The Sword Is Drawn: Excalibur from the Beginning

[Sundowhn]

That was also with an AU Kurt. I did like when Remender had Brian mention Rachel during AVX tho.

Yeah, it was only with an AU Kurt, but it seemed like the first real nod to the connection with some of that team. :S Have there been any others? Other than an XM issue back in 2005 or so, I can't remember any.

[Tazirai]

No, I think that's a very fair evaluation, and one which definitely matches with what Chris Claremont was aiming to do.

The series does bond them togerher. What has perhaps frustrated me the most is that since Excalibur concluded in the late 90s these incredibly close friendships were just... dropped. Never referred to again properly until this past month, in all honesty. Excalibur was like a family. It was a close-nit team of friends and colleagues who came together in the bleakest of times and stuck together.

I agree. They had an even closer family feel, than the core X-books did at the time. That was one of the thing's I really loved about it. So much of Marvel now is just combat for combat sakes, and to satisfy the ADHD crowd, you lose alot of the characterization in favor of coolness. Even when you see two characters together and people comment it's usually about their combat prowess together, rather than the over all relationship between the characters.
I miss Excalibur.

[FuzzyBlueElf]

Before, after, during, who cares? He was recently pictured drinking again in the latest Amazing X-Men.

Wait a minute he was drinking?

IN A BAR!?

[Tazirai]

[DDD]

That MASTREX is cleverly placed.

Wait a minute he was drinking?

IN A BAR!?

That's how it starts all over again.

"Just ONE drink!"
"Just ONE drag/puff!"

[FuzzyBlueElf]

I agree. They had an even closer family feel, than the core X-books did at the time. That was one of the thing's I really loved about it. So much of Marvel now is just combat for combat sakes, and to satisfy the ADHD crowd, you lose alot of the characterization in favor of coolness. Even when you see two characters together and people comment it's usually about their combat prowess together, rather than the over all relationship between the characters.
I miss Excalibur.

You hit the nail on the head.

I'm sad that Marvel rejected Claremont and Davis' pitch to do a new Excalibur series for this year it's like oh right because you're doing SOOO Much with Marvel UK characters right now.

[Supernature]

Ufortunately, no. Scott Lobdell tried to turn the series into yet another generic X-book, losing much of what made the series so much fun to begin with. It's easy to skip from Claremont's last issue to Davis' return in issue 42, then skip from the end of Davis second run to Warren Ellis' issues.

That way, you can avoid the nightmare that is Britannic:

Thanks for the answer <3

[Rheged]

You hit the nail on the head.

I'm sad that Marvel rejected Claremont and Davis' pitch to do a new Excalibur series for this year it's like oh right because you're doing SOOO Much with Marvel UK characters right now.

O_o

Why in the world did they do that??? My goodness, Alan Davis and Claremont on Excalibur? That's a no-brainer.

[Cold Water]

O_o

Why in the world did they do that??? My goodness, Alan Davis and Claremont on Excalibur? That's a no-brainer.

Because we cannot have nice things?

[Rheged]

Because we cannot have nice things?

Isn't Mike Marts up for X-Position this week? Is it too late to ask him?

[Tazirai]

Because we cannot have nice things?

This all day. Marvel NOW is NOW about doom and gloom, and Heroes that don't actually make a difference or go on fantastic adventures. The Fantastic Four isn't a typical hero book, It's a family book first, then it's Doc Savage X4 second. That book is built for fantastical Science adventures. Excalibur is about Fantastical multi-universal adventures with copies of the same people, just in different situations, based around one family.

But Marvel's thing now is Punchy punchy stabby stabby and blam pow pew pew! I only get Psylocke's X=Force and X-men and the UK books out now, because I'm a Braddock Nerd.

[Daymare]

You hit the nail on the head.

I'm sad that Marvel rejected Claremont and Davis' pitch to do a new Excalibur series for this year it's like oh right because you're doing SOOO Much with Marvel UK characters right now.

I would have "lived" for a revisit of the characters and creative powerhouse team. I picked up The Sword is Drawn on a whim at a grocery store carosel and had to beg (there may have been crying),for my Mom to buy it because it was higher priced. I collected every issue and every special until it ended. This was and is my favorite run of a comic (a lot was lost when C and A left though). Man, for just a 6 issue run back with original team and creators would make my year. I would actually buy the single issues (which in today's market would be a very special effort on my end ).

[Daymare]

Thanks for the answer <3

Dark Excalibur days indeed, plus this is when we lost Rachel...I just threw up in my mouth.
Loved the brief moment in Uncanny when Ray and Kurt saw Brian and Meggan again...may have been the first time since she returned I think. Brief, but nice (plus it was Coipel art).

[Babylon23]

I just wanted to apologise to all Excalibur fans for being the first person in this thread to bring up the horror that was Britannic.

[Slicknickshady]

Because we cannot have nice things?

Yes. When I read that..I wanted to scream. I would have so bought that. But obviously...Bendis won't let anybody else use Kitty for a long period of time cause he wanted Kitty for Scott's team.