New in Excalibur

[SpartanX]

Which were the best Excalibur issues? I want to check out that book. It had Kurt, Rachel and Kitty right?

[fishtaco]

Yes. The original team consisted of Captain Britain, Meggan, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Phoenix. New recruits included Kylun, Cerise, Feron, and Micromax.

Read all of Claremont and Davis's respective runs (Excalibur (1st Series) 1-67). Also, pick up Excalibur: The Sword Is Drawn before reading the main run, and pick up Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem somewhere along the way. Avoid Scott Lobdell's run (#'s 68-85) like the Bubonic Plague, but I'd also reccomend Warren Ellis's run (86-104). Under Ellis, Wolfsbane, Colossus, Douglock (Warlock), Daytripper (Magik II) and Pete Wisdom all joined the team. Good stuff. Avoid Ben Raab's run after that, although you might want to pick up the last issue (#125), because of the happy ending. :)

[Stephane Garrelie]

Which were the best Excalibur issues? I want to check out that book. It had Kurt, Rachel and Kitty right?
Try the recent tradepaperback "Excalibur: the sword is drawn". for me these issues and the followings are the best.
Great Claremont and Davis work.

[david r]

I also recommend the early Chris Claremont/Alan Davis period. Hands down the greatest era for this title.

Claremont and Davis worked together on (almost) every issue from #1-24. Then Claremont without Davis wrote #25, 27, 32-34. Alan Davis came back as writer/artist on #42-67. Great, fun stuff here.

I would also recommend the mini-series called X-Men: True Friends, starring Kitty and Rachel. It was meant to be the third Excalibur Annual, after The Sword is Drawn and Mojo Mayhem.

If you haven't read these issues, I envy you the fun awaiting you. :)

[SpartanX]

Thanks a lot guys!

[The Sword Is Drawn]

The Claremont and Davis stuff is very good. If you're tight on cash you can pick up a fair chunk of continuity in the form of the Marvel TPBs Classic Excalibur vols 1 & 2, so far. They're well worth picking up.

Also worth reading Excalibur #'s 86-104, which is closest to the more modern Excalibur, and arguably some of the best parts of the series' original run.

A lot of the Scott Lobdell stuff was a bit of a mixed bag, and a bit contrived. It's certainly not all bad, but his mutants only regime takes quite a while to kick in, and the changes he made to Captain Britain are best left unspoken about...

[DDM]

My favorites are Excalibur #6-7 when the team gets overwhelmed by Inferno: Phoenix becomes a lifeless mannaquin who soon becomes a victim of Crotus, a demon seeking the powers of Phoenix. Meggan is transformed into the Goblin Princess & she subverts Captain Britain to kill Shadowcat. Nightcrawler is left to fend for himself. The Goblin Queen & N'Astrigh make a cameo. This story happens sometime inbetween Uncanny X-Men #240-242. Originally, the team was looking for Phoenix who was looking for her baby brother, Nathan. Phoenix has a psionic rapport with him since Uncanny X-Men #201.

Yes, I second buy all the Chris Claremont/Alan Davis & Alan Davis run from Excalibur #1-67, Excalibur Special Edition #1-2, & X-Men: True Friends #1-3.