Marauders #9 Review/Spoilers: We all Live in the Sublime

[Rift]

"Where else can we live?"

Sorry for the late post. I've spent much of the day with my new puppy, Salty Hellion. He's a great dog, full of personality. Ironically, he's kind of an asshole. But isn't that part of his charm?

Anyway, Marauders. 2 billion years ago, a Threshold named Nightfount deserted his people to live underwater with the Unbreathing. He's now a Commander, and he has a blue crab on his head. Since the Threshold's bacteria plot is backfiring, he thinks now is a good time to attack them.

Back to the Marauders, who are fighting Sublime-in-a-mutated-version-of-Daken's-body. Aurora beats his ass. Somnus enters the Dreamscape and meets Daken, where Somnus says that they can't save him right now. This meeting was so they could kill Daken's body, without Daken feeling any pain.

Arkea and Sublime are still causing trouble, and it looks like the Marauders are pretty boned. Bishop points out how they've only been here a few minutes and they're already losing, so maybe it's time for an exit plan. Kitty agrees, but points out that if one possessed telepath listens in on their telepathy-based meetings, they could squeal their plan to Arkea. To make matters worse, a team of Unbreathing show up and insta-kill Crave with a weapon that drains his body of oxygen.

Wow, if only they had some sort of telekinetic barrier to protect them. Bet you're regretting not calling on Hellion now, Kitten.

Backs to the wall, Aurora has a plan: she grabs hold of the ground and agitates its molecules, blowing up the street and sending their enemies flying back. With a temporary reprieve, they go through some glowing tunnel (?? Idk if they're space-time traveling, moving fast with Aurora's help, or the artist just wanted an easy background) to find Grove. Amass gets grabbed by a body on the way, presumably leading to their death.

Data page: Grove talks about the Helix home, where anyone not infected with bacteria can be safe. But it's not perfect: an infected teleporter or intangible person could break through their defenses. They're also protected by a hologram, which even the Marauders later note isn't the greatest defense. You know what WOULD be a great defense? Five powerful telekinetics, working in unison to create a barrier around their location. Oh jeez hey, Hellion just happened to do that in Age of X. Wowee!

So Tempo's pretty pissed, since their people are dying, she knew this whole mission was a bad idea in the first place, and she's being proven right. She also mentions that Kitty is gone without a psychic trace, so Psylocke and Tempo can't find her. I don't know when this happened, I guess I'm missing a page? Either way, guess that intangibility comment in the data page will be relevant soon.

Somnus interrupts Tempo's (completely correct) complaints, saying that he's lost a ton of people in his life, but he knows that they would want him to move forward, instead of giving up. Grove shows up and is all "you honor us with your words. Welcome to the Helix."

Somnus questions why the Helix doesn't have a cute little "X" in its name, but Grove says that a helix is basically like a dancing X. Which is a good enough answer for Somnus.

The gang enter the Helix Home, where they discover some Threshold studying Kitty's box. It's a lot younger than the one Kitty's been carrying. Tempo's girlfriend explains that it's a genetic aleph, a Seed, and something that they found in the Birthing Sea. Rather, the Threshold spawned from it. But it's not that great of a weapon, so they have something else: the Daymight, which is a big gun that will shoot light to kill the Unbreathing's darkforce guns.

Cassandra Nova makes fun of a nearby human, then calls Grove a shrub when they complain about it.

Grove explains that they were at a stalemate with the bacteria, until Arkea poisoned the Birthing Sea. She also explains how the previous generation would go upstream to spawn the next generation, like salmon. Tempo's girlfriend says that they bone to procreate once a generation, but they can still bone for fun and intimacy whenever they want. Tempo sees this as Theia dropping some subtle pick-ups, wisely ignoring the fact that the Threshold canonically smash each other in a lake to make babies. But Psylocke saves this mess by saying that Arkea is basically holding the Threshold's kids hostage. Given her own history, she's personally invested in saving them.

Bishop's got a plan: bacteria is alive and they have cells. Cells with charge. He'll eat their last boost fruit and absorb all the cellular energy in the lake, killing Arkea instantly.

Meanwhile, Amass was actually captured by Nightfount. He's on the Unbreathing's side and points out how they were on Earth first; the Threshold just stole their land and messed things up with their filthy oxygen. So he's going to set all the oxygen on Earth ablaze. He can't read Amass's mind, since they're protected by "Aunt Cassandra," but he can still use telekinesis to peel Amass like an onion.

He takes off his helmet and reveals that he is Stryfe.

Notes:

• Stop using "livery" instead of "uniform" or something, it's dumb and the word doesn't naturally lend itself to conversation. Most people don't describe their outfits with that word, it doesn't sound natural when you keep saying it, and you probably wouldn't guess what it means in context, because I thought the "ruptured livery" was part of Daken's body, which had been slashed up and invaded. At least this wasn't as bad as Sabretooth's obsession with microplastics.
• Grove is referred to with "They" pronouns.
• Psylocke mentions that Grove's psychic aura is "oddly familiar."
• Amass recognizes Stryfe. Guessing the next issue twist will reveal that Kitty and Amass secretly fused for reasons.

[BESTXMAN]

I just can't get over the art. Feels messy. I guess it speaks volumes about what an awful person I am that simply cannot accept this art style in superhero stories and feel it is more suited for nickleodeon type content. Narrowmindedness I guess but it makes the story almost unreadable to me. It's so messy.

[Jackraow21]

Well now I’m intrigued…

[Saithor]

Stryfe? What?!

[gonnagiveittoya]

The art style isn't a problem in general IMO, it's just more stylized. But it is a problem in that Aurora and Kate have almost identical faces so in the suits it's very hard to tell them apart without the names on the suits, which are usually out of frame

[Fokken]

The art style isn't a problem in general IMO, it's just more stylized. But it is a problem in that Aurora and Kate have almost identical faces so in the suits it's very hard to tell them apart without the names on the suits, which are usually out of frame

SAME. The style isn't my particular preferred aesthetic, but that doesn't mean its bad. The narrative challenges it poses during this arc, however, take me out of the story. I am struggling to differentiate which suit is which, who is talking without the name drops in the dialogue and there've been moments where I'm just not clear on what "feat" is being attempted/accomplished. I find myself needing to rewind a few panels, or even a page, to realign with the activity or action being illustrated. My proclivities lean ART first, so I'm always wondering how an aesthetic shift might impact reception (mine, and others)

This is a title brimming with characters I'm invested in and enjoy, but also each arc seems to introduce MORE. I had mixed emotions about the cast when it was announced, primarily due to my lingering despair over the loss of X-Factor, but with a core cast of 8 mutants, I am struggling to invest further in all the new characters being interwoven into the story.

[Weather]

How was this story allowed to be told? Yikes.

[dragon1440]

How was this story allowed to be told? Yikes.

Because some people are enjoying the story. Theres criticism and then there just out ride rudeness.

[king of hybrids]

Well, Grove is clearly going to become the basis of Okaara (or the basis of Okaara’s progenitor) while that missing Thresholder colony becomes where they’ve vanished to

I am expecting some contrived authorially-contrived treachery on the part of the Enshrined, because as Moira proved theses books will never allow a human ally who isn’t a superficial fraud or a mole.

The fate of the Unbreathing I wonder about

[Master of Sound]

Very curious to where this leads us to.

[Saithor]

Very curious to where this leads us to.

The hope is to a giant Pterygotus

[Odd Rödney]

This is an odd story for me. I have trouble accepting that there were mutants around 2 billion years ago. However, that's comics, right? They're always weird and wonderful, it's just that sometimes it's not your preferred weirdness I guess. I do like the inclusion of Sublime, the fact that we human beings here in the real world really are just holobionts makes the concept of Sublime that much more terrifying to me. So I appreciate his appearances in the books of late.

Side note: why is Sublime a he? As bacteria we should use the term "it", right?

Also, hell yes! Stryfe!

[Krakoa]

The art style isn't a problem in general IMO, it's just more stylized. But it is a problem in that Aurora and Kate have almost identical faces so in the suits it's very hard to tell them apart without the names on the suits, which are usually out of frame

For me I think there is an art/writing mismatch in the book. ItÂ’s not that the art is a problem, but the highly stylized, very saturated colors and kinetic art is hard for a really text heavy and dense book like this. (I think legion of XÂ’s first arc had the same issue.)

[BobbysWorld]

For me I think there is an art/writing mismatch in the book. ItÂ’s not that the art is a problem, but the highly stylized, very saturated colors and kinetic art is hard for a really text heavy and dense book like this. (I think legion of XÂ’s first arc had the same issue.)

I'm torn, because I totally see what you're saying and there's a definite point to it, but on the other hand there's a very frenetic and high-energy feel to the art that I think perfectly matches the constant on-the-go pace of the action. I think there are definitely artists that could be proposed as a better fit for this book, where if they were pointed out I would be like okay yeah I can totally see how that works, but as is I can't really put my finger on anyone in particular.

I do think if and when they move Carlini to a different book, she could be a great asset to a Young Adult aimed title, similar to how Alphona's art on Runaways was a real hook for younger readers. Something aimed around the Academy X kids or Ayala's younger creations....both of those generations have tons of young mutants with unique and catchy designs that I think she could render in really interesting ways.

[Agent Grayson]

I've tried to get into this book twice and failed, but the introduction of Stryfe may make me give it another go. It seems like a choice that's out of left field but I'm interesting to see where it goes!