Excalibur #101
“Quiet”
Writer: Warren Ellis
Pencils: Casey Jones
Inks: Tom Simmons
Colours: Ariane Lenshoek of Malibu Hues
Lettering: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
Editors: Suzanne Gaffney, Jaye Gardner & Dan Hosek
Original Publication date: September 1996
Our favourite mutant misfits might be having a quiet one but we’re getting loud about… our love for quiet issues? Our squad’s reunited with returning guest Laura Grafton in a new base with new boys but some of the same baselines in Excalibur #101, “Quiet,” an “Onslaught” event aftermath issue that’s really set amid “Onslaught” but you really wouldn’t know it because our mutants spend the event watching the news while our artist and writer wrangle some great character moments that make this non-event surprisingly eventful.
On quietness:
“I love decompression issues where nothing happens, because it’s kind of where everything happens.” -Laura
On well-placed details:
“Casey Jones’ artwork is very smooth and streamlined, but when he does include more details, they draw the eye more. Even though we don’t see Moira cry, her glasses have tear-shaped reflections.” -Laura
On character work:
“The character work is strong in this issue, which is especially notable because there’s a high degree of difficulty, with Ellis constantly apologizing for editorial decisions to leave Excalibur out of the crossover event.” -Andrew
On supersexiness:
“The contrast between Douglock’s implicitly naked body made up of circuit boards, and Rahne’s furry body in this very romantic, sexual pose gets my supersex-interested brain firing.” -Anna
On event planning:
“It feels like Ellis and Jones weren’t let into the secret meetings planning the Onslaught event… The news broadcast is the most generic thing ever and visually, there’s just nothing there.” -Mav
On a place and time:
“This issue reminds me of the pre-cell phone era, where something bad would happen in the world, and you’d all be glued to the TV, waiting for news reports to trickle in… Ellis is leaning into the chaos and trauma of that experience.” -Laura
On hugs:
“The way Amanda is clinging to him is like—that’s me at those times in my life where I’ve really needed Nightcrawler.” -Anna
On missed opportunities:
“Here’s my issue. Excalibur as a book is founded upon the idea that one day, three people had to watch their friends die on television… And the fundamental premise of this issue is—nah, that’s alright, just let it happen again.” -Mav
Want more Laura Grafton?
Laura Grafton is an independent scholar and freelance writer who studied comics at the University of Waterloo. Laura has published with The Middle Spaces and Women Write About Comics, focusing on female lead, queer, and domestic violence survivor stories in comics and other popular culture.
Be sure to check out her essay “Harley Quinn’s Sexuality: A Tale of Three Lusts,” co-written with Andrew, which was The Middle Spaces’ most-read post of 2020!
And as usual:
You can find Anna on Twitter (@peppard_anna) and at Sequential Scholars (@seqscholars).
You can find Andrew on Twitter (@ClaremontRun) and at Sequential Scholars.
You can find Mav on Twitter (@chrismaverick) and on his podcast, VoxPopcast (@VoxPopcast).
Enjoy!
-GGW Team