Uncanny X-Force #11

Cover by Esad Ribic,
Mark Brook,
Sonia Oback

Uncanny X-Force #11 (June 1, 2011)

Writer: Rick Remender

Penciller: Mark Brooks

Inker: Andrew Currie, Mark Brooks

Colorist: Dean White

Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

I have no idea what’s going on here. There are way too many X-Men. And way too many references to the rest of the Marvel Universe. Also, apparently everyone’s a clone here. I’m totally lost.

Basically, the X-Force are on some suicide mission to the Age of Apocalypse to retrieve the Life Seed to save Warren Worthington from the entity Archangel. I know, I don’t get it either.

It was very much an ensemble piece, which I normally enjoy a great deal in the Marvel Universe. Here, however, there was so much exposition and surprise character appearances for me to really gain an understanding of the main members of the X-Force. Most of the comic revolved around Wolverine, Deadpool and the rest being taken by surprise by some plot point. There was very little characterization and certainly not a very strong plot.

 

I am willing to acquiesce that a portion of my indifference stems from my own lack of familiarity with these characters and series. I enjoy Deadpool and Wolverine does not bother me as he once did but nonetheless, they were both caricatures of who they are. But then again, apparently they’re clones so perhaps that’s the reason behind that and not any weakness on Remender’s part as a writer.

The penciling was probably the best part of this comic, though it unfortunately suffered from the coloring by White. Because the plot revolved around apocalypse, I suppose White took that to mean that the entire comic should be extremely dark and shady. Rather than cleverly employing shadows, White went a little mad and sloshed dark grays, browns and purples all over Brooks’ line art. It made the comic rather difficult to read and understand.

Sadly, there was very little to recommend this comic. I hope to become more familiar with the various X-Men spinoffs and characters, but this issue was not the right one to do so with.