Another week brings another new addition to Marvel's growing Dawn of X relaunch. This time it's Excalibur up to bat, with writer Tini Howard and artist Marcus To crafting a new take on a familiar X-Men-adjacent franchise. Excalibur #1 isn't quite the home run Marauders #1 was last week, but it does find similar success in terms of offering readers something that's both very different from Jonathan Hickman's work while still feeling like a cohesive addition to the line.

Kitty

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Unlike Marauders, which has basically nothing to do with the original band of mutant killers employed by Mister Sinister, Excalibur does dabble in some of the expected tropes. This series is heavily centered around the Braddock family in general and Psylocke in particular. It's also heavily steeped in the mythology of Camelot and Otherworld and even features Morgan le Fay as a major antagonist. But in other ways, the new series is a major deviation from the norm. Most of the old Excalibur mainstays are ignored in favor of a new team that includes iconic X-Men characters like Gambit, Rogue and Jubilee. And that's to say nothing of the central role played by Apocalypse.That blend of old and new makes for a satisfying combination in issue #1. The heavy emphasis on Psylocke may well be the book's biggest selling point. LikeKate Pryde in Marauders, Betsy Braddock is a woman at a crossroads. She's recently returned to her original body and is adrift and in search of purpose. She's reluctant to even use the Psylocke name, much less confront the woman whose body she inhabited for so many years. Excalibur is, among other things, a way of establishing a new purpose for Betsy. It's unfortunate Marvel has completely spoiled the new direction for the character ahead of time, but it's a compelling new wrinkle all the same.Howard and To are also to be commended for delving into the convoluted Braddock family history without getting bogged down in minutia. Excalibur newcomers needn't worry too much about jumping right in, though a basic familiarity with Captain Britain certainly helps. Most importantly, the sibling dynamic between Betsy and Brian is handled well and provides the book with much of its emotional core.This first issue is somewhat less successful in terms of team-building. Most of the X-Men characters come across as superfluous, random picks. In Marauders, there's a certain logic to the ensemble cast, as the characters either have close personal ties to Kitty or have specific parts to play in that new team. Here, heroes like Gambit and Rogue are playing roles that could seemingly just as easily be filled by any number of other mutant characters.Apocalypse at least makes for a memorable addition to the lineup. It's certainly a nontraditional take on a long-time mutant villain, but necessarily so. We've seen Apocalypse the genocidal tyrant who wants to cull and strengthen the mutant race. What happens when Apocalypse finally sees his dreams realized and has to start treating the X-Men as neighbors and co-workers rather than foes? Howard's writing brings a mild dose of humor to this normally inscrutable character, while also highlighting a growing conflict between biology and magic.To and colorist Erick Arciniega face a difficult challenge with Excalibur, as the book calls for them to blend the high-concept superhero sci-fi of House of X and Powers of X with plenty of fantasy trappings. The two are largely successful in that mission. The art style clearly evokes the overall design sensibilities of Dawn of X while bringing its own sense of style to bear. The lush environment of Krakoa contrasts nicely with the ethereal and moodily lit scenes focused on Morgan le Fay and her acolytes. This issue captures that clash between science and magic nicely.In general, though, the visuals are better at establishing tone and environment than delivering dynamic characters. The figures themselves leave a bit to be desired. To takes a very economical approach to his figures, which often results in a very uniform, interchangeable look for many characters (the women especially). Often, only basic details like hair color serve to distinguish one character from another in a scene.