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The first of many vertical two-page spreads (that could probably have just been a normal page, but hey). (New Mutants #90)
Copying and pasting artwork from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe – work smarter, not harder! (New Mutants #90)
Just… Just talk to her, Rictor! Talk to anyone! Even the reader!(New Mutants #90)
To be fair, that’s actually pretty in-character for Sunspot. (New Mutants #90)
Okay, that’s just awesome. (New Mutants #90)
“We’ve got to save our friend! But first – pose!” (New Mutants #90)
Behold – crotches! And also a pretty cool fight. (New Mutants #91)
“Shouldn’t our parents have signed permission slips for this field trip, teach?” (New Mutants #91)
Preeeeetty sure this is the beginning of a complicated mating dance. Or just the start of date night. (New Mutants #91)
And then Cable fought robots so well that Rictor forgave him for killing his dad. (New Mutants #91)
That pretty much says it all, huh? (New Mutants #93)
Hey, Rictor got a new costume! And a lot more hair! (New Mutants #93)
“We’re from Japan! Can you tell?” (New Mutants #93)
“My god! Not another use!” (New Mutants #93)
“Why, someone who’s too awesome for backgrounds, of course!” (New Mutants #93)
Give the laxatives some time to work, guys. It’ll be okay. (New Mutants #94)
And then the 90s 90s’d us right in the 90s. (New Mutants #94)
Please note that Cannonball is stealing a key from Dragoness’s headdress in the bottom panel. With his hair, I guess? (New Mutants #94)
Okay, that’s just adorable. (New Mutants #94)
Magneto this guy ain’t.
And that was the last we ever saw of Stryfe and the MLF! (New Mutants #94)
Almost forgot the lovingly-rendered butt!
Next time: X-Factor versus psychic vampires!
So, um, I’m going to say it here – I prefer the pouches. The pouches, hypothetically, can be used to hold things – more ammunition, first aid supplies, radios, etc. While the number of them would get absurd as the 90s went on, there was a certain degree of practicality to the concept of having some pouches on your superhero attire to hold gear (especially compared with some of the designs of Batman’s utility belt, where it’s not clear how he stores the stuff in his belt, or how he could put it back when it’s done).
But with Cable’s current design, I have to wonder what those tube-shaped things are? Pouches from the future? Grenades? Magazines (or heat sinks) for his Future Gun? Is he a salesman for vibrators when he’s not teaching the New Mutants? What?
That last one is canon now. The vibrator salesman from the future. “Don’t worry ma’am, the fact that I have a cybernetic arm is in no way connected to use of these particular vibrators, I can assure you.”
Well, pouches do have a certain military feel to them. They may be useful, especially on those spandex jumpsuits that clearly can’t have much pocket space, but visually it says “military” in a way that the X-men historically have not.
But I don’t think anyone’s ever really criticized the basic concept of having pouches on an outfit. It’s just when you go from a pouched belt to having a belt, bandolier, pouchespouchespouches everywhere, including wrapped around a thigh in a way that would stop anyone from standing normally.
And partly it’s probably future-sight, knowing that even if it’s a reasonable pouch layout now, you know what it’s going to be soon.
God, we’re only how far in, and we already have tons of Liefeld-Face. Check out center-bottom of the fourth pic there, where Rictor is being all broody. Who is that supposed to be, Cannonball? And why does he look like he just smelled the worst fart in history?
Also Liefeld thinks your waist is directly below your lowest ribs, so everyone walks around with their pants hitched way up like Steve Urkel.
That’s actually where my waist is. But you can’t actually find pants that go up that high less than 30 years old. Most pants meant to be high-waisted now have a waist built in a few inches below their top edge.
If I look hard enough I can find something that won’t slide off my hips when zipped. I also own one pair apparently made for a 6 1/2 foot tall amazon. (I hemmed them a good 10 inches on the bottom.) The top hits my bra boning. No one knows because I never tuck my shirts in.
Liefeld follows the 80s trend of distorting your torso in favor of legs that go on forever. Or make you look like my 98 year old uncle.
You left out “A lovingly-rendered butt” your fans want to see what you meant. Please update!
Fixed! Whew, that’s a relief.
That is a LOT of butt rendering, and I say that as a Nightwing fan!
Thank you for your service. The world definitely needs an essay on the queer aesthetics of Liefield.