X-Force #1 introduces a brand new iteration of the team which has gone through many of them over the past few years. Some of those volumes have been fantastic, and some felt like filler, like it was just being released to cash in on the name, without that special something to make it stand out. Unfortunately, this first issue falls in the latter, a bunch of good ideas that don’t quite pan out.

Coming from writer Si Spurrier and artist Rock-He Kim the first issue puts forth the idea that every sovereign nation in the Marvel Universe makes use of superhumans to protect national interests and pursue a covert national agenda. The stakes are high, and the prizes are intelligence, security, resources and power. Now, Cable and his new black-ops squad are entering this endless shadow-game to ensure that Mutants have a hand in the future of the Marvel Universe – by any means necessary! Sounds like a good idea in theory, the execution, not so much.

The team, consisting of Marrow, Psylocke, Fantomex, and Cable is dull, not exciting, and what little interesting writing devices used are beyond irritating. Throughout the issue, there’s constant chatter about music, which at first might seem interesting, but by the end of it all, it comes off like a theme and idea that Spurrier didn’t know what to do with. Fantomex is more Pepé Le Pew than I ever remember him being. Marrow is batshit insane, taking the role Deadpool usually fills and Psylocke and Cable show none of their usual personality. This is X-Force as a force with nothing to make them interesting.

Kim’s art too is bland with characters looking too similar in some traits (their eyes) and strange charcoal like coloring doesn’t help matters either.

We just had two interesting X-Force series, each with a distinct personality. Here, all of that personality has been sucked away, leaving us with a dull version of what once was.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Rock-He Kim
Story: 5 Art: 5 Overall: 5 Recommendation: Pass