Historically, “Excalibur” has been the more fantastic, magically-oriented series within the universe of the X-Men. With a pedigree that dates back to Chris Claremont and Alan Davis, there was a lot of expectation when this series got revived as part of the ‘Dawn of X’ relaunch of the publishing line. Glad to say the creative team succeeds more than it stumbles.
Written by Tini HowardCover by Alex Ross
Illustrated by Marcus To
Colored by Erick Arniciega
Lettered by VC’s Cory PetitA NEW DAWN IS FORGED! The Otherworld is rocked by war! It is a new era for mutantkind as a new Captain Britain holds the amulet, fighting for the Kingdom of Avalon with her Excalibur at her side – Rogue, Gambit, Rictor, Jubilee…and Apocalypse.
From a publishing viewpoint, the relaunch of the X-Men line under the helm by Jonathan Hickman has been heralded as a major success. Not only in terms of sales, or even by critic’s opinion, but by the overall sense of “new,” and unexpectedness that has been instilled into these books. And as any multi-book relaunch, it becomes important for each piece of the puzzle to had its own identity, both thematically and visually. Enter “Excalibur.”
Tini Howard, Marcus To, and Erick Arniciega have crafted a very deliberate world around these characters and premisses. Art and plot walk hand-in-hand in terms of how whimsical it all feels, how elusive key characters behave, or how the color palette leans on muted, pastel tones to reinforce that same feeling. Let’s explore one by one.
To’s style is anything but splashy. It is refreshing to see a style on a major relaunch that is so much more subdued and controlled, not relying on splash pages, open spaces, or big action pieces. Instead, To shows himself as a more intimate artist, with a sharp attention to facial expressions, costumes, and background definition. Readers can get lost on identifying mutants in the backgrounds in Krakoa. Flowers are everywhere, portrayed in minute detail, and when they end up connecting to the broader narrative, they do not feel intrusive, but rather as a regular component of the plot and world. To’s character designs are also beautiful, from Apocalypse’s new take on life, Rogue’s and Gambit’s familiar, and yet just renovated enough, to Betsy Bradock’s new uniform and role as Captain Britain.
As mentioned before, Arciniega colors add beautiful layers to this issue. They are not intrusive, similarly to To’s line style, but serve to enhance the world. It is most noticeably on the portrayal of Krakoa, and on the new guises for Apocalypse and Captain Britain. It is almost as if colors define the roles of these characters, not dissimilarly that RPG robes for their different classes. Given the themes of magic and fantasy “Excalibur” is going for, this seems far more deliberate than accidental.
Tini Howard’s plot is perhaps the most uneven aspect of “Excalibur,” but that happens far more because of its longer ambitions, rather than failed execution. Howard sets a lot of aspects on this debut issue. There is the connection to the new status quo of the mutant universe and Krakoa, which is done by well-made conversation between Betsy and her twin brother, Brian. There is the revelation of Apocalypse new view of life, his self-imposed role, discovered also through conversations with Trinary. And there is the establishment of the new foe and group of minions, that will remain unrevealed on this review. It is a lot to lay down and, done by the way it is, on exposition and dialogue, it can slow down the experience down. Again, it is done in a well-crafted way, the dialogue rings true on the voice of each character, but it does overstay it’s welcome a bit.
That said, what it lacks on fluidity, Howard’s script is over-abundant on future promise. A bit of spoilers ahead. What will happen to Rogue and what did she mean by a specific dialogue with Gambit? What is Jubilee actually doing there, and how does her son factor into all of this? And how is the world of magic and their self-entitled owners feel about the unbalance the mutants (or witchbreed) are unleashing on all dimensions.
Continued belowBefore wrapping up, accolades should go to the “data pages” included on “Excalibur.” Ever since the “House of X” and “Powers of X” mini-series, these black and white pages, filled with detail, text, and information have been a staple of the publishing line. The ones on “Excalibur” are quite special, with so many references, layers, and secrets that readers might pour over them for second and third readings.
All in all, a solid first issue for “Excalibur.” While it bites a bit more than it can chew through its dialogue and exposition, there is still so much promise and beautiful art that it becomes more than worthy of your time.
Final Verdict: 7.4 – “Excalibur” #1 is a treasure trove of details and secrets, opening the way for this fantasy world. More balanced issues in terms of structure would turn the magic truly on.
