X-Lapsed, Episode 33 – New Mutants #4 (2020)
X-Lapsed, Episode Thirty-Three
New Mutants (vol.4) #4 (February, 2020)
“Fast and Furious”
Writer – Ed Brisson
Art – Marco Failla
Colors – Carlos Lopez
Letters – VC’s Travis Lanham
Design – Tom Muller
Head of X – Hickman
Edits – Bissa, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $3.99
On-Sale: December 18, 2019
Today, playing to role of Drunk Captain Kate… Boom-Boom!
We return to Pilger, Nebraska… and the Bohusk family farm. Last issue ended with the arrival of a Cartel of goons who wanted to talk terms. Today, we find out what they meant by that… and, well… Big Pharma is a pretty “safe” target, right?
Let’s make the best of this…
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I've been reading Boom Boom stories right from the start. I picked up the Marvel UK reprint of Secret Wars 2 number 5 way back in 1986. It always sticks in my mind as they reprinted it with the amazing Kerry Gammill cover from Marvel Age annual 1. I'd transferred to Marvel US by the time she made her second appearance in X-Factor and I picked up every single appearance of her until I had to cut back on comics when I went to university in 1992. This means she's one of those characters who I know their early history really well. This means I find this issue of New Mutants infuriating.
In her very earliest stories it is established that her father is a drunk who beat her. This is why she runs away from home. It's why she's angry and rebellious. I do not believe that Boom Boom would get drunk enough to fall flat on her face more than once in her life. In fact I imagine her refusing to join the party because she's expected to be there.
I know why she's so out of character, it's all down to Nextwave. Even Jemas and Quesada who could be incredibly lax with continuity were wise enough to say that Nextwave was out of continuity. I still do not understand how it was decided to recreate Boom Boom as a Paris Hilton stand in. I can't think of a less appropriate character beat. Who is equating a scrappy, streetwise runaway with a spoilt heiress? Nonsense.
Of course, the decision to bring Nextwave into continuity was made a few years ago in the Avengers books and I'm sure is an influence on this Boom Boom. I just wish it wasn't.
My feelings about Boom Boom really coloured my reaction to the whole book but there were good points. As you said it is interesting to see a drugs cartel wanting to control the Krakoan drugs. They lay on the drug dealers/big pharma comparisons a bit too heavily but it's a different approach. I was also pleased to see the link back to the HOXPOX info pages about countries that wouldn't trade officially with Krakoa. Knowing that things are planned gives me more confidence in the direction of Dawn of X.
You are absolutely right that the twins are creepy. I didn't know that they were pre-existing characters. It seems like none of the other people in the story are familiar with them. I wonder if they will become villains? They seem to be enjoying escalating the violence between the kidnappers.
It seems a really odd choice to return to the Shi'ar next issue when I seem to remember this story being a 3 parter. Weird.
By the way I really enjoyed your coverage of the Texas book. It's always nice to see a bit of undiscovered Kerry Gammill art. You did throw me with your mention of Eques which I heard as Equus which was the play where Harry Potter showed everyone his wand.