Review: Uncanny X-Force #19.1

Enter Now: The Age of Apocalypse! Nuff’ said!

Remender’s Uncanny X-Force #19.1 is the set up issue for Age of Apocalypse, which debuts on March 7th. And like most “set up” issues, Remender lays the landscape wide open for us as to what we will expect from the regular series. If this new series is half as good as what Remender gives us — I’m sold!

Following the A.O.A. versions of Jean Grey and Sabretooth back to the Age of Apocalypse after their mission with X-Force, Remender shows us just what has been going on while they were on leave. Apocalypse (Wolverine version, in case you were wondering) has taken his fight against all humanity up to the next level. All humans, and their mutant sympathizers, are to be exterminated on sight, but there is one group that has a plan that might just be able to turn the tide of genocide. A group of humans that have perfected their fighting abilities since early childhood, in order to survive long enough to fight back. Those that have made it this far, and have stood up in the face of terror, have been dubbed — The Exterminated!

Remender has out done himself again! Mixing familiar characters with new ones, and letting the newer ones have a resounding voice throughout is something quite unique. Especially when the new characters are so well crafted that they could have carried the book by themselves! The entire past and present of the character Prophet was told in a mere four pages, and yet it was so good that I am completely vested in this character already! There is a depth that Remender gives to his characters that makes them so much more than the sum of their parts. He truly gives them a “voice” that once you’ve heard, it becomes a siren song that you need to hear over and over again.

There is so much going on in this book, that you never notice there are no Uncanny X-Force members even in it! Remender has invested so much time between the readers and the A.O.A. characters in the last few months, that it doesn’t feel out of place at all. Plus, the things that go on within the story are so shocking, you could really care less what is going on with the core team! No spoilers here! But I will say, that it’s a good thing they introduced so many new characters. It’s kind of tough to write a book with no one in it! Go Black Legion! That’s not really a spoiler — is it? Oh, Man!

Go get this book and get in on the ground floor of the new series, Age of Apocalypse! The only way the month of March could get any better, was if Remender was writing the series himself!