My Cultural Diet

Back in the day, my friend Jason — who introduced me to Dungeons & Dragons, Metallica, Public Enemy, and a host of other cultural touchstones — was a New Mutants fan, and I remember seeing issues scattered across his bedroom floor. I never really followed the New Mutants until they became X-Force in the early ’90s, though. So consider this an effort to catch up on my mutant history. Written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz, the “Demon Bear Saga” is considered one of the great New Mutant storylines, with young Dani Moonstar tormented by a hellish ursine that killed her parents. Story-wise, it’s pretty standard mutant superheroics, and sets the stage for other storylines (e.g., the true nature of Magik’s abilities). In its attempt to be comprehensive, though, this collected edition pulls in material from other issues that kind of muddy the central narrative. The real draw here is Sienkiewicz’s artwork; his use of abstract and stylistic imagery greatly enhances Moonstar and the New Mutants’ otherworldly battle.

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