Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino at the end of the 1950s, the Legion of Super-Heroes were initially a set of powered 30th century teens who traveled back in time to recruit Superboy. As the Silver Age became the Bronze Age, the Legion added members, allies, enemies, a clubhouse and other bits of worldbuilding,…
Somebody shattered the crystalline student from Weirdworld, and the strangest, beakiest detective in the whole Marvel omniverse is sort of on the case! Strange Academy #11 is written by Skottie Young, drawn by Humberto Ramos, colored by Edgar Delgado, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. Yet another book about a school for kids with powers (but…
GOLD SILVER BRONZE Known as Kitty, or Shadowcat, for most of her life, Kate Pryde is now a mutant of some renown: captain of the Marauder; Red Queen of the Hellfire Trading Corporation; a member of the Quiet Council that rules the mutant island Krakoa. For much of her life she was, instead, the relatable…
The kids from the first 1980s teen X-team are now adults, and they’re in charge of mutant teens today. Previous X-schools trained child soldiers: can the New Mutants find a better way? And will Xi’an Coy Manh ever, ever, ever be free of her family’s psychic ghosts? New Mutants #18, written by Vita Ayala, art…
The Runaways keep trying to lead normal lives, and maybe they’ve finally got it right. It’s like Party of Five, if you remember the 1990s. But who remembers the 1990s? Time travelers, that’s who. It’s a trip back from the future in Runaways #36. Written by Rainbow Rowell, line art by Andrés Genolet, colored by Dee…
GOLD SILVER BRONZE When the X-Men were believed lost in space, Professor X recruited a new class of young mutants; he never intended for them to become superheroes like the X-Men, but they nevertheless found plenty of adventure as they added new classmates (and teachers) to their ranks. Over the years, they became a tightly…
Ex-Young Avenger, West Coast Avenger, interdimensional Puerto Rican, and super-strong, superconfident lesbian icon America Chavez, plagued by suddenly unreliable powers, nonetheless zipped back to New York City to save her adoptive family. Instead she’s been taken captive by… we’ll find out who in America Chavez: Made in the USA 3, written by Kalinda Vazquez, pencils…
The OG New Mutants are responsible for training a new generation of teens on Krakoa, and the teens resist. Dani and Xi’an chased a runaway former student into Otherworld, then got snagged by malevolent Merlyn: can they find him, or even free themselves? And what’s the Shadow King training his hand-picked group of disconsolate teens…
The helpful Agent Aether, mentor to super-kids, turned out to be the evil Wizard (that’s actually his villain name), with a plan to steal the Power kids’ powers! Can they un-disempower themselves and foil his plans, now that they’ve got help from another adult…Wolverine? Power Pack #5, written by Ryan North, drawn by Nico Leon,…
When the new series began our other-dimensional-yet-Boricua heroine was doing pretty well in the hero game (remember the West Coast Avengers?) but she missed her old neighborhood, Washington Heights, and her adoptive family there. She zipped home just in time to see their building explode: they’re safe, for now, but whodunit? And why? Written by…
Step through A Flung Open Door in New Mutants #16, from Vita Ayala, Rod Reis, and Travis Lanham. Stephanie Burt: The Wild Hunt is open to us once again! Ready to journey down this path less traveled? Liz Large: This issue runs the gamut from truth or dare to the Shadow King, and somehow manages…
Hollow Heart #1 Written and lettered by Paul Allor, drawn and colored by Paul Tucker. Published by Vault. Here’s a lovely and promising start to a super-gay near-future science fiction story that’s nonetheless tropey as all get out. El (as in Spanish “the,” as in the Chicago El, but also as in the Hebrew divinity)…
Hey kids! Make sure your state-approved mentor, as per Kamala’s Law, knows you’re about to read the latest Power Pack, in which our youthful quartet discover too late that Agent Aether is a big old jerk! Power Pack #3, writing by Ryan North, art by Nico Leon, colored by Rachelle Rosenberg, lettered by Travis Lanham….
The Kids Ain’t Alright in New Mutants #15, from Vita Ayala, Rod Reis, and Travis Lanham. Stephanie Burt: Hi Liz! Here’s another issue that’s mostly slice-of-life, mostly setup for future conflicts, mostly ways to place Chekhov’s guns on walls so they can go off later, and I love it. I love it so much. I’ve…
What do you want from a novel about superheroes? Maybe just what you would want from a cape comic: clearly drawn characters, able to grow and change, or at least entertainingly quirky; a neat fight or two; quiet moments; a plot with twists; and a world that seems to extend off the edge of the…