UNCANNY X-FORCE #4

Review by: comicBOOKchris

What did the
iFanboy
community think?

662
Pulls
Avg Rating: 4.7
 
Users who pulled this comic:
Users who reviewed this comic:
Story by Rick Remender
Art by Jerome Opena
Colors by Dean White
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Esad Ribic

Size: pages
Price: 3.99

Uncanny X-Force is, along with X-Men and Age Of X, contributing to the recent X-line renaissance. The Fear Agent
team of Rick Remender and Jerome Opena bring their wonderful bizarre
flavor that was abundant in the aforementioned title and apply it to
this odd group of X-characters. Not only is this the most unique X-title
since X-Factor debuted, but also one that gives a fresh take on many of the past X-Men tropes. In Uncanny X-Force #4,
we get the conclusioun of “The Apocalyspe Solution” arc, which had
X-Force take on Apocalypse and his Horsemen again. This time, however,
not only were the Horsemen kookier and more different than any other
previous incarnation, Apocalypse was completely different. Instead of
the giant armored mutant who waxes poetic about Survival Of The Fittest,
he is reincarnated into an innocent kid who is being indoctrinated by
the cult who follows Apocalypse’s past teachings. X-Force has been
tasked to kill the prepubescent Apocalypse while he is defenseless, but
naturally, a moral dilemma arises. It’s kind of like when you’re asked
that question “Would you go back in time to kill Hitler when he was a
child?” or “Is it possible that you are born evil and nothing can change
that, or does it come down to the way you are raised?” What’s great
about Remender’s script is that even though this plot point would give
him the pratfall of preaching his own personal beliefs through his
characters, this never happens. Remender doesn’t give his opinions about
what to do with the kid, but writes his characters so they give THEIR
opinions. This is the sign of a highly professional writer, one who
understands proper characterization over having a soapbox.

Additionally,
I’d be remiss not to mention Jerome Opena’s art. Opena reminds me of an
expert horror filmmaker who can not only find the beauty in the aspects
of life that are traditionally gorgeous, but also can make a horrific
image an awe inspiring thing of elegance. I’ll give you two examples. On
one end of the spectrum, Opena draws the greatest interpretation of
Psylocke that has been shown in any of her incarnations. Not only is her
face gorgeous, but her body is that of a realistically beautiful woman.
On the other end, there is a scene where Wolverine’s body is being
poisoned by Pestilence, and we see hundreds of beetles pour out of every
hole in his face (followed by many of his entrails). Gross? Naturally.
However, it’s portrayed in such a visually appealing way that it makes
your head spin in trying to rationalize why a gross thing is so
gorgeous. Please. I beg of you. Buy this series. This is the best that
the X-Men has been in a very long time.

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent

Comments

  1. I also like how Opena draws Archangel. He is bad ass looking but kind of looks frail and decrepit.

  2. I think Jim Lee’s Psylocke is much better, and Chris Bachalo’s ain’t so bad either, but much better than Opena’s.  

    We all have different tastes in women, but Psylocke’s body in this is unappealing to me, and her face, esp in the panel where they all look back at Fantomex after he makes his kill-shot, is downright ugly.  

    And one thing that can’t be left for interpretation is that Opena does not do a good job in making her look Asian at all in this.

  3. @JesTr  You’re absolutely right about Opena’s Archangel…the one panel in this that sticks out to me is when he’s laying out half unconscious with his wings all spread out. And Deadpool sitting on top of them feeding Warren pieces of himself makes it even better 🙂

  4. All I will say is, if you were a fan of the Kyle & Yost X-Force series (yeah, all three of us) DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!

    Now if you have no knowledge on what these characters were doing prior to this series, then you will probably enjoy it. If you were expecting a continuation of existing plot lines and character motivations, reading this series (and all of the hyperbolic enthusiasm surrounding it) might well make you want to slit your wrists as you plummet of off a sky scraper after having overdosed on sleeping pills.

  5. @GeeSpot  are you on a mission to halt everyone’s enjoyment of this book? your x-force is DEAD. let i go. let it go.

  6. I liked Kyle & Yost’s X-Force for the most part, despite the many flaws in story and character. Yes, this is a different series, but it’s like comparing a chocolate milkshake to a chocolate cherry milkshake: both are delicious, but one just a little more (Uncanny X-Force in this case). To dismiss this series just because it’s different than the previous X-FOrce just seems kinda pointless and spiteful.

  7. What makes this X-Force better than the previous X-Force is the artwork. In Kyle and Yost’s X-Force, often you get lost in Crain’s muddy computerized syle or Oback’s chubby checked faces. On the other hand, Remender’s good writing is accompanied by awe inspiring artwork that please your eyes and makes you want to say wow on every single page. Action sequences are excellent and characters emotions are portrayed very well through detailed facial expressions.

    Although I am loving the pencils here, I am not really a fan how Psylocke is drawn here. Where’s the Asian persuasion that makes me want to love her sexiness? My favorite Psylocke comes from Jim Lee.

    I have great hopes for this book. DAMN THIS WILL BE A GREAT SERIES TO COLLECT IN HARDCOVER FORMAT!!!

  8. @XManRyan  thank you, was wondering when you were gonna chime in on Opena’s horrible version of Psylocke really, guess beauty does truly lie in the eye of the beholder.

  9. My problem with Psylocke is how abused her design has become over the years, bigger and bigger boobs, bigger and bigger ass, tinier and tinier waste, leotard(underpants) that shrink and shirinkover the crotch… It has long passed from sexy to ludricrous. I don’t know if Opena’s Psylocke is the sexiest, but I like her bad ass reality much more than 99% of what I have seen from other artists in recent times.

    I just checked out a Jim Lee Psylocke to refresh my memory. She was sexy. Maybe a bit over voluptuous for an asian ninja, but her anatomy was fairly respectable.

Leave a Comment