Marauders #25: Danger, Will Robinson!

This issue was, quite possibly, one of the best in the series to date. It’s not as big, or important, as Kate finally coming out of the closet and owning her bisexuality, but it was a great deal of fun. The dialogue crackled with energy, and the plotting was absolutely excellent. 

There wasn’t a single wasted panel in the whole book, and it was wonderful to witness the development of some potentially important Krakoan technology. Every mutant had an important role to play, and everyone’s personality was given a decent airing. Pyro and Bobby have been a little bit neglected in this run, but they got to see some action alongside managing a few good lines. And Shaw was actually surprisingly likeable, showing a jolly, playful aspect of his personality that hasn’t often had the chance to surface.

Kate, of course, absolutely stole the show. I love my fellow chaotic sword bisexual and I love that Duggan has developed her sense of self so strongly. Her identity is stronger than her much-fractured nose (ouch!) and she’s at her best when she’s Doing Science and kicking ass. She has a PhD in astrophysics and it’s nice to see a writer remembering that, when it comes to space, she knows her sh*t. It was wonderful to see her use physics to generate oxygen in a vacuum and then, almost immediately afterwards, bash a guy in the head with her face. 

As for the art, seeing so little of Emma’s diamond form was definitely for the best. Phil Noto is a remarkable artist, with a great gift for capturing personalities and expressions. Allowing us to see those expressions, without distracting us by casting Emma as Lumpy Space Princess,was definitely the right choice. That sounds a little flip, but the distance between Noto’s usual tremendous beauty and last month’s dirty ice Emma was jarring. He’s also got a dynamic eye for action, and seeing Kate beating the ever-loving hell out of her enemy was viscerally satisfying. 

Taken together, this was a remarkable (and remarkably fun) issue. Grab it while you can.