I'll try doing comics again.
Uncanny X-Force
Tags marvel comics, mutants, x-force
I jumped on to this one at about issue #7 because it was getting good word of mouth. I caught up in back issues and have been following it since then.
This title is centered around the concept of a team of heroes that operates out of the spotlight and goes out to do the hard things that must sometimes be done including killing if threats can't be dealt with in other ways. Neither this idea not the X-Force name are new but this title puts its own slant on things. It has an interesting mix of characters. Most have been around for some time and have been known for being more...pragmatic about the occasional need to kill an enemy than most. Wolverine, Psylocke and Archangel are old standbys. Deadpool is thrown in apparently for comic relief. Fantomex is new to me but an interesting character.
For the first couple of arcs, this title is very good and quite interesting. The first arc revisits the character of Apocalypse. This is usually the kiss of death for me. That character is heavily overused and keeps turning up like a bad penny. It's done in an interesting and different sort of way here though. The third and most recent major arc took the title seemingly off into left field and included a field trip to the Age of Apocalypse world. It seems obvious now that it mainly served to set up the upcoming Age of Apocalypse ongoing which is probably why it didn't serve as well being an Uncanny X-Force story. Hopefully the next arc goes back to what makes this title good.
The artwork is not exactly pretty but it suits the mood of the story very well. It's rough and jagged much like the characters themselves. The writing has generally been very good with the exception of the most recent arc which appears to have been the victim of editorial staff meddling. It also made this title late to join the ongoing Regenesis event but maybe that's just as well.
This title is centered around the concept of a team of heroes that operates out of the spotlight and goes out to do the hard things that must sometimes be done including killing if threats can't be dealt with in other ways. Neither this idea not the X-Force name are new but this title puts its own slant on things. It has an interesting mix of characters. Most have been around for some time and have been known for being more...pragmatic about the occasional need to kill an enemy than most. Wolverine, Psylocke and Archangel are old standbys. Deadpool is thrown in apparently for comic relief. Fantomex is new to me but an interesting character.
For the first couple of arcs, this title is very good and quite interesting. The first arc revisits the character of Apocalypse. This is usually the kiss of death for me. That character is heavily overused and keeps turning up like a bad penny. It's done in an interesting and different sort of way here though. The third and most recent major arc took the title seemingly off into left field and included a field trip to the Age of Apocalypse world. It seems obvious now that it mainly served to set up the upcoming Age of Apocalypse ongoing which is probably why it didn't serve as well being an Uncanny X-Force story. Hopefully the next arc goes back to what makes this title good.
The artwork is not exactly pretty but it suits the mood of the story very well. It's rough and jagged much like the characters themselves. The writing has generally been very good with the exception of the most recent arc which appears to have been the victim of editorial staff meddling. It also made this title late to join the ongoing Regenesis event but maybe that's just as well.
Total Comments 5
Comments
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The Dark Angel Saga was much better than Deathlok Nation, and one of the greatest comic book arcs I've ever read. I love Uncanny X-Force more than anything made in a long time, except for maybe Agents of Atlas.
Remender is a beast, and I can't wait for the next arc, Captain Britain is an amazing under-used character.
The life seed thing may have been editorial, but Remender is such an amazing writer that I feel it didn't slow the title down.Posted January 11th, 2012 at 07:16 AM by JoeStrummer 
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The life seed was a ham fisted plot device. The side trip to the AoA world it required extended the arc unneccessarily. The characters introduced were unneccessary and diluted the focus of the story. It served to set up another title and its storyline much more than it did the storyline in this title. Apocalypse is a shopworn character and this arc was overlong and lacked focus.Posted January 12th, 2012 at 10:11 PM by old hat
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Not the biggest fan of Apocalypse either, too 90's. But what Fantomex did with him was really quite interesting to me. I also love Fantomex. They weren't needed for the story, I agree, but they didn't get in the way, in the end Remender just ****ed them all up, killed half of them, and was done with it. At the core it was really about Betsy and Warren, and if you could get past the editorial garbage, which I see bugged you too much, it was a really great story.
At least I think so. It's kind of like Daredevil to me though, it may be violent and gritty, but it brings back the fun in comics that I've been missing.Posted January 13th, 2012 at 11:05 AM by JoeStrummer
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I am lukewarm on Fantomex so far. He fits this sort if title perfectly but his power allows for the writer to show something shocking and then cop out on it. He is using it that way more and more too.
It could have made for a really good, tight 5-6 issue storyline but it turned out to be a much weaker 8 issue storyline with a muddled focus and pacing issues. One thing this title never had before was pacing problems.
I am just getting a bit burned out on this rehashed 'let's bring that villain back yet again' stuff in the X books lately. X-Men is supposed to be part of the Regenesis event too but we got a generic Sentinels Again guest starring Warmachine. The new Uncanny X-Force storyline looks promising if a bit perplexing for someone who isn't a hardcore Marvel reader but why does it even say Regenesis on the cover? The connection is thin indeed.
I'm just getting tired of seeing all the same old, same old villains cropping up again and again in the X books. It's time to put hoary old villains like Apocalypse. Mr Sinister or the Sentinels to bed already. Days of Future Past was a good storyline but 1981 was a long time ago.Posted January 13th, 2012 at 10:17 PM by old hat
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It only says Regenesis because of the editors, it destroys my wonderful covers. I don't read X Men proper, I love Warpath, but that's about it. I assume you haven't read much Fantomex stuff prior to this? He uses it like that all the time. I like the sentinels but Sinister can eat a ****. I agree that we need some new villians.
Posted January 15th, 2012 at 07:13 PM by JoeStrummer
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