New Mutants #14

A new era starts for the New Mutants as an old enemy rears his head in New Mutants #14, by writer Vita Ayala, artist Rod Reis, and letterer Travis Lanham. New writer Vita Ayala gives the team a new mission and does a pretty great job with the team, getting them ready for a new role that they are certainly suited for.

The issue starts with telling the origin of Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King- he grew up the only child of an Egyptian merchant in the sixteenth century. When his father died of plague, something else was there, and he joined it. In the present, Karma is having trouble sleeping, and she goes to Dani Moonstar for help. She describes the battle against the Arakii, and Moonstar uses her powers to recreate the scene. One of the Arakii that Mirage used her powers on seemed familiar and morphs into someone familiar that she can't identify. Magik and Warlock barge in, interrupting everything. Warpath tells the group that the students are ready- two teams of young mutants need training. First, they're pitted against each other, then they watch the New Mutants battle it out to see what teamwork looks like- the team is trying to teach them synergy, how to use their disparate powers together. After the training session, several young mutants make their way to habitat, and waiting for them is the Shadow King.

Vita Ayala's first order of business is giving the New Mutants a purpose, and they do a bang-up job right out of the gate. The New Mutants were always the ones being trained but by now, they're one of the most experienced groups of mutants, and Ayala understands this. Who better to teach the younger generation of mutants about their powers and teamwork than a group like them? Ayala adds Warpath to the team, an inspired choice- Warpath has been around the block and has a lot to teach. He's also a very underrated character and needs more exposure.

Bringing Shadow King back as their first villain is an interesting choice. One of the biggest problems with the Dawn Of X era has been that the classic mutant villains have joined up with the Krakoans, and they're pretty much all playing nice. However, there are some who would never do so, and the Shadow King is definitely someone who wouldn't. Ayala made a great choice putting him into the story. However, it seems weird that Xavier would allow Shadow King on the island at all. The last time they clashed, in Charles Soule's less than stellar Astonishing X-Men, Shadow King almost took over Proteus and did a lot of damage. He could have snuck onto the island, which would be the most Shadow King thing to do. Regardless, it's an interesting choice that will hopefully end up better than Soule's pretty abysmal Shadow King story.

Rod Reis's art is pretty good throughout. His style is very idiosyncratic, but the watercolor art looks very good. His action scenes are a little static, but his character acting is outstanding. In fact, even on scenes where the shot is long, he's still able to capture the scene's expression and emotion even with scant detail.

New Mutants #14 is a strong debut for Ayala on the book. They give the team a new purpose, one they are perfectly suited for, and the choice to bring in the Shadow King is very nice. Something came to him in his youth and brought him into the Astral Plane… could it be someone from Arrako? Who is the mystery man that haunts Karma? These are great questions that Ayala's script asks. Reis's art is good throughout. His action scenes look good but aren't extremely dynamic. Nevertheless, his character acting is top-notch. New Mutants #14 is a great fresh start for the team.

Grade: A-