Shadow and Flame with Magik

Wrter Gail Simone

Artist Luciano Vecchio

Color Artist Matthew Wilson

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

We see a young Rogue, who has a very religious Aunt Carrie.  Whatever happened to this lady?

Repent, the mutant exorcist, is trying to exorcise either Agrippa, the Child Ripper, or Kristen. 

Rogue tries to overpower Repent, but he is able to cut her hand.  Gabriel tries to calm everybody down.

I like playing up the fact that Rogue is sort of a vampire.

Meanwhile at Haven House, Monet is having a hard time getting Howler to relax enough to come into the house.  Poor guy has clearly been beaten, and believes he doesn’t deserve the pleasures of indoors.

I love that we see The New New Mutants relaxing in someone’s room, I’m betting it is Calico’s room as she has a horse painting on the wall.  I love that they are just in their nightwear.  They’re not cartoon characters always wearing their uniforms.  Unlike the X-Men, who are always dressed for battle.

I like Logan trying to relate to Howler, as they walk the line in both worlds, animal and human.

The St. Juniors try their best to tell Howler he is welcomed inside.

Quicksilver, the forever jerk, has an aside to Monet that Howler might be beyond help.  She rightfully tells him to never talk that way to her. 

I love so much Calico instructing Ember to watch over Howler.  He is a good horse, a kind horse.

Alce St. Junior makes Howler a nice bed in the barn, and oopsie, has made an extra plate of bacon so he can enjoy it without worrying about resources. 

Something about Howler’s “I thank” that also feels traumatic.

Howler asks why everyone is so accepting of Nightcrawler, as he looks like a demon.  He’s the most best friend Logan has.

Howler wonders if Logan is going to kill his captures, and they sound horrible.

Ember keeps proving how good of a boy he is, and sleeps next to Howler.

Monet has Quicksilver, Jubilee, and Kurt at a table, while Alice is doing the dishes.  Quicksilver wants to rush into the house, and save the mutants.  Kurt wants to teleport in, and get all of the mutants.  Alice offers up that they should be working together, which is odd as Kurt usually does think within the terms of the team.  Tensions must be high.  I do love Monet remembering she has telepathy.  Monet has a plan, but it involves the New New Mutants.

I do appreciate Monet telling Alice it is her turn to do the dishes, she’s trying to be nice 

Agrippa attacks everybody, and Gambit turns into Wyrven. 

Jubilee pretends to have car trouble, she’s wearing very short shorts, and using the alias, Shogo. 

The security for the Gunther Estate is suspicious, but a call to Vig settles things.  Shogo is transporting the New New Mutants. 

Mister Gunther looks like a stereotypical “dashing” Southern man, but with an electric baton.

We see a new mutant, Tabby, who has a very striped left arm, being held captive.  Mister Gunther isn’t too thrilled that Howler has escaped.  He hits her as mutants are a disease, it is infectious, and needs to be burned away.  Gross.  Also, is this Simone’s soft way to connect to DNX?

Alice goes to check on Howler, and he’s gone, writing “I Thank” on the wall.  Did Ember go with him?  Or is Calico out of range? 

Jubilee learns the Etate has a big guy named, Calamity.

I like Monet flying Logan around.  He recognizes the emblem on the barn as the World of Strength that he met way back in issues 20 & 21.  Oh, they are the thugs Logan and Ransom met at the Comic Convention in Argentina.

I was picturing big, but Calamity is big big, like Hulk big.  But he’s purple, and with a Bane like mask. 

Meanwhile, Gambit cures Kristen.    Repent feels like he can cure Gambit, but it will be a bitter pill.  Repent is sending Gambit and Rogue to the Iron Cathedral.