Exiles #7: Oh Brotherhood, Where art Thou?

Characters: It’s almost as if Blink, Nocturne and Morph have come full circle here, we see this in their battle with another evil Xavier, as it echoes their very first mission together, but things aren’t looking good for them as they are being picked off one by one. Also in the heart to heart Clarice has with TJ at the end they basically confess to PTSD, which informs us of how much they have endured since their journey began. It was a great insight into the characters and the journey they have taken over the years. It isn’t often they get to stop and think about the things they endure with the Tallus making them jump from one reality to another, so this was a great moment to reflect on what they have been facing and who they have become. And no sooner do they deal with this than the Watchers turn up.

The death of both Kevin and Elendil will come as a blow to many. Although Morph was not the same Morph from her home reality (which she herself annoyingly calls the Age of Apocalypse) he has still been her staunch teammate and firm friend since 2001, this book has been crying out for the inclusion of some of the original Exiles and so this is a big loss. and they find to their cost that Xavier’s rage is not to be tested, made an example of to show the sheer peril of the situation and the price that must be paid to end the threat. And for myself, I have to confess I had also become attached to the winged horse. He didn’t offer much in the way of character dialogue, but there were many times he helped to inform the humor as well as be an active member of the team. He will be missed. And Val clearly will miss him the most and her pain was clear to see.
Writing: Speaking of this evil Xavier, it was really not much of a surprise to meet him here, as we have seen him in many other realities as evil. As an ally to Sinister in Mutant X, President X within Ruins, the sociopath educator in X-Men Noir and of course Savior from the Exalted arc in Astonishing X-Men #44, which would also feature some more time lost X-Men including James Howlett. Blink also having faced one on her very first Exiles mission alongside Nocturne and Morph, as well as Black Cloak in New Exiles. And both Sage and Nocturne have, in the past, both dealt with Shadow Xavier, in their time with New Excalibur and also Sage met several others when with Dazzler and the X-Treme team, again with James Howlett from the Exalted storyline. The list goes on, but it seems there is a running theme here. Unless he gets killed in other realities such as AOA, Ultimate and House of M, Xavier is bad. This version is disturbing in his religious zeal and brainwashing techniques, as well as his brutal method of dealing with those who oppose him. Though his appearance was short, it definitely wasn’t sweet and I think he was very well written by Saladin as the big villain here. He was as chilling as any of the previous examples we have seen.

By comparison, Magnus is no hero either and his sheer arrogance as to not realize he couldn’t penetrate the Vibranium to kill the King was typical of him and his undoing. As well as using the Exiles to enable his allies to escape and being hunted by the King for the death of his father. Again the Exiles are mere soldiers in this tale and are subject to the machinations of both Xavier and Magnus.

Art: Mike McKone gives a dynamic cover that seems to pit the two teams of Exiles against each other, although Sabretooth doesn’t actually appear this time as he recently did and although this is glaring omission it is still a stunning cover nonetheless. Again Rod Reis shone through the art inside and made the story that much moving this issue. From the sight of Magnus at the feet of the King, dead in a pool of his own blood, the peril of the loss of Elendil, Morphs sacrifice and the rage felt by Clarice in the final fight as well as Xavier’s last dying revenge, the art made the story move at a dramatic pace and kept things smooth to the bitter end.


Also the initial face-off between Val, King, Blink, and Pete, showcasing all their powers in one panel as they all come to a clash in the desert was satisfying to the extreme, similarly the scene where King deals with Maestro and solves the problem of dealing with the illusion of multiple fantasy images in a stark and realistic way that frankly makes me wonder why it’s not the go-to solution for the trick.


And the use of Lee Ferguson for the post-battle conversations was also inspired, especially TJ coming out of the dark the way she did, from two barely seen eyes, just like her dad. The whole scene created a totally different feel and gave it some stillness and calm in a way that contrasted perfectly with the action that had one before.

COMING NEXT:
The Watchers are back! And their all-seeing eyes are fixed firmly on the Exiles. Sure, the team’s time-traveling antics saved the Multiverse – but nobody messes with the timestream while these Watchers are on duty. Justice will be served – and you might be surprised who ELSE appears to dish it out. Featuring guest art from beloved HOWARD THE DUCK and PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN artist Joe Quinones!

Exiles #8 On Sale 12th September 2018!