tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post3230999543651733264..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining Excalibur #44Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-1823962868115956792023-03-27T17:32:22.157-05:002023-03-27T17:32:22.157-05:00Just realised Margaret Rutherford is the template ...Just realised Margaret Rutherford is the template for the old lady detective!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-51122805521285563672016-05-20T15:28:33.978-05:002016-05-20T15:28:33.978-05:00That said, the LOOK of the hippy may be Moore-insp...That said, the LOOK of the hippy may be Moore-inspired, but the character is just a hippy, not a Moore-parody/pastiche. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-10392832783957982272016-05-20T15:28:04.251-05:002016-05-20T15:28:04.251-05:00I at first assumed the former, but then I read ove...I at first assumed the former, but then I read over those panels again and I think it's just a generic Hippy-Cap. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-29708296932794211872016-05-20T15:27:36.146-05:002016-05-20T15:27:36.146-05:00I meant to mention those footnotes; they were DEFI...I meant to mention those footnotes; they were DEFINITELY hard selling that trade. :) Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-59678453281875932822016-05-20T15:26:29.929-05:002016-05-20T15:26:29.929-05:00Yeah, my first encounter with Micro Max was that X...Yeah, my first encounter with Micro Max was that X-Men Series II card wwk5d links to below, so I always assumed he was stalwart member of the team. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-75677757209996996222016-05-20T15:25:17.432-05:002016-05-20T15:25:17.432-05:00Interesting; this seemed to suggest that Mickey...Interesting; this seemed to suggest that Mickey's death was early in his career. But maybe I was interpreting that wrong. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-46104065460539606282016-05-20T15:24:34.287-05:002016-05-20T15:24:34.287-05:00I think the idea is that Rachel is suppressing her...I think the idea is that Rachel is suppressing her TP so she can have a normal conversation w/o thoughts intruding, but it's definitely setup to be a bigger deal than that. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-12687397410996782622016-05-17T15:19:56.919-05:002016-05-17T15:19:56.919-05:00Is that one Captain Britain meant to be Alan Moore...Is that one Captain Britain meant to be Alan Moore, or just a generic Hippy-Cap?Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-4268910959058551482016-05-15T07:59:30.828-05:002016-05-15T07:59:30.828-05:00Of course, a lot of the revisited history could ju...Of course, a lot of the revisited history could just be a hard-sell for the Captain Britain trade, which does show up in quite a few footnotes ;)wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-75956854841267277992016-05-15T07:56:17.551-05:002016-05-15T07:56:17.551-05:00"though I don't believe he ever officiall..."though I don't believe he ever officially joins the team"<br /><br />I think he was meant to, but Davis left before it was official, and Lobdell was too busy decimating the team...er, just didn't want the character on the team. On various ancillary art sources (like the poster mentioned above), he seemed to be a member of the team. Here is as part of the team in the X-men Series II card:<br /><br />http://img.comc.com/i/Non-Sports/1993/SkyBox-Marvel-X-Men-Series-2/82/Excalibur.jpg?id=9e3e8b8b-0cd5-49c3-acbe-885aa07198ca&size=original<br /><br />"Upon meeting the Scotts, Rachel wills the Phoenix Force to lie dormant, the first such time she's done that since adopting the power."<br /><br />If I remember correctly, there is a reason for that which does end up moving the plot forward as we go on. As for why Davis chose to present this way, as her doing it to "drop her guard" so to speak...I'm not sure about that. But as with many thing Davis introduces here, it does lead somewhere.<br /><br />"It's noted that Nightcrawler's fur feels like velvet"<br /><br />I'm sure Amanda Sefton would say he does have that velvet touch...<br /><br />Overall, it's a strong issue. I like the mix of serious and silly in this issue, between the Meggan/Rachel story and Capt. Britain Corps, and I think Davis pulls it off well. Why we never got a Capt. Britain Corps miniseries by Davis, I'll never know. I always like the various designs he came up with for the various Captains. <br /><br />The infodumps here don't feel too heavy and needlessly confusing, it's a good way to refresh long term reader's memories and also bring new people up to speed (especially with regards to Meggan's history prior to joining Excalibur). And again, Davis does a good job balancing existing sub-plots while also setting up news ones which do get paid off later on.<br /><br />All in all, it's good fun and looks gorgeous. wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-26666134930297151782016-05-12T18:03:47.342-05:002016-05-12T18:03:47.342-05:00Micromax is often listed as having been a member o...Micromax is often listed as having been a member of Excalibur, and I've never quite understood why, since he was never more than a supporting character at best. I had an Excalibur poster ages ago in which he's shown with the rest of the team. (Can't find the poster itself, but here's the image: http://40.media.tumblr.com/f3f3ddc89a59b42d8995a22809917dcf/tumblr_mih9t5kbDZ1s2flqmo1_1280.jpg )Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02612359890684556991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-52448712129600728642016-05-12T16:28:40.509-05:002016-05-12T16:28:40.509-05:00// Mickey didn't die in Cap's first advent...<br><i>// Mickey didn't die in Cap's first adventure. I believe it actually happened pretty far into the series, shortly after Alan Moore's run as writer. //</i><br /><br />Thanks for confirming. I was pretty sure I remembered that from the first American TPB, especially since Meggan only pops up then, but given my recent track record I didn’t want to correct it without looking it up first. <br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-30823288782751243202016-05-12T12:06:51.760-05:002016-05-12T12:06:51.760-05:00The Captain Britain Corps always cracks me up. Use...The Captain Britain Corps always cracks me up. Used sparingly, I really like them. I also like MicroMax -- cool costume, cool name. I wish he'd stuck around in some capacity. I think Davis planned to use him as a recurring character and possibly eventually have him join the team, but he left before reaching that point.<br /><br />On the other hand, the Meggan stuff has always been the least interesting part of this run of issues for me. (Also, it's worth noting that young Mickey didn't die in Cap's first adventure. I believe it actually happened pretty far into the series, shortly after Alan Moore's run as writer.)Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-30018313289192249582016-05-11T19:23:52.518-05:002016-05-11T19:23:52.518-05:00I do mostly like the Rachel & Meggan stuff, bu...<br>I do mostly like the Rachel & Meggan stuff, but even though the multiversal Captain Britain trial would seem right up my alley it just doesn’t mix serious and silly the right way for me.<br /><br /><i>// Upon meeting the Scotts, Rachel wills the Phoenix Force to lie dormant, the first such time she's done that since adopting the power. //</i><br /><br />I don’t quite understand all of that — how putting her power in check is supposed to let her socialize more freely or whatever. If we’ve heard of that before, I’m not remembering, anyway. I felt like it was telegraphing some danger she then wouldn’t sense or be prepared for, although then we get the later scene in the antique store that presumably belies my suspicion.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.com