Marauders #13 (X of Swords Part 5): What Must Be Done

If I think objectively about the concept of Marauders #13 (Storm asks her ex-husband for a sword), it doesn’t sound like it would be anything exciting. But with the way Vita Ayala tells the story, this concept becomes something mired in an emotional and cultural conflict that tugs at the heart. Storm again finds herself in a situation where she needs to choose between the bonds she has formed (or in this case reformed) in Wakanda and her obligations as a mutant (in this case as a member of the ruling body.)

Unlike ideological conflicts members of the X-Men with human allies have had in the past, Vita Ayala writes a story in which there is no right or wrong. The words and actions given to Storm and Shuri are equally fair and at fault. The dialogue between the two carries the tension and conflict as efficiently as their actions do without taking away from the forward motion of the book.

Artist Matteo Lolli and colorist Edgar Delgado do a stellar job portraying the layers of the story. The majority of the comic splits its focus between the past and the present. The narration may focus mostly on the Storm’s quest for her sword. However, the art also tells the story of both Storm’s journey to the sword and the cultural importance of the sword that mirrors the conflict between Storm and Shuri. Of extra note in this issue is the white version of Storm’s Marauders costume that (I believe) we see for the first time, which quickly became one of my favorite looks.