New X-Men is coming up for a change of creators, with Marvel apparently deciding to replace Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir with X-23's Craig Kyle and Chris Yost.  (And yes, X-23 seems to be joining the cast.  Mind you, it's the logical book for her.)

From the look of things, this isn't an entirely voluntary departure, especially given that DeFilippis and Weir have talked about having plans way into the next year of the title.  On the other hand, sales on the book have never really stabilised in the way Marvel might have liked, in either incarnation.  It wasn't a bad performer, but it's perhaps understandable if Marvel think they can do better.

In an ideal world, issue #15 would have made a nice wrap-up for DeFilippis and Weir's run on the characters, since it's the end of the school year and sees everyone break off for the holidays.  As it happens, the end is going to be a little messier than that.  For one thing, there's the Hellions spin-off miniseries still to be wrapped up.  For another, the next four issues are a House of M tie-in.  It's hard to see how that's going to work on any level other than "short term sales boost", considering that New X-Men is essentially a soap opera title, and nothing in House of M would seem to have any bearing on those sorts of ongoing plots.

Anyhow.  With all the X-Men conveniently away, Dani Moonstar is left to run the school prizegiving.  Unfortunately, the Blob decides to attack, in a move which is surely a bit reckless even by the standards of C-list henchmen.  Okay, the X-Men are away, but it's not like he knows that.  Besides, it's only the Blob.  To a large extent, this issue depends on the extent to which you're prepared to accept that the Blob poses a huge challenge for several hundred trained mutants at once.

The creators seem to be going for the routine where Prodigy steps up and co-ordinates a defence, thus (kind of) proving himself.  The problem is... well, it's the Blob.  It doesn't take a strategic genius to beat the Blob.  In fact, with that many powers hanging around, Prodigy's big plan comes down to little more than asking the Stepford Cuckoos to zap him.  And are we really saying that they couldn't have come up with that on their own?

Mind you, artist Paco Medina does a great Blob - he's good with his exaggerated cartoon figures, and makes the guy look as impressive as the concept allows.  And the book is much stronger when it's furthering its soap opera storylines.  Still, we're now into that awkward phase near the end of any writer's run, where you get the sinking feeling that none of this stuff is ever really going to be resolved, so who cares?  Something tells me we're headed for an attempt at thematic resolution in the House of M arc, but it's going to be touch and go whether we see the end of any of the current character arcs.

Rating: B

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