Page 1 of 19 1234511 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 282
  1. #1
    Extraordinary Member CGAR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    5,382

    Default Excalibur [02]: A Tower of Flowers SPOILERS

    They are sailing to the lighthouse

    Starting from the previews the team of Kate, Betsy, Jubilee and Gambit are attacked by the Selkies. Which are a sort of magi seal people. Thought they were mermaids but they weren’t.

    Betsy lures them away because they almost overrun the ship. ( I still don’t get why the X-Men aren’t using their jets and planes in this DoX era )

    Once they get to land the seal people can’t attack because they can’t walk on land. They are having a difficult time finding the lighthouse.

    We learn Marianna Stern and the Coven Akkaba destroyed the lighthouse.

    Morgan La Fey really has it out for the Braddocks.

    Another group of druids are protectors of the land and show Betsy this because she is a ‘seer’.

    They recognize that she is Captain Britain and a protector. The way the leader of the druids says “We will let the earth here bear the fruits of Krakoa,” makes me think they did something that allowed Krakoa Rogue to create a whole new lighthouse. (Yes, she is still in slumber) And she is at the top of the lighthouse. Like a blue light.

    Gambit is frustrated because of whats going on with Rogue and doesn’t want to leave her side. Jubilee wants to go get Shogo. (She has a nightmare that Apocalypse is active looking for her human child on Krakoa). She wakes up and makes a gate just to go get Shogo.

    Betsy has a dream where the wolf with the broadsword shows up and leads her to a statue of Apocalypse which has two plates stating “He will use us, we can use him.”

    The druids of the land come back to speak to Betsy to seek her aide. Coven Akkaba is a threat and as they are having this conversation. Guess who shows up. COVEN AKKABA.

    As they are battling it out. ( I think this was my favorite part) Apocalypse and Betsy are having a psy conversation about what is going on.

    He clarifies that Coven Akkaba were the human servants who ended up thinking they were just as good as mutants because they know magic. And you know Apocalypse was having none of that nonsense. So he rejected them.

    Betsy accuses Apocalypse of putting that gate in otherworld to provoke Morgan. And he just says that the “gate is a spark of a cleansing flame”

    He keeps imploring her to go save her brother for some reason.

    But she states she won’t leave when her family land is being attacked. And Rogue is there.

    So in like the most bad ass scene Apocalypse is like “I shall defend it”.

    Comes through the Krakoa portal that Jubilee created earlier in the issue and just blasts the fawke out of Coven Akkaba. I don’t know if they are all dead.

    Once again Apocalypse is like go get your brother. The longer they wait the more change and influence he will suffer.

    Jubilee, Betsy and Gambit teleport to Otherworld and come face to face with a big dragon.

    End.

    I really like this issue. Even though the artist is the same I like the art here better than issue one.

    Actually issue 2 starts moving the story a long quickly. And delves into many of the questions we may have had in issue one.

    I really like the pacing but it may not be for everyone.

    I'm really digging the Betsy/Apocalypse dynamic.

    Gambit and Jubilee are kind of just there which I know many on these boards will not like but I'm hoping the writer gives them their moment to shine soon.
    Last edited by CGAR; 11-20-2019 at 07:04 AM.

  2. #2
    BANNED
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    3,246

    Default

    Howard's dialogue makes me dislike nearly anyone here. Really doesn't go well with me. Art is good and so are the concepts, but making me angry at poor Gambit is a sin. He's nearly insufferable.

    5/10. Better luck next issue.

  3. #3
    Astonishing Member Knives's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    4,774

    Default

    Apocalypse is hiding something but I believe he really wants to help Betsy and the others.

    Well, I don't blame Jubillee for having trouble with Apocalypse in Krakoa (though I'm more afraid of Sinister).

    Gambit in a bad mood is a rare sight to see and it is usually him who makes the jokes while the others get nervous with him so I appreciate the change despite Rogue's situation.

    Considering the final scene we can get an idea how far this journey with magic and myths can go .

    Rank 8 of 10.

  4. #4
    Extraordinary Member Purplevit's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    9,179

    Default

    It wasn't good at all. Probably as bad for me as X-Men 2.

    Art is the only good thing about it.
    Really sad. I want to like this book and it to be good but Tini's voice and characterization is bad.

    Not expecting anything good from futher issues. Probably need to stop supporting it.

  5. #5
    Mighty Member Hi-Fi's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    1,735

    Default

    Yeah, this was boring again. Gambit and Jubilee are both so one-note, even though we had like 20 pages with only 3 characters to make them pop. If only I was engaged by the story. It's not that it's bad, it's just not interesting to me. Also, why are these people doing everything Apocalypse asks them to? Why did they take Rogue there? It's weird that we got so much exposition this issue yet this wasn't adressed? Or maybe I missed it?

    Art was great, though!

  6. #6
    Extraordinary Member CGAR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    5,382

    Default

    Can't really speak on Gambit. But Jubilee seems to be the same since Brian Woods run.

    I find this way more enjoyable than X-Men.

    But I get it that everyone has their own tastes.

    I'm excited to see where it heads but I do see a lot of the concerns people have with dialogue and character choices.
    Last edited by CGAR; 11-20-2019 at 07:26 AM.

  7. #7
    spit and hades! Andru's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    2,598

    Default

    I hate being negative...but this issue was un-readable for me. The writing came off very amateur and hard to follow in any sensible way.

    On a positive note, the art was quite nice! But not nice enough to save a scatter-brained plot.

    I was looking forward to Rictor, but I think I am dropping out.

  8. #8
    Astonishing Member Veitha's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    4,418

    Default

    It was kind of good, but kind of not. Art is great, but it was a bit boring at times for me. I like the druids and selkies and such though. I'm not really liking Apoc here.

  9. #9
    Master of Magnetism Magneto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Québec
    Posts
    1,523

    Default

    Kinda agree with most users, I didn't like this issue very much. The dialogue just doesn't work IMO. Art is very good tho.

  10. #10
    BANNED
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    3,493

    Default

    That was a chore. Everything and everyone except Apocalypse is just blah.

  11. #11
    Extraordinary Member Glio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    6,187

    Default

    The 90's Cyclops mind has been introduced in Gambit #PlotTwist

  12. #12
    Astonishing Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    4,500

    Default

    Did shogo become a dragon ?dose that mean jubliee is targaryen ?

  13. #13
    Incredible Member FIGHT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    743

    Default

    What made me go ? was the dream with Cap Brit. Not sure who the wolf with the sword was but if I understand correctly the massage was Apoc was using them but they can also use him in a way. lol

    I still liked it tho. I think its clear the Apoc was the one who put the gate in otherworld and started all this conflict so he can somehow take the magical power of that realm for himself.
    I only continue to read X-books because I don't spend any money on it.

  14. #14
    Incredible Member FIGHT's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    743

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dthirds3 View Post
    Did shogo become a dragon ?dose that mean jubliee is targaryen ?
    Lmao. What was up was up with Shogo becoming a pokemon. Saying his name all the damn time.... I guess he evolved at the end of the issue.
    I only continue to read X-books because I don't spend any money on it.

  15. #15
    Mighty Member Malachi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    1,879

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Andru View Post
    I hate being negative...but this issue was un-readable for me. The writing came off very amateur and hard to follow in any sensible way.

    On a positive note, the art was quite nice! But not nice enough to save a scatter-brained plot.

    I was looking forward to Rictor, but I think I am dropping out.
    I believe that if we got to look at Tini's six issue plot(or the number her first arc is) then it probably would look ok. Even great or amazing.

    Dialouge and characterisation on the other hand is just dreadful so far. Gambit has no character, he can't seem to go one sentence without saying Rogue. Jubilee is the same with Shogo. While one might defend this and say that how is people would be then I simply have one thing to say. Who thought it would be fun to read? It's all on Tini, she made these choices. For her first 2 issues. When she needs to build goodwill and entice readers. Not test them for a payoff later on. Comic readers these days are cynics and sparse in number. It's even more important that you deliver a good a first arc. If you get a full first arc that is. It might be cancelled by then.

    The faux setup with Betsy being annoyed at a annoying Gambit just feels contrived since we are annoyed at Gambit but on the other hand Betsy haven't given us a really good reason why Rogue is brought there and in that manner. There are many other ways this could have been arranged. Not 3 people on a small boat with Betsy hoping the connection might spark something. Writting this it seems they are at their wits end and feeling that time is running out. Yet we never get that established. For all we know this is their first option and they just set sail without consulting any other magic user.

    The art is nice but with the exception of Betsy and Apocalypse it doesn't seem to have any impact. Jubilee and Gambit throw out energy there and there but it seems to be mostly a lightshow without any substence. I would like to beileve that bodies would go flying and the gorund would be shattered. Something to make me feel that it's not just pretty.

    I think my frustration is mostly because I know it could be so much better. Knowing that it have to be so much better for us to get a long run. Hickman built up a lot of goodwill but that can dissepear quite fast in todays climate. I hope next issue is dramatically better!

    3/10

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •