X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 1 - The Sword is Drawn (v. 1) [Paperback]

Chris Claremont (Author), Alan Davis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 4 and up

Believing the X-Men to be dead, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat vow to keep the dream alive alongside Captain Britain and the metamorphic Meggan - but the Warwolves have Phoenix on the run and she leads them to London, right into the formation of the X-Men's first foreign franchise! The Warwolves are on our heroes like a cheap suit (or is it the other way around?) and Chris Claremont doesn't waste any time in setting up the labyrinthine plots his fans know him best for! Aliens, intrigue, and Arcade! The mystery of the Hellfire Club's Courtney Ross begins here! Guest Starring the Juggernaut! Collects Excalibur #1-5 and Bookshelf.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Marvel; Direct Ed edition (November 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785118888
• ISBN-13: 978-0785118886
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An odd yet enjoyable chapter in the history of the X-Men, November 30, 2005

By 

R. Hall "Dazed Genoshan" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 1 - The Sword is Drawn (v. 1) (Paperback)

The original Excalibur team was never a huge seller and for the majority of the run of the series it remained very distant from the events of the X-Men and related titles. Yet it always had strong ties to the X-Men and was in essence the X-Men's equivalent in Europe. This collection included the hard to find origin of the team, the Excalibur: Drawing the Sword special, and the first five issues of the series.

The Birth of Excalibur: In the Mutant Massacre Shadowcat, Nightcrawler and Colossus were all severely injured in battle by Mr. Sinister's Marauders, and all three were relocated to the Mutant Research Center on Muir Isle in Scotland to recover. Colossus recovered from his injuries before his other incapacitated teammates and rejoined the X-Men around the time of Inferno (note: Colossus would eventually join Excalibur near the end of the run of the series). Shadowcat and Nightcrawler slowly recovered but soon after the latter awoke from his coma the two of them watched helplessly as the X-Men (seemingly) sacrificed their lives in Dallas during the Fall of the Mutants. One of the X-Men at the time was Pyslock, the twin sister of Captain Britain, and her death sparked a dark period of heavy whiskey drinking for the UK's iconic hero.

Soon after the X-Men's apparent final stand in Dallas was seen on TVs across the globe, Rachael Summers, a.k.a. Phoenix (II), began showing up in the dreams of both Shadowcat and Nightcrawler. Not long before the Mutant Massacre Rachael had attempted to assassinate Selene, the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club in Manhattan but Wolverine stopped her with a quick slash of his claws. Rachael's potent psionic powers were just barely holding her together when Spiral, a favored agent of the other-dimensional alien programmer Mojo, seduced Rachel into entering the entertainment-dominated Mojoverse. The X-Men, not even bothering to look for her, assumed she had just run out on the team. Then in the streets of London, Phoenix reappeared with Mojo's Warwolves ravaging the city to capture her. Soon after, the strange and alien mercenaries known as Technet appeared, with the intent of capturing Phoenix also. Shadowcat, Meggan (a faerie-like mutant changeling), Nightcrawler and Captain Britain all get involved and together repel the forces that hounded Phoenix. From this team-up, the five heroes, along with Shadowcat's pet dragon Lockheed, all agree to unite as a team to try and fill the void left by the death of the X-Men.

In the first few issues of their series, Excalibur battles the Warwolves once again, Arcade and the Crazy Gang (which seems to have been inspired by English humorists such as Monty Python), and the Juggernaut, as well as struggling to come together as a team. Although Excalibur is one of the lesser known X-Men related books, it is one worth checking out. The other mutant books at the time were deeply serious and had a heavy doom-and-gloom tone, but Excalibur was more humorous and lighthearted while still dealing with the core characters' personalities in a realistic yet atypical manner. Another element that endears me to the series, at least in its beginnings, is the heavy influence of British culture in the plots and characters. Not everyone will like this, but for those who can appreciate its unique stories will enjoy it quite a bit.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Retro European X-fun, November 11, 2005

By 

Madelyn Pryor "Goblyn Queen" (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 1 - The Sword is Drawn (v. 1) (Paperback)

To understand this book some background is needed. This is taking place at a time when most of the X-Men were believed dead, their lives given to defend the world against the Siege Perilous. Left behind were Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler (both who were injured and not with the team), Captain Britain, and Rachel Summers, who was Phoenix at the time.

This book picks up the tattered remains of the X-Men, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Phoenix, Captain Britain, and Megan and forms them into Excalibur. Chris Claremont and Alan Davis created this book, which is set in the British Isles. In this graphic the team is formed, faces some of Mojo's creations, the Juggernaut, Arcade and more. Relationships are formed and tested, as everyone is just getting to know each other.

However, with that all being said, I must admit that while I love Chris Claremont and worshiped him when he was at the heights of his X-Men glory, this is not his best work. The first half of the graphic feels stilted and is frankly.... Boring. The last bit of the graphic started to move better and I'm looking forward to the next graphic to see if Claremont found what he wanted to do with these characters. Alan Davis's art is as beautiful as ever, the man has a very stylized form that I happened to gain an attachment to with other X-Books of the time.

Buy this book and enjoy it, just be aware that as it is with most introductory works, bugs were still being ironed out when this was written and it isn't optimal, but it is enjoyable.

Recommended to comic book newcomers and season veterans alike, but especially recommended to X-Men fans and those looking for some `retro' fun.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great!, January 9, 2006

By 

Entropy (KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X-Men: Excalibur Classic, Vol. 1 - The Sword is Drawn (v. 1) (Paperback)

Here is one of the x-men's best sister titles. With phenomenal art by Alan Davis and some great writing by Claremont, the classic Excalibur series was witty and original. Great characters and characterization, this a great series. A must have, esp. for fans of Alan Davis and classic Claremont.