Writer: Tini Howard

Art: Marcus To, Erick Arciniega, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, Mahmud Asrar, and Matthew Wilson

Release Date: Wednesday, June 10th, 2020

Price: $3.99

To be honest, I’ve been craving some new X-books for a REALLY long time. Once MARAUDERS came out and showed fans a little taste of what we’ve been missing these past couple of months, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next X-titles. That said, EXCALIBUR has not been my favorite Dawn of X title. In fact, it’s been overly confusing, sporadic at times, and frankly hard to read and dive into for new EXCALIBUR fans. In Tini Howard’s defense, it’s not for lack of effort. She’s thrown a ton of emotion into each issue. However, I’m just more and more confused as to the effects and mixture of mutants and magic. Plus, this reviewer was curious as to how well the book would recover after the COVID hiatus. Well, let’s dive into EXCALIBUR #10 by Tini Howard and take a look!

Readers, I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. Howard found a way to hook this reviewer immediately out of the gate with some heavy-duty action, chaos, and “incursion”. Sure, the issue begins with a bit of uncertainty and lack of clarity. However, as the issue comes to a close, Howard “reasonably” clarifies what’s transpired and gets readers where they need to be. This may be the first time in almost five issues (or more) where I feel like I truly grasped what was going on by the end of the issue and felt like the story was significant. Furthermore, Howard stunningly formulated the perfect blend of emotion, mutants, and magic that finally hit the mark making this week’s tale a must-read.

My biggest pet peeve of the issue was how Betsy/ Captain Britain ultimately, and rather quickly, pieces this mystery together faster than Velma Dinkley. Granted, I appreciate the pacing of the story from Howard. Nonetheless, she makes a huge leap to get to Jamie Braddock’s involvement. But, what really got this reader the most excited was the idea that slapped me across the face as this issue came to a closure. Did Howard/ Tom Muller figure out how to help Gerry Duggan bring back a huge missing piece in MARAUDERS? Will Howard’s Captain help restore Duggan’s Captain? After events that transpired in this issue, it very well may be a possibility. If you’re interested in the theories, hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu since this is a spoiler-free review or even if you simply just want to talk shop.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After the deflection which was the entire last arc, EXCALIBUR #10 by Tini Howard quickly lunges the series forward in a quite clever and interesting direction that finally begins to mold the magic realm into the mutant landscape in a way that makes more sense, fits well within the context of the narrative, and is genuinely intriguing for new and old EXCALIBUR fans alike. This issue may be the perfect spot for long time fans and Generation HOXPOX fans to finally enjoy this series together. This reviewer, who was becoming largely disinterested in this title, maybe eager to reinvest in this mutant U.K. Battalion Tini Howard has forged. I highly recommend giving EXCALIBUR #10 a shot, especially if you’ve thrown it to the side in the past. Give it a read and let me know what you think!

8.8/10

If you want to get your hands on this week’s issue of EXCALIBUR, click the Amazon link HERE. Additionally, if the DAWN OF X titles are your jam, click HERE to grab the latest issues. And finally, if you’re looking for something else to read, check out my Amazon Online Comic Shop by clicking HERE. Thank you all for the read and continued support. Stay safe and stay healthy.