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  1. #1
    Extraordinary Member CGAR's Avatar
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    Default Excalibur [13]: Swords of X chapter 9 review *spoilers*

    Screen Shot 2020-10-21 at 6.15.23 AM.jpg Screen Shot 2020-10-21 at 6.16.01 AM.jpg

    Starting from where the previews we last saw the Braddock brothers are flying in on the griffins to meet Betsy and Saturnyne.

    This is post battle after Saturnyne puts everything on hold and they are all on the sword finding quests.

    Thoughts: Alright two nitpick things I have to get off my mind is the colorist Nolan Woodard did not get the Captain Britain suit correct or Betsy’s hair but moving on.

    As we all know Betsy is frustrated that Brian has the SoM but we know he brought it because it was in the prophecy.

    The twins are having a discussion about the Captain Britain role and Brian makes it seem like it was a simple favor and that Betsy was there for him when he couldn’t wield the amulet.

    Saturnyne really dislikes Betsy and is pleased to see Brian. She calls Jamie babbling mad and that it’s a shame. Although Jamie still tries to get her to be his bedfellow.

    As others have noted it was fun seeing Jamie Braddock with Sinisters cape.

    Thoughts: This colorist really needs to look at references. Saturnyne’s jewels being red bugs me but that’s just the nitpicks.

    Saturnyne takes them to a memorial of the Captain Britains to honor what is gone.

    Betsy mentions that they have a Corps. Lady Opal Luna Saturnyne. I’m just going to call her LOLS now. Basically, she calls them a fraud and says they are locked away and taken care of because she thinks that they have to make the choice between SoM and the amulet. They can’t just be given the role.

    If you haven’t been reading Excalibur. Betsy’s brother Jamie is a reality warper who has been making incursions. And he created 4 new Captain Britains. Alt versions of Rictor, Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee. And no, the 616 versions don’t show up this issue.

    We get first mention of the Starlight Sword; the sword created within the walls of the Starlight Citadel and the one they must acquire since they already have the SoM.

    LOLS mentions that Betsy is being difficult and that she’s been worn thin lately and it’s exhausting her. That she is not cut out to be in this role. That she is more of a lurker of the shadows and not inclined toward heroics.

    Thoughts: Ok for someone that can see a lot she really doesnt know Betsy at all. Please sit down .

    Brian goes to confront Betsy. Betsy keeps wanting him to draw the SoM but he does not want to draw the sword because he doesn’t know that role and doesn’t want to draw it in anger.

    Betsy is really going in on him. So underlying frustration we aren’t aware of as of yet. She gets mad because she says he wants his damn job back. He tells her that yes he never expected her to do it forever. And that it is a job. He doesn’t understand why she wants the role if her country is Krakoa.

    And we finally get her statement that maybe she wants this role forever. And tells him to pick up his sword but he does not want to fight. He succumbs because she is so annoyingly adamant about fighting.

    She says that its an honor to be CB and that Brian is not owed anything. Brian tells her that neither is she and least of all this CB role.

    Thoughts: I really do agree with this. He told her to take the amulet as to protect her from the situation in the moment and now she wants to act like its hers.

    The fight is interrupted by LOLS

    Cut to a scene where Jamie is asleep in bed but approach by the CB’s he created. He is sentenced to death by the fraud CB Core team. It seems like Saturnyne is playing some sort of game by releasing them. Betsy and Brian hear this commotion and head to his chambers.

    As they approach the room Brian says he needs a weapon and Betsy throws him the SoM because she has her TK sword.

    They get to the room and Jamie is handling the team. He’s pissed and says now he has to kill them all.

    Thoughts: Brian makes a comment about how they aren’t even British which made me chuckle.

    Betsy tells him to put them down or she make him. And he gets all alpha and tells her if she she tries she’ll be up there with them.

    So he kills one out of spite and to even the playing field. 3 against 3. Bye Captain Britain Jubilee. The rest of the alts get mad at this and are prepared to attack and as the Braddocks run to the foyer alt Gambit tries to blast Jamie but Brian blocks it with the SoM. And since he drew the sword he changes and Jamie dubs him Captain Avalon.

    Thoughts: I actually like this name and design.

    Saturnyne appears and calls this Captain Avalon heresy. She’s fed up with Betsy and snatches the amulet away from her. And says that Brian will get it when he falls in line. Betsy gets pissed and uses her TK to destroy it.

    Saturnyne sends Betsy to the cells with the other alts and asks Brian to escort her to her chambers.

    Jamie helps her escape the cells and they go to see what’s going on with Brian.

    Saturnyne took Brian back to her chambers because A) obviously she wants him and B) discuss the Starlight Sword. She says that choosing the amulet or SoM was something from the past of Merlin and Roma’s time. Now that she’s head of the citadel she doesn’t need that anymore.

    She wants him to leave the SoM and become CB with the Starlight Sword.

    So this ends up being a plan of sorts. Saturnyne distracted because she kisses Brian. Betsy gets the Starlight Sword. And Betsy has known that Saturnyne’s manipulations have been to cause conflict with the siblings.

    Saturnyne yields and looks forward to more mind games and another round.

    Brian and Betsy leave the citadel and head to the champions circle.

    No mention of why Brian is allowed but I’m ok with him being there.

    Thoughts: Honestly not a bad issue. Betsy’s arc is off putting at times. And she does come off like the entitled princess that Tini wants her to be but this chapter moved the XoS story along well. But there is so much more insight I want from Betsy that I hope we end up getting. I do love the Braddock sibling dynamic though.
    Last edited by CGAR; 10-21-2020 at 06:28 AM.

  2. #2
    Extraordinary Member Glio's Avatar
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    It's as if Tini Howard gave you point A and point D and waits for you to invent B and C along the way to join them.

    It was a frustrating read.

  3. #3
    Extraordinary Member CGAR's Avatar
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    I think this is where writers like to say that they "trust the reader".

    Also I don't disagree with you but I'm trying to stay positive today.

    Anyone else please feel free to add anything I may have missed or add your reviews.

  4. #4
    Extraordinary Member Purplevit's Avatar
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    The lowest issue of Swords and I am not surprised. Just bad writing with a beautiful art.

    Funny that Tini forgot that Gambit and Rogue were on Citadel too. Or maybe something happened to them off panel like everything in is this book.

  5. #5
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    Speaking as someone who has not been reading Excalibur and who only bought this issue because of the crossover, it gave me 0 reason to check out the series after X of Swords is over and I feel I could have skipped it.

  6. #6
    Astonishing Member Frobisher's Avatar
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    Read twice and still don’t get at what point the plan was concocted, or by who. Also, having the Braddocks say “bloody” occasionally doesn’t really make up for their for their dialogue being peppered with Americanisms.

    I think CB Rogue’s only line was “Death to Mad King Braddock”, which is not the most Rogue-like thing I’ve ever read, haw haw. Is it actually a version of her or just some kind of pronouncement barking plot device?

  7. #7
    Cosmic Sandwich Metal Sphere's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glio View Post
    It's as if Tini Howard gave you point A and point D and waits for you to invent B and C along the way to join them.

    It was a frustrating read.
    I dropped this book a while back and but I've been picking up all the XoS stuff to follow the story, and my goodness Betsy still isn't better. I thought that maybe I'd missed stuff with her in the previous Excalibur books, but your comment seems like Tini wrote it this way. What exactly is the point of Betsy behaving like this? It sure isn't fun to read, that's for sure.

  8. #8
    Focused Totality Psycwave's Avatar
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    It literally says in the book why she's acting the way she is lol.

    Anyways, I really loved this issue! Betsy Coming face to face with her aggravation and feelings of inadequacy. It was a really nice spotlight on her and Brian is kind of a jerk for just assuming she'd take the sword. Betsy's broken butterfly effect that's been showing up throughout this series is getting bigger and bigger. Whatever interpersonal issues she's dealing with are really holding her back so I'm excited to see the rise from this state.

    Silva's art was great; I especially loved the page with Jamie holding the Corps members along his strings. Brian's new name and suit are niiiiice. I'm so ready for Stasis and then to get onto the battles!

  9. #9
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    This issue was not as interesting as last week issues.

    Who the heck is Captain Britain corps? Are they the real thing or alternate reality of Rogue, Jubilee, Rictor and gang?

  10. #10
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    Initially, I was like "This is dumb" but when it came to the Saturnyne/Brian scene I was like "OHHH! This is actually smart." but then I started thinking over the story beats that lead to that moment and I turned back around to "This is really dumb." Cause the plot points don't really support the direction they're suggesting.

  11. #11
    Extraordinary Member CGAR's Avatar
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    Alright you guys. What parts of this issue were a good for you?

    I really like RB Silva's art. Always.

    I also like that we got more of Saturnyne's manipulations and character.

    Also interested in the Braddocks having Avalon now. I wonder what happened to King Arthur.

  12. #12

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    The art was good at least. I like Jamie's new costume. Um..., yeah the writing was all over the place.

    Saturnyne's characterization was so different from Chapter 1. Her plan was to seduce Brian to get him to take up the Starlight Sword? That seems really clumsy and basic for the Omniversal Majestrix. Can Sat-Yr-9 kill her and take her place like she did with Courtney Ross?

  13. #13
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    Rip British jubilee, her shades were cool

  14. #14
    Astonishing Member ChronoRogue's Avatar
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    tfw your favorite characters are being held hostage in a book written by a writer that doesn't care about them.

    The X-Office just needs to be honest and make this a Betsy/Apocalypse duo book like Tini wants so I can finally read something else with Rogue and Gambit in it. Or let them in limbo and not pretend like they are being given focus.

  15. #15
    Astonishing Member Ra-El's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by magenta View Post
    The art was good at least. I like Jamie's new costume. Um..., yeah the writing was all over the place.

    Saturnyne's characterization was so different from Chapter 1. Her plan was to seduce Brian to get him to take up the Starlight Sword? That seems really clumsy and basic for the Omniversal Majestrix. Can Sat-Yr-9 kill her and take her place like she did with Courtney Ross?
    Kind of give me the impression that this whole XoS and profecies is just a part of Saturnine goal of banging Brian...

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