tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post4838658735808678272..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining Excalibur #103Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-41625443266635927182021-09-26T16:38:24.575-05:002021-09-26T16:38:24.575-05:00While I had stopped reading the X-books in the mai...While I had stopped reading the X-books in the main, Excalibur had survived simply because Warren Ellis was writing it and its days were numbered because of that. Since I wasn't wired into the early comics internet, I didn't find out Ellis was leaving until...this issue. Which meant the end, for now, of my X-Men related reading came QUICK. I flipped through some of the Ben Raab issues at my comic store because I was a big Salvador Larocca fan, but I couldn't bring myself to read it because it was just...awful, really.<br /><br />As for the overall run: Ellis was really stung by having to deal with crossovers so often, but he also hadn't quite figured out the whole "telling a long story" bit yet, so some of it can be laid at that. By the time he got to Stormwatch, he figured that out-his run that closed out Stormwatch vol. 1 is basically one story, and interestingly he had to start THAT by cleaning up the mess left from a Wildstorm crossover story. In Excalibur he was still putting those pieces together, plus he was clobbered by inconsistent artists. Give Ellis a long run with an artist-Tom Raney on Stormwatch, Bryan Hitch on Stormwatch and the Authority, John Cassaday on Planetary-and he does better work. <br /><br />So yeah, Ellis's Excalibur is utterly flawed in a lot of ways, which makes its status as one of the three good runs on the book kind of hilarious. Since you finally mentioned it...it's kind of gross now, looking back, that the type of girl Ellis has been reportedly into is, basically, Kitty Pryde, and that's REALLY nuked my interest in re-reading this run after following along here.<br /><br />At any rate, Excalibur. I'd say its all downhill from here, but the book basically drives off a cliff here.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00605826105741513741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-22599638789884587282021-09-21T19:04:41.747-05:002021-09-21T19:04:41.747-05:00Excalibur Vol. 2 came out about the same time they...Excalibur Vol. 2 came out about the same time they were publishing things like The Brotherhood, Muties, and that really weird X-Factor mini-series.<br /><br />I've been racking my head trying to figure out what would be in a final Epic Collection of Excalibur. If they did use Vol. 3, it would likely end at #10. While 13 and 14 were billed as a prelude to House of M they were also the last two parts of a four part story. <br /><br />Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082589040664926667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-87773062649463704662021-09-21T17:50:00.215-05:002021-09-21T17:50:00.215-05:00FWIW, I totally assumed EXCALIBUR vol. 2 was pre-Q...FWIW, I totally assumed EXCALIBUR vol. 2 was pre-Quesada, too. :) Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-56484800413483462662021-09-21T17:45:04.395-05:002021-09-21T17:45:04.395-05:00Good point! I forgot ORIGIN was in the BLOOD DEBT ...Good point! I forgot ORIGIN was in the BLOOD DEBT Epic. Also (as I slap my hand against my forehead), I just realized that EXCALIBUR vol. 2 (a.k.a. SWORD OF POWER) was from the early Quesada era as well, published in 2001. I think in my head it just felt like something pre-Quesada, since it's written by Ben Raab and follows up on a series that ended a few years earlier -- which seemed to be a big no-no during the "continuity-lite" Jemas/Quesada era.<br /><br />I wonder if it was greenlit under the previous administration? That wouldn't surprise me. I've long felt that was what happened with SPIDER-MAN: LIFELINE, a mini-series by Fabian Nicieza and Steve Rude, which dealt heavily with decades-old continuity, but was published early in Quesada's tenure.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-24852436363851909622021-09-21T16:16:59.470-05:002021-09-21T16:16:59.470-05:00WOLVERINE: BLOOD DEBT does creep into 2001 and the...WOLVERINE: BLOOD DEBT does creep into 2001 and the Quesada Era (and includes ORIGIN, perhaps the hallmark story of the Quesada Era). Certainly, that's the latest any of the Epics have gone thus far and perhaps they'll go no further (but they would need to in order to close out at least the "main" second volume of WOLVERINE the series is collecting). I've always felt like "Heroes Reborn" is the cutoff for the Avengers/FF books (and the Clone Saga for Spidey), but they clearly have some different rules for the X-books. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-59133528306783436082021-09-21T15:24:15.011-05:002021-09-21T15:24:15.011-05:00The only reason I would think EXCALIBUR vol. 3 wou...The only reason I would think EXCALIBUR vol. 3 wouldn't be in an Epic Collection is that, to the best I can tell, Marvel has never published an Epic containing material from the Quesada era and beyond. The Epics seem to be reserved for the "classic" Marvel Universe (for lack of a better term) -- everything that was published prior to 2000/2001, and which was never collected in full chronological trade order before (unlike the post 2001 stuff, which has almost always been released in trade not long after it hit stands in comic book format).<br /><br />But (and now I go off on a bit of a tangent), I also assumed that Marvel would publish all of the original THUNDERBOLTS series in two Omnibuses, and then do a potential third book someday for the NEW THUNDERBOLTS run of a few years later. This just seemed a natural way to split it apart, due to the time separation between both series. However the release of vol. 1 and solicit of vol. 2 for those books seem to hint at (or really, basically confirm) a third volume which will include the final dozen or so issues of the original series, combined with all of NEW THUNDERBOLTS.<br /><br />So the point is, my guesses, educated though I try to make them, don't usually add up to much.<br /><br />(And the bigger point, completely unrelated to the subject at hand, is that I can't wait to have all of THUNDERBOLTS/NEW THUNDERBOLTS on my bookshelf in another year or two.)<br /><br />"<b>I mean, given my pace, you'll only be an issue or two behind, at most, once it comes out. :P</b>"<br /><br />I had that thought, but I wasn't going to say it!Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-63694126129423785722021-09-21T15:05:09.277-05:002021-09-21T15:05:09.277-05:00@Matt: It appears that's due out in February, ...@Matt: <i>It appears that's due out in February, so I'm hopeful I can resume reading the series</i><br /><br />I mean, given my pace, you'll only be an issue or two behind, at most, once it comes out. :P <br /><br />@Drew: <i>I would have thought that would have been included in the final volume of The New Mutants Epic collection (if there ever is one).</i><br /><br />Or in the corresponding X-FORCE one. I guess because Wolfsbane is in it, they can justify putting it here, and needed the space in X-FORCE for something else (or needed to pad out this volume in order ensure the final EXCALIBUR volume has enough material, or something like that). It's definitely an odd inclusion. <br /><br />@Matt: <i>Still, there must be more that I'm not thinking of, because 15 issues does not make for much of an Epic Collection, even if a couple are double-sized!</i><br /><br />I wonder if they're planning to include volume 3 as well? That would add an additional 14 issues (or 12 if they leave out the "House of M" tie-ins). Which would flip it to being a bigger Epic, but not unwieldly so. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-6272708674039850632021-09-21T14:56:02.081-05:002021-09-21T14:56:02.081-05:00Yeah, I can only assume it's in there because ...Yeah, I can only assume it's in there because it follows Douglock? I actually never read that mini-series, so I don't know what it's about!<br /><br />I'm also wondering what will be in the subsequent volume... there's only ten issues of the main series left, plus the SWORD OF POWER mini-series Raab wrote a couple years after the main series ended. I know there's an X-MEN UNLIMITED story that wraps up the Margali stuff, so that will probably make the cut too... but beyond that, I don't think the series had any further annuals or ancillary mini-series/one-shots by its final year.<br /><br />Still, there <b>must</b> be more that I'm not thinking of, because 15 issues does not make for much of an Epic Collection, even if a couple are double-sized! They're usually more like 20 issues (or the equivalent thereof, when double-sized issues are included).Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-449012566771621262021-09-21T13:28:31.196-05:002021-09-21T13:28:31.196-05:00Oh, you're right! I totally missed that. That&...Oh, you're right! I totally missed that. That's a nice touch. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-68434435393049842712021-09-21T13:26:12.324-05:002021-09-21T13:26:12.324-05:00I missed that Excalibur solicitation. The inclusi...I missed that Excalibur solicitation. The inclusion of The New Mutants: Truth or Death mini seems so utterly random. I would have thought that would have been included in the final volume of The New Mutants Epic collection (if there ever is one).Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082589040664926667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-66200859068807174072021-09-21T11:34:12.189-05:002021-09-21T11:34:12.189-05:00I'm with you; in my mind, the Ellis "run&...I'm with you; in my mind, the Ellis "run" doesn't actually start until somewhere around issue 96, because that was when I started reading -- due to the arrival of Carlos Pacheco, on the heels of Colossus joining the team.<br /><br />I mostly like this as the final issue of a run. It gives us a nice little ending and ties up most of Ellis's remaining plot points, but also opens up something new for the incoming writer to run with -- which is how I think any writer should leave a book. But reading this one, boy do I wish Pacheco had done more than three or four issues or whatever it was!<br /><br />I kept reading EXCALIBUR after this issue, but dropped it within the year (best I can tell, it looks like my final issue was #113). I mentioned before (and will probably mention again) that I really, really, really liked Ben Raab's various mini-series in the late 90s, but his EXCALIBUR just didn't impress me all that much. Though I'd love to go back and read all of it now, to see what I missed. I get the impression it sort of limped to the finish line, but at the same time, knowing Raab was a big fan of the early 80s X-Men, I think I need to give it another chance.<br /><br />Unfortunately, all my issues are put away in storage, so while I'll be reading your posts and commenting, I won't be reading along, even though I'd like to. That said, Marvel just solicited an Epic Collection of the first half-ish of Ben Raab's run -- covering issues 104 - 115, plus the COLOSSUS one-shot and the KITTY PRYDE, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. and NEW MUTANTS: TRUTH OR DESTINY limited series. It appears that's due out in February, so I'm hopeful I can resume reading the series, as far as I can, when it releases. I imagine the issues will hit Marvel Unlimited around the same time, as they typically do.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-52932703447290820782021-09-21T07:27:29.372-05:002021-09-21T07:27:29.372-05:00This is the last issue I truly enjoyed. I think I...This is the last issue I truly enjoyed. I think I kept up with it for three more issues but became bored and just stopped buying it. It wasn't a conscious decision on my part, I just didn't look for the following issues on the stands.<br /><br />Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082589040664926667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-84408114146059641752021-09-21T06:43:00.920-05:002021-09-21T06:43:00.920-05:00I appreciate the alternate Kitty dressed like Cock...I appreciate the alternate Kitty dressed like Cockrum's Phantom Girl.Melahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05539894845356203447noreply@blogger.com