The "Point One" Issue
As promised, Marvel continues their point-one initiative with the release of Uncanny X-Force 5.1.
The Good
First off, it's X-Force. Who knew I would be so blown away by this unlikely match-up? At first, Psylocke, Wolverine, Angel, Deadpool and Fantomex seem like an unlikely group- until you start reading what is quite possibly the best team-up of all of Marvel's X-Men books. Even at it's worst, it seems that Uncanny X-Force is still actually quite good. The self contained story by Rick Remender opens up with Lady Deathstrike who is determined to destroy Utopia and all of the X-Men. This is where X-Force comes in to play.If you haven't read any of Marvel's point one issues, then you should know they are slightly different from other comic issues. Point one issues are meant to both introduce characters to new readers, serve as good jumping on points to the story, and establish the background to the plot. I have not been too crazy about these point one initiative comics, but I have to admit that this one is one of the better issues.
Remender knows these characters like the back of his hand and presents them eloquently in this issue. The narration alternates between different characters, something that surprisingly does jar the reading experience. The self contained story is surprisingly comprised of several layers, and still manages to flow well and be organized. Not only does Remender present the primary storyline, but he also addresses some of the characters personal emotional conflicts as well as some issues that have not been addressed previously (i.e. Cyclops).
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