X-Force 116
Wow. I haven't read X-Force issues 1-115, so I can't imagine what a shock it was for that current readership to have gone from a book that featured 'regular' (if there is such a thing) mutants such as Cannonball, Warpath, Domino etc. to one with a whole new collection of very peculiar characters in a totally alien set up. This comic, though, coincided with Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely on New X-Men, as well as X-treme X-Men. The Marvel bosses had the minds firmly set on change and I must applaud the willingness to take risks and allow its creators to do some off the wall stuff.
Irish writer, Pete Milligan, who first came to my attention when he scripted the brilliant and trippy 2000AD story, Sooner or Later, lays down his postmodern gauntlet with a tale of completely unknown mutants who are not only a team, but, unusually for mutants at this point, right in the public eye. They aren't averse to press conferences or, in the case of two of the members, threesomes. Milligan is only half the tag team here - the brilliant Mike Allred brings artwork that is incredibly vivid, with a somewhat retro feel to it. The colouring of his cartoony characters adds a dazzling sugar rush and, whilst it seems peculiar to begin with, it doesn't take long to be taken by the art stylings.
This issue begins by introducing team leader, Zeitgeist, a very tongue in cheek name in itself, who appears to have discovered his powers when he puked up over his girlfriend (there are origins and then there are origins, huh?). He's a strange character. Later on, he muses, when one team member is killed on a mission, that that particular hero didn't really fit in with the group dynamic anyway. His leadership is challenged by teleporter, U-Go Girl, who appears to use some sort of stimulant to keep herself awake on missions. And the team, in this issue, are rocked somewhat by the addition of new member, The Anarchist, who Zeitgeist takes an instant dislike to. The Anarchist complains to Zeitgeist that it's not the work that they do that's important (ie the superhero missions) but the soap opera friction of team members bouncing off each other. Did I mention this book was postmodern?
I won't spoil the ending, which is brilliant incidentally, particularly in the circumstances of this being a team's debut. Best scene, though, comes early on, with the Anarchist, naked in a pool with two lovely ladies, one of whom is strategically placed so that we don't see his... you know what. This is a stunning debut from Milligan and Allred. Highly, highly recommended.
