★★★★★ 4
Wolverine, Warpath, Wolfsbane and X-23 (+Angel). PA fun.
Format: Kindle
Writers: Kyle & Yost.
Artist: Crain.
Darkly drawn: blacks, grays, steel blues and vibrant reds, gory, depictive of graphic violence – as this is what X-Force is all about. They’re a hit squad, folks out for blood, and serious about it. This one comes with advisories against the kiddies. It is essentially a gore-fest.
The graphic nature aside, and as well as inclusively, this is very well drawn / colored by Crain. The gorgeous yellows of Magus, the blur of red the first time Wolverine punches Cyclops, the panel expression shots of Rahne – excellent work, and it translates pretty nicely as well – but that’s also where it’s major drawback lies.
In panel over panel format it’s done in pretty linear fashion (mostly top to bottom). In some regards this works better for this particular Kindle version as the panels CANNOT BE ENLARGED BY TILTING the Kindle itself – the one thing I found annoying about it. In this regard it really takes away from the art, which is definitely worth examining, and it also takes away from the reading experience – as I would often find myself readjusting the Kindle to reading distance from artistic distance, or vice-versa.
The dialogue for nearly each issue opens with a stream of consciousness – you get to see inside a particular character’s thought process, and consequently, where they are bumping up against walls in their discourse and interactions with other members of the team. From this point we get the bubbled language and somewhat choppy discourse between the characters. In my experience with this, I can say I felt the pace of the story quick, maybe too quick.
It’s secondary villain (Risman) is built off of ‘The New X-Men’ (2004), which is pretty neat, turning the concept a bit, striking it at a different angle – for instance, what if X-Force intervened against Risman’s campaign, in large-part because it got personal, well: this is what you’d get.
There’s even a bit of a sentimental lean (not sexual tension) to the story from two of our protagonists: Warpath and Rahne. Should make it interesting.
SPOILERS:
Angels & Demons, Part 1:
We see the unfolding of the chain of command / villainy (Reverend William Stryker – Matthew Risman & his Purifiers and a mutant-hating sentinel: Nimrod’s head + Bastion’s body = ?), and the selection of the group members to represent X-Force, Wolverine to head the group consisting of: X-23 (Laura Kinney), Wolfsbane (Rahne), and Warpath (James Proudstar). We learn their mission target is the Purifiers who had snuck into (with inside help) the Xavier Institute, killed 16 students and then stole Nimrod’s severed head. Specifically the hit is put out for Matthew Risman.
X-Force creeps up on their first mission with zilch for a game plan. That’s why we see at the end of Part 1, Rahne has already been captured and presumably assassinated. To blame: her haste, and Wolverine not wanting any of them there to begin with.
Angels & Demons, Part 2:
X-23, apparently the most prone to risk amongst the group (Wolverine’s clone, has undergone intensive punishment), triggers a bomb, leveling the North Dakota church that Risman has X-Force pinned down and nearly captured. Wolfsbane is absconded with yet again by Risman and Wolverine confronts Cycolps, as Wolverine knew it a bad idea to bring her along, de facto.
We encounter Rahne’s back-story with ‘Reverend Craig’, a non-mutant Purifier who is also, twistedly, Rahne’s father. Commence drugging and lecturing about her sinfulness. This is called ‘Delivering’ and according to Reverend Craig it feels ‘righteous’.
Reverend Risman is usurped by Bastion who now officially heads the mutant extermination operation. He calls upon his nascent techno-organic pet from the sea – ‘Magus’.
Angels & Demons, Part 3:
This edition circles around the resurrection of Magus, and Bastion’s assembling a type of consortium of resurrected players, presumably upon which to feed Magus. The names include: Donald Pierce (Leader of the Reavers), Reverend William Stryker (aforementioned), and Bolivar Trask (creator of the Sentinels).
Risman apparently fails to kill Rahne as Bastion had commanded. He seems to be knowingly lying to him. Risman wants Reverend Stryker’s plan carried out, and he’s willing to fight Bastion on this point.
Because of Risman’s purposeful neglect the group recovers Rahne, but she’s OD’d on heroin.
This section of the work does a stellar job pushing Warpath as a likable character, true tough guy, but still sensitive – as a lot of his feeling is projected toward Rahne.
Angels & Demons, Part 4:
Rahne recovers with an assist from Elixer, who was beckoned by Angel to dilute her blood. When Rahne recovers she see’s Angel and goes berserk, transforming and ultimately tearing off his wings. These she delivers to Risman before, again, remember who she is and what she’d done under the brainwashing of Reverend Craig.
With these wings, non-organic, supernatural wings – any army of metal winged mutant assassins will be created. ‘The Choir’.
Much of Part 4 is X-23’s outlook on Wolverine. It’s interesting how her analysis of him is very subjective and entirely confusing for her. She denotes her back-history as consisting of embryonic development for the Weapon-X project. She’s nearly the perfect war machine, and to see her confusion surrounding her own lack of feeling is… almost humanizing, per se.
Angels & Demons, Part 5:
After acquiring Angels wings Bastion sets Risman up to take the fall, as he uses the reincarnation of William Stryker as his personal mouth piece to denounce Risman. Risman’s ‘Choir’, men who’ve had surgically implanted metal wings, on behalf of DNA meshing with Angel’s wings, sets out to assassinate as many Purifiers sided with Bastion as possible. This issue closes with their confrontation. Risman has stated that he would crush the alien known as ‘Magus’ and then ‘the Oracle himself’. Brother Eli is coming along for moral support.
Meanwhile, Angel has become Archangel. And he’s not one iota happy about having had his wings taken from him. X-Force attempts to distract him, but the trio take quite a whooping, while Rahne is transforming and escaping the clutches of the Purifiers. I’d much wished she’d offed her father (Reverend Craig) when she had the chance… *disappointed face*
Part 5, something akin to Part 4, stars Matthew Risman as the introductory narrator. The spring-well from which the story comes forth, who’s thoughts, politics and perspectives are intertwined with the dialogue – in this particular case to show that Risman, rather than Bastion, is the more likable villain… or simply the lesser of the two evils.
Angels and Demons, Part 6:
Entering the ensuing battle more toward the end, Wolverine makes a recount of the events that led up to the carnage they walked in upon. Archangel slaughtered as many Purifiers as he could (meaning: all of them) in efforts to find his wings – which he successfully does.
Risman has his cranium opened up by X-23 and Wolverine takes on Bastion. Bastion escapes but not without revealing his Consortium of mutant slaughtering regenerates. At this juncture the story takes on the typical multi-villain arch common to so many. An assembly, a hit-force, which eventually fails… because it has to.
Rahne finally does get the opportunity to avenge herself. Will the psychological scars of her actions torment the rest of her existence?
With Bastion on the loose, his 7 villain super-team currently stoic puppets & Eli Bard in apparent control of Magus, in what manner will X-Force continue the fight in ‘X-Force Volume 2: Old Ghosts’?
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Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2013
