A Hellfire Family Reunion In Marauders #3
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Sebastian Shaw, the Black King, seeks to consolidate power in Krakoa and the Hellfire Trading Company. A part of this plan is seeing his son, Shinobi Shaw, resurrected by the Five. He immediately goes about inducting Shinobi into Hellfire, but Sebastian’s initial plans were to make Shinobi the Red King. Time passes, and Shinobi handles to matters in Tokyo. When he returns to Krakoa, Sebastian reveals that he cannot currently make Shinobi the Red King–so he makes Shinobi his Black Bishop.
Marauders #3 is an issue completely dedicated to Sebastian and Shinobi Shaw. It’s a family reunion in the Hellfire manner. There are no hugs and tears, only schemes and violence.
The story takes place over the course of the first two issues of Marauders, with the resurrection of Shinobi presumably taking place before #1 and the crowning of the Black Bishop taking place after #2.
It’s a fairly low-action comic, with almost all of it consisting of Sebastian and Shinobi making plans. Little plot development happens, but it succeeds in being a fairly enjoyable issue regardless. In a way, it’s reassuring to see that, even in paradise, Sebastian Shaw is discontent.
I’ll admit to having little familiarity with Shinobi Shaw. In fact, I had to double check the Marvel Wikia to make sure that the lie which Sebastian tells at the very end was definitely a lie.
Michele Bandini is the artist on this issue, and the visuals are downright gorgeous. Bandini gives the Black King a great treatment, and the depiction of Hellfire Bay is breathtaking. Bandini and Elisabetta D’Amico give the book a tight and strong inking, and Federico Blee ensures that the color explodes off the page.
Marauders #3 is a slow issue, but it’s still a good one. Father and son are reunited thanks to the X-Men, but their reunion immediately turns into planning for the future. Mix that engaging story with the brilliant visual work, and you still have a book worth recommending. Feel free to check it out.
Marauders #3 comes to us from writer Gerry Duggan, artist Michele Bandini, inkers Michele Bandini and Elisabetta D’Amico, color artist Federico Blee, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Russell Dauterman with Matthew Wilson, and variant cover artist Jeehyung Lee.
Final Score: 7.5/10
