1. In Rick Remender and Jerome Opena’s new Uncanny X-Force #1, the shadow operations team finds proof of a major villain being reborn and prepares to kill him.
2. Apocalypse is back with his core Horsemen who he uses if all else fails. While I like Apocalypse as a villain, I do question why his arrival doesn’t spur Wolverine to get a lot more help.
3. Fantomex is well-handled here, as I always worry when the Grant Morrison creation is in the hands of another writer. Deadpool, another worry, seems more Cable and Deadpool era than his current series, which also makes me happy.
4. Warren’s darkside is given far more sway here than I’m used to, and Betty having to be around him at all times to keep him in check isn’t going to work when it’s only referenced in this book.
5. Opena’s art is great, but the overly moody coloring, a staple of X-Force, sure, really hurts the storytelling.
6. War possessing Wolverine and Psylocke is an interesting twist, but given how often X-Men are mind-controlled really mustn’t be over-used.
7. Apocalypse tying in with the World (where Fantomex was created) has interesting possibilities. I’m glad to see Rememnder hasn’t abandoned his huge ideas.
8. Apocalypse as a child is both creepy and effective. It’s a major change that makes the threat different and not yet another re-hash of what should have been done with the Twelve (were the Twelve a remotely competent storyline).
9. The choice of shots for the action is excellent and really dynamic.
10. Rating: 6/10 – The hole in the plot that requires X-Force to forget that although they are a stealth team, Apocalypse is a big deal and they should really get help lowers the grade a good bit, but what is here is just a good superhero book, even if one that only pays lip service to its premise.
