Since Marauders kicked off, it was clear Gerry Duggan had some favorites in the cast — mainly Kate Pryde and Emma Frost, who get the most focus in the title. Of course, they’re absolutely fabulous characters, so there’s nothing wrong with giving them the majority of the spotlight, but seeing the lesser-focused characters get the spotlight in Marauders #19 is definitely a majority of its charm.
Bobby and Pyro get to head off on their own, allowing for some fun banter between the two. It’s funny how the St. John iteration of Pyro and Bobby have become such a fan favorite duo solely because of the X-Men movies, but in the comics, the two rarely share scenes together. It was the Simon Lasker iteration of Pyro that Bobby hooked up with previously, allowing Duggan to really set the tone for how the St. John iteration of Pyro and Bobby will interact in this era. As expected, the two are a fun duo — and it’ll be interesting to see them team up again in the future.
Kate does get a fair bit of focus in this issue, which is fine, considering she’s such an A-list X-Men character — and her efforts to save Lowtown are a really interesting read. But it’s Callisto and the Morlocks who really steal the show this issue. Outside of the last year or so, Callisto hasn’t really had the chance to shine in a very long time. Seeing her assemble the Morlocks to help Lowtown provides some of the best parts of the comic overall.
When was the last time the Morlocks got any major play in X-Men comics? With the number of X-books currently on shelves and the idea of resurrection protocols allowing for the return of any mutant character, less appreciated characters like the Morlocks getting the spotlight is exactly what the current era should be doing, and Marauders #19 is all the better for it. They’re absolutely the show stealers here and seeing characters like Marrow get any attention in a comic in 2021 is kind of exciting.
Marauders #19 doesn’t have any shocking revelations or major implications for the future of the series, but its charm lies in its simplicity and how it uses its lesser-focused characters. All in all, it’s a fun ride and a standard fare issue for the Marauders line. As usual, Caselli’s art is the real star of Marauders, making every page absolutely gorgeous and bursting with life.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.