Inglorious X-Force #1 Shows Off Some Potential But Feels Familiar
INGLORIOUS VENGEANCE! Cable returns from the future with a handful of clues…and gaping holes in his memory. An assassination is at hand, and it’s up to Hellverine, Archangel and his former teammate Boom-Boom to follow Cable’s lead into the fire. But who are they after, and what secret does Cable’s faulty memory hide? Be here for the ground floor of the mystery and strap in for the most extreme thrill ride in X-dom, as an all-new X-Force blazes into battle! Inglorious X-Force #1 is an entertaining start but overall feels a bit like a retread of a concept.
Written by Tim Seeley, Inglorious X-Force #1 dives into its mystery. We’re taken to a future where the first mutant President has been assassinated. By whom? Why? That’s what Cable is now trying to figure out and prevent it from happening. So, he pulls together a team, an interesting mix of Hellverine, Archangel, and Boom-Boom. Some have history with Cable, some have history with X-Force and no Cable, and one is a completely new member to the team. It’s an interesting combination of personalities, some show potential as really entertaining in just this one issue. But, the mission is one that is all too familiar.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A team member might be a traitor and an assassin… Sound familiar? It was the plot of Uncanny X-Men for quite some years and tension between Bishop and Gambit. Here, one of Cable’s recruits might be the assassin. Or, maybe it’s a complete misunderstanding of the clue Cable left himself? That’s the underlying story of this series as Cable and his team take on a new Mutant Liberation Front.
Seeley does deliver some interesting new wrinkles, like who the first mutant President is, and it has potential to make things interesting in a lot of ways. But, the comic feels a bit retro/classic in some ways with a pacing and plot that feel like something we’ve seen before, something familiar.
The art by Michael Sta. Maria is good. With color by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and lettering by Joe Caramagna, the team delivers interesting visuals, especially in the beginning while Cable is struggling with his time displacement. The comic also does a solid job visually and stripping Cable of all of his toys. While it’s part of the plot, the art really nails down how worn and unused things are, how out of date they are, and in some ways, how archaic. It feels like Cable relying on his last generation toys instead of having the newest physics defying gun. You can see and feel the grime as he sifts through getting prepared.
Inglorious X-Force #1 is a fun start and it has potential but it also is something we’ve generally seen before. It doesn’t break a lot of new ground and instead plays it rather safe in some ways. But, the comic is entertaining and there’s something comforting about this take. If you’re a fan of X-Force with Cable as its leader, this is one you’ll want to check out.
Story: Tim Seeley Art: Michael Sta. Maria
Color: Romulo Fajardo Jr. Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
