Uncanny X-Force 5: Otherworld

Comic Info

Uncanny X-Force (1) #20

Reprints Uncanny X-Force (1) #19.1-24 (March 2012-June 2012).  Fantomex and Psylocke discover they’ve been taken to Otherworld and Fantomex might have to face the consequences for the killing of Apocalypse.  Unfortunately, Otherworld is under assault from a being called the Goat and Fantomex might have to face off against a member of Project X that he thought he was finished with.  Meanwhile, a rescue attempt by Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Deadpool isn’t going as planned as Nightcrawler tries to adjust to the new world he has entered.

Written by Rick Remender, Uncanny X-Force Volume 5:  Otherworld is a Marvel Comics X-Men spin-off comic book collection.  Following Uncanny X-Force Volume 4:  The Dark Angel Saga—Book 2, the collection features art by Greg Tocchini, Phil Noto, and Billy Tan.  The volume contains the four issue storyline “Otherworld”.  Also included in Uncanny X-Force (1) #19.1 (March 2012) which contained an Age of Apocalypse storyline and the stand-alone Uncanny X-Force (1) #24 (June 2012).  Issues in this collection were also included as part of the X-Force by Rick Remender Omnibus and X-Force by Rick Remember—Volume 1.

Uncanny X-Force is one of the harder Marvel Comics reads out there.  Unlike the standard bad-guy fights villain in a six issue story arc, Uncanny X-Force has multiple stories with tons of layered moments.  It isn’t a book you can pick-up and put-down easily without a refresher of what is going on.  Uncanny X-Force 5:  Otherworld continues that cycle.

The prime story (“Otherworld”) deals with the death of Apocalypse, Betsy’s relationship with her brothers Brian and Jamie, Fantomex’s past, and the Nightcrawler of the Age of Apocalypse adjusting to life on Earth-616 (which means also dipping into his past as a member of Excalibur).  It isn’t the most coherent stories at time without rereading some sequences, but I like the parallels drawn between the death of Apocalypse at Fantomex’s hands and the final outcome of the storyline…plus as a fan of Captain Britain, it is always nice to see Betsy back with her brother (even if the situation isn’t great).

Uncanny X-Force (1) #21

The stand-alone Uncanny X-Force #24 is Nightcrawler dealing with his Age of Apocalypse friend Iceman.  It feels a bit like a throwaway storyline and if you weren’t invested in the Age of Apocalypse, it is a story that has little interest.  I never was on the “Nightcrawler from Age of Apocalypse has replaced Nightcrawler-616 boat”, and I have a hard time being interested in this storyline.

Likewise, Uncanny X-Force #19.1 also is a complete throwaway.  Marvel came up with the .1 stories as a means for readers to “jump on” initially and marketed them that way.  I only picked up a few .1 titles and found them not only stories that didn’t interest me, but also stories that weren’t very inspiring to readers.  If I had been excited and bought Uncanny X-Force #19.1 as a new reader, I wouldn’t know what was going on and I wouldn’t care to read another issue.  It was a waste of a project and was poorly planned…it is a reason that it is hard for many to get into comics.

Despite two stories that aren’t that great, Uncanny X-Force is still a smart title.  It is a title that rewards regular readers and punishes those who don’t keep up with it.  This in itself isn’t the smartest way to keep readers, but it is a different approach to the nice and neat story arcs that many titles have.  Uncanny X-Force feels like the adult version of X-Men at this point.  Uncanny X-Force 5:  Otherworld was followed by Uncanny X-Force:  Final Execution—Book 1.

Related Links:

Uncanny X-Force 1:  The Apocalypse Solution

Uncanny X-Force 2:  Deathlok Nation

Uncanny X-Force 3:  The Dark Angel Saga—Book 1

Uncanny X-Force 4:  The Dark Angel Saga—Book 2