Excalibur #24 Review/Spoilers

[JB]

Trial of the Captains Britain.

Probably my favorite issue thus far! Everyone got a little shine and we have some new characters hanging with Excalibur.

We open with the preview of Betsy meeting with the Countexes who are vague with their answers regarding the assassin who came for Excalibur last issue. She leaves, on her way to meet with Death.

Gambit is in the Crooked Market and has started his own little side business of gathering items from Earth and selling/trading them with the locals. With the UK gate unaccessible, there's great demand for Earthly things. He's confronted by Mad Jim Jaspers who warns him not to do business in HIS market. Gambit offers to give him a cut and some English tea. Jaspers uses his powers to turn Gambit into a maid (great look!) who is serving Jaspers tea, saying he can make whatever he wants. Gambit reminds Jim that he too is a mutant and that mutants are targeted right now. Jaspers brushes him saying, "That only matters if you're poor! Which I'm not!" and walks away.

Jubilee and Shogo are in the Floating Kingdom of Romapolis Regina hanging out with Roma. Shogo is flying around enjoying his best life while Roma explains to Jubilee that children have the potential to dream themselves in magic in Otherworld, and that being on Earth ages Shogo and he loses his strength of magical imagination with each passing day. Jubilee admits that among the fae folk is where he might be meant to be but she's not leaving him anytime soon, riding off with him.

Rictor, Shatterstar and Bei are in the former province of Dryador, scouting the desolate, abandoned area to see if anyone has taken residence. Bei notes that nothing has grown on the land, speculating even the land is afraid of Amenth after the place was destroyed. Rictor mentions it has nothing to be afraid of because he will not be opening the door to Amenth out of respect for •-[A]-• and his decision to stay with his wife. Bei and Shatterstar seem to be getting along nicely, as he and Ric are all cute and cuddly.



Betsy is dueling with Death as they discuss the plight of mutants in Otherworld and how war is brewing. Betsy offers to "free" Death if at any time he wants to leave. He says he's fine and says if war comes, he has the mutants' back. Betsy thanks him for the support and mentions that Storm was right about him being a charmer. Then this adorable panel...



Excalibur, including Shatterstar, sit around a campfire just outside the Starlight Citadel. Betsy tells them this might be their last night of peace in the shadow of the Citadel as the Trial of the False Captains Britain is in the morning.

(I'm going to move fast now because a lot happens.)
The trial is for the Gambit, Rogue, and Rictor Captain Britains. They were accused of taking these titles under their own actions and were sentenced, awaiting execution. Betsy demanded an appeal and starts testifying on their behalf when the other Betsy CB Corps bum-rush and grab Merlyn who snuck in. Turns out Arthur is outside the Citadel with an army which includes the Furies. Long story short, they want mutants out and will overthrow the Citadel if they must.

Excalibur meets them outside, words are exchanged between Betsy and Arthur over who is the rightful ruler of Avalon and they start fighting. The Braddock family joins the fight and so does Bei.



Inside, Merlyn reminds Saturnyne of how she once agreed with him about mutants but that she's been woo'd by them. He says, "Every kingdom will have to decide: Are these witchbreed beloved freaks? Or - and this is what I think - an invading species who are taking over a new and unfamiliar world?! Saturnyne is read to throw down with him but he vanishes from the grip of the Corps, saying as he leaves, "Enjoy your war, witchbreed. You have certainly earned it."

Outside the war rages on.

[sensormellow]

omg Rictor and Shatterstar <3333333

And Betsy was TURNING LOOKS.

[JB]

omg Rictor and Shatterstar <3333333

And Betsy was TURNING LOOKS.

Right? She looked amazing when returning to the horse carriage.

[sensormellow]

She was sure and confident and commanding.

Right on time for war.

[JB]

She was sure and confident and commanding.

Right on time for war.

She absolutely was a true leader here. I love when she's with the Corps and fighting alongside her family.

Bring on the war. I can't wait for Death to join the fun.

[sensormellow]

She absolutely was a true leader here. I love when she's with the Corps and fighting alongside her family.

Bring on the war. I can't wait for Death to join the fun.

Loving the big hero moments so close to the finale (also the page where she threatened Arthur - with all of Excalibur + her family and Bei and Shatterstar). Also Death is a simp lol.

[Devaishwarya]

I really enjoyed this issue very much. This is what I've been waiting for.

[Solitaryhawk]

The team roster that I've waited 23 issues to see!!

Trial of the Captains Britain.

[Sutekh]

The team roster that I've waited 23 issues to see!!

Arthur's army better be buff as hell. Rictor alone could probably leave most of the ground-troops unable to stand, and Captain Avalon should be utterly invulnerable to anything an idiot with a sword or bow can do, and be able to stomp them until he's literally just bored from punching all day.

I don't even know what Megan can do. She flies. She shapechanges. She throws zaps. She manipulates the elements. She's an empath.
What comes from her faery heritage and what is her actual mutant power? Who knows. She's like Legion without the multiple personalities.

Plus we've yet to see Mordred (and any armies of his, or perhaps even mommy Le Fay?) show up. He's apparently a mutant, too, and gonna be all 'enemy of our enemy' it seems...

[Devaishwarya]

This panel makes for an exquisite wall paper. Even with the dialogue.

[Sutekh]

Ah, the future is here. A cover with Betsy close to the center, but not in her thong-ninja-kini from the 90s. The closest thing to a butt & boobs pose is coming from James Braddock.

[Damien]

How much power does Roma still possess? The older Shogo gets the less his imagination has the power to turn him into a dragon right?

Can't Roma give Jubilee some kind of dragon claw or dragon scale amulet that would allow Shogo to transform when he grows up when not in Otherworld?

He would still be able to have his happy moments and Jubilee can continue raising him. Then she can have Evangeline Whedon give him some teachings on how to be a dragon out in the real world.

[JB]

Arthur's army better be buff as hell. Rictor alone could probably leave most of the ground-troops unable to stand, and Captain Avalon should be utterly invulnerable to anything an idiot with a sword or bow can do, and be able to stomp them until he's literally just bored from punching all day.

I don't even know what Megan can do. She flies. She shapechanges. She throws zaps. She manipulates the elements. She's an empath.
What comes from her faery heritage and what is her actual mutant power? Who knows. She's like Legion without the multiple personalities.

Plus we've yet to see Mordred (and any armies of his, or perhaps even mommy Le Fay?) show up. He's apparently a mutant, too, and gonna be all 'enemy of our enemy' it seems...

The wild card is magic and Arthur's side has the Furies, oof! Morgan and Merlyn's magic along with Coven Akkaba is a problem but hopefully Saturnyne, the woodland faeries and the druids can counter them. Roma too, if she's not secretly on Merlyn's side, trying to remove Shogo the dragon from the board.

Then again, we have three of •-[A]-•'s children that may bolster the mutant side.

How much power does Roma still possess? The older Shogo gets the less his imagination has the power to turn him into a dragon right?

Can't Roma give Jubilee some kind of dragon claw or dragon scale amulet that would allow Shogo to transform when he grows up when not in Otherworld?

He would still be able to have his happy moments and Jubilee can continue raising him. Then she can have Evangeline Whedon give him some teachings on how to be a dragon out in the real world.

I really like this idea!

[Lady Midnight]

How much power does Roma still possess? The older Shogo gets the less his imagination has the power to turn him into a dragon right?

Can't Roma give Jubilee some kind of dragon claw or dragon scale amulet that would allow Shogo to transform when he grows up when not in Otherworld?

He would still be able to have his happy moments and Jubilee can continue raising him. Then she can have Evangeline Whedon give him some teachings on how to be a dragon out in the real world.

So he could wish and wish with all his heart
to fly with dragons in a world apart?