The Marauders #1 – Review
Before I review Marauders #1, I don’t know if we’re going to be reviewing every first issue of this latest X-Men relaunch, but it seems like we probably should. Nevertheless, I personally have been looking forward to this issue. I like Kitty Pryde, as I’m certain other people here at Needless Essentials Online. Also, I’m intrigued at what exactly Emma Frost’s plan is with this new mutant nation.
Oh, yeah, there are going to be spoilers ahead.
Marauders #1
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Matteo Lolli
Colorist: Frederico Blee
Letterer: Cory Petit
Designer: Tom Muller
Cover Art: Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson
Variant Covers: Russell Dauterman and Frederico Blee; Phillip Tan and Jay David Ramos; Todd Nauck and Rachelle Rosenberg; Tom Muller; Rick Leonardi and Richard Isanov; Aaron Kuder and Jordie Bellaire; Mark Bagley, John Dell and Issrael Silva
Solicitation:
THE X-MEN SAIL AT DAWN! Even in this glorious new dawn, Mutantkind faces hardships and oppression from their human counterparts. Led by Captain Kate Pryde and funded by Emma Frost and the Hellfire Trading Company, Marauders Storm, Pyro, Bishop and Iceman sail the seas of the world to protect those hated and feared!
Review:
I really like Kitty Pryde, and it’s been fun to watch her grow up over the years. She was 15 when she joined the X-Men. Taking the ten year timeline into account, that makes her probably 22 or 23. It’s nice to see Gary Duggan write her like an adult. She grew up in the first year she was in the X-Men. She was emotionally an adult before many teenagers start college. Finally, we see her treated like one.
It’s no surprise that Emma and the Hellfire Club Corporation are handling the commerce for Krakoa. This seems like a believable development for this new nation of mutants. Given that the new direction that Xavier, Magneto and Moira are pushing forward, it makes sense that she is the one that trusts Kate. We need to stop calling her Kitty. According to one of the appendices, which are becoming required reading, she was not the second choice, as someone else turned Emma down.
Of course, there is a mystery to unfold her in Marauders, Kate cannot pass through any of the gates onto Krakoa. Notably, Krakoa is off limits except to mutants. The first thought would be that Kate is not a mutant after all, but that would be a major twist. Being off-limits also means she is probably not able to be revived by the Five. This could prove to be a problem if her crew that can be resurrected become haphazard with risking their lives. Of course, that could mean that someone puts her life in danger by their actions.
This is an example of why extra X-books are necessary. The cast has become so huge that there are stories worth telling in the larger story. Of course, that does sound like fleecing the readers. It just feels a little different this time.
Final Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)
Preview Pages:
