X-Lapsed, Episode 198 – New Mutants #17 (2021)
X-Lapsed, Episode One Hundred Ninety-Eight
New Mutants (vol.4) #17 (June, 2021)
“Follow the White Rabbit”
Writer – Vita Ayala
Art – Rod Reis
Letters – VC’s Travis Lanham
Design – Tom Muller
Head of X – Hickman
Edits – Bissa, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $3.99
On-Sale: April 28, 2021
On the Eve of the Hellfire Gala… we’re going to talk about a potential “class system” at play on Krakoa. We’re also going to spend a fair amount of time in Otherworld… but, the less said about that, the better!
We’re going to talk a lot about “conventional beauty” and the value placed on it. It’s going to be a good time, trust me! Please… trust me!
Also: The Ever X-Cellent Mailbag!
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The ALL-NEW ALL-DIFFERENT X-Lapsed Voicemail!
623-396-5375 (or, 623-396-JERK)… as in “Professor Xavier is a…” and not anything off-color! Shame on you for thinking it was!
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Twitter: @acecomics / Instagram: @90sxmen
Let's start with a positive. I will take an Alice in Wonderland riff over a Dungeons and Dragons one any day of the week. It makes Otherworld more fun and considerably more consistent with it's Marvel UK origins. It also allows Rod Reis to let loose with his art. Maybe it's just because of the Alice connection but at times I'm seeing an element of Kyle Baker coming through. Did you ever see Baker's adaptation of Alice Through the Looking Glass? It's back when First were doing Classics Illustrated. Now I'm imagining how much better Kyle Baker's Excalibur would be. Amazing.
On the negative I am convinced that the pages of this issue were published out of order. There were a lot of times that I was confused. I also really hate the redesigns of Roma and Merlin. I know Ayala and Reis probably have to use the designs from Ecchs of Tens but no-one has ever bettered the Alan Davis designs. Hell, go back to the original Herb Trimpe design which made Roma look like a missing member of the Forever People. Anything but this.
The continuing Scout vs everyone storyline is continuing to develop. I don't think I've ever seen such a great evocation of depression in comics as we are seeing here. She is quickly becoming my favourite character in the book reaching a particular high point in the next issue.
I remain intrigued by the Shadow King. This issue Farouk comes across as more reasonable and less sinister. Do you think it's possible that the true Shadow King persona is a part of Tran so with Karma in Otherworld everyone chills?
I feel like I have nothing to add to your discussion of conventional beauty and class on Krakoa. I've seen a lot of people comment that the X-Men election has created a team that is almost entirely American but it is also true that they are all conventionally attractive. The representatives chosen by the Krakoans are all able to pass as human. I'm glad that Vita Ayala is willing to challenge passing privilege in their writing. There genuinely is a benefit to being a gay person who can pass as straight (anyone who has listened to episode 200 knows I am unable to disguise my gayness because I have the campest voice in Christendom) and life is more difficult if you can't.
It was interesting to hear you drawing a parallel between the Hellfire Gala and the idea of conventional beauty on Krakoa. It is definitely true that a lot of the marketing around the story is about beautiful people in fantastical clothes which is an interesting direction to go. As I recall the original appearances of Jumbo Carnation talked about how he designed for people with transformed bodies. It almost feels like it would make more sense for him to be designing outfits for Cosmar than for Emma Frost.
I had decided to pick up the entire Hellfire Gala and ultimately I am quite enjoying it. It's a Fall of the Mutants rather than an Inferno in the fact that they all happen at the same time rather than being a continuous story. It's pretty good but I would say the quality is variable. I found the Hellions and New Mutants issues to be much better than Excalibur and X-Force but that's hardly a surprise. The X-Men issues were at the Mystique end rather than the Broo end of the range. I think you will enjoy them as there is plenty to get your teeth into.