X-Force #27
A splinter in X-Force forces an unpopular decision as a new threat rears its head in X-Force #27, by writer Benjamin Percy, artist Robert Gill, colorist GURU-eFX, and letterer Joe Caramagna. Percy and company kick off a new story arc that lays down some interesting new plot lines.
At the Cradle, something sinister awakens in the Cerebro helmet. At a Quiet Council meeting, Beast briefs the group on Omega Red’s attack on the timeline and suggests erasing him forever. Still, Sage comes in with another idea- help him and tell him the truth, bringing him into the fold against Russia. As they leave the council meeting, Sage picks up a fluctuation in Cerebro and sends Forge to check it out, but he is taken. X-Force discusses the Omega Red situation, and most of the group agrees with Sage. Beast leaves for Arrako and talks to Abigail Brand as Black Tom goes to the Armory to investigate the plants drinking blood. At Arbor Magna, Omega Red is resurrected and tries to kill Beast before he’s talked down. Tom alerts everyone to what happened in the Armory, and they find Forge’s body, his brain scooped out of his head.
There is a lot going on in this issue, but Percy is able to balance it all very well. The main crux of things is the Omega Red situation, and it plays out very well. He may have betrayed Krakoa more than once, but it’s not like they hadn’t betrayed him either. Sage acting as the heart of X-Force is a welcome change of pace as well and something that has been building throughout Percy’s run. A lot of people may not like Percy’s style in the book, but here’s one of its strengths- the more episodic nature of the stories has allowed this character change in Sage to happen gradually, whereas a book with longer story arcs would have made it feel like it happened too soon. Sage watching Beast and being more sickened by his actions before stepping in works better this way.
The book is still concerned with the conflict with Russia, and it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out with Omega Red, Colossus, and the current. The Cerebro helmet suddenly going rogue is a fascinating threat, and it could play into Mikhail’s attacks. It could also be its own new threat, perhaps related to the attempted Phalanx infestation from X Deaths. Regardless, it’s different from what the group has faced before, which is another strength of this book, as it keeps throwing new threats at the team.
Gill’s art is exquisite. There are some places where his proportions aren’t great, but he does a great job other than that. His character acting sells the emotion of the story, and he’s able to nail the tone of the pages. As usual, GURU-eFX’s coloring is a major part of that. His use of color throughout the book makes the pencils pop that much more, taking the art to the next level.
X-Force #27 drops a lot on the reader, but it all works. Percy has gotten outstanding at these kinds of plot juggling acts, and this one is better than most. It’s also nice to see someone push back on Beast for once. Gill and GURU-eFX do a great job with the art, and seeing what they have in store for the book should be a treat. All in all, this is a great start to a new era for X-Force.