Assault On The Starlight Citadel: ‘Excalibur #9’ Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Apocalypse is helping Excalibur find the Starlight Citadel, the central hub of Otherworld and the former headquarters of the Captain Britain Corps. It is now run by Opal Luna Saturnyne, who took over after Merlyn. Excalibur goes to Otherworld to find the Citadel, but Saturnyne senses Apocalypse watching her and mobilizes her priestesses for war with Excalibur. Back on Earth, Pete Wisdom and Meggan have begun spying on Clan Akkaba. They are enraged by the defeat of Morgana le Fey and they are planning to sabotage Jamie Braddock so that he will lose the throne of Otherworld.
Excalibur #9 finds the team returning to Otherworld to find the Starlight Citadel. It is the former headquarters of the Captain Britain Corps and will be useful in Betsy fulfilling her duties as the new Captain Britain. However, Saturnyne has hidden the Citadel from Betsy along with everyone else.
It’s another issue that dives into Captain Britain history and lore and that is most certainly welcome. We also see more of Apocalypse’s mutant magic. We see more of how Clan Akkaba functions, and it is fairly creepy.
Gambit is still brooding in this comic, which does take some of the fun out of Remy LeBeau. Jubilee and Shogo’s scenes are cute as hell.
There’s not a lot of action until the very end of the comic, when Saturnyne’s priestesses encounter Excalibur. That said, the comic still manages to be interesting and enjoyable throughout.
Marcus To gives an excellent treatment to this issue. His style suits the team and tone of the title very well. The detailing and expression all shine throughout and the action scenes are exciting and satisfying to read. Erick Arciniega provides a vibrant and explosive color palette, ensuring that your eyes are attached to every panel.
Excalibur #9 is another high point for the series. We see the team return to Otherworld to reestablish contact with the Starlight Citadel in a quest that seems sure to test Betsy as the new Captain Britain. It’s a compelling read and it earns a recommendation. Check it out.
Excalibur #9 comes to us from writer Tini Howard, artist Marcus To, color artist Erick Arciniega, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson, and variant cover artist Marcos Martin.
Final Score: 8.5/10
