Cullen Bloodstone Gives Into His Base Instincts, While Captain Britain & •┤Ȧ├• Come To An Agreement In Excalibur #8

The hunt continues in Excalibur #8 by Tini Howard, Wilton Santos, Marcus To, Sean Parsons, Roberto Poggi, Victor Nava, and, of course, Erick Arciniega. The team tries to find a balance between the whims of •┤Ȧ├•, the Warwolves, and Cullen Bloodstone while battling for their lives.

Charlie Davis: You know? It kinda feels like it’s been forever since issue #7 of Excalibur. I know it actually hasn’t been forever, but the more pressing these plot points seem to get, the longer it seems to take for issues to come out. This is me exaggerating, but the plot engine has picked up in Excalibur tenfold since the end of the first arc and even though some people might call issues 7 and 8 a bit of a slow down, I would beg to differ. How are we feeling this week Nola, good I hope.

Nola Pfau: It probably also feels like forever because you just had a convention weekend, and everyone knows that time dilates at those things. You’ve probably actually caught up to me in age by a few hours! I’m with you on the pace though; while the Warwolf hunt of the last two issues is a major shift from the Otherworld War, it’s been a pretty fun romp. Shall we dive in?

The Aristocrats

CD: Of course! There are a few distinct things I wanted to touch on in this issue. I’m glad that the Warwolf hunt proper took a backseat to some good character work from basically everyone. I feel like Gambit and Rogue really got to shine in the Otherworld arc so it’s about time that everyone else gets some time as well. Cullen Bloodstone very much feels like someone without direction here. As a character, I don’t know if he’s ever tried not to be a tiny bit villainous. Even after these two issues, I’m not sure I know exactly what his deal is other then “boy is scared of mutants even though he’s got a monster living inside of him.” Cullen seems like he’s trying to adapt in this new world where Krakoa exists, but I can’t help but wish we got some more background as to why he’s acting so squirrely.

NP: I suppose I’d act squirrely too, with a monster inside of me. Cullen is exactly the sort of smarmy @#$% you expect a rich white boy to be, with an extra side of “evil gay,” as he kisses Rictor without consent as a means of coming on. Normally I would be worried about that portrayal, but given that we have Iceman, Rictor, Christian Frost and even Sebastian Shaw running around making overt references as to their preferences, I’m a little less stressed at the appearance of the trope (I will, however, note that we still haven’t seen any f/f kisses since the start of HoXPoX—not that I’m keeping a running tally or anything). As to his attitude regarding Krakoa, well…again, he’s a rich white boy, and he sees people prospering from a system he’s not even allowed to access. I imagine that’s gotta wound his ego.

CD: It’s interesting considering he very much shunned his richness in other titles he was in. Cullen is another depressed gay, who desperately pined for a big redhead who only thought they were friends. I’m wondering a bit how we got from point A to this point B, but I think the time we’ve spent away from Cullen may be best left unexplored. AS FOR THAT KISS. I wonder if ‘Star gets like a chill down his spine every time someone comes on to Rictor. I know I would. He’s a hot commodity around these parts. I liked the focus on him here and even though I am desperately missing To’s art for most of this book, I do like the subtleties of Ric literally face palming when Jubilee starts challenging Cullen’s words at the dinner table.

Strangers In A Strange Land

NP: It’s such a good moment for her as well, though! Jubilee has such a reputation for being the one who goes “hang on, what,” at situations she finds absurd and I absolutely see her doing that, especially with the question of identity. She’s absolutely right, and it’s a great chaser to last week’s X-Men #7: Mutants are who they are, not what they can do. It’s a great instance of the mutant metaphor being used correctly for a change, and it’s great to see it coming from her. I like a Jubilee who challenges things, and it’s telling that when pressed on it, Cullen leaves the table, rather than admit his bias.

CD: I agree. There is a lot going on with Krakoa that perturbs me a bit, but mutants having a place to be mutants isn’t one of those things. Largely, I like the idea that this Excalibur team does have to exist in two worlds. It makes Krakoa and the conflicts that should be starting inside and are happening outside feel like they actually matter. Much like Betsy herself, the rest of the team is balancing things here as well. I can only assume that’s another narrative thread we’re going to follow from here on out. I think this issue paired with 7 also speaks to the fact that Betsy does actually want to explore and try and rekindle some of her history with her country. I think giving the whole Bloodstone estate the benefit of the doubt and weirdly embracing the idea of a “hunt” speaks not only to the darker sides of Betsy we have seen in the past, but her being a bit desperate to try and reconnect with some history that she thinks she’s lost.

NP: Darker sides, indeed. This whole hunt thing has felt very “Most Dangerous Game” to me, and I gotta say the only reason I was along for the ride at all is knowing precisely how dangerous Warwolves can be to a populace. Even that stated, it bothers me, because why make sport out of it when you don’t have to? •┤Ȧ├• wants their skulls, but are we really going to just…gloss over the ethics of that? They’re not particularly smart creatures, especially now, but they’re still sentient creatures. They have identities and awareness, and they’re not even being killed for the immediate danger they pose, but because someone wants a piece of them. That’s already some pretty unethical ground, and then to make a hunt out of it on top of that…I can’t believe this comic book is making me defend Warwolves.

The Old Ways

CD: I still feel it’s more than a bit strange that everyone is buying wholesale into what •┤Ȧ├• wants and needs from them. Everyone except Gambit, that is. Maybe it’s because there is more at stake here than what the X-Men are used to dealing with, but we can only push that so far in my opinion. How much is too much, what’s a task that’s too far? Is it because •┤Ȧ├• is on the council? I would very much like to see this explored and I think that it will be. Betsy is juggling a lot and she’s attempting to adapt as well. Adapt and survive. Is suspect everyone going along with all of this is in part them doing so as well.

NP: Nah, I’m with you. It’s weird. Betsy went along with what he said and what it led to was a war of expansion and her brother—the worse one—on the throne. It’s funny that you’re mentioning adaptation; that’s meant to be •┤Ȧ├•’s hallmark, and yet he’s clearly and strongly demonstrated that he’s still doing things the same old way; using those he considers beneath him to accomplish his personal goals. Trouble is, now he has the authority of the Council behind it. I think Gambit’s reservations are right, and I hope others start to share them. Poor, trusting Rictor, though…

CD: I’m very convinced that •┤Ȧ├• did something more to Ric than just weirdly give him a pep talk. We really don’t even have the full story about what was going on with Ric before Excalibur anyway. If I was was a betting person, I wouldn’t be surprised if •┤Ȧ├• was responsible for Ric losing control of his powers in the first place. BUT I DIGRESS. Clan Akkaba rears its ugly head again and through a data page we find out that they are somewhat running parallel to MI 13, but of course are an organization with less mutants. We don’t really see if Cullen is contacting them, but it’s heavily implied. They are just the kind of people to stoke the flames of paranoia. I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn the whole of England against Betsy.

NP: I really liked that data page in particular, not just for what it conveyed, but I liked the extra attention paid to making it look like a letter that had been printed, folded, and sent to someone. It’s the kind of thing that absolutely isn’t necessary in this medium, but they did it anyway, and that shows a real care for craft. At any rate, after some silly superhero shenanigans, the issue resolved with the best thing. Just…the best thing.

CD: BABY WARWOLF. BA.BY WAR.WOLF. Honestly the fact that To comes back to draw these pages coupled with the puppy AND Betsy and Rachel…perhaps the greatest of all the panels in the issue. I feel like you’ve got some things to say about this Nola so…go for it.

NP: He is warwolf. He is baby. I love him and I would die for him. Rachel taking custody of him is good and right; Excalibur started with her and warwolves, after all. I imagine we’ll see him in the new X-Factor book, and I can’t wait.

Also Betsy and Rachel should kiss.

CD: Amen.