UNCANNY X-FORCE #2

• BISHOP VS. UNCANNY X-FORCE

• What secrets does the man with the “M” on his face bring from the future?

Story by Sam Humphries
Art by Ron Garney, Danny Miki, & Scott Hanna
Colors by Marte Gracia, Israel Gonzalez, & Wil Quintana
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Kris Anka, Ed McGuinness, & Morry Hollowell

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 0.0%
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Avg Rating: 3.6
 
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  1. Not impressed with the first issue. Hopefully this one is better.

  2. Puuckkk….I’m intrigued by this xforce squad so I’m down with this through at least the first arc or so.

  3. I love Storm’s new look, but I’m not sure that’ll be enough to keep me. I’ll try this first arc and see what happens. I know nothing about Fantomex except what was covered last week. Bishop has always confused me. As long as I’m caught up, I’m good to go.

  4. Even being a child of the 90’s with fond memories of Bishop isn’t enough to keep me going on this. I need more, and I know Humphries has it in him, we just need editorial to not hold him back.

    • That’s a hell of an assumption.

      Do you really think editors are in the habit of saying “Hey, writer! I love your creator-owned work! Come write something shitty for me!”?

      It’s cool if you aren’t digging it (I was lukewarm on issue one), but “editorial interference” is a specious claim that gets thrown around a lot these days without ANY evidence backing it up.

      I’m not saying editorial interference isn’t a thing that happens, but it shouldn’t be the go-to excuse whenever a fan doesn’t like the direction or execution of a book.

    • You raise some good points, and a good story is a good story regardless.

      I suppose the only way to avoid any type of editorial interference would be to self-publish. I realize these are licensed characters, but theoretically that is the only way, for all types of writing.

    • The other thing I’d add is that, while the word “interference” certainly has a negative charge, the presence of an editor on a book should not necessarily imply that the creators have been restrained in some way — while some creators really thrive when left to their own devices, it’s not like every self-published book is a perfect gem simply because an editor was not there to ask “does this work?”

    • When I think of editorial interference, I think that editorial / management is basically dictating the overall story direction and hiring the writers to fill in the page to page plot and dialogue. For instance, management decides that Venom should move to Philadelphia (since a similar move to Houston worked out well for Scarlet Spider). They tell the writer to include a romance with Valkyrie since he’s in the Secret Avengers title with that character. They also want Venom to fight Toxin for the length of one trade collection. So, the writer’s job is now to move Flash / Venom to a new city, smoochin’ on an Asgardian, and battling an old foe. But make sure to stretch it out to six issues. What kind of creativity does it take to do that job? It’s not the same kind of creativity that writer may be able to display on his own creator-owned comic. And I’m saying that the management dictated story is usually not as much fun for me to read.

    • The impression I get from the Marvel NOW books I’ve read is that editorial interference is minimal and perhaps at an all time low at Marvel. Sure, they want certain pieces to be in certain places and choose which titles get published but within that context they are letting their creators go wild with some crazy-awesome ideas.

    • Sure, managerial directives *are* going to be minimal on the books that the ‘architects’ are writing. It’s the second and third tier titles that are most likely to be interfered with or simply dictated from above. Think back to the New 52’s stories of creative interference. There are a LOT of them. Those kind of stories don’t come out of Marvel as much, but you can bet that they happen.

      Howzabout those killer new Marvel Now titles like Thunderbolts (Everyone’s in RED!), the Fearless Defenders, and Journey into Mystery, to name a few. Is anyone here going to testify that they are crazy-awesome? Here’s your chance…

    • @tripleneck: I’m sure that what you describe (with Venom) happens from time to time. However, the thing I can’t understand is how you KNOW it’s an edict from editorial/management that drives those kind of story decisions?

      I mean, unless a creator or editor goes on record, you’re just guessing, right?

      Again, I’m not saying some editors stifle the creativity of the people producing the books. Just that it’s entirely possible that — in the case of Venom, for example –that the writer connected those continuity dots.

      I guess in the end, I don’t think there’s this obvious binary distinction between editor and creator. I’m confident that there are very creative editors out there just as there are creators that can tell good stories without going completely up their own butts for “art”.

    • Glad I could get a discussion going. Another way editorial/management may interfere is when a book is forced into a crossover

    • @pmallory: Yeah, this is a fun subject!

      Another thought I’d like to toss in the ring: is it reasonable for a creator to expect or even want complete freedom when working on characters they don’t own for publishers that are owned by large media conglomerates?

      At this stage in the game, I feel like anyone who accepts an assignment from Marvel or DC thinking they’re going to get to tell the “Character Z” story they’ve had in their head for the past 30 years without any input from an editor or management is delusional.

      And while it’s fine for fans to wish that was not the case, I don’t think it’s a reasonable expectation to bring into any Marvel or DC book these days.

    • There are many recent cases that have become public where management has used a heavy hand in the creative process. We’ve heard about them from Chris Roberson, Gail Simone, and (sorry for speaking his name) Rob Liefeld only to mention a few. Those are DC incidents, but there are Marvel ones too they just seem to get handled more discreetly.

      Why does anyone on this site think that when a writer signs on to write a second/third tier title on a work for hire basis that he/she is doing anything but following orders from management? Their job is mainly to put words in the mouths of the characters and to figure out which route the characters will take to arrive at major plot points that are handed down from above. If you want to read a writer’s story, read Bendis, Hickman, Snyder, Morrison, or another big name-above-the-title creator. If you want to read corporate decision making, read any number of lower selling titles from the big 2.

    • @tripleneck: But I think you can also make a case that — to varying extents — guys like Bendis, Hickman, Snyder and Morrison have all kind of become management. In other words, their personal creative vision gets adopted as the corporate vision.

      So those “orders from management” that you feel plague the second and third tier titles are — in many cases — the result of creative decisions by the name-above-the-title creators.

      So going back to the post that kicked this all off — is Sam Humphries being held back (in @pmallory’s view) by Marvel editorial, or by the needs and wants of Bendis on All New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men?

      All that said, I think Avengers Arena and X-Men Legacy are two “second tier” Marvel books where the creators seem to have been allowed to just tell their story — and so far the results have been pretty great.

    • @ImageRon I don’t see anything wrong in Ken’s posts. He expresses his point of view with a civil tone and in an articulate manner. I find he actually adds to the forums discussion, whether I agree with him or not (and more often than not I don’t).

  5. I fell in love with this book’s swagger immediately. It’s definitely not for everybody, but it’s just right for me.

  6. Psylocke.

  7. In for at least the first arc.

  8. Hang on, let me check in the back.

    *checks in the back*

    Nope, sorry, All The Other Books. There’s no more ass left for you. This book kicked it all.

  9. I thought this was good, but I’m really, really bothered but the unnecessary black-barred cussing. It makes the book seem really juvenile. I heard Humphries briefly discuss this on Gillen’s podcast, something about adding realism to the characters, but it tends to have the opposite effect for me since it’s so incongruent with the characters’ voices in other Marvel books.

    Really liked the art. Loving Gracia’s colouring style on this and ANXM.

    I don’t see this being a must-buy title like Remender’s was, but I love all the characters in this book and will stick through the first arc.

  10. Other than Northstar in Astonishing, this is as close to Alpha Flight (my all time favorite team) I’m going to get

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