Since 'Dawn of X' began, the New Mutants have moved to Krakoa, been to space, and most recently ventured to the nation of Carnelia in pursuit of a newly-awakened mutant with devastating powers - but for several months, they've also been on hiatus along with most of the comic industry thanks to coronavirus.
Now, New Mutants #10 is about to arrive on June 10, bringing readers right back to the action and catching up with the team in Carnelia. But before that happens, Newsarama caught up with writer Ed Brisson to discuss the title's return, what the New Mutants are up against, and how this next chapter leads into the 'Dawn of X' era's first big crossover, X of Swords.
Newsarama: Ed, New Mutants #10 is your first issue back after this hiatus period. Bring us back up to speed - where does this issue find the New Mutants?
Ed Brisson: We're still in Carnelia, picking right up from where we left off in #9. The New Mutants - Chamber, Dani, Magma, Karma, and Boom-Boom - have come to investigate a new mutant who's recently come online, only to find themselves pulled into a Nightmare Realm surrounding said mutant.
Karma, Chamber, and Magma are out of commission, leaving Dani and Boom-Boom waiting for reinforcements and unable to help their fallen teammates.
Nrama: The solicitation for New Mutants #10 mentions some new arrivals on Krakoa with potentially strange powers. What can you tell us about that?
Brisson: No one is coming back to Krakoa just yet, but the Nightmare Sphere mentioned above is something that is generated by this new mutant that The New Mutants (yes, it can get confusing!) had come to rescue. We still don't know much about her, but it is fairly clear that she's not in control of her powers - powers that seem to be consuming the world around her and rewriting it into a nightmarish landscape.
Nrama: Now that you’re reaching double digits, how do you see the team now versus when you took on this series? Which characters are you finding yourself unexpectedly connecting to?
Brisson: The mission has largely stayed the same. My plan was always to use the New Mutants as a sort of welcoming committee to younger mutants who either have just manifested as such or who have been somehow held back from making the journey to Krakoa.
They're learning that the outside world is not willing to let go, even when the mutants have removed themselves from human society. They're running up against all sorts of threats, though, one that Magik seems focused on now is DOX — a website dedicated to tracking and doxxing mutants who still live outside of Krakoa.
As to characters, anyone who's followed my X-Work knows that I love Glob and so am always happy to put him in anything. Though, the character that I've really fallen in love with writing is Boom-Boom. She's got such a strong personality and is incredibly cathartic to write. If I'm having a bad day, I just sit down and write some Boom-Boom dialogue and that usually helps me work through it. I also love that she seems to have a whole other life that she's not letting anyone else in on.
Nrama: Flaviano is drawing this next arc. What’s he bringing to the table for this story?
Brisson: Flaviano's art is so incredibly expressive and fluid. When we started on this arc, I knew that we'd need a lot of nightmare and dreamlike imagery and was confident that Flaviano would do a stellar job with it, but I don't think I was prepared for just how crazy he went with it.
In this issue and the next, there are pages that are some of the most interesting and imaginative that I've ever seen. Just incredible stuff.
I've really enjoyed working with him and know he's doing career-defining work on this series.
Nrama: X of Swords is coming up in September. How will that crossover touch New Mutants?
Brisson: I can't say too much right now. People are going to have to wait and see, though I think the New Mutants issue is very touching and not what folks are expecting.
