Review: New Mutants #17

The New Mutants follow Magik for another jaunt into Limbo - - this time to save Illyana's old rival Pixie - - but, this time, they're facing the formidable threat of all the hellions who've been raised there.
 

The Good

This issue's just filled with so many goods scenes and little moments - - Cannonball and Moonstar's sexual tension kissing game, the roughnecks' hillarious blunt approach to magic-induced hallucinations, Cypher's on-the-spot translations for the demon speak.  This is a book that just flows well. I've also been digging Kirk's work on the series, so far. He's another total-package artist who can render living room make-out sessions in just as exciting a fashion as nether realm battles. These are real people he's drawing here, not posing statues.
 

The Bad

Cannonball makes a flustered comment about how all the mutants are going back to limbo after they litterally just got out of it and it draws attention to there being a bit of double-dipping going on in the MU right now. The X-Men went to Limbo for the Hellbound Second Coming tie-in, Wolverine just started an arc where he's going to Hell and even Thor's just wrapped up an arc about a truf war between all the different hells. I wish there'd be a little more coordination - - you'd think all these characters would start bumping into eachother down there.

The Verdict - 4/5

Wells is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers to look at for at Marvel. Between this and Elektra, he's demonstrated a true range that can deftly switch from smart comedy to brutal action, and back again, with just as much credibility. While I mention my qualms about these jaunts into the underworld getting a little repetitious, I want to stick around just to see his specific take on this kind of story.