Super Sunday (Part 3): Domino Faces Tough Odds In ‘X-Force’ #8 Reviewed
by Tony Thornley
Domino has become one of the X-Men universe’s most interesting characters but ever since she joined the latest incarnation of X-Force her luck has turned. In X-Force #8 we learn why.
Benjamin Percy, Oscar Bazaldua, Guru-eFX, Joe Caramagna, and Tom Muller face Domino’s worst nightmare.
Dom hunts down the enhanced assassin that’s somehow tapping into her powers. However, she discovers there’s so much more to the conspiracy that has hurt her so badly. Now it’s up to Domino and Colossus to find those responsible and make them pay…
Percy’s spy thriller in this issue is smart and fast paced. It also plays with the relationship between Domino and Colossus especially well. Though it doesn’t dive fully into their individual histories, it does take address their traumas and uses it to build the story. The pacing is a little off – last issue’s cliffhanger is resolved almost too quickly just to move onto the larger story afterwards – but it’s an extremely entertaining read with a well-done emotional payoff.
Bazaldua is able to convey the emotion of the story while delivering on the thrills. His take on Domino is vulnerable without taking away her edge. The climax of the issue is a massive fight on a train, and he takes an already exciting sequence and steps it up. It’s a fantastic two page orgy of violence, laid out of convey the speed of the train, the brutality of the violence, and the horror of the experiments that drew them there.
It’s not perfect, but this issue balances an action thriller and an exploration of how trauma makes us the person we are. It’s a satisfying read, and continues to be one of the best relaunches in recent history.
X-Force #8 is available now from Marvel Comics.