Review: Uncanny X-Force #3
The first two issues of this series have been chock full of action, so with good reason it’s easy to anticipate the book slowing down a bit. It didn’t slow down without a fight though, if you catch my meaning. Psylocke is once again taking the lead and, given she’s the main reason I picked up this title, I was very pleased to see her shine.
The Dialogue:
Someone get that girl a bar of soap! Psylocke has shown that one of her mutant abilities may be cursing. No, not in the form of putting a hex on someone, but having a mouth that would make a sailor blush. I like it though. It really sets her apart from the other people in this book and is in line with her “I don’t care” attitude regarding everyone’s opinions. There is a lot of back and forth emphasis in the dialogue and someone is being a little liberal with the ability to use bold print. It’s almost the norm in some spots so there are either a lot of very important words, or everyone is just yelling sans exclamation points. Bishop offers the most profound dialogue as he shows he’s fluent in speaking zombie with complex phrases such as “Grrr” and “Arggh”.
The Art:
Not very colorful, but highly effective. There are a lot of monochromatic themes going on here in this issue, which is fine because it’s done during some important moments of the book. We are brought a full range of colors during the breaks in action and I’m enjoying this type of style. There are a few panels where there is so much going on with the backgrounds that it gets a bit difficult to sort through everything. On the other hand there were plenty of panels that had no backgrounds at all so one could say it was a book of extremes. A little hard on the eyes and if it was consistent one way or another, it would have been a bit more appealing visually.
What I Loved:
Betsy is a bad-ass and this title has done a great job sticking to that. I’m not sure if Psylocke is a leader, so much as she’s taking charge. Because of her personality, she’s doing things her way and letting Storm and Puck decide if they want to keep up with her. Bishop seems to be raging mindlessly in an effort to obtain Ginny, the little girl whose mutant ability seems to put people in a state of euphoria. We aren’t sure what his motive is yet as his only dialogue has been a series of grunts and growls, but the end of this issue leads us to believe that he may not entirely be in control.
What I Hated:
If there’s one thing I’m not enjoying about this series is Fantomex and his clone/lover. They are running around and suddenly can’t stop thinking about Psylocke so they decide to seek her out while avoiding Dark Fantomex (who apparently can stand up quite comfortably on top of a 747 mid-flight). Quite frankly this side plot is a bit distracting and I could do without it.
Favorite (non-spoilerish) Line:
“What was I supposed to do on this stupid planet? Get a job at In-N-Out Burger? They don’t exactly hire six-armed super villains.” Spiral’s snarky comeback when Puck insults her for how she’s been living her life.
In Conclusion:
There are a lot of characters in this book and it’s pretty good at giving you a snapshot of who they are and why certain things may or may not bother them. That being said, the distracting side plot seems out of place and I’m not entirely sure what Storm and Puck are doing there. They seem like dead weight because the book is driven by Psylocke and she doesn’t much listen to their opinions. Overall it’s a good read but it’s probably not for everyone. If you’re a fan of Psylocke, it’s a must have otherwise you may just want to wait until you can borrow a copy or the digital version drops in price.
Story: 7 Art: 6.5 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read
Uncanny X-Force #3 Credits:
Writer: Sam Humphries Pencils: Ron Garney Inks: Scott Hanna Colorist: Marte Garcia with Israel Gonzalez Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit Cover Art: Kris Anka Editor in Chief: Axel Alonso Associate Editor: Jordan D. White Editor: Nick Lowe Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Date: May 2013 Cover Price: $3.99 US Title: “Sweet Virginia”
