Review: ‘X-Force’ #2 Is An Improvement, But Problems Persist

Though far from perfect or an unqualified success, X-Force #2 is a marked improvement on the first issue. With all the business of establishing the premise behind it — as well as the drag that comes from every “From the Ashes” having to establish a premise that is completely unrelated to the others, thereby painting a confusing image of the post-Krakoa narrative landscape — this issue has a little more room to tell an entertaining story. Which it does, albeit with a few problematic elements still in place. 

One thing that isn’t problematic is Marcus To‘s art, which continues to be the highlight of this series (art swipes aside, one thing “From the Ashes” has going for it as a line of comics is consistently strong art). On top of strong action storytelling (including a sequence that seems like a direct homage to Dave Cockrum’s opening pages of X-Men #95, the second part of the first non-Krakoa adventure of the “All New, All Different” X-Men), To gets to do that thing where he comes up with entirely new looks for the cast.

With X-Force drawn to Wakanda by the Analog, they find themselves in an altered quasi-fantasy version of the African nation. This gives To, like John Romita Jr. in the Kulan Gath story, Paul Smith in X-Men/Alpha Flight, or George Perez in the first “Heroes Return” Avengers story, the opportunity to design sword-and-sorcery looks for most of the main cast. Coming right on the heels of designing the entire look of the series for issue #1, that he does so in a way that makes the character unique yet familiar is impressive. 

Less impressive is the structure of the issue. Writer Geoffrey Thorne seems to have a better handle on Sage’s voice (though he still has Forge frustratingly calling her “Tessa” throughout for some reason). And X-Force #2 makes it clear that his initial approach to the series, at least, is to write issue-long done-in-ones that connect to the larger arc of Forge trying to stave off destruction with the guidance of the Analog.

X-Force pops in, solves the problem causing the Analog to freak out, then hands out to the next troublespot/issue. It’s not a bad way to structure the book, at least initially, in part because it helps maintain an aura of “aggressiveness” that too many X-Force iterations leave behind too quickly. 

But he also seems to be focusing on a particular character in each issue, with Sage in the spotlight here. The only problem is that Sage was such a key character in the setup of the series last issue, that two issues in, this feels like a Forge and Sage two-hander moreso than a team book.

Tank is still just there, Rachel and Betsy barely get any lines, and new member Surge gets little to do outside a few “welcome to the team!” panels. This can change, obviously, and hopefully Thorne will continue to rotate the rest of the cast into the “spotlight” role. But for now, this is more of a Sage series than anything else.