Issue(s): New Warriors #38
Cover Date: Aug 93
Title: "Family honor, poisoned memories"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Darick Robertson - Penciler
Larry Mahlstedt - Inker
Dan Cuddy - Assistant Editor
Rob Tokar - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue starts by showing us what Rage has accomplished since splitting from the New Warriors, which isn't much. He's basically been smashing up Chinatown demanding that the Poison Memories show themselves. He's picked up by Sprocket, the New Warriors' pilot, who offers to show him where the Poison Memories are. Which just means he's dropped off where the rest of the group are already fighting Kimeiko Ashu, who is now in an AIM mecha suit and is shouting about honor.

Rage actually arrives after the fight is over, and he kills Ashu after he's been defeated.

Night Thrasher also cites honor.

This book is padded with many huge splash pages, especially during Rage's rampage in the beginning, so there's very little story. Not that there was much left to do at this point anyway. Written slightly differently, Night Thrasher's fight with Victor Hasayaba in his issue could have been substituted with the fight against Kimeiko Ashu here and this story could have been an issue shorter with no loss of plot.

This issue does give us a few character moments, but i also want to show these scans to highlight the way people's hair is being drawn. Nova's hair is long enough that it sticks out of his helmet.

And Speedball's hair, also long, is getting drawn straight. Nicieza jokingly incorporates that into the script.

I don't have a point to make here, just noting it. Although i always did think Nova's hair sticking out was weird. Doesn't it pull when he turns his head?

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from Night Thrasher #1. For what it's worth, the UHBMCC considers next issue to be part three of a storyline called Family Values (which was the title of issue #37, and this issue and next issue do have "Family" in the title). I don't see anywhere in the issues where that storyline is named, and of course this issue and last were actually part of a storyline with Night Thrasher #1 (which the UHBMCC doesn't mention, and it usually does). In any event, next issue is a thematic continuation of this storyline, a downtime epilogue. But it doesn't necessarily continue directly, and the MCP have Night Thrasher #2-5 prior to it.

References:

• Night Thrasher defeated Victor Hasayaba in Night Thrasher #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A