhane away (as she is being possessed by the Shadow King at the time), Caliban is seeking out Sabretooth to bring a little closure to the "Mutant Massacre," Freedom Force loses Rusty Collins and find that they don't have much of a job anymore, etc. Also, it seems like a sensible follow-up to this trade would be one including the final 3 issues of New Mutants and the first 4 of X-force, but I suppose people who decided these things didn't imagine it would be too profitable.)

I digress. Short story: If you want to know Cable's origin stories, don't look here. If you are put off by the sight of arms 3-4 times the usual size, go ahead and pass. If you like Cable and any of the former New Mutants and are interested in reading their stories from the early 90's, then here's a fun read.

Much like stone-washed jeans, or that mullet I - I mean, some people - sported in high school, it is difficult trying to explain the appeal of Rob Liefeld's artwork 15 years later. It's obvious now that he had a problem drawing accurate anatomies, dealing with perspective, and that Cable's head shrank a little each issue while his arms and guns kept getting bigger. But at the time, Liefeld's energetic and detailed style provided some much needed (pardon the pun) young blood for an X-title that had become mediocre at best.

The Cable and the New Mutants trade paperback collects all of the early New Mutants issues with Liefeld artwork. The issues are most noteworthy for introducing Cable, a character who would go on to be a major X-Men character. Of course now we all know Cable's origin as the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (Jean Grey's clone), who was sent into the future as an infant to save his life. At the time though, all we saw was a grim, enigmatic soldier with a huge metal arm.

Upon meeting the New Mutants, Cable decides to forge them into an army to fight against evil in general and a terrorist named Stryfe (also introduced in this volume) in particular. In the course of these issues, Cable and the New Mutants battle Freedom Force (formerly the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants), Stryfe's Mutant Liberation Army, Sabretooth, and even Wolverine (you could tell Liefeld was just aching to draw that particular battle).

These issues essentially laid the groundwork for the end of the New Mutants title and the birth of X-Force, which made Liefeld the hottest name in comics for a brief period of time. Love him or hate him, you can't deny he made a big impact on the comics scene, and his work here does play a key role in the X-Men history.

The New Mutants was the first, and probably best, X-Men spin-off
title. Claremont favored telling stories of character, there were many issues which didn't even contain a single battle. But that all ended with Rob Liefeld taking over the title. Although I have come to respect Rob Liefeld over the past few years, what he did with the New Mutants is unforgivable. He changed them from a group of trouble adolescents into a third-rate Teen Titans clones. This book reprints the issues which are the greatest tragedy that ever befell the X-Titles. Do not buy this book.

This is a collection of the New Mutants. It shows how Cable joins the New Mutants , The New Mutants Ne costumes, an Cable vs. Wolverine. And it also shows Stryfe, a mutant who wants to poison the waters of the world, and kill all humans. If you've never read a new mutants comic book though, you can find this to be a bit confusing.