Review: Uncanny X-Force #1

In the final issue of Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force, Wolverine disbanded the team and sent them on their separate ways. As Sam Humphries takes over writing duties and Ron Garney takes over the art, a new team is assembled consisting of Puck, Storm, Psylocke, Cluster (the female Fantomex), and Spiral. Storm and Psylocke both have some issues to work out and X-Force may just be the way they do it. The return of a long-time X-Men member and villain creates the possibility of serious conflicts in the story.

All of Sam Humphries’ creator-owned work has been a little strange and funny, leaving an expectation of a more humorous take on Uncanny X-Force.  The near constant swearing from Psylocke may have been a bit out of character, but she’s going through some things. The return of Bishop sets up some interesting conflicts for this new team and could lead to some action-packed future issues. Humphries crafts a fairly standard “getting the team together” type issue, but gives it enough charm to make it worthwhile.

Ron Garney gives this first issue a very interesting appearance. In many panels, the color palette is muted to greys with only certain things, such as blood or lighting, shown in color. This choice gives some parts of the story some nice visuals, and the art overall is top-notch. The art is very expressive, which is greatly appreciated. His rendition of “Mohawk Storm” will likely be an iconic look in future years.

With the charm of Sam Humphries and the art of Ron Garney, this first issue of Uncanny X-Force is well worth the read. It’s a promising start to a very intriguing series.

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