X-Men: New Mutants Classic, Vol. 3 (Paperback)

by Chris Claremont (Author), Bill Sienkiewicz (Illustrator), Bob McLeod (Illustrator)

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Product Description
The New Mutants face a demon menace and befriend an alien misfit! A rock concert pulls them into the orbit of a multi-galaxy music star, then the team, with Cloak and Dagger, is drawn into a deadly exchange program...of super-powers! Plus: Hellfire Club intrigue and early steps on the path of reformation by Magneto! Action, romance, family reunions and a fairy tale! Anything else? Oh, right, guest-starring the X-Men! Collects New Mutants #18-25 and Annual #1

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (May 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785131191
• ISBN-13: 978-0785131199
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #556,859 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sienkiewicz era begins..., May 29, 2008

By	S. Curley (Charlottetown, PE, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first two volumes of "New Mutants Classic" covered the initial assemblage of the team under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier, saw them go on a couple of adventures against such foes as the Brood, the Hellfire Club, and the Demons of Limbo, lose a member, and add two more, going through two different artists in the span of eighteen issues or so (Bob McLeod and Sal Buscema). Volume 2 ended with the promise of "Dani Moonstar's last stand" and "Bill Sienkiewicz's first issue", which Volume 3 promptly delivers on.

At the opening, the team lineup consists of Dani Moonstar (now going by Mirage, but no one ever uses it), Sam Guthrie (Cannonball) (the two function as co-leaders, though, this being Chris Claremont, Dani's pretty much always calling the shots), Roberto da Costa (Sunspot), Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane), Amara Aquila (Magma), and Illyana Rasputin (Magik). Dani's parents and grandfather supposed met their end at the hands of a demon bear, the latter's death depicted in the first issue of the series: the first story arc contained in this volume features the bear's return for a final showdown. With Sienkiewicz's moody art, the combat has some very memorable imagery (the opening page combing Dani's bedspread with the image of the snarling demon, for example). Following that, original artist Bob McLeod drops in to pencil the series' first Annual, a one-shot adventure featuring the crew going on a rather strange adventure involving teleporting rockstars and a Dyson Sphere; it's most notable for Claremont's enjoyable depiction of the various romantic dynamics between various members of the group, particularly the team's two male members' competition for the attention of the aforesaid teleporting rockstar. McLeod's work is more conventional than Sienkiewicz, but in a lot of ways I enjoy his art more, simply out of preference for his more straightforward storytelling. After this comes the introduction of a new team member (complete with setup for future stories to come in future Classic volumes), and then a rather strange story guest-starring "Cloak and Dagger"; this section spotlights a flaw in the collection, because it is based on the events that occurred in an issue of "Marvel Team-Up" that is not included in any of the volumes, so there's some sense that the readers who weren't around at the time aren't getting the whole thing, though the characters exposit enough so that you get the gist of it.

Chris Claremont is a widely derided writer these days, having atrophied as a writer over the decades, losing the originality in years of repetitive stories and failing to keep up with changes in writing style. However, here he is at the top of his game, producing enjoyable adventure stories while at the same time expertly juggling his cast, giving insight into their feelings and motivations, and, as best as anyone has ever done, capturing the potential of the mutant allegory. Professor Xavier, nowadays often characterized as a manipulator, is perfectly characterized here; "Xavier's Dream" is never more real in the pages of these stories.

This series is recommend to fans of Marvel's mutants in arguably their finest era.