Excalibur [02]: A Tower of Flowers SPOILERS

[Mutant X]

All the magic stuff is interesting and engaging.
But character development and interactions are failing hard.
Maybe a more experienced writer would handle the team better.

On the other hand, To art is awesome.

[Filthy Mutie]

I don't mind the "mismatch" of non-magic characters in a magic-themed book that's supposed to be more adventurous in tone. I like that they're together out of circumstance, or coincidence, although I wonder if any of the council or the captains know about this seemingly important security issue.

I think a team full of magi going on about magic would get into the dry "hard sci-fi" territory of previous Hickman Marvel work. It also runs the risk of being like a team full of Omega mutants. The team collectively knows everything and do do everything--that's not very interesting.

Such a book would need deeper, wider moral dilemmas to work, too, like X-Force books, and that might pull it out of that "adventurous" tone.

[spirit2011]

The reader has to assume:
Betsy can't get back to Brian and Morganna through the portal Brian used in #1 so she goes back to her ancestral home for an alternate way?
Gambit's tagging along cuz Morganna is the cause for Rogue's curse?

Might have to dock this down to 3/10.

Yeah we don't know the reason. editors should have catch this

[Veitha]

All the magic stuff is interesting and engaging.
But character development and interactions are failing hard.
Maybe a more experienced writer would handle the team better.

On the other hand, To art is awesome.

Exactly my feelings. Magic stuff, Otherworld and Apoc connections are super interesting. But I couldn't tolerate the characters here, and I love Betsy.

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

Ok, definitely a bit of a filler/set-up issue here...[I]but[I], that said, it is addressing some pretty important things:

--The relationship between Betsy's two heritages, mutant and British; it's obviously important to her to retain both and not put one above the other, "My family's homeland" was a pretty striking line for me, and I especially loved how the Krakoan gate needed permission from the druids to properly flower. That was nice, that was on equal terms! Like a real good vibe for human-mutant relations there! That's a good step forward!

--Shogo and his status on Krakoa; it's interesting to see this from Jubilee's POV, how she's terrified that her son being human puts him in danger by default and it is good to see that, despite the political arrangement, people aren't just sweeping past ills under the rug. Apocalypse even gets called on this for how callously he abandoned his own damn coven! It's an interesting set-up and I think that's where the bulk of the tension was supposed to come from in this issue?

--Gambit and Rogue. Ok, Gambit is coming off a little one note...but it is interesting to see that, after so many years of Gambit just squashing his emotions up into a ball that gets him in trouble...he's actually starting to verbalise things. In the past, his standoffishness made him a prime target for people to point and say "Hey! You're too chill, I don't trust you!" so, even if it's new for him, at least he does have all his cards on the table for once? Maybe that's why he's coming off like that, because he's never let himself be quite so vulnerable, emotionally?

Hard to say; I'm gonna keep following this Betsy, Jubilee, Shogo, Rogue and Gambit. I love these guys too much to abandon them; also for the hope that someone turns around and calls Apocalypse on his colonising-y attitude. I don't care if 'everyone else has done it,' in this day and age it's a double standard if he gets away with it.


Also, just another thought: I wonder if the narrative feels so rushed because, like...it has to be?

Like, in classic issues, usually there might have been more of a point to say, show who Shogo had been left with? Then, consequently show Jubilee going to get him and then voice her concerns there and thus add to the narrative? I was wondering why they didn't do something like that and then remembered that I haven't seen Excalibur in the February 2020 solicitations? Maybe they don't have the luxury of taking their time?

[Anduinel]

The book was fine, but was definitely compressed. Howard is trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Gambit's dialog was a little annoying. The worrying and Krakoan gate stuff was a little grating--like the problem existed to just create a reason for Shogo to get to the lighthouse, and then into Otherworld. I hope the rest of the book can just breathe, because it's otherwise fine and promising. Still in my pull list.

I enjoyed the book, but I do agree that Tini is heavily front-loading the new mythology at the expense of some of the characters. Betsy and Poccy are getting some good moments and I think it's interesting to see Jubilee's fears for her human kid surrounded by mutant villains, despite Krakoa's amnesty policy. Girl's no idiot. But we're a third of the way through the first arc and Rogue is largely a quest object, Gambit has 1.5 character traits, and Rictor won't even be showing up until next issue. But the art is gorgeous, and I'm really liking what's going with Bets and Apocalypse. So, mixed bag on an objective level, but the parts that are landing are working for me big time, so I'm keeping this on my pull list.

[JB]

...{}A{}... steals the show again. Love his hammer and the "I will watch the child as well", his hand ready to receive.

I like all of the magic elements, and I like that it's a bit all over the place with dream sequences, etc. Clearly the lighthouse is a magical, strange place. I like Nature Girl's cousins. Things just need to be written a bit tighter and yeah, Gambit's voice is tough to read. But I enjoyed Betsy, ...A... and Jubes, and Shogo the Dragon Lord.

[Su_Whisterfield]

That was adorable. Shogo has good taste.

[Fokken]

How many butt shots did we get for Remy this ish?
Bare or otherwise.


lol

[Maestroneto]

So I think going by the first 2 issues. And the interviews that the editors and writers have had:

Tini definitely wanted to write Apocalypse.

She told us the Betsy was suggested to her. (Which makes sense in an Excalibur book and editorial is definitely pushing to make sure Betsy/'Kwannon' are viewed differently)

Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor are not her priority.

This is just my opinion.

We know that Tini is working closely with Jonathan Hickman so I think all things Apocalypse are gonna play a huge role down the line.

So what she needs to do is get Rogue and Gambits greatest hits and get a little more in tune with their voices.

She needs to make sure each charcters get some spotlight in each issue. (Doesnt have to be big) Jubilee and Gambit have been doing the same thing for 2 issues.

I want this book to succeed because bias I love me my Betsy.

And I actually do want to see her interactions with Gambit, Rogue, Apoc, and Jubilee.

Although I do think her and Gambit did have a good moment in this issue.

Howard has said in interviews that Jubilee and Rictor are her favourite characters.

[Havok83]

Kitty was an a-hole in this issue to Gambit. So incredibly insensitive

Howard has said in interviews that Jubilee and Rictor are her favourite characters.

they still arent her priority like CGAR said. We've seen plenty of times a writer say a character is their favorite and then not to much with them or worse, write them horribly (Rosenberg, Im looking at you)

[tuck frump]

Kitty was an a-hole in this issue to Gambit. So incredibly insensitive

Right it's a shame Tini has better graasp on her voice than the members of the cast.

[The Quiet Councilor]

Fam, I enjoyed this issue, but the art is so goddess-damned dull. This book needs an Emma Rios or Mike Del Mundo. I just can’t get down with the generic aesthetic we got going right now. To gotta go.

[Godlike13]

A bit of a snoozer. Apocalypse seems oddly placed in this book.

[powerpax]

The story is fun but very cluttered/random, and I'm sure there is mythological significance to the food and such in Betsy's dream that I don't understand but on top of everything else it just feels random. I'm still not sold on the makeup of this team beyond Betsy and A-Dog. And yes, as I said before y'all bandwagoned (with love) I find To's art too clean/generic for this book. I hope it picks up.