Exiles #8 Review

Writer: Saladin Ahmed // Artists: Joe Quinones & Joe Rivera // MARVEL Exile Rewind Exiles has been an emotional roller coaster that never fails to provide a platter filled with cuteness, teamwork, and gasps. After experiencing traumatic losses in our last issue, our heroes are met with yet another challenge without any room to breathe. From the jump, we get into the problem: Our beloved Valkyrie has been captured. Hasn’t she gone through enough?! Gratefully, this is not a story about a damsel in distress waiting for a royal saving. We’ve seen Valkyrie take various forms from the friend who understands to the hero always ready for battle, and we see something different form here in issue 7…mourning. The consistent battle between acceptance and grief has been a constant metaphor throughout the series.   When Is The Right Time? “‘When is it time to move on? vs. When is it time to mourn?'” One thing we did not get to do in the last arc is take a sneak peak into Valkyrie’s past. We hear her talk about loss and her passions, but when everything you’ve ever known to be guaranteed is no longer present, what do you hold on to? I always loved the vulnerability in the Exile series, but what I am starting to appreciate more are the nuances that are often sugarcoated. Saladin Ahmed gave me “the feels” this week. His writing made me go into a reflective vibe, and if anything Exiles #8 is a great representation of “trauma shield.” It’s hard when you’re already going through the…