New X-Men Academy X Vol. 1 with Keith Lehtinen
We’re back with another episode of Trade School! This time, we’re talking about New X-Men Academy X Vol. 1! Our returning host is Keith Lehtinen, a podcaster and culture commentator!
Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/CertainPOVMedia
Edited by Case Aiken
Scored by Bret Eagleston
Certain Point Of View is a podcast network brining you all sorts of nerdy goodness! From Star Wars role playing, to Disney day dreaming, to video game love, we've got the show for you!
Learn more on our website: https://www.certainpov.com
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/wcHHer4
PODCAST SHOWS: ▶ Men Of Steel - https://www.certainpov.com/men-of-steel
FOLLOW US:
▶ Instagram: @certainpovmedia
▶ Website: https://www.certainpov.com
Outline
Introduction to Certain Point of View's Trade School and Host Background (00:00 - 01:22)
Keith Lettanen introduces the podcast episode focused on comic book trade paperbacks.
Shares personal lifelong fandom for Marvel's X-Men titles, including varied media adaptations and games.
Overview of Academy X and Its Place in Marvel’s X-Men Legacy (01:22 - 02:57)
Discusses Marvel’s approach following Runaways' success to introduce new young mutants.
Notes significant change in leadership of the Xavier Institute with Emma Frost replacing Jean Grey.
Scale and Character Introduction in Academy X Volume 1 (02:57 - 04:04)
Highlights introduction of 58 students, focusing primarily on 12 main characters.
Comments on storytelling approach of introducing characters individually per issue.
Key Characters and Teams in the Series (04:04 - 05:21)
Main team 'New Mutants' led by staff sponsor Dani Moonstar.
Introduces 'Hellions' as the rival student team, led by Julian Keller (Hellion).
Narrative and Educational Themes (05:21 - 06:47)
Emphasizes school-centric aspects: classes, tests, crushes, and typical adolescent experiences.
Identifies Academy X Volume 1 as an accessible entry point for new readers.
Series Expansion & Future Topics (06:47 - 07:22)
Mentions expanding Marvel youth titles coverage in subsequent episodes.
Discusses the breadth of publishers and comic types they review (Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, etc.).
️ Keith’s Passion for X-Men (00:00 - 01:22)
Keith’s passion for X-Men deeply influences his perspective and enthusiasm in coverage.
Introduction of Characters (02:57 - 04:04)
Academy X Volume 1 introduces a large cast of mutant students, with a unique character introduction style fostering deeper lore exploration.
School Life Themes (05:21 - 06:47)
The story balances superhero action with relatable school life and social themes of prejudice and acceptance.
️ Rivalry Adds Depth (04:04 - 05:21)
The rivalry between student teams (New Mutants vs Hellions) adds depth and conflict to the narrative.
Recommended Starting Point (05:21 - 06:47)
Academy X Volume 1 is recommended as an ideal starting point for both new and existing fans due to its grounded storytelling and character-driven plot.
️ New Podcast Announcement (06:47 - 07:22)
The co-hosted podcast 'We Have Issues' aims to review new comic releases weekly across multiple publishers.
Transcription
00:00
Welcome to Certain Point of View's Trade School, where each episode a different host talks about a comic book trade paperback that they loved and why they love it. Hello, I'm Keith Lehtinen, host of Certain POV comic book review show. We have issues. It is no secret to anyone who's ever listened to my show, followed me on Blue sky, or spoke to me on Discord or really in person that I love me some X Men. My fandom for Marvel's Merry Mutants goes back as far as I can remember. They've been a constant presence in my life. The first comics I read were old Simonson runs of X Factor, Thor Power Pack, and a few new mutants thrown in there. I watched the cartoon, I watched all of the cartoons. I watched all of the movies. Yes, even Dark Phoenix. I watched Dark Phoenix in theaters.
00:51
I played every single video game with Marvel Mutants characters. So I say all this as a fair warning. In my exploration of the mid-2000s youth movement within Marvel, I might have a predetermined favorite. So one year after Runaways proved that people could care about a brand new roster of young heroes, Marvel decided to capitalize on that idea with arguably their most famous ip. Jean Grey was gone and Emma Frost was now running the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning with her lover Cyclops. And yes, before we get into this, let me start with some controversy. Scott belongs with Emma. Scott and Jean are boring. There. Fight about that in the comments. Anyways, like the New Mutants and Generation X before a new class of superpowered students were introduced in the book, I'm talking about new X men.
01:44
Academy X Volume 1, Choosing Sides, written by Nunzio de Felipas and Christina Weir, pencil by George Tienti, inked by Don Hillsman, color by Tony Chu, and letter by Dave Sharp. So when new mutants launched, it dropped five brand new heroes on us in one big go. That was pretty exciting. Generation X gave us seven students. Eight if you count Blink. Rest in peace. So would Academy x give us 8 or maybe even 10? Well, they gave us 58 students. Yeah, I know. Of course, these weren't all fully developed characters, but in all honesty, There were easily 12 main characters of this series. And most of the other moments got a moment or two to shine. Some of them were just a tantalizing mention in the school yearbook.
02:35
I mean, all we know about DJ is his powers change based on what music he's listening to. What? Tell me more. Why isn't there more? As someone who obsesses with canon and lore, this was absolutely what I was looking for. My entire life I wanted to be a mutant, and imagining myself in the academy with these kids was so easy. Now I've gotten a little ahead of myself. Let's back up this first volume. The one I'm here to talk about is our intro, and they make a wonderful decision to introduce the characters one at a time, almost issue by issue. This might seem familiar to New Mutants fans. There are tons of parallels in the stories too. Not to get too in the weeds, but both books immediately dealt with the hate Mutants face every day.
03:19
In both stories, a mutant is one of those bigots prior to their powers coming forward. And of course, each book is about the group coming to grips with their new life and their new friends. Let's talk characters, though. The main story or main team in the story, I should say, are literally named the New Mutants after the original team. And their staff sponsor is Danny Moonstar, who absolutely shines in this series. She's wonderful. As mentioned, we're introduced to these characters issue by issue. The first gave us Sophia Mantega, AKA Wind Dancer. Sophia is probably the closest thing we have to a main character in the series, at least at first, but is very much an ensemble. As you might guess, her powers involve controlling the wind, eventually. Joining her are Laurie Collins, AKA Wallflower, with extremely powerful pheromone abilities.
04:04
Jay Guthrie, AKA Icarus, who is the younger brother of Cannonball and Husky. He has these gorgeous red wings and the ability to change his voice. He was my favorite from the start. Of course. David Allen, AKA Prodigy, who had the power to take on the knowledge and skills of everyone near him. Noriko Ishida, who, AKA Serge, who was a runaway with super speed and electrical blast. Josh Foley, AKA Elixir, whose powers appear to be limited to healing but ended up being much more later on. And finally, Kevin Ford, AKA Wither, who can destroy organic matter with a touch. Now, you might see some light and dark parallels with those last two, and trust me, that is not ignored in the narrative. Unlike the prior Young Mutant generations, the New Mutants have a friendly rivalry with another team of students.
04:52
This takes the form of the Hellions, led by Julian Keller, AKA Hellion himself. He's a powerful telekinetic and the golden boy of campus. Other feature fan favorites join him, such as Cecily Kincaid, AKA Mercury, Santa Vaccaro, AKA Rock Slide, Brian Cruz, aka Tag, and Soraya Kadir as the wonderful Dust. I love Dust so much. You might notice they're kind of short of team member compared to the other team because after a brief partnership with Spectre they are actually joined by New Mutants traitor Wither. And to be honest, despite that insane wall of names I just presented, this first volume does a great job of telling you who everyone is and setting the stakes. This is a school first and a hero book second. They have class, they have tests, they have crushes. They have so damn many crushes, they get in trouble.
05:40
In an era where the mainstream X Men books were resurrecting long dead Russians and dealing with whatever Xorn ended up being, this was relatively grounded. And most importantly, it's a perfect starting point for a new fan. This is why I always recommend this to anyone who's interested. Not only is there a minimum of homework needed to get what is going on, a surprising amount of these characters would go on to play major roles in the future of the X Men. Especially during my beloved Kirkoan age. So now Marvel's given us street level heroes with runaways and new mutants with Academy X. What's left? I mean, it should be obvious at this point, but we'll talk about them next time. In the meantime, happy reading. Alright Josui, let's go through our new comic day stack. We have a lot to review. I know.
06:29
Maybe we've gone too far. Well, let's see. Marvel, of course, dc. I got Image, Dark Horse, Black Mask, Boom. Idw, Aftershock, Vault, of course, Mad Cave Pony, Valiant Stout, Magma, Behemoth. Wow, that's a lot. All we need now is a name for our show. We need a name for a show about reviewing comic books every week. Something clever, but not too clever. Like a pun. It's kind of cheesy. Yeah. Something that seems funny at first, but we might regret later on as an impulsive decision. A few dozen episodes in. Yeah, we'll think of something. Join Keith and Osway for we have Issues. A weekly show reviewing almost every new comic released each week. Available on Geek Elite Media and wherever you listen to your podcasts. CPOV certainpov.com.