Following on from the events of X of Swords the Excalibur team are still left searching for Betsy, whilst in another reality Betsy finds herself as both Captain Britain and the Queen of England.
One of the best things that the Excalibur book has been giving readers is an X book that feels really different from the other parts of Dawn of X, without it feeling completely disconnected. Tini Howard has done a great job at merging together the new mutant status quo with the Captain Britain and Excalibur mythos to create something that feels fresh and new, whilst also connecting into things that longtime fans of the title will enjoy.
Now that Apocalypse has been taken off the board, thanks to the events of X of Swords we get to see how the Excalibur team are operating without him pulling the strings in the background, or him being able to step in when they're in trouble and bailing them out. This new, more dangerous time for the team is only compounded thanks to Betsy being lost somewhere in the multiverse. Not only because it means they're down their leader, but also because it's bringing them extra conflict.
The issue starts with Coven Akkaba learning that both Betsy and Brian are gone, and this seems to be driving their fear and hatred of mutants to new heights, as they decide that without a Braddock to stop them now is the perfect time to strike against Excalibur and take over the lighthouse, aiming to burn the Krakoan gate within. This means that Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Richtor, along with the help of Pete Wisdom, have to stay and protect the lighthouse, leaving Betsy to find her way home alone.
Thankfully, Betsy has actually ended up in a pretty good situation. After waking to find herself in a reality quite different from her own she learns that not only is she Captain Britain in this new world, but also the Queen. Luckily this means that not only has her counterpart prepared for any kind of dimensional mishaps that could result in this kind of body swap, but Betsy has allies on this world to help her out.
I liked how Howard lets the reader think that Betsy is going to get help from that worlds version of Angel, and that we get to see the two characters interacting together and Betsy dealing with her own history with Angel on Earth 616, but pulls the rug out from under us at the last minute by introducing another character who'll be helping Betsy get home; Kwannon.
For as long as I can remember reading X-Men books Betsy and Kwannon were one person, the mind of Betsy inside Kwannon's body in the form of the hero Psylocke. I never saw the two of them as separate beings, and due to a break in reading Marvel I only came back to reading X-Men comics after they were split again, so this is my first time seeing the two of them actually interacting with each other, and it's the content I didn't know I was waiting for. Yes, this might not be our version of Kwannon, but she makes for a perfect surrogate, and makes a good bridging step for Betsy, who is still working up the courage to really interact with the 616 version.
The scenes where the two of them are breaking into the facility that will get Betsy home are some of the best bits of the book, and the conversations that the two of them have are an important moment for Betsy, one that I can see driving her on to have these kind of conversations with the Kwannon in her home reality.
Excalibur continues to be a really enjoyable book, one that draws on the history of the title but manages to do new and exciting things with the characters. I'm not sure what's going to be coming in the next issue, but I'm sure whatever it is it's going to be an entertaining time.
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