New Mutants turn 40 with the return of co-creator Bob McLeod

gamesradar.com:

The New Mutants, the second class of young mutants trained at the Xavier Academy after the X-Men, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1982 debut this September in New Mutants #30, which welcomes New Mutants co-creator Bob McLeod back to the title along with a host of writers and artists who will contribute to the celebration.

Series writer Vita Ayala spearheads the oversized issue, which consists of a series of short stories by artists Alex Lins, Jason Loo, Emma Kubert, and more, with a cover from Rafael de Latorre and a variant from McLeod, featuring the original line-up of the team which he co-created, seen here.

Along with the main story from Ayala, writer Alyssa Wong will pen a backup story featuring Deadpool, who famously debuted way back in New Mutants #98.

"So many fans have come up to me at conventions and told me what a huge impact the New Mutants had on them in their teen years, and how relatable they were in all of their diversity. Native Americans, African Americans, Kentuckians, all finally seeing themselves represented in the comics. It's been very humbling," New Mutants co-creator McCleod states in the New Mutants #30 announcement. 

"Our New Mutants have gone through so many changes over the decades that I often didn't recognize them as the same characters we created," he continues. "So I was very pleased to get the chance to come full circle and do a variant cover homage to their very first published appearance on the cover of Amazing Heroes #16. I hope fans continue to enjoy them for another 40 years!"

New Mutants #30 goes on sale in September. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel's full September 2022 solicitations coming later this month.

As New Mutants celebrates a milestone, stay up on all the