Marauders #17: Putting On The Ritz

This issue packed a tremendous amount of plot into a relatively short space and it did so without ever sacrificing pace or feeling like a massive infodump. This success was totally down to Duggan’s writing, with a massive assist from Lolli’s art. In this issue we learned that:

(Spoilers follow. Scroll past the bullet points to avoid them.)

1. Callisto has been without her powers this whole time and she wanted Storm to meet her in The Crucible because,
2. With Apocalypse gone everyone who wants to be reborn has to bring their own killer, and
3. Although Storm was reluctant at first, she agreed and (in a nice reflection of their initial character-defining fight) she stopped Callisto’s heart with a lightning bolt.
4. While all of that was going on, Emma was planning the Gala which will involve all of the (mostly human) world leaders who are friendly to mutants, even while
5. Casting doubt on Shenobi’s paternity. In the meantime,
6. Kate was delivering an invitation to the Verindi and
7. Proving that Krakoans do really care about what happens to humans by protecting the poor people who helped save Lockheed when Shaw tried to murder him. 

It would have been dreadfully easy for this issue to devolve into an unbearable Hickman-esque infodump, but the pacing here was absolutely perfect. The success of the pacing was absolutely down to aspects of writing that other authors shamefully neglect — namely character, drama and humor. There were stakes to this story. There was emotional heft. Callisto huffing and puffing her way to the top of the cliff where Storm was meditating was both endearing and humanizing for a character who, so often, appears as a one-shot villain. 

The White Queen’s banter with Shenobi and her promise to bring whiskey to the groundskeeper of the island (while swigging from the flask she stowed in the back pocket of Shaw’s wheelchair — with her pinky up, natch) and the obvious care she lavishes on everyone around her, do a great deal to undo the damage that other writers have wrought on her reputation. 

Kate had relatively little focus in this issue, but she still played an important role in cementing the human’s understanding of what the Mutants are up to. And I expect that the focus will shift back to her once she learns exactly what Storm is planning on doing. 

Matteo Lolli’s art was, as always, top notch and it lent depth and heft to what was happening with the characters. Lolli has a knack for conveying character through actions and he was in fine form here. 

This issue continued the trend of Marauders being the very best of the current X-Books.