Review: Uncanny X-Force Volume 2 - Torn and Frayed

When Psylocke is spirited away to rescue Fantomex from Weapon XIII, she is forced to deal with her conflicting feelings towards Fantomex and his clones. Then, X-Force must overcome the darker reflections of themselves in the form of Revenants. With Storm, Psylocke, and Puck out of action, it may be up to Bishop to stop the Revenant Queen before she can reach her endgame.

Uncanny X-Force Volume 2: Torn and Frayed collects Uncanny X-Force #7-12, written by Sam Humphries and illustrated by Adrian Alphona, Dalibor Talajic, and Ramon Perez.

The Psylocke-centric issues that begin this collection are admittedly the most thrilling and engaging. She confronts her past and present as she is taken to Madripoor in order to square things with Fantomex, Cluster, and Weapon XIII. In a series of flashbacks, we see a glimpse of her life when she was entangled in a complicated relationship with Fantomex and Cluster in Paris, dividing her time up equally between pulling off heists and rolling around the sheets with her lover(s). Then, the present day action brings her into conflict with her ex-lover(s) as she must either spare Fantomex’s life or kill him. This arc provides a complex character portrait of everyone’s favourite purple-haired psychic ninja, revealing her to be sexually fluid and unable to give up the thrill that comes from larceny. While the Fantomex clones fail to be more than plot devices, I can at least applaud Humphries for using them in a way that expands Psylocke’s personality and explores her desires more fully. It’s a quaint and nicely contained arc that is somewhat diminished by lackluster art (and colour - seriously why is Psylocke's hair lavender?!) and the fact that it’s a diversion from the main thrust of this series.

The latter three issues of Torn and Frayed return to the narrative of Bishop and the Revenant Queen. Bishop is separated from his allies in a battle against their enemies, leaving Storm, Psylocke, and Puck vulnerable to the emergence of their Revenants. The trio is thus confronted with their deepest desires and worst failures. While I appreciate many of the elements to this storyline, particularly the reveal of who the Revenant Queen is, I’m disappointed by the disjointed way in which it is told and that it’s left as a cliffhanger when collected in trade form. I also find the exploration of the characters’ insecurities to be trite and expected. We’ve already seen these characters acknowledge and rail against their inner demons in other storylines, so it seems a bit clichéd to do so yet again here. It seems to me that it would have been more time effective to actually resolve the Revenant Queen arc and then perhaps move the Fantomex clone arc after it.

It’s clear by Torn and Frayed and its preceding volume that Humphries’ strength is in his depiction of Psylocke. She’s been the most consistently well-written and interesting character in his tenure on Uncanny X-Force, especially during the opening issues here. The rest of this collection could use a little more bite and originality, but it is entertaining anyway. Still, I’d recommend reading Torn and Frayed for the sake of completionism or if you’re a big fan of Psylocke or Bishop. Otherwise, this trade falls on the more disposable end of the X-universe.

RATING: C+

Review: Uncanny X-Force Volume 1 - Let It Bleed

The X-Men Storm and Psylocke team up with the pint-sized Puck to hunt down the sorceress Spiral, who is rumoured to be dealing psychotropic drugs on the west coast. They soon discover that she has become the guardian of a new mutant and has vowed to protect her from the ills of the world – which includes former X-Man Bishop.

Uncanny X-Force Volume 1: Let It Bleed collects Uncanny X-Force #1-6, written by Sam Humphries with art by Adrian Alphona and Ron Garney.

Superficially, Let It Bleed is a meandering story arc that has one too many plotlines. Humphries jumps between narrative threads throughout, which interfere with creating consistent pacing and make it difficult to follow. There’s Spiral and her new charge, the return of Bishop, Storm and Psylocke’s personal life drama, and Fantomex and Cluster’s search for Psylocke. Thankfully, Psylocke acts as the connective tissue between all of these dangling plotlines. She is the nucleus of the story and Humphries makes sure to portray her as the flawed, multi-faceted character that fans know her to be. He also has a clear understanding of her friendship with Storm and this becomes crucial to the overall enjoyment of the series. Their interactions with one another are perhaps the best thing about this collection and ultimately help to emphasize that the X-Men are family and that they genuinely care for one another.

Those hoping that this reboot of Uncanny X-Force is a perfect jumping on point for newer readers are certain to be disappointed, if not entirely lost. Humphries’ narrative is heavily steeped in decades of continuity and is a veritable buffet for hardcore fans. Unfortunately, this means it will leave more casual readers scratching their heads. It’s likely that people won’t understand why Psylocke detests Spiral so much unless they’re familiar with their past and Humphries’ usage of the Demon Bear from the old school New Mutants series only receives a passing reference in explaining what it is. There’s also the likelihood that people won’t be aware of who Puck is, considering the fact that he’s a member of Alpha Flight and hadn’t really been used in anything overly mainstream for quite some time. Finally, there’s the fact that this is the post-Rick Remender relaunch of Uncanny X-Force, so readers will benefit from having some working knowledge of the events from that series as well. As such, Let It Bleed reads as a for-veteran-fans-only style story.

Let It Bleed has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses. Overall, Humphries introduced a lot of interesting elements and is to be commended for crafting a story that is character-driven. He has a very clear understanding of both Psylocke and Storm, writing them quite well throughout. However, this arc also needed more tailoring in order to trim away some of the unnecessary fat that clogs the pacing. Simply put, it often takes too long to get to the point and seems to wander around directionless. In the end, Let It Bleed is an odd mix of being fantastically written on the character front, but weak on the story end of things.

RATING: C+

Top 5: Best X-Men Spin-Offs

As the legend goes, the X-Men were on their way to becoming a footnote in Marvel's history when Len Wein and Dave Cockrum introduced a brand-new crop of mutants in Giant Size X-Men #1. When it hit stands in 1975, the book increased interest in the X-Men and their popularity continued to rise into the 1980s.

During the '80s, no comic book was hotter than Uncanny X-Men. The series' writer Chris Claremont crafted intelligent and imaginative stories that captivated readers. Sales were so strong that Marvel sought to capitalize on the success of the X-Men and thus began launching comics starring offshoots of the X-Men.

Lovingly called X-books by fans, these titles and their respective teams have gone on to become almost as popular as their parent book. Listed here are the five greatest and most successful X-Men spin-offs to date.

05. Alpha Flight (Vol. 1)

1983-1994

Number of Issues: 130

Genres: Action/Adventure, LGBTQ, Mythology, Superhero

Think: Canadian Avengers

Originally introduced during Chris Claremont and John Byrne's tenure on X-Men (before it became Uncanny), Alpha Flight was a government-funded Canadian superhero team that once included Wolverine in its ranks. Even though they were initially peripheral characters, the group was given its own ongoing series in 1983. Unlike most other comic books, the series featured an entirely Canadian cast and its stories were set in the True North. Alpha Flight is also remembered for tackling environmental issues, discussing mental illness and featuring the very first gay Marvel superhero.

04. New Mutants (Vol. 1)

1983-1991

Number of Issues: 100

Genres: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Leading Ladies, School Life, Supernatural

Think: Teen Titans

In the same year that Alpha Flight made its debut, New Mutants hit newsstands. This title showcased the adventures of a group of teenage mutants who were training to become the next generation of X-Men. Much like its parent book, New Mutants boasted a diverse cast and focused heavily on character development and relationships. The legacy of the New Mutants is long-reaching, with many of its members going on to become teachers and X-Men. The original line-up also proved so popular that it was revived for a third ongoing series in 2009.

03. Uncanny X-Force (Vol. 1)

2010-2013

Number of Issues: 37

Genres: Action/Adventure, Martial Arts, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction

Think: Suicide Squad

As a team, X-Force has been around since the 1990s. Even though these previous incarnations achieved success, it would be Rick Remender's version in Uncanny X-Force that led to critical and commercial acclaim. Led by Wolverine, this version of X-Force was a secret black ops unit that tackled forces too dangerous for the X-Men to handle. The book was responsible for returning Psylocke to prominence, reviving interest in the Age of Apocalypse and established Remender as one of Marvel's most sought after writers.

02. Generation X (Vol. 1)

1994-2001

Number of Issues: 75

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Leading Ladies, School Life, Superhero, Young Adult

Think: Beverly Hills, 9010 (with mutants)

More than a decade after the debut of the New Mutants, Marvel introduced a brand-new crop of teen mutants in the aptly titled Generation X. This series featured former X-Man Banshee and a newly reformed Emma Frost mentoring the titular group of heroes. Significantly more humorous and adventurous than its predecessor, Generation X was heralded for its more realistic treatment of its characters and was instrumental in establishing Emma Frost as a key player in the X-books.

01. X-Factor (Vol. 2)

2006-2013

Number of Issues: 114

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Leading Ladies, LGBTQ, Mystery

Think: Angel

Originally conceived as an homage to the noir genre, X-Factor focused on a group of mutant private detective as they investigated a variety of mutant-related cases. The series was written by the enormously talented Peter David and was noted for its clever dialogue, soapy relationship drama and colourful cast of characters. Beyond that, the series was also praised for featuring a Muslim superheroine as one of its main characters and including much-publicized homosexual relationship. X-Factor continues to be one of the X-Men's most unique spin-offs and proved itself to be the little comic that could by reaching well over 100 issues.