Writer: Gerry Duggan

Art: Stefano Caselli, Edgar Delgado, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, Matthew Wilson, and Russell Dauterman

Price: $3.99

Original Release Date: April 1st, 2020

Current Release Date: May 27th, 2020

Well X-fans, MARAUDERS arrives this week signaling to this reader that the X-books are finally back in business. Now, even though it seems as though the releases will be biweekly throughout the month of June, this comic fan is still gung-ho and ready to go! For those that are wondering where the status quo is right now in MARAUDERS, it can be summed up pretty quickly. For some reason, Kitty can’t use the Krakoan gates to access the island. This gets her recruited to sail the seven seas with a band of mutants while simultaneously becoming the Red Queen for the Hellfire Club. Captain Kate’s Marauders were doing a pretty bang-up job until the Black King (Sebastian Shaw) murdered Captain Kate and now she’s DEAD with a capital ”D”. So, how will the MARAUDERS function without their Captain? Will Kitty eventually be resurrected like the rest of the mutants that die? And, does anyone else know that Shaw murdered Captain Kate? Let’s dive into this week’s MARAUDERS #10 by Gerry Duggan and find out!

Readers, this week’s tale is a pretty good story. For those Forge fans out there, he’s front and center this issue! However, I feel like my expectations were a bit higher coming off this hiatus. As one of the best X-books on the market, Duggan has developed an outstandingly well-written and fast-paced narrative that’s kept this reader totally entrenched within the story since issue one. If you don’t believe me, click HERE to get a hold of past MARAUDERS issues on Amazon. You won’t regret it.

Nonetheless, I just didn’t get that same feeling this week. Again, the plot made sense, the players were well represented, and the action was sprinkled throughout nicely. But overall, something was missing. Duggan didn’t have the same flavor, or spice, or vigor within the story like he’s had prior to COVID-19. Granted, this story was written long before our Coronacations but maybe it’s just simply because the rhythm and continuity from one week to the next were so drastically interrupted. But this reviewer was searching for more after this layoff than what we got.

My main disappointment came in the realm of answers to the “Kitty situation”. We get answers my fine feathered X-fans but not until the last page. So, I felt like the purpose and drive of this issue was mainly for fluff. Plus, it didn’t seem to jive with the overall plot very well. I mean; it worked and made sense but the issue seemed like filler in a time when we needed substance. However, when this issue was originally supposed to drop, the filler may not have been a bad thing. That said, coming off an almost two-month break, this reader was looking for something intense, action-packed, in your face, and full of new exciting questions and answers to the old nagging ones. Sadly, we get one possible answer… maybe… and a fun issue that felt like a one-shot that would have been better suited as an annual.

Now, there were many aspects of the issue that Duggan really hit the mark. For example, the potential for some of the characters he introduced now to help in the development of the story is intriguing and I think really offer up some creative solutions down the line. Likewise, Forge is a great addition to this book and I hope he becomes a permanent fixture in this title. Furthermore, Duggan’s take on Xavier makes him seem harsher and more vial then I once remembered those almost two months ago. To some, that may sound like a bad thing but not to this reader. I’ve wondered since the middle of HOXPOX if the mutants, led my Moira, Xavier, and Magneto weren’t actually the villains of this “restart”. It’s an angle that I would love them to explore a bit more and it’s these characteristics that writers sprinkle in that help point this feature out more and more.

Additionally, there is another element of the issue that I’m normally not a huge fan of BUT it was at least explained adding a layer to Emma Frost that was actually quite interesting. I’m not a huge fan of using art to exploit women in a comic. Sometimes, (if not most times) women can be drawn very provocatively. Well, Gerry Duggan and Stefano Caselli actually flaunt this idea with Emma and then take the time to explain a purpose behind the character’s attire which makes a ton of sense. Now, this isn’t me condoning the artistic choice but the explanation was well received and adds more depth to the character that I never knew existed before.

As much as it’s my job to be more critical than the rest, I have a hard time dropping the hammer this week wondering if the comic lull has more to do with the circumstances of the story than the writer and art team. If we include the time off from new releases, it now feels like Kitty has been dead forever without answers. Readers, that was issue six which came out in January. Now, do you remember what I said earlier? I said this issue was missing something. Well, that something is Captain Kate. Duggan killed off the main character Kitty, whom he elevated beautifully throughout his run, and now appears to be taking on water. If the Star is gone, you need to find a new one or get the old one back before the series goes under. Captain Kate was the heart of this book and I’m worried if Duggan doesn’t get her back soon this series may get shipwrecked.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’re a MARAUDERS fan, you have to buy this issue to stay in the loop. If you’re an X-MEN fan interested in jumping onboard MARAUDERS, this isn’t the time or the issue. Just have a friend catch you up and wait a bit before diving in. And lastly, if you’re a comic fan starving for something new to read, you can take a chance on this issue for sure. It’s entertaining, creative, funny, easy to follow, fast-paced, and contains a decent amount of action. However, heavily invested MARAUDERS fans, as well as X-fans may leave craving more answers and substance from a series that’s been a Rock Star since day one. Was it the lack of Kitty, the lack of New Releases, or a whirlwind of both making the perfect storm for an average issue from Duggan? The verdict is still out.

7.8/10

If you want to get your hands on this week’s issue of MARAUDERS #10, click the Amazon link HERE. Additionally, if the DAWN OF X titles are your jam, click HERE to grab the latest titles. 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.