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Marauders (2019)
Marauders, Vol. 3
X OF SWORDS may be over, but there are still difficult waters ahead for the Marauders! Double-dealing and backstabbing are the order of the day in the Hellfire Trading Company — but killing Kate Pryde crossed the line. The Black King must pay! And a resurrected Kate has some ideas about exactly how… Meanwhile, Storm faces off against her old rival Callisto in a rematch that’s become very personal! And the Marauders return to Madripoor to pay tribute to a fallen friend — but old enemies are being forged anew, and the team is about to face a very nasty surprise!
COLLECTING: Marauders (2019) 16-21 & King In Black: Marauders (2021) #1
COLLECTING: Marauders (2019) 16-21 & King In Black: Marauders (2021) #1
168 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2021
25 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 21, 2023
A little matter of dealing with a fellow mutant running a dodgy side-hustle before the mutants via The Marauders seek to get a foothold in Madripor, an action that the UN have strongly warned them about.
Not sure what happened with the onset of the COVID Pandemic but most of the X-books written during it, have showed drastic improvement including this one. At last the 'Hickman era' is giving full characterisations and including past grievances and concerns culminating in Marauders #20 where the entire book takes place at a dinner table on the Marauder, without a punch being thrown, all character development! Onwards and upwards Marauders. A 6.5 out of 12, Three Star jam. BTW fans of the Morlocks, this is the series to find them in :)
2023 read
Not sure what happened with the onset of the COVID Pandemic but most of the X-books written during it, have showed drastic improvement including this one. At last the 'Hickman era' is giving full characterisations and including past grievances and concerns culminating in Marauders #20 where the entire book takes place at a dinner table on the Marauder, without a punch being thrown, all character development! Onwards and upwards Marauders. A 6.5 out of 12, Three Star jam. BTW fans of the Morlocks, this is the series to find them in :)
2023 read
April 5, 2022
This is a scatter shot of content that requires readers to know what's going on with all of the other X-books to know what's happening. There's also quite a bit of editorial interference with all of the "events". The best issue is the first one where Kate Pryde and Emma Frost finally go after Sebastian Shaw for having Kate killed many issues ago. Then there's sort of King in Black tie in where they don't do much related but kill some symbiote dragons. Then there's an OK story with the Verandi in Madripoor. There's a lot of reference to Storm leaving and the Hellfire Gala but it's never explained. Titles should be able to live on their own without reading the entire X-line to understand what's happening. It's a real failing ever since Hickman decided to half-ass oversee the line of X-books.
July 29, 2021
Este número sigue lo que pasa a la vuelta de Kitty Pryde, desde luego lo inmediato es el castigo al pérfido Sebastian Shaw quien quedará marcado luego de la discusión. Por otro lado Calisto quien había perdido sus poderes va "en busca" de ellos.
Mientras tanto, Emma pone el ojo en Madripoor donde con todo el dinero y los recursos de Krakoa planea. Qué bien maneja todo Emma en verdad. Pero los Verendi que tiene controlado Madripoor se las pondrá difíciles con unos posthumanos conocidos como Reavers.
Los últimos números son el pre y el mismo Hellfire Gala. Tormenta se despide del grupo.
Este volumen aunque bueno, no me gustó tanto como los anteriores.
Mientras tanto, Emma pone el ojo en Madripoor donde con todo el dinero y los recursos de Krakoa planea. Qué bien maneja todo Emma en verdad. Pero los Verendi que tiene controlado Madripoor se las pondrá difíciles con unos posthumanos conocidos como Reavers.
Los últimos números son el pre y el mismo Hellfire Gala. Tormenta se despide del grupo.
Este volumen aunque bueno, no me gustó tanto como los anteriores.
October 27, 2021
Kate and Emma tackle Sebastian Shaw and Madripoor in this third Marauders volume. It's decent fun and well illustrated - still a more straightforward narrative than the primary X-Men series. It's not a particularly memorable volume, though, with its Madripoor focus and quick dispatch of Shaw. The final issues lead up to the Hellfire Gala, which seems exciting but poorly explained. Marauders is the most middle-of-the-road of the X-series, for better or for worse.
August 13, 2021
The Swords have been drawn, and now it's time to prepare for the Hellfire Gala. But first, Kate Pryde has a bone to pick, and Madripoor leads a revolt against mutants. If ever the world needed the Marauders, it's now.
Issue 16 of Marauders is perhaps one of the best issues of X-Men I have ever read. If you thought Sebastian Shaw was going to get away with what he did before X Of Swords, you'd be wrong, and seeing Emma Frost and Kate Pryde get their vengeance is absolutely delicious to behold. Similarly, isues 17 and 20, which are Storm spotlights, really show how much Duggan understands her character. It's a shame to see her go, but we all know at this point that it's for bigger and bolder things.
The interceding issues bring the Marauders to Madripoor, and show once again that the X-Men are experts at working around their own laws, and then we end with the big, bold Hellfire Gala which has been part of the series since it's inception if not beforehand, so it's less of a derailment and more of a culmination of a lot of plots that Duggan has been seeding.
And of course, the tag-team of Matteo Lolli and Stefano Caselli make sure that whether we're going to the ball or fighting pirates on the high seas, the Marauders look beautiful.
Marauders manages to be a big bombastic superhero book and one that laser-focuses down onto its characters at the drop of a hat. Gerry Duggan is steering this ship masterfully well, and it's no wonder he's gotten to pilot the flagship X-Men title too.
Issue 16 of Marauders is perhaps one of the best issues of X-Men I have ever read. If you thought Sebastian Shaw was going to get away with what he did before X Of Swords, you'd be wrong, and seeing Emma Frost and Kate Pryde get their vengeance is absolutely delicious to behold. Similarly, isues 17 and 20, which are Storm spotlights, really show how much Duggan understands her character. It's a shame to see her go, but we all know at this point that it's for bigger and bolder things.
The interceding issues bring the Marauders to Madripoor, and show once again that the X-Men are experts at working around their own laws, and then we end with the big, bold Hellfire Gala which has been part of the series since it's inception if not beforehand, so it's less of a derailment and more of a culmination of a lot of plots that Duggan has been seeding.
And of course, the tag-team of Matteo Lolli and Stefano Caselli make sure that whether we're going to the ball or fighting pirates on the high seas, the Marauders look beautiful.
Marauders manages to be a big bombastic superhero book and one that laser-focuses down onto its characters at the drop of a hat. Gerry Duggan is steering this ship masterfully well, and it's no wonder he's gotten to pilot the flagship X-Men title too.
June 3, 2021
- So, what? Because he's on the Quiet Council, the Black King just... gets away with it?
- No. No, he will not.
- No. No, he will not.
October 17, 2021
3.5 stars
Grading on a curve a bit because I like this series and its cast, but this really is a scattered and transitional collection of issues. It covers intra-Hellfire Company betrayal drama from before X of Swords, a character-focused issue that would be better if it wasn’t repeating the very recent Crucible reincarnation plot from the main X-Men series, a pointless King in Black event one-off, an issue or two to push along a Madripoor plot that feels like it’s never actually going to pay off, and then a departing team member’s farewell issue that has charming character moments despite feeling a bit unearned. The art swaps between at least three different names and is pretty hit or miss stylistically. Kate and Emma are still a highlight though, as are the Morlocks that make an appearance in the Madripoor issues.
Grading on a curve a bit because I like this series and its cast, but this really is a scattered and transitional collection of issues. It covers intra-Hellfire Company betrayal drama from before X of Swords, a character-focused issue that would be better if it wasn’t repeating the very recent Crucible reincarnation plot from the main X-Men series, a pointless King in Black event one-off, an issue or two to push along a Madripoor plot that feels like it’s never actually going to pay off, and then a departing team member’s farewell issue that has charming character moments despite feeling a bit unearned. The art swaps between at least three different names and is pretty hit or miss stylistically. Kate and Emma are still a highlight though, as are the Morlocks that make an appearance in the Madripoor issues.
September 28, 2021
This continues to be one of the best comics from a really great reboot. Much of that is the characters. Kitty and Emma and particularly great, but Storm and Callisto are terrific too, Pyro is interesting, and the rest are fine.
Some of the best stories are the character focused and intrigue stories. #16 and its repercussions for the murder of Kitty Pryde are amazing, but then the totally character-centric Storm & Callisto issue #17 is amazing too. #18 & #19 with their focus on Madripoor don't have quite the strength of the character-focused issues, but were still very good, and some nice continuity.
Overall, another great volume of a great book.
Some of the best stories are the character focused and intrigue stories. #16 and its repercussions for the murder of Kitty Pryde are amazing, but then the totally character-centric Storm & Callisto issue #17 is amazing too. #18 & #19 with their focus on Madripoor don't have quite the strength of the character-focused issues, but were still very good, and some nice continuity.
Overall, another great volume of a great book.
May 28, 2021
Definitely the weakest volume of Marauders so far, though I enjoyed the issue focusing on Callisto and Storm’s relationship. Otherwise this feels like a lot of setting up pieces in the right places, which is a shame, given that Excalibur was firing on all cylinders in the lead-up to its respective big event last year. I understand not wanting the book to be a Kate Pryde solo title, but in shying away from her focus the book just seems kind of rudderless. Hope Planet-Size can shift this series back in gear.
July 27, 2023
I’ve consistently been enjoying this series and it was nice in this volume to have gotten back to some of the big issues the team was facing before the X of Swords event. Kate Pryde has become one of my favorite characters in this world to follow.
August 4, 2021
Marauders is a baffling title.
Of all the current X-books, it often has the most "team" dynamic. Unlike X-Force, which usually just features one or two thugs going into a fight while Sage or Beast or someone coordinates from afar, Marauders typically has the whole cast together in one place. Usually on a boat.
However, the team doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The Pyro character that Iceman had actually been dating was inexplicably exchanged for the original (heterosexual) Pyro. Which is sort of like saying, "We're going to replace Ben Stevens here in our office with Ben Johnson. The important thing is that they're both Bens. Ben Stevens' wife Carol is just going to have to be okay with her husband being replaced at work." No, don't ask me what became of the gay version of Pyro; he hasn't been seen since, and with no explanation about his current whereabouts.
Bishop is a completely wooden character. His history as a time-traveling cop is hardly ever mentioned, and his stint as a psycho hunting Cable and Hope is completely glossed over. He's just a black guy with a gun who follows the rest of the cast around, mostly.
There was an issue here all about Callisto. It once again featured her friendship with Storm, the character she is most often paired with as a frenemy of some sort. While in theory we were supposed to enjoy the fact Callisto got her powers back, this storyline illustrated that the writers weren't that interested in continuity. Callisto's original power was a purely mental one; that her brain strategized battle tactics in any given situation. This sort of abstract, cognitive power is not unheard of; Forge and Cypher have similar mental powers. Even in the issue of X-Treme X-Men where Callisto is first shown with tentacles (courtesy of Masque), that issue briefly references her tactical power in a text box. But by the time House of M rolled around, new writers decided that Callisto had never had a proper power, so they should make one up for her. So it was then decided that Callisto's power was enhanced senses, like Daredevil (possibly based on the fact she has always been missing an eye, so VERY MUCH like Daredevil). This "heightened senses" power was then referenced here, in Marauders, as if it truly were her original power and not just some kind of weird retcon.
Kitty now insists on being called "Kate," which does not feel natural for fans who have been following her for about 40 years. Her personality is... I don't even know. In this volume she seems to have gone insane. She is briefly murdered by Shaw, so in theory this whole volume is supposed to be about her taste for revenge. But when she is resurrected, the writers couldn't even keep their own continuity straight. She steps out of her husk and is greeted by Storm, who inexplicably references the tacky-as-fuck knuckle tattoos Kitty gets later in the issue, as if she already had them. In that same issue we watched Kitty --much later, and fully dressed-- go to a tattoo parlor to get the aforementioned knuckle tattoos.
WTF? Storm is not precognitive. The issue was just badly written.
The writers then thought we would cheer when we watched Kitty kiss the female tattoo artist. Without her consent, and without explanation. I am gay, so don't take this review as some homophobic jerk being upset by the idea of characters being gay. No, that is not the problem. I love the inclusion of gay characters like Hulkling and Wiccan.
No, THIS WAS JUST POORLY WRITTEN.
Kitty isn't allowed to have a proper coming out story. We don't watch her struggle with the question of whether she might be gay/bi/trans/queer/whatever. We don't watch her confide in her closest friends or former love interests (Colossus, Magik, Nightcrawler, or Rachel Summers would all make sense). We don't get to see her say the words, whether out of pride or shame.
No, we just watch her engage in some girl-on-girl kissage, seemingly for the titillation of fans, without any depth of meaning or character growth. It wasn't even romantic, because this female tattoo artist doesn't have a name, and wasn't given the chance to consent to the kiss. If anything this was a step BACKWARD for queer representation, because it showed a queer person taking advantage of a --possibly-- straight woman against her will. And yet it was drawn in such a manner that fans were supposed to be cheering.
*Facepalm* This is not good representation. This was not a thoughtful look at a character deciding later in life that she has secretly had same-sex attraction and was deciding to come to terms with it. This was not a nuanced coda to the Kitty and Colossus romance in which she confesses to Peter that the real reason she left him at the altar is because she was really a lesbian. This wasn't even a romance between Kitty and either Magik or Rachel, her best friends whom have been hinted as possible love interests for her. The writers wink and nudge at this possibility by having Kitty wave to the other women, but they aren't allowed to have meaningful conversations about the nature of their relationships.
This was exploitative as Hell, and I am furious with Marvel for how they are handling it.
Of all the current X-books, it often has the most "team" dynamic. Unlike X-Force, which usually just features one or two thugs going into a fight while Sage or Beast or someone coordinates from afar, Marauders typically has the whole cast together in one place. Usually on a boat.
However, the team doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The Pyro character that Iceman had actually been dating was inexplicably exchanged for the original (heterosexual) Pyro. Which is sort of like saying, "We're going to replace Ben Stevens here in our office with Ben Johnson. The important thing is that they're both Bens. Ben Stevens' wife Carol is just going to have to be okay with her husband being replaced at work." No, don't ask me what became of the gay version of Pyro; he hasn't been seen since, and with no explanation about his current whereabouts.
Bishop is a completely wooden character. His history as a time-traveling cop is hardly ever mentioned, and his stint as a psycho hunting Cable and Hope is completely glossed over. He's just a black guy with a gun who follows the rest of the cast around, mostly.
There was an issue here all about Callisto. It once again featured her friendship with Storm, the character she is most often paired with as a frenemy of some sort. While in theory we were supposed to enjoy the fact Callisto got her powers back, this storyline illustrated that the writers weren't that interested in continuity. Callisto's original power was a purely mental one; that her brain strategized battle tactics in any given situation. This sort of abstract, cognitive power is not unheard of; Forge and Cypher have similar mental powers. Even in the issue of X-Treme X-Men where Callisto is first shown with tentacles (courtesy of Masque), that issue briefly references her tactical power in a text box. But by the time House of M rolled around, new writers decided that Callisto had never had a proper power, so they should make one up for her. So it was then decided that Callisto's power was enhanced senses, like Daredevil (possibly based on the fact she has always been missing an eye, so VERY MUCH like Daredevil). This "heightened senses" power was then referenced here, in Marauders, as if it truly were her original power and not just some kind of weird retcon.
Kitty now insists on being called "Kate," which does not feel natural for fans who have been following her for about 40 years. Her personality is... I don't even know. In this volume she seems to have gone insane. She is briefly murdered by Shaw, so in theory this whole volume is supposed to be about her taste for revenge. But when she is resurrected, the writers couldn't even keep their own continuity straight. She steps out of her husk and is greeted by Storm, who inexplicably references the tacky-as-fuck knuckle tattoos Kitty gets later in the issue, as if she already had them. In that same issue we watched Kitty --much later, and fully dressed-- go to a tattoo parlor to get the aforementioned knuckle tattoos.
WTF? Storm is not precognitive. The issue was just badly written.
The writers then thought we would cheer when we watched Kitty kiss the female tattoo artist. Without her consent, and without explanation. I am gay, so don't take this review as some homophobic jerk being upset by the idea of characters being gay. No, that is not the problem. I love the inclusion of gay characters like Hulkling and Wiccan.
No, THIS WAS JUST POORLY WRITTEN.
Kitty isn't allowed to have a proper coming out story. We don't watch her struggle with the question of whether she might be gay/bi/trans/queer/whatever. We don't watch her confide in her closest friends or former love interests (Colossus, Magik, Nightcrawler, or Rachel Summers would all make sense). We don't get to see her say the words, whether out of pride or shame.
No, we just watch her engage in some girl-on-girl kissage, seemingly for the titillation of fans, without any depth of meaning or character growth. It wasn't even romantic, because this female tattoo artist doesn't have a name, and wasn't given the chance to consent to the kiss. If anything this was a step BACKWARD for queer representation, because it showed a queer person taking advantage of a --possibly-- straight woman against her will. And yet it was drawn in such a manner that fans were supposed to be cheering.
*Facepalm* This is not good representation. This was not a thoughtful look at a character deciding later in life that she has secretly had same-sex attraction and was deciding to come to terms with it. This was not a nuanced coda to the Kitty and Colossus romance in which she confesses to Peter that the real reason she left him at the altar is because she was really a lesbian. This wasn't even a romance between Kitty and either Magik or Rachel, her best friends whom have been hinted as possible love interests for her. The writers wink and nudge at this possibility by having Kitty wave to the other women, but they aren't allowed to have meaningful conversations about the nature of their relationships.
This was exploitative as Hell, and I am furious with Marvel for how they are handling it.
September 7, 2021
Of all the new X-Men titles my favorite has been Marauders. It's consistently fun and leaning into the pirate elements of the work Kate Pryde and her crew are undertaking is a big part of that. Gerry Duggan clearly knows his way around the Marvel Universe and Pyro aside has created a fun cast of characters that bounce off each other well. I particularly love Emma Frost's role as slighted, instigator in chief and Lockheed as the small, hungry, agent of chaos I've loved since the Chris Claremont era.
September 24, 2021
I love Marauders so much. Volume 3 continues playing into Marauders' greatest strength in highlighting the long histories and relationships between its cast. I loved Kate and Emma in issue 16 and Storm and Callisto in issue 17, but issue 20 with the whole crew reminiscing together on the way to the Hellfire Gala was my absolute favorite. For me, Marauders is the best Kate Pryde story since like the eighties and the best Emma Frost story since Grant Morrison.
November 26, 2023
Badass, unapologetically feminist and incredibly still pull the fun out of every corner.
The tribute to Storm was amazing. Kitty and Emma just taking NO shit from Shaw or any other asshat *chefkissingmyass*
The tribute to Storm was amazing. Kitty and Emma just taking NO shit from Shaw or any other asshat *chefkissingmyass*
March 9, 2022
This volume begins with Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost taking revenge on Sebastian Shaw for the murder of Kitty in the previous volume. It feels a little strange how this was postponed by the X of Swords event, and it's kind of impossible not to notice how those crossovers present giant roadblocks that trip up the momentum of a story, even though the issue tries to make a point of how their delayed revenge was unavoidable due to the "importance" of the tournament. Meh. Their vengeance was amusing though, and Shaw deserves nothing less.
The next issue features Callisto imploring Storm to face her in the Crucible so that she can get her mutant powers back. There are some nice moments between the two of them given their rich history. A couple issues dealing with the Marauders trying to help the poor citizens of Madripoor's slums follow, and they're fine enough if somewhat forgettable. There are a few nice moments featuring some of the Morlocks, and it's always great to see Marrow show up.
My favorite issue has the Marauders sailing back to the island where the upcoming Hellfire Gala will be held, and for some reason Storm has decided to leave the group. I don't feel like the reasons for this were explained, unless it occurred in some other title I've not yet read. Everyone at the dinner table recounts their favorite Storm story, and as they relate these tales they wager on how many knives they think Storm has. There were some really fun interactions here.
The last issue kicks off the Hellfire Gala event, and I always enjoy seeing characters from other corners of the Marvel universe interacting with the mutants, especially now with how their status quo has changed in the Hickman era. Seeing Captain America and Doctor Doom tensely rubbing elbows at a diplomatic party is always a good time.
The art by Stefano Caselli and Matteo Lolli is absolutely BEAUTIFUL in this--especially in the Hellfire Gala issue, where Caselli really shines with his outfit designs for the characters as they dress up for this fancy state affair.
On the whole I am enjoying this book though there are definitely aspects of it that are inconsistent, especially with how some of the characters are written. I can't deny that the book is fun, but I wish Gerry Duggan would get a better handle on the characters.
The next issue features Callisto imploring Storm to face her in the Crucible so that she can get her mutant powers back. There are some nice moments between the two of them given their rich history. A couple issues dealing with the Marauders trying to help the poor citizens of Madripoor's slums follow, and they're fine enough if somewhat forgettable. There are a few nice moments featuring some of the Morlocks, and it's always great to see Marrow show up.
My favorite issue has the Marauders sailing back to the island where the upcoming Hellfire Gala will be held, and for some reason Storm has decided to leave the group. I don't feel like the reasons for this were explained, unless it occurred in some other title I've not yet read. Everyone at the dinner table recounts their favorite Storm story, and as they relate these tales they wager on how many knives they think Storm has. There were some really fun interactions here.
The last issue kicks off the Hellfire Gala event, and I always enjoy seeing characters from other corners of the Marvel universe interacting with the mutants, especially now with how their status quo has changed in the Hickman era. Seeing Captain America and Doctor Doom tensely rubbing elbows at a diplomatic party is always a good time.
The art by Stefano Caselli and Matteo Lolli is absolutely BEAUTIFUL in this--especially in the Hellfire Gala issue, where Caselli really shines with his outfit designs for the characters as they dress up for this fancy state affair.
On the whole I am enjoying this book though there are definitely aspects of it that are inconsistent, especially with how some of the characters are written. I can't deny that the book is fun, but I wish Gerry Duggan would get a better handle on the characters.
June 9, 2021
Mantiene un buen nivel, aunque varios numeros se sienten como prologo a la Gala
May 28, 2021
Considering that the core of this book is such an odd team and even more oddly has Kitty (sorry!) Kate Pride and her frenemy Emma Frost at the core of this in an epic shadow power struggle with Sebastian Shaw... I remain amazed at how well it all flows, how many notes it can hit from hilarious to heart-breaking and action-packed.
Arguably the best thing I've read from Gerry Duggan since his mind-bogglingly good run on Deadpool a few years ago.
Still the best thing IMHO from amongst the ongoing X-books and highly recommended for all.
Arguably the best thing I've read from Gerry Duggan since his mind-bogglingly good run on Deadpool a few years ago.
Still the best thing IMHO from amongst the ongoing X-books and highly recommended for all.
Read
January 9, 2022The art seems wobblier than before, especially on the not terribly good King In Black issue. But it remains enormous fun to see Kate Pryde, Emma Frost et al royally fucking up traitors, slavers, property developers, and anyone else who sets themselves against mutantdom or the world's other oppressed. I found the last issue here particularly moving, centred as it is on the team's memories of Ororo, and their bets on just how many knives she routinely has about her person.
January 29, 2022
Swashbuckling...kinda.
Corporate shell company games...sorta
Morlocks doing Morlock stuff.....definitely
Kate is back and Shaw learns what happens when you don't bet on Red. Marauders plays it loose with the histories and relationships of these characters. If you've been reading X-titles for a long time, some thing may seem WAY out of character. Other bits they've done? Totally ignored.
Bonus: Storm and her knives
Corporate shell company games...sorta
Morlocks doing Morlock stuff.....definitely
Kate is back and Shaw learns what happens when you don't bet on Red. Marauders plays it loose with the histories and relationships of these characters. If you've been reading X-titles for a long time, some thing may seem WAY out of character. Other bits they've done? Totally ignored.
Bonus: Storm and her knives
March 18, 2024
A fantastic first issue gives way to an interesting if disjointed series of tales involving Madripoor, the King In Black, Morlocks, and reminiscing with Storm. Hopefully the next trade will wrap up the run nicely … but first, off to the Hellfire Gala!
July 31, 2024
This just felt way too disconnected to me probably because there are many ties to other X-Men books that I haven‘t read. To me it was just quite disappointing that this book can‘t really stand on it‘s own.
August 3, 2022
Kind of "ho-hum" overall. There's a lot of good stuff here, but it's mixed in with a lot of rather dull stuff, too. Very scattershot. Plus the art is quite variable from one issue to the next.
July 29, 2021
So far, the Marauders have been, consistently, the best book out of Hickman’s run. While the core X-Men book lacks direction and soul, this title has to spare.
June 20, 2021
Started strong but then lost direction a little bit. Set like after they dealt with Shaw it was just some filler to hold over until the Gala. Still good, though.
May 17, 2022
I’m actually getting a bit underwhelmed by this book now. More than anything, it feels like it’s kind of floundering, and I’m almost forgetting what made the first two volumes so thrilling. That said, the first issue of this arc is incredibly satisfying with Kate and Emma finally confronting Shaw. There are moments of genuine catharsis, and even some really well done physical humor. I also love the moment when Emma corrects Shaw to call Kate by the proper name.
From there, though, it’s hit or miss. The Callisto issue is mostly a hit, though as someone who has never cared for the character, it fell slightly flat for me, despite being really well done. The King in Black tie-in was pretty pointless. The story itself could have been set against any number of backdrops and still made sense. Again, it was fine, but nothing exceptional.
The Madripoor stuff is kind of interesting. I like the games that Emma is playing with Charles and Eric. I also like seeing the mutants be a force for good to help people through Krakoa. Verendi still bothers me because those kids are dumb and obnoxious, and it’s also a little bureaucratic with its approach to villainy. It creates decent tension, though, and I immediately knew that the bar brawl was more about public perception than an actual attack on anyone. The Morlocks’ role is also interesting. Masque learns a positive application of his powers and some others come to call Madripoor home. It’s fine, it just didn’t really get me excited.
Issue 20 says farewell to Storm before she gets a big new focus in the Planet-Size Hellfire Gala special. I don’t know if it was this issue or the one where she stole the sword from Wakanda that had people saying it was the best Storm comic in recent history, but neither one landed for me. This one had some nice moments of nostalgia and little things that made me go, “Oh, that Storm. She DOES do things like carry a ton of knives around with her.” Which can be cute and fun, but does not necessarily mean it’s a great issue for the character.
I think what bothered me the most in this volume was the art. Stefano Caselli seemed to be all over the place a little bit with respect to quality and consistency. Matteo Lolli has done other issues, but it felt off in this volume. Again, the King in Black issue by Luke Ross was a low point. Especially when all of these artists are being directly compared to the Russell Dauterman covers, it makes everything look worse. And yes, Dauterman is losing a little bit of his edge that initially made me fall in love with every single drawing he did, but his impeccable flair for character design still sets him head and shoulders above the rest of the art in this volume.
Honestly, I think I’m glad Storm is leaving the book. It seems due for a shakeup, and I’m excited to see where it lands before the forthcoming relaunch.
From there, though, it’s hit or miss. The Callisto issue is mostly a hit, though as someone who has never cared for the character, it fell slightly flat for me, despite being really well done. The King in Black tie-in was pretty pointless. The story itself could have been set against any number of backdrops and still made sense. Again, it was fine, but nothing exceptional.
The Madripoor stuff is kind of interesting. I like the games that Emma is playing with Charles and Eric. I also like seeing the mutants be a force for good to help people through Krakoa. Verendi still bothers me because those kids are dumb and obnoxious, and it’s also a little bureaucratic with its approach to villainy. It creates decent tension, though, and I immediately knew that the bar brawl was more about public perception than an actual attack on anyone. The Morlocks’ role is also interesting. Masque learns a positive application of his powers and some others come to call Madripoor home. It’s fine, it just didn’t really get me excited.
Issue 20 says farewell to Storm before she gets a big new focus in the Planet-Size Hellfire Gala special. I don’t know if it was this issue or the one where she stole the sword from Wakanda that had people saying it was the best Storm comic in recent history, but neither one landed for me. This one had some nice moments of nostalgia and little things that made me go, “Oh, that Storm. She DOES do things like carry a ton of knives around with her.” Which can be cute and fun, but does not necessarily mean it’s a great issue for the character.
I think what bothered me the most in this volume was the art. Stefano Caselli seemed to be all over the place a little bit with respect to quality and consistency. Matteo Lolli has done other issues, but it felt off in this volume. Again, the King in Black issue by Luke Ross was a low point. Especially when all of these artists are being directly compared to the Russell Dauterman covers, it makes everything look worse. And yes, Dauterman is losing a little bit of his edge that initially made me fall in love with every single drawing he did, but his impeccable flair for character design still sets him head and shoulders above the rest of the art in this volume.
Honestly, I think I’m glad Storm is leaving the book. It seems due for a shakeup, and I’m excited to see where it lands before the forthcoming relaunch.
October 11, 2021
How is this title still one of the best in the relaunch of the X-Books? I can't get over how good it always is!
Taking place after the end of "X of Swords", and heading into the events of the "Hellfire Gala"... highlights:
- Kate Pryde and Emma Frost (with approval from Storm) totally beat the crap out of Sebastian Shaw for his murder of Kate, hurting of Lockheed, and all the crazy things he's been doing with his part of the Hellfire Trading Company. He loses his mutant power AND an eye.
- Callisto, having lost her powers years before in "House of M", decides to run The Crucible, a gauntlet where she battles to prove that she deserves to be killed and resurrected with her powers restored.
- As part of the King in Black crossover, we see the team capturing a ship full of humans being trafficked. While the battle against Knull rages on, the humans are kept on Island M to rest and recover.
- The Hellfire Trading Co is buying up huge portions of LowTown in Madripoor, which is earning them the ire of Homines Verendi. In response, Verendi sends a new batch of Reavers to fight. When they have been defeated (with the help of the Morlocks), LowTown starts becoming known as MutieTown
- On the boat ride to the place where the Gala will be held, the entire team reminisces about Storm and her life (apparently Storm is leaving the Marauders? Possibly going back to X-Men?) Shows off so many great traits about Storm.
Can't wait to read this Gala. I've heard rumors... But I need to catch up on the other titles first.
Strong recommend.
Taking place after the end of "X of Swords", and heading into the events of the "Hellfire Gala"... highlights:
- Kate Pryde and Emma Frost (with approval from Storm) totally beat the crap out of Sebastian Shaw for his murder of Kate, hurting of Lockheed, and all the crazy things he's been doing with his part of the Hellfire Trading Company. He loses his mutant power AND an eye.
- Callisto, having lost her powers years before in "House of M", decides to run The Crucible, a gauntlet where she battles to prove that she deserves to be killed and resurrected with her powers restored.
- As part of the King in Black crossover, we see the team capturing a ship full of humans being trafficked. While the battle against Knull rages on, the humans are kept on Island M to rest and recover.
- The Hellfire Trading Co is buying up huge portions of LowTown in Madripoor, which is earning them the ire of Homines Verendi. In response, Verendi sends a new batch of Reavers to fight. When they have been defeated (with the help of the Morlocks), LowTown starts becoming known as MutieTown
- On the boat ride to the place where the Gala will be held, the entire team reminisces about Storm and her life (apparently Storm is leaving the Marauders? Possibly going back to X-Men?) Shows off so many great traits about Storm.
Can't wait to read this Gala. I've heard rumors... But I need to catch up on the other titles first.
Strong recommend.
March 7, 2023
This volume of Duggan's Marauders run flounders a little, but overall was a fun read and I found myself mostly looking forwad to each issue on my "Reign of X" reading order. In the post-X of Swords era, the Marauders find themselves dealing with Verandi's control over Madripoor. There's a fun issue where Callisto enlists the help of the Morlocks to wage a battle against a new team of Reavers in Lowtown and Callisto undergoes the Crucible with Storm. The character mix of the Marauders are probably amongst the most fun of all the X-teams, and most of them get some decent amount of time to shine. The King in Black tie-in was also a fairly strong issue, which feels worth pointing out given how many of the tie-ins were quite boring.
The biggest issue with this volume of Marauders is that it does feel like the overall story is directionless. There's some interesting stuff being seeded for plots in Madripoor, but it sort of feels like the editorial had little to no idea where any of this is going. There's a tease for the Hellfire Gala at the end, but the series does very little to explain what that even is. The rudderless quality to this book is quite frustrating, especially given how fun the series could be if allowed to cultivate more interesting subplots.
The biggest issue with this volume of Marauders is that it does feel like the overall story is directionless. There's some interesting stuff being seeded for plots in Madripoor, but it sort of feels like the editorial had little to no idea where any of this is going. There's a tease for the Hellfire Gala at the end, but the series does very little to explain what that even is. The rudderless quality to this book is quite frustrating, especially given how fun the series could be if allowed to cultivate more interesting subplots.
April 28, 2022
This is one of the few X books I can stand reading since Hickman took over, since it features characters I enjoy, and is in some ways tangential to the whole nation building element. I missed a couple of issues because of an event, but since I don't care to read more than one other book, in general, I have accepted that things will happen, and I will just have to figure them out. This volume is cut through by a few events, but for the most part, they happen in the background, and this at least has moments that showcase some of the kindness in the X-Men, which has been largely absent since Hickman revamped things. I am an old school fan of Xavier's dream, which is long lost, so seeing X-Men behaving morally is something I quite enjoyed. In the end, I expect that having the events across this volume actually improved the experience for me, because it made for smaller stories that went for one or two issues, and as a consequence, had less to do with the main X-Men story that I'm not enjoying. Instead, they featured characters I liked behaving kind of like I would like them to.
August 18, 2021
The Marauders continue their fight for Madripoor whilst also having to contend with symbiotically infused dragons.
What I liked -
The adventures of the Marauders continues to be fun and action packed. Duggan and co have the perfect blend of politics, action and heart. I enjoy how you have Emma and Kate running things behind the scenes and gaining more and more control whilst characters such as Pyro and Iceman get to be the forefront. It’s a great blend and keeps the title fresh.
What I disliked -
After the events of Shaw’s demise the middle issues before the Gala feel tacked on. They’re essentially filler to show what the Marauders are doing but they aren’t the most thrilling tales. As with most X titles if you’re not reading them all then elements/ characters feel added and confusing. The tie in to King in Black was serviceable but wholly unnecessary.
3/5.
What I liked -
The adventures of the Marauders continues to be fun and action packed. Duggan and co have the perfect blend of politics, action and heart. I enjoy how you have Emma and Kate running things behind the scenes and gaining more and more control whilst characters such as Pyro and Iceman get to be the forefront. It’s a great blend and keeps the title fresh.
What I disliked -
After the events of Shaw’s demise the middle issues before the Gala feel tacked on. They’re essentially filler to show what the Marauders are doing but they aren’t the most thrilling tales. As with most X titles if you’re not reading them all then elements/ characters feel added and confusing. The tie in to King in Black was serviceable but wholly unnecessary.
3/5.
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