Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Zeb Wells

Pencils Diogenes Neves

Inks Cam Smith with Ed Tadeo

Colors John Rauch

Letters VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Ryan Benjamin, I’m not sure what his connection is to the New Mutants but he does variants for issues two and four.  Magik isn’t on either of them, so this is the only one I want and need.

Cover Dated July 2009

Return of the Legion, Part One of Five

I bought this issue and a part four, so that should be reviewed soon.

Inside front cover is a Hugh Jackman, as Wolverine, in a Got Milk? ad – promoting Wolverine Origins.

So the great thing about Zeb Wells’ run, as there is a lot of great things, is that he got the entire cast (eventually) into this title.  The cast, stating out, is – Cannonball / Sunspot (boo!) / Magma (boo!) / Magik (yay!) / Karma / Dani Moonstar (yay but does not appear in this issue, boo!).

Westcliffe, Colorado.  Two weeks ago.  Karma enters a room with a young girl, who is holding a doll – that will play a major role later in the arc.  Karma knows her name, Marci, and tells her that she and Dani have been looking for her.  The walls start being ripped apart and Marci grabs Karma.

Marin Headlands, CA.  X-Men Headquarters.  Now.  (so this is like a year prior to Utopia).

Magik comes falling out of a stepping disc.  Which I’m not sure if we have ever seen her fall out of a stepping disc, not in control of the jump.  Look at the way she falls in that third panel!  She isn’t even trying to land on her feet.

I was hoping there would be a reference on the UncannyXMen.net summary or on the Marvel Database page for this issue, to see which future issue this Illyana is from.  It has to be part of the Fall of the New Mutants storyline.

http://uncannyxmen.net/comics/issue/new-mutants-3rd-series-19

  It appears that issue 19 is where Magik is from.  From what I can gather from reading the Notes (my favorite part of the reviews on that site) section.

Either way, that is some long term plotting, very impressive!

The New X-Men (the younger class) not quick to not be pleased with Magik’s return.  At the end of X-Infernus, Magik stated that she wasn’t going to be joining the X-Men.  Though that clearly didn’t go well so this future Magik is here to fix that.  During “Quest for Magik” in New X-Men, Anole lost his right arm (and now has a larger arm).  Pixie, lost a piece of her soul, so she isn’t happy either.

I like how Magik has no time for these children.

Cannonball grabs Anole, who looks like he was going to foolishly try to fight Magik.  She would break him, so fast and easily!  Anole and Rockslide don’t care for Cannonball or the other ‘upperclassmen” as they are no longer in a school environment.

I can’t believe that the graduates Cannonball and Sunspot (who could be darker here) are threatening to beat up barely teenagers.

Magik really should be off limits, like Sunspot says, Colossus hears you dissing on his little snowflake, he is going to pound you to the ground.

Magik collapses, faintly stating that Dani and Shan are almost dead by now.

X-Brig.  Magma is visiting a blind Empath, who is still the worst.  Empath is blind via Pixie’s soul dagger, during the Red Queen slash Sisterhood arc of Uncanny X-Men.

Cannonball interrupts this session, to let Magma know that Illyana is back.

Beast is examining Magik.  Her examine goes well, she is healing fully and she likes Beast’s new lion look.  They share a nice but weird moment, about how monsters get use to themselves.  I like the softer side of Illyana, we don’t get to see it, nearly enough.

Magma has her doubts that it is really Illyana but they have their proof.  Magma wonders why Illyana is back now.  Sam tells her that Shan and Dani are, apparently, in danger.  Cannonball wants to reform the New Mutants, which is still a name that I doubt they really called themselves but here Sam is doing just that.  Sunspot is way in and Magma seems doubtful.

Cyclops’ office.  Scott tells Sam that Dani and Shan went to Colorado on an education mission.  For some odd reason, Sam keeps calling Scott, sir.  Like, they are barely ten or fifteen years about and they have been teammates for so long.  Sam isn’t a kid, anymore.  Scott approves Sam’s team of New Mutants.  Scott goes as far to tell Sam to work with Beast to make new uniforms, so this is officially, ON!  Scott gives the best lesson on leadership that Xavier ever gave him – The most important part of leading wasn’t Personality, Tactics or Training.  It was doing whatever it takes to get your team back alive.  Scott wants Sam to bring everyone back alive, every one.

Beast tells the team that the modifications are made, the color scheme is up to them – which I wish we got these scenes more often in these books.  We see the team dressing up and a classic old school photo of the team.  They all will be joining, soon.

Not a bad design!  The classic blue and yellow, just like their original colors.  I do like the added detail of Sam having two more uniforms, over his shoulder.  They take off in the jet that Cyclops provided them – must be nice.

There is a two page ad for Wolverine Origins Uncaged edition, I can’t recommend the XBox360 or PS3 verisons enough.  Skip the PS2 version, though.

Cannonball is flying them to – Westlciffe, Colorado.  Magma still doesn’t understand how Illyana knows that their future teammates are in danger.  lllyana explains that it was Magma that told her as Magma blamed Illyana for not being around back then.  So now, Illyana is here, to help.  Illyana further explains that future Magma wasn’t making much sense – as she had a giant hole where her stomach was suppose to be.  Magma wonders if Magik is making this up and Illyana just gives her a devilish smile.  Demonic smile?

Good thing Illyana had bangs, as I’m not sure if we could easily tell these two apart on these pages.

Illyana wants to do some girl talk but the way she goes about it, isn’t very friendly.  She is curious why Magma visits Empath, even after he tried to kill the X-Men.  Magma is shock that that information is known to Illyana.  Illyana starts to tease her, stating that she can cure Empath, as anything Pixie can do, Magik can undo.  Which will come up again with Juggolossus and how Magik can undo that spell.   Illyana teases that maybe Magma likes Empath to be helpless and Magma starts stuttering her words.  It could be their little secret, Illyana says.

Westcliffe, Colorado.  City Limits.  Sam lands the plane and they all press buttons on their watches, causing their uniforms to turn into street clothes.  Sunspot presses a blue button and a jeep lowers from the hanger bay.

Westcliffe, Main Street.  The team enters a bar.  Illyana sees the missing child poster for Marci.  The bartender isn’t happy that there are outsiders in his bar.  There are six other missing children posters, besides Marci.  Illyana knows that Marcia is only seven and starts feeling very sad.

Illyana is now going to take the lead on this case.  Sam doesn’t like getting side tracked, he only wants to save Dani and Shan.  Illyana has to explain, as Sam’s head is up his own butt, that no seven year old girl should be taken from her family.  This brings the team down but she really shouldn’t have to explain it.  Magma will go with her so the boys can keep exploring the town.

Sam asks if the bartender if he has seen a Vietnamese and a Native American women.  Sam also orders a beer but this other guy grabs it.  Sunspot spends his time, failing at picking up the ladies.  The bartender, slaps his forehead and tells Sam that he has to go or the bartender will call the police.  The men of the bar start standing behind the boys.

Marci’s house.  The ladies start questioning Marci’s parents when Illyana dashes into the room and turns left to see three statues.  How she knew they were behind the door, is beyond me.  A prince disguised (a frog), a King on his knees (Elvis) and laughter eternal, who knows why Magma got so hinty and creative with her dying breath.

Marci’s father starts trying to push Illyana out of the house and the mother encourages him.  Illyana just keeps going into rooms, like the kitchen.  The father gets his gun and Magma melts it.

Over at the bar.  The drunkards have bats and are coming at Sam and Bobbi.  The bartender gets scared once it is known that they boys are mutants.  Sam pursues him.

Now begins the sequence that would only work in a comic.  In the basement, Illyana and Amara hear Shan’s voice and keep approaching a giant box.  Shan is trapped in the box.  Amara calls Sam and tells them that they have Shan.  Sam and Bobbi don’t believe it, as they are looking at Shan, tied to a chair.

Sam says that Shan looks catatonic.  The ladies keep saying that they hear Shan’s voice, coming from the box.  Amara melts the box handles and we see a pair of hands come out of the box.  Shan’s voice is coming out of . . . Legion’s face.  Which ends the issue.

Back cover ad is for the Honda Insight.