This week in Excalibur: the dragon is a baby, data pages go full internet, and brothers sure can be bothers. If you were not digging the magic angle of this series steer clear of this issue, as it’s all about swashbuckling, magic, and dragon goodness this week. Plus, Jubilee makes important mom decisions that you’ll love big time.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love this series. Its main characters are intriguing, the situation they’re in is tantalizing, and the angle of the series as a whole feels incredibly different from the rest. We’re essentially going into a fantasy subplot away from all the politics of Krakoa and digging into character while we do it. That’s obvious from the start where we meet our heroes attempting to understand how Jubilee’s baby is now a 50-foot dragon. Through some fun thought bubbles (which are creative as heck) the characters piece it together and assume Shogo is going to be fine as a dragon.
The meat of this story involves Jubilee, Captain Britain, and Gambit going on a little dragon adventure. There’s fighting of course, but also a clearer understanding of what they are up against. Plus, Tini Howard gives Captain Britain a baller moment where she realizes she’s very much the big CB now and possibly forever. The Morgan Le Fey scenes are quite good as they capture the character’s disdain and utter crumminess.
Fans of Apocalypse will enjoy his brief but important scenes. I love that he’s a man of action and gets things done. I’m still trying to gather how Howard is writing him, but in the unclear nature of it, it’s fun to try to piece together.
I wonder if this is a analogy for agoraphobia?
Credit: Marvel Comics
The data pages are also quite good this issue with a fantastic look at website message board postings. They are funny and are interesting if you read between the lines. There’s another later, but I don’t want to spoil it in the slightest.
Marcus To’s design of Captain Britain’s armor is on point and it’s all about the little details when it comes to the art in this one. The same goes for Gambit, whose gear is the perfect cosplay for a fantasy style thief. From a castle the characters are approaching and the many crenelations peppering the walls to the scales on the dragon, you’ll fall in love with this world. I also love how vibrant the colors are by Erick Arciniega, making Otherworld feel rich and yet still dark when Morgan Le Fay eats up the scenery.
This series continues to be a breath of fresh air for not only the Dawn of X titles, but Marvel in general. It has sweeping originality that’s hard to put down and art that makes the characters so very endearing.
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