Excalibur #21: Hellfire Gala or Bust!

We get a surprise encounter between Shatterstar and Rictor! Howard’s decision to use this Gala issue for the two to come back into each other’s lives is a good choice. The two have been away from each other for so long that it would also make sense for Rictor to not want to speak to him immediately. 

I love seeing Gambit celebrate Rogue getting voted into the X-Men. The way he cherishes her and supports his wife makes my heart melt. Gambit showing unconditional support for her and jokingly saying he’ll watch their cats shows a genuine side to him. 

Going from the celebrations of the Gala, Howard transitions readers into a darker turn as a fan-favorite character gets sacrificed for the return of… well. Someone. I was and still am in complete shock as we see this ritual being a catalyst for this person being able to now walk through the Krakoan Gates. 

My favorite moments of the issues are two sweet scenes, one with a dance between Rachel and Betsy with the other being Rictor and Shatterstar. These two scenes express the unbreakable bond two people can share no matter how long time passes. To and Arciniega both do an incredible job bringing both of these scenes to life. There is so much emotion between these characters and this pair easily translates that into their facial expressions and body language. The sincere moment at the end for Rictor and Shatterstar reconnecting is touching and I can’t wait to see where that goes.