Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Uncanny X-Force #28 Review

By Dan Horn
July 30, 2012 - 15:57

Uncanny X-Force was at one time, not so long ago, one of the few books I made time to read directly after purchasing it each week. I've really fallen off that wagon in the past months. The Otherworld arc was so brutally bad, with Greg Tocchini out of his element and his languid artwork never really jiving with Rick Remender's tediously grandiose storytelling, I could barely bring myself to justify spending money on it, and I nearly dropped the book altogether. However, there was always a light, though dim, at the end of the tunnel, and the book's current arc will reward the readers who stuck it out through UXF's rockier period.

The last two issues have been absolutely relentless in dishing out shocks and plot developments, and now with UXF #28 things go from worse to worst for the titular group. The team are caught up against the ropes by a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and in a desperate attempt to evade imminent death, X-Force find themselves in a not-so-distant future where totalitarianism reigns supreme, and you bet your ass there's a twist.

Remender's dedication to the UXF as a long-form saga is always incredibly refreshing. Every arc, whether each arc was as interesting as the last or not, advances the series in some notable way. Here at issue 28, we take a break from the progression of one plot line, mid-climax, to sneak a peek at the progression of a completely separate subtextual undercurrent: the eventual endgame of the lethal force employed by X-Force. It all turns out to be incredibly timely and poignant, though undeniably accidental, given the very recent Aurora mass shooting and the institutionalizing of brute force in Anaheim.

The storytelling itself here is like a non-stop, white-knuckle free-fall (hurray for hyphens!), out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. Remender is in his scripting zone when tackling speculative futures, the psychological ramifications of killing, and Deadpool's off-beat brand of fourth wall-busting humor, and he's got quite a knack for blockbuster-type thrills, so this arc puts the writer right at the top of his game.

Artist Julian Totino Tedesco subs in for Phil Noto this month. UXF has for the most part always been a book that's carried in no small part by magnificent artwork, and Totino Tedesco is no exception. But, as is usually the case, colorist Dean White is really the artist that maintains the mind-blowing aesthetic of the book with his palette of earthen contrasts to crackling, neon energy. White is just such an indispensable part of this series that installments from which he has taken a well-deserved break just seem to fall flat artistically. White is one of the greatest artists out there right now, and he is complimented by the fantastic penciling and inking of Totino Tedesco more than his astounding palette simply compliments anyone else's work. White's performance is always a standout.

Uncanny X-Force #28 is an issue that recalls the excitement of this title's first year-and-a-half. Things are looking up again for this epic series.

***The color art credit given to Justin Ponsor in this issue has been acknowledged by Marvel as a typographical error.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12