Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #1 (of 3)

By Dan Horn
July 7, 2011 - 11:31

Rob Williams is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers for two reasons:

The first being the amount of depth Williams lends to over-exposed characters like Deadpool and Wolverine or Iron Man and Ghost Rider, making them palatable again. His X-Force continues to probe the themes of violence and excessive force that avid fans of the cohort have come to extol. Williams is perhaps second only to the comic book phenom Rick Remender, who coincidentally works on the regular ongoing UXF, in that category. The second is the fact that even in a debut story like Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #1, which isn't wholly original or at all salient in the crowded ranks of Fear Itself tie-ins, Rob Williams can still make it a hell of a lot of fun.

In this miniseries, X-Force takes on a Purifiers splinter cell in the midst of Fear Itself. Thinking the earth-fall of the Serpent and the advent of its Worthy to be signaling the Biblical Tribulation, Purifier Jonathan Standish has a strange new outlook on life itself. He's captured a young meta-human and is going to kill the superhero live on the internet while getting his morbid new message of "hope" to his fellow homosapiens.

Like I'd mentioned before, this story may be pretty derivative of every other book, movie, and comic book that has used the "streaming execution" premise before it, but Williams' Uncanny X-Force is exuberantly white-knuckled and quick witted, a short-fused powder keg of violent adventure. Coupled with the awesome, ultra-detailed artwork of Simone Bianchi and Peruzzi's perfect balance of shadow, matte, and fluorescents, Williams' work on this book may not be a "must-read," but you won't be disappointed if you choose to give it a look.

Rating: 7.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12