X-FORCE #126 REVIEW

[Ben Hutton]

<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xforce-126.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xforce-126t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Force #126"></a>Reviewer: Ben Hutton, bhutton@froggy.com.au
Quick Rating: Great
Story Title: As I Die Lying

It’s X-Forcers in space as Dead Girl’s power and personality is revealed.

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Mike Allred
Lettered by: Doc Allred & Blambot
Colored by: Laura Allred
Assistant Editor: John Miesegaes
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas

From cover to cover it’s another high-quality offering from Milligan and Allred. The cover is beautiful, the pacing fantastic and Dead Girl is one of the best new characters to grace the pages of this book.

Though we don’t get her name this issue we are treated to some insight regarding Dead Girl’s powers and personality. It appears she has the unsettling ability to reform herself after any kind of injury, a power that manifested after her murder.

As one might expect these events have taken a toll upon Dead Girl’s psyche. She’s painfully afraid that everyone is going to die, leaving her alone and unable to follow; immersing herself so much in her own lies she’s not even sure if the life she remembers before her death is real.

Dead Girl is so three dimensional that in the space of one issue she’s just about knocked Edie off as my favourite X-Forcer. I can certainly see this character giving the Big Three a run for their money in the months to come, or possibly even replacing one of them after the much-hyped death. Is the team too small for two blue skinned girls?

Not that everyone else’s characterization is sacrificed for Dead Girl’s. There’s a lot of other great stuff on display here. Myles’ and Billy-Bob’s ‘special feelings’ are confirmed when The Spike over-reacts to the two of them holding hands. Does the man protest too much? Sadly it looks like we might not get to find out, with Spike switching teams to side with the Bush-Ranger mutants halfway through the issue.

It would be a real shame to have The Spike die now, with all the intriguing hints about his character that have been thrown in over the last couple of months. Something very interesting is going on with this young man, but I have the feeling that his days are numbered and that, like Saint Anna, he’s going to remain a mystery.

Guy and Edie are their usual entertaining selves. Highlights are Edie’s use of the nickname ‘Smithy’ for Guy, and our Orphan displaying some touching jealously and concern.

More weight is added to the name change rumours and I’m starting to get the feeling it’s a done deal. Either that or Milligan is using X-Force to have a little fun at the internet public’s expense. It’s just the kind of media savvy thing he might do.

So overall another extremely good issue, with two very minor faults… The cover, while very nice visually, didn’t seem to have anything to do with the story, and the ending seemed to come a little abruptly. So much so that I at first thought I was missing a page from my copy of the issue. If it wasn’t for those two things this would be another perfect score for X-Force.

ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!

[King Edward III]

I love this book, and I REALLY loved this issue. Dead Girl is the most interesting female character since Crazy Jane(who is the coolest character ever).

[northstar]

this comic is so consistently wonderful...every week i'm afraid that
they've used up all their ideas (each issue is packed with three or four great/interesting concepts) but they keep going along, getting better and better. and the art...man, someone needs to start a letter writing campaign to marvel to get the covers turned into posters. has anyone seen the upcoming one (in two months i think) with the "mutantopoly" board? it's gorgeous. it should be on our walls, three feet by four.

[spinarakboi]

This is becoming my favorite comic and fast. He has the abilty to develope characters so fast that we love them and yet he has the ability to kill them just as fast (which happens when you're fighting a war.) The only thing I wanted to know is where did Miles and Phat go after they ported in. Oh well, can't wait for next weeks (edit: months). Good review.

[ShaggyDiz]

Ay caromba! Now if there is a title that everyone man, woman and child on Earth should be getting (or not, depends on tastes) is this. Wow. Absolutely one of the best comics out there right now. Except for the silent month issue (grr), this has been the most consistent title in terms of quality and fun. Well, that silent month was alright, but had no point to it, other to fill the silly quota. Oh well. Can't wait for next month!

[jono]

This issue was great. 3 stars out of 4. Long live Dead Girl! (is that possible?)

[spinarakboi]

I wouldn't count the silent issue since it was more of a flop for every comic... but not all of course I heard Thor and some others were good but still at least X-Force there was a reason for the no talking persay. And I like Dead girl but i wish she was like all white or a light purple.... having two blue chicks on the team.... ah well, she is pretty neat. X-Force for sure has the best new chracters recently (well in my opinion) since the whole cast is pretty new.

[La Nuit]

Man man man where do I start? Everything in this issue was great....I really hope Dead Girl stays around for a while... thought her "background" was really interesting.

I'm sorry but I'm really not liking The Spike all that much...his role in this issue doesn't do much for his position with me...

The ending was classic...albeit a little abrupt...I laughed :D

Next please!

[Ben Hutton]

The ending was priceless.

I think we're meant to not like The Spike, but he's interesting at the very least. If he sticks around (BIG if) I can see him becoming the character that people kind of love to hate.

Forgive my ignorance, but who is Crazy Jane?

Where did you see the Mutantopoly cover???

The quality of this book is scary... And not just in it's consistency. I'm going to run out of ways to say how much I love it.

[Anthony Zisa]

Originally posted by Ben Hutton
Forgive my ignorance, but who is Crazy Jane?

Crazy Jane was one of Morrison's creations for his initial DOOM PATROL run. She had about 64 personalities, of which 40 were confirmed. She also had an array of powers, but I don't believe they were tied into a particular personality, ala Legion.

Good review, Ben. I agree. The Spike could have been an interesting character, and the guy you love to hate could easily be his place if he survives the arc (say, he's gaining the trust of the aliens to double cross them). Milligan's really weaving a tapestry here, and I can't wait to see what he has in store. Eventually, the full run of X-FORCE/X-STATIX under Milligan/Allred will be on must read lists, I can just feel it.

--acz

[Kent H]

My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is about the format/layout. What's up with the placement of the letters page? I don't know why, but it just bothers me.

[ShaggyDiz]

True about the letters page, it seemed to be like that in a lot of Marvels comics this past week (at least in the ones I had read).

[Ben Hutton]

I agree. I like to have my letters page at the end of the comic. I think it probably has something to do with the last page being worth more as advertising space to shill Spider-Man than as a letters page.

[RaginCajunette]

i was the same way about the letters page. i was reading... and then i hit the letters page and was like "that's it? what a crap issue then!" then its like "ohh... turn the page again..."

I gotta say that Dead Girl is very interesting. And i agree with whomever said the Spike is just not good. I hope those alien people got him good. Go Vivisector and Phat for being open! :D

[King Edward III]

Originally posted by Anthony Zisa
Crazy Jane was one of Morrison's creations for his initial DOOM PATROL run. She had about 64 personalities, of which 40 were confirmed. She also had an array of powers, but I don't believe they were tied into a particular personality, ala Legion. Each personality had a different power, most just weren't used. She's one of the coolest and most original characters I've ever seen, and she made Doom Patrol a fantastic book.

[spinarakboi]

Whoz gonna die... ahh I just can't wait. Shoot if next issue of X-Force is just as good this comic might just push X-Treme off teh top for my favorite comic. Excellent issue. I do wish though (and maybe after his arc) that the comic would get one or two new distinct villians like Magneto/X-Men Batman/Joker all though not over do it, because it's great just the way it is. But we'll see.

[unit04]

this book is off tha hook, i must admit i hated it when they changed it, but after reading the first 3 issues i was hooked. i think doops going to die though. i thought i was missing a page at the end too. if only the artwork was more serious and less 60's cartoony.

[The Machine]

Loved this issue. Is it just me or is Dead Girl the first member of the New X-force that just can't be killed off just like that, makes you wonder how long she will stick around or will she pull a Lacuna and ditch just when she becomes permanent.

I agree with spinarakboi, never in history have I picked up a comic and and become so emotionally atached to characters so quickly. Take Zeitgeist for instance, he made an instant impression on me, what was that phrase that Milligan used to describe him " Zeitgiest more so than anybone seems to understand his predicament, he has climbed to the top of the mountain and does not like the view" I was sad to see him go but U-Go Girl, Orphan, Anarchist, Phat and Vivesector more than make up for his absence in this book. Anarchist in particular has become a big favorite of mine, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined him to be so deep and complex.

[Stapler]

Great ish.

I STILL think the Phat/Vivi thing is put-on by them.

The Spike changed sides VERY quickly. As in not developed. This was a very packed issue, but I woulda liked some more about that... He's most assuredly a character that is easily disliked.

I like Dead Girl. I think the fact she has bluish skin is one more thing, keep us guessing about the death. Can't have two blue-girls, can we? ;P

[Ben Hutton]

I hated the art at first and now love it. A different artist wouldn't be able to pull this stuff off.

[Stapler]

I guess since I'm a Madman fan from wayback, I have no idea why you didn't like it, or why people don't still.

[Logans Barber]

Now I've dropped New X-Men I can finally pick this series up on a regular basis, I love Allreds art and the constant barrage of injokes and sharp dialogue just sweetens the deal, to X-Force: The best mutant book Marvel have put out in years!

[Sabretooth]

I'm not very much into this series even though I've collected it since the relaunch began. It's lost the edge it had when it started. Looking back on thigs, I think this relaunch was a mistake. I liked X-Force being a renegade mutant militia...that was cool...this celebrity crap just doesn't cut the mustard.

[spinarakboi]

I didnt, so THANK god for the relanch. X-Force in my opinion hasn't lost it touch at all. I cant wait to see whoz going to die, and althought it's a market strategy they know that we know, and make fun of it. I love it.

[theprofessional]

I liked the letters placement, I thought I was at the end, but I wasn't. It was like a bonus, but it wasn't.

[CPunkDude]

I liked the letters placement, I thought I was at the end, but I wasn't. It was like a bonus, but it wasn't.

I did too. at first I was like, what the h*ll, but then I was like cool. It like interrupts the flow of your reading and makes you stop to read the letters. But at the same time you're still excited to read the end of the story so it almost builds more suspense. either that, or the editors just wanted to have some fun with the readers. Either way, i liked it.