I was talked into reading New Mutants with the last issue (#37) with the claim that it was an entertaining one-shot. It was, and did it’s job to bring me back for #38. Abnett and Lanning have really given these characters a voice that has given me a vested interest in the title.

Cypher’s voice is particularly well defined in this issue as the “Hyper-linguistic” mutant’s language powers carry into his conversational tone. His slightly heightened vocabulary and diction make him feel like an internet grammar-nazi who has to refrain from correcting people because he knows how even that language can affect interpersonal relationships. Combined with his unvocalized feelings for Dani and he’s clearly set apart from the couplings within the group.

Leandro Fernandez’s art does well to convey the darker, swampier tones of the storyline while giving smaller character moment beats their own focus.

Though I’ve never really followed them before, this creative team has gotten me hooked enough to follow through to further issues.