Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Stefano Caselli, Edgar Delgado, VC’s Cory Petit, Tom Muller, Matthew Wilson, and Russell Dauterman
Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 9th, 2020
Readers, it’s been a LONG time coming. Actually, the exact issue was MARAUDERS #6 when Captain Kate died. For those keeping track at home, that release date was January 22nd, 2020!!! Sebastian Shaw killed Kate Pryde and we’ve waited roughly 320 days to see any retribution for what had happened. Sure, we had the COVID hiatus, as well as X OF SWORDS. Nonetheless, to MARAUDER and Captain Kate fans, this retaliation has been way overdue. Let’s jump into MARAUDERS #16 by Gerry Duggan to see if Captain Kate finally gets the payback she deserves.
If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.
Without giving too much of a play by play, I’ll simply begin by saying Kate’s entrance to the story has hints of elegance, grace, and badassery. Duggan gets creative as to the Avenue in which Captain Kate can get her revenge. Realistically, what do you do to someone who’s the “master of kinetic energy”? Well, Kate and Emma find a clever way to even the playing field and get their just desserts… and drinks. Surprisingly enough, there was a moment throughout Shaw’s beat down where I actually began to feel for him… until the end of the issue of course. You’ll have to check it out to see for yourself. However, Duggan does a fantastic job of making Shaw seem extra sniveling and feeble, especially as Kate begins to make herself at home in Sebastian’s “not so humble” abode.
Duggan doesn’t stop at merely making this issue revenge heavy. He also twists in some humorous elements where Sebastian attempts to escape, as well as some unique forms of punishment that are dastardly and fitting for what Sebastian did to Kate and Lockheed. Now, did the punishment fit the crime? Readers will have to be the judge. I think Duggan did a good job of not taking it too far while still adding repercussion and weight to the process. But ultimately, that’s the entire issue… vindication. Still, there will be many MARAUDERS fans who feel like something worse should have been advocated. Truthfully, it will depend on your feelings about Kate Pryde. However, I’d love to know your thoughts. Message me and let me know if you feel the punishment fits the crime.
FINAL THOUGHTS
After almost an entire year, Kate, her fans, and MARAUDERS readers get their payback. But, was it too long of a wait? Don’t get me wrong, I loved the issue. It was entertaining, humorous, and fun. The read was extremely quick and Duggan crafted unique punishments that fit the crime well. However, I remember when MARAUDERS began and what an outstanding job Duggan did making Kate Pryde one of my favorite X-MEN characters of Jonathan Hickman’s “relaunch”. Six months in, she gets ripped away and readers wait until MARAUDERS #11, which was August 20th, 2020 (roughly 7 months), before she’s back. The flare and pain of the event faded away. My point is: this revenge was well deserved and Duggan dishes it out extremely well. However, with COVID and X OF SWORDS, the feeling and emotion that could have been with this issue just weren’t there anymore. It just may have been too long overdue.
8.4/10
If you’re interested in MARAUDERS #16, click HERE to preorder a copy. If Gerry Duggan’s MARAUDERS run is something you’ve really quite enjoyed, click HERE to get related trades and comics. Additionally, if you’ve been really digging Hickman’s X-MEN, click HERE to get your hands on related Dawn of X trades, volumes, and issues. And finally, if you’re looking for something else to read, check out my Amazon Online Comic Shop by clicking HERE. Thank you all for the read and continued support. Stay safe and stay healthy.
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Weird Science Marvel Comics 
I’ll be honest: I am not a fan of Duggan’s Marauders, but I still kept up with the story. The revenge itself just feels gratuitous and the series inadvertently highlights a real and unintentional issue in Krakoa: it’s a house full of vipers.
Sebastian Shaw is a snake like Mystique, Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, the Shadow King, and more. The X-Men invited their worst mutant enemies to join them and act surprised when they do what everyone who decries this decision expect. They betray, manipulate, and exploit them. Apocalypse and Exodus are exceptions because they’re true believers of Krakoa. But the others don’t care, especially Mystique. There are no real contingencies, no significant measures taken to ensure they don’t act up behind everyone’s backs.
So seeing Shaw got away with it in the first place is a big misstep on everyone involved, both the characters and the creators. Hopefully the story involving Shadow King doesn’t slip up like this.
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Sorry for the long reply, but this is a really BIG problem that should be addressed in the titles. But I feel it won’t be anytime soon.
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No need to apologies for the long reply. I love hear in what other people think. You have great points and the concept of the issue to drag on a bit. I wish the hammer would have been dropped sooner but we’ve had so many interruptions that it’s felt like forever. They obviously need Shaw for something… but what
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Marauders #16 wasn’t bad. Good. Not great. Kind of contrived in several spots? Perhaps because this conclusion has been so drawn out it kind of came off anti-climatic. I don’t know. It was fine. Like when Kitty got resurrected – it was just fine. I was hoping they’d finally address her inability to use the gates but that was punted. Maybe my expectations were too high..? Again. Didn’t dislike it, I think I just lost my vigor for the arc. I was very invested after it happened. Moreso when I saw how it effected the characters like Iceman going full homicide on some fools. We’re so far removed from it – think I just care less.
And yes, you start feeling bad for Shaw – and that’s because it’s fiction. It’s hard to hold a grudge against someone that doesn’t exist. We dropped our guard because guess what? It happened almost a year ago! We forgot why we were angry.
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