Reviews: FF, New Mutants, X-Force

I have always wanted to do more reviews, but I don’t always have the time to do them.  When I overheard that a customer created a separate Twitter account to do reviews, I recruited him.  Feedback is appreciated.  Do you like short reviews?  Long reviews?  Ones that talk about the story or ones that just give a sparse overview?  Or a mixture of both?  Let me know.  Here is the first batch from the mysterious currentcomicsguy.

FF # 1

Written by Jonathan Hickman
Penciled by Steve Epting

A new era for the Fantastic Four begins here.  I must admit, I had my doubts.  New suits.  New name.  New team member.  New    direction.  I knew that much was going to change.  Being that I have enjoyed every issue of Hickman’s run, I was initially upset about the Fantastic Four coming to an end.  But I quickly realized that even though the book Fantastic Four was ending, Hickman’s wonderfully crafted story would still continue.  The War of 4 Cities will happen.  All hope still lies in Doom.  Annihilus is a definite threat.  The Reed Council may return.  Galactus is clearly not happy.  And Franklin and Valeria could do just about anything at any moment.  I have trusted in Jonathan Hickman this long, so why not now?

FF #1 hits the ground rolling.  Not once did I feel that there was a “gap” between this and the Fantastic Four.  That’s not to say that new readers can’t jump on board.  New readers will find the story accessible while older ones recognize the story that Hickman has been brewing since taking over.  I am also happy to Steve Epting return to draw along side Hickman.

The story itself has a bit of everything.  Spider-Man’s introduction allows readers to become acquainted with “The Future Foundation.”  The Wizard breakout provides some quick action as well as a future problem.  The family interaction provides the humor that we are so accustomed to seeing alongside the younger characters (I love the Moloids!).  And Reed’s father, perhaps the most interesting new member of the Future Foundation, provides not only mystery but also an ominous feeling of… Doom.

And the suits? Well, at least they can change color.

New Mutants #23

Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Steve Kurth

The Age of X continues to advance in story yet provide no explanation of how the story came to be.  Unlike other alternate universe stories, such as the Age of Apocalypse, in which how the universe was altered is explained, the creative team behind the Age of X has chosen to withhold that pivotal piece of information from the readers.  Still, after 4 chapters, I have little to no idea of how this story is actually possible.

The presentation itself is surprisingly well done.  Seeing the characters in a new light is both refreshing and entertaining.  Same goes for the art; however, Magneto can look a bit too much like Stryfe at times.  The story, although frustrating because of the so many questions it presents, is well paced and intriguing.  After finishing each chapter, I can’t help but want more.  I want to why things are they way they are and what will happen next; I want to see the story play out.  Needless to say, if you’re looking for a fresh new take on the X-Men, this is certainly you’re book.  Let’s hope it finishes as well as it started.

Uncanny X-Force 6

Written by Rick Remender
Penciled by Esad Ribic

Uncanny X-Force is quickly becoming one of my favorite books.  From the moment Wolverine and Archangel decided to assemble a new X-Force after being ordered by Cyclops to dissasemble, I knew the future of X-Force had potential.  The first arc, “The Apocalypse Solution,” went above and beyond expectations.  Rick Remender quickly showed that he wasn’t afraid to push the limit with the characters and story.

In his second arc, Remender features Fantomex and his mysterious past.  Fantomex, a product and now guardian of The World (a man-made environment used to create super-sentinels) finds himself under assault from superhero Deathlok soliders from a possible future.  The Deathlok unit’s mission is to retrieve The World and return it to “The Father” in order to protect their timeline.  Fantomex, outgunned and outnumbered, is saved by none other than the Deathlok.

I don’t know how I feel about the art; I liked Opena’s much better.  Maybe I just need to get used to Ribic’s.  I do know that I like this story.  Deathlok has always been an interesting supporting character.  Fantomex as the lead allows readers to become better acquainted with the mysterious newcomer.  The superheros turned Deathloks are a unique vision of the future and the mention of Apocalypse hints that the recently thought dead villain may return and be a focal point of the series.  Ok, maybe that last part is a bit speculative but one can hope, right?

Regardless, if you’re an X fan and haven’t read Uncanny X-Force yet, give it a try.  I doubt you’ll be disappointed.