Marauders #3 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Steve Orlando, art by Eleonora Carlini, colours by Matt Milla, and letters by Ariana Maher. After being attacked by Erik the Red, the Marauders were left stranded outside their ship as Cassandra Nova battled one of the Kin Crimson on her own. In this issue, the team is held captive on the Shi’ar flagship, finally meeting Xandra, Gladiator, and Delphos.
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What is great about the plot in this series is the fact that every issue moves the location through space. We have traveled from Krakoa to the Marauders’ spacecraft to the Shi’ar ship. It gives the story a real sense of progression. In addition, the mysteries are still ever-present, but the prominent power struggle within the Shi’ar is clear and exciting. The moves being made are bolder than they were before and the betrayals are brazen. Whilst this is happening, Nova is having a battle of her own in a shocking set of scenes that shows the sheer number of wildcards in this comic. The legends of the first mutants are still confusing and aren’t fully gripping me yet, but the moments in the present are truly awesome pieces. The battles can be on a large scale or in a smaller confine but have the same epic feel. The ending shatters any preconceptions of what may happen next and is truly shocking.
Many of the characters are beginning to come into their own. Given her malicious, entirely untrustworthy history, Cassandra Nova has been one of the most interesting pieces on this chess board. What she does in Marauders #3 is powerful and horrifying, demonstrating what she is capable of, especially when it appears no one can stop her from doing it. In addition, the Shi’ar aspects of this comic are all fascinating. Gladiator serves as someone to fight in this issue, and it was fantastic seeing the team fight an established character in the Marvel Universe. In addition, the straining relationship between Delphos and Xandra is fascinating, as the latter is beginning to get more comfortable with the mutants and find her strength as a ruler. For the Marauders side of things, Daken, Tempo, and Kate all have interesting moments. But unfortunately, the rest of the team is quiet and doesn’t particularly affect the story at all. This is common in team books with a huge cast, but some of the characters haven’t been important to the story at all yet, which raises worrying questions.
The art continues to be an incredibly fun part of the comic. There are times when it is difficult to understand what is happening with the sheer amount of lines covering the panel, but even when I don’t know what is going on, I’m still enjoying seeing it. Some of the facial expressions are very loud and ridiculous, with huge grins or giant screams, which heightens the tone of the comic. Cassandra’s fight on an alien planet is big in its scale, with large open landscapes and creatures. Meanwhile, the brawl between the Marauders and Gladiator is up close and claustrophobic. The sensations of impact and speed are brilliant.
The colours are gorgeous. Always vibrant and rich, these shades are part of what makes this space opera so beautiful. The tone truly glows at times, and while the clashes of colour sometimes elevate the confusion towards what is happening on the page, the sheer stunning voracity they bring to the comic must be commended. The lettering is the standard font used for all X-titles.
Marauders #3 is starting to shine. The problems that were there for the first two issues remain, with coherence being difficult with some of the plot points and the art. Some of the characters need to start doing something or else they are just wasting space. But the space politics in this plot are fantastic. The conflict just behind Xandra is fascinating and hints at an entire race’s history. The fight scenes are extremely cool, energetic, and constantly escalating. All of the characters have the potential for awesome scenes with unique and dynamic powers, and the glimpses of that are enough to keep me interested.
Marauders #3 is available where comics are sold.
Marauders #3
TL;DR
The space politics in Marauders #3 are fantastic. The conflict just behind Xandra is fascinating and hints at an entire race’s history. All of the characters have the potential for awesome scenes with unique and dynamic powers, and the glimpses of that are enough to keep me interested.
