S.W.O.R.D. by Al Ewing vol. 2

What I tell myself is that it’s not like this series, and by extension Ewing’s other cosmic Marvel series “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is really ending.  The writer is working with Stefano Caselli, who illustrates an issue of this volume, on the just-launched “X-Men Red” series which will focus on Storm’s leadership of the Arakii mutants on Mars.  You can expect that he’ll be rolling as many subplots from those series into this one.  Which is a good thing because while this volume is quite good on its own terms, it sets up a huge conflict within mutantkind that has the potential to be even more entertaining.

Before we get to that, we’ve got some crossover business to take care of.  The first two issues of this volume are part of “The Last Annihilation” and required reading for the crossover.  Issue #7 “Full Spectrum Diplomacy” shows you what happened to Captain Glory between issues 16 & 17 of “Guardians” and why Throneworld II didn’t immediately fall afterward.  There’s also that great scene between Storm and Doctor Doom as the two exchange veiled and actual threats, and even some physical violence over the latter’s offer to kindly help mutants out with the knowledge of the mystic arts.  

This is followed by the “Cable:  Reloaded” one-shot that does its best to recall the character’s 90’s glory days with some expertly deployed self-aware humor and some slick art from Bob Quinn.  Thanks to the inclusion of these two issues, you get nearly all of the key story beats of “The Last Annihilation” between this volume and vol. 3 of Ewing’s “Guardians.”  If you’re looking to read this particular event, I’d say you can just get them rather than springing for the hardcover.

The next issue is where we get to the stuff I haven’t read, and it’s just as good.  Issue #8, “Unbroken,” reads like a prologue for “X-Men Red” as it shows us what life is like for Storm now that she’s Regent of Arakko.  Being the only non-Arakki mutant to sit at the head of their ruling council, The Great Ring, has understandably ruffled a lot of feathers and she’s been fielding challenges from them in one-on-one combat.  While some of them are loudmouthed scrubs, one of them is Tarn the Uncaring and he’s just looking to end Storm because her presence offends him.

Readers of “Hellions” will no doubt recognize Tarn, and there’s even an explanation provided regarding why he didn’t come back to take them all out after departing to deal with Amino Fetus in vol. 3.  While it pleases me to see continuity observed in this way, it’s her fight with the Arakki mutant that impresses as it takes a full-on detour into body horror before reminding us that Storm is perfectly deadly without the use of her mutant powers.  Though I hope the combat-challenges-to-Storm’s-authority are dialed back in the follow-up series, this issue did a great job of showing us why she’s the right mutant for this job.

Last up is a three-issue arc that has Orchis, by way of professional jackass Henry Peter Gyrich, making their move on S.W.O.R.D.  It starts when Shi’Ar Empress Xandra and her Superguardian delegation are attacked by the all-new Lethal Legion are attacked at the Arakko spaceport.  There’s some quality back-and-forth superhero action until a couple things happen.  One is the reveal that the Legion have decided to start living up to the second part of their name.  The other is that Gyrich has finally decided that now is the time to activate his mole within the organization.

All of this features appreciably energetic and detailed art from Jacopo Camagni and the satisfaction of seeing a well-executed plan carried out.  If that were all this arc had to offer, I’d be satisfied and continue to look forward to “X-Men Red” with the same enthusiasm I had before I started reading this volume.  Except that Ewing has one more twist in store for readers of this volume and it’s a doozy.  Let’s just say that it involves a thorough reappraisal of a certain character’s motivations which shows them to be consistent with how they’re been portrayed up to this point.  Even better is the fact that it’s done in a way to make them not come off like a complete villain, and may even get you to think about how Krakoa is managing their cosmic agenda.

It’s a beautiful twist that left me genuinely conflicted about whether this character is doing the right thing, something that I don’t feel too often when reading superhero comics.  As for whether or not they’ll succeed in their goals, well, their agenda is likely to put them up against Storm on Arakko and I know who I’d back in that fight.  Or maybe they’ll be able to convince Storm that they’re right?  After all, their goal does make a lot of sense for everyone.  So now I want to see what Ewing has planned for “X-Men Red” EVEN MORE than I did than when I started this volume.  Which I really was not expecting at all.