There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we’re taking a look at the Krakoan team of magical misfits in “Excalibur” by Tini Howard, Marcus To, and others over at Marvel comics. It’s got swords, dragons, magic, other timelines, and Otherworld. If fantasy is your thing, this is the book for you! Come along as we take a look at why you should be checking out this coven of dimension-hopping mutants.
Who is this by?
“Excalibur” features a solid creative team, featuring one of Marvel’s biggest rising stars. Tini Howard (“Thanos,” “Strikeforce,” ‘X of Swords’) takes on writing duties and “Excalibur” features her strong character work, not to mention her enthusiasm for the superhero genre in general. Howard’s strong work on the series landed her our number two best writer of 2020.
The art here is done by Marcus To (“Hacktivist,” “Red Robin,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “X-Men: Blue”) who brings the world of mutant magic to life, creating strange landscapes and (more importantly) excellent fantasy looks for the core team. Erick Arciniega is the primary colorist on “Excalibur” and helps bring To’s panels to life, and captures the mystery (and occasional darkness) of Otherworld.
What’s it all about?
Like most of the other ‘Dawn of X’ books, “Excalibur” focuses on an aspect of the new mutant society of Krakoa. As Tini Howard has stated in multiple places, its focus is on the “anthropology of mutant magic.” Now that mutants no longer have to worry about hiding in plain sight, surviving in human society, they can begin to focus on the magic they’ve never gotten a chance to realize.
Betsy Braddock, now Captain Britain, initially led the team (with more than a little string pulling from Apocalypse,) but after the events of ‘X of Swords,’ they are looking for the next move as they try to find their shattered leader. At its core, though, “Excalibur” is about putting unlikely mutants into fantasy situations. Richtor, Rogue, Jubilee, and Gambit aren’t exactly at the top of the list when you think of magical mutants, but Howard makes it work.
What makes it so great?
It’s sometimes difficult to choose a favorite series with something like the ‘Dawn of X’ books. Much like a great TV show, each book sheds light on the shared island nation of Krakoa as teams and stories intertwine with one another, but there’s something about “Excalibur” that has made it consistently stand out as one of the best books coming out at Marvel. Most of this has to do with Howard’s ability to weave clever mysteries, build complex mythology, and still create entertaining character dynamics. While Howard’s cast might look odd for a book exploring the ins and outs of mutant magic, the true delight of “Excalibur” is watching the team clearly overwhelmed by the situations they encounter. Each team member is unafraid to speak their mind, which results in some truly wonderful banter as they depose magical tyrants, raid flying citadels, or defend lighthouses from British warlocks. Every issue feels like a D&D adventure, with fun action, growing conspiracies, and fun team interplay. The only difference is that the players aren’t aware of the tropes.
Howard effortlessly creates intense mythology in a way that never feels isolating or overwhelming. She takes full advantage of the signature Hickman-style infographics, and uses them to make sure that you’re keeping up, or at the very least giving you enough information that when the big reveal comes, you can go back and see just how well she set the stage. Of all the characters in “Excalibur” she clearly has the most fun with Apocalypse, a character who knows the secrets and has the theories, reveling in his “just evil enough” antics to keep the team going while also questioning every move he makes. Apocalypse is a lot of fun in this series, somewhere between a Gandalf-esque mentor and Moriarty-inspired chess master. Watching it all build to ‘X of Swords’ is a real treat and shows that Howard is more than capable of holding her own in the long term epic storytelling of a superhero soap opera.
Continued belowBut the script is just one part of the story. Marcus To does some enjoyable work with the illustrations of “Excalibur,” creating a strong visual language for the mysterious Otherworld’s look and feel. The series does a fair amount of reality hopping, with the team traveling to magical sites both in and out of our world, but thanks to To’s strong decisions with eldritch architecture and costuming, it’s always easy to tell where you are. To also creates some fun fantasy costumes for the team, the capes, cowls, and armor that is classic to the genre. Some of these designs wouldn’t feel out of place in a player’s handbook, the mark of a good fantasy costume design. All superheroes should have at least one pirate look and one fantasy look. To deliver on that. Erick Arcienga also helps to create the distinct feelings of different worlds and magic with his coloring choices.
As ‘X of Swords’ wraps up, “Excalibur” seems to be looking for a new direction, having lost two of the only members of their coven who know stuff about magic. But in a way, that just makes what’s next all the more exciting! The team doesn’t have the same level of guidance they once had, and now, the fate of mutant magic is up to them. It’s exciting to see just how they’ll handle the situation.
How can you read it?
“Excalibur” is published monthly at Marvel comics, and issues can be purchased at your local comic book shop or read on digital platforms like Marvel Unlimited or Comixology. “Excalibur” also has two trade paperbacks, collecting the first eleven issues of the series. If you are interested in seeing where “Excalibur” fits into the larger story of Krakoa, the series is also collected in the ‘Dawn of X’ trade paperbacks, collecting all of the lines of X books in publication order.
