In the early days of the Krakoan era, Marauders stood out as a book with a mission. Fallen Angels may have been a series with an Agenda, but where that book felt a little too tryhard and edgy, Marauders had an effortless charm that featured intrigue as well as action. The story of captain Kate Pryde coming to terms with her inability (at the time) to hop through Krakoan gates, the power struggles of the Hellfire Trading Company, and even Kate’s own death and resurrection just held more appeal than Kwannon taking some kids on a murder road trip.
While Steve Orlando’s take on the Marauders book doesn’t quite resonate as much as the preceding arcs, it too offers up a pretty fun time – if a little convoluted. The series sees Captain Pryde take a new team of Marauders into Space in search of their mutant ancestors that are somehow tied to the Shi’ar empire. From there, it’s pretty familiar territory for anyone familiar with the X-Men’s space opera years, which isn’t really a complaint as much as it is some context.
This space mission involves quite a few moving parts, and it can at times be both the book’s biggest strength and its biggest weakness. For one, the new cast loses some of my favorite personalities from the original series (namely, Emma, Shaw and Pyro, though that scene where Bobby freezes the mercenaries was a lot of fun too) in favor of some new and potentially provocative choices. The inclusion of Cassandra Nova, for example, feels more like an editorial degree to use the character than an actual fun inclusion. Similarly, the inclusion of new character Somnus also feels like a desire to use the line’s shiny new toy than an essential element to the overarching story. To be fair, Somnus’ inclusion does gel well with fellow new Marauders Akihiro and Aurora, and I enjoyed their interplay even if making Somnus Daken’s great lost love feels a little unearned (thankfully, his powers lend some potential context to it).
If there’s another issue, it’s the plot. It isn’t bad by any stretch, but is a bit circuitous and involves a little more brainpower from the audience than it perhaps could or should have. The mystery of the first mutants is also tied up with some mysterious secret society called the Kin Crimson, which in itself involves a whole complicated understanding of lore. Add to this the introductions of Somnus as a character, the conflict (or telling lack thereof) his presence creates in the evolving relationship between Daken and Aurora, dealing with the imposter syndrome felt by Tempo being brought into the big leagues, the underdeveloped conflicts that come with Casandra Nova being on the team, appearances from villains from both the Age of Apocalypse and the X-Men 2099 titles, and a partridge in a pear tree, and you’ve got a stew where you can’t really taste any of the spices. Kate, Bishop, and Psylocke may as well be window dressing for all that they actually bring to the book.
Now, a lot of what I just mentioned can also be considered strengths of the book. I’m a long time X-fan, so seeing Brimstone Love and …I guess we’re calling him Nemesis now(?) appear was a lot of fun for me. I appreciate development for Akihiro, as his relationship with Aurora was a strong point of Leah Williams’ X-Factor run, and his relationship with Somnus is actually a welcome wrinkle in both of their characters. Similarly, the brief vignettes with Psylocke and Greycrow are nice, though the characterizations of both seem to be off during their interactions. I guess that’s the double edged sword about these character beats – they’re fun and a nice addition, but they harken back to (sad to say) better books.
Art-wise, I prefer the more subdued and traditional pencils of Creees Lee, personally, but the most memorable work is definitely that of Eleonora Carlini. Her kinetic, manga-inspired style is crackling with energy and echoes a more palatable chaos than, say, Carlos Pacheco, but captures much of the same spirit. Combined with the bubblegum colorization from Matt Millia, it’s a very pop-heavy book, and for a certain audience that is a definite attraction. It’s not necessarily my cup of tea, but it’s definitely a vibe.
Overall, this is a fun book with a few things that keep it from being truly memorable. The story is a little convoluted, but there are enough character moments, surprises and action sequences to keep you engaged. Still, the Marauders title had previously been a must-read because of its fun plotting, great character beats and place within the larger Krakoa narrative, whereas this book feels divorced from the rest of the mutant storylines – which is ironic given the whole Shiar arc. Fun, but not essential reading.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login