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X-Force by Fabian Nicieza #3
X-Force: Assault on Graymalkin
Collects New Warriors (1990) #31 and X-Force (1991) #19-25.
No longer able to abide Professor X's passive ideals, the young members of X-Force split from the X-Men to carve out their own aggressive destiny! Featuring the threats of Magneto, the X-Ternals and...War Machine!? Guest-starring Deadpool, Nick Fury, the New Warriors, Storm and Beast - and featuring the return of Cable!
No longer able to abide Professor X's passive ideals, the young members of X-Force split from the X-Men to carve out their own aggressive destiny! Featuring the threats of Magneto, the X-Ternals and...War Machine!? Guest-starring Deadpool, Nick Fury, the New Warriors, Storm and Beast - and featuring the return of Cable!
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2011
3 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Fabian Nicieza
2,024 books424 followersFabian Nicieza is a writer and editor who is best known as the co-creator of DEADPOOL and for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, and Robin.
His first novel, the Edgar Award-nominated SUBURBAN DICKS, a sarcastic murder mystery, is on sale now from Putnam Books.
The Dicks will return in THE SELF-MADE WIDOW, coming June 21st.
His first novel, the Edgar Award-nominated SUBURBAN DICKS, a sarcastic murder mystery, is on sale now from Putnam Books.
The Dicks will return in THE SELF-MADE WIDOW, coming June 21st.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 22, 2016
So, so much better than the Omnibus. It's all Greg Capullo art on the X-Force issues. Big Plus there.
November 23, 2023
This was a decent entry in this series, which is a continuation of New Mutants. There were some good callbacks here, although I’m really not sure about Amara/Magma’s home of Nova Roma being retconned as some guy’s mass delusion, that was wild.
The concept of Sam/Cannonball kind of coming into his own as the leader of X-Force and rejecting both Xavier and Magneto’s worldviews as being too simplistic, was really interesting and feels honest given all these kids have been through. It was nice to have Bobby/Sunspot feel fully integrated back into the time, and I appreciated some of the callbacks, including to Karma.
Cable comes back from what I think was a miniseries that I’m now going to have to look up (forever more x-titles, ;-;), and also seems ready to respect everyone not just as kids, but as teammates.
I’m glad they went back for Rusty and Skids, too.
Overall, this felt like the team getting their shit together and I’m excited to see where they go next, although honestly the best parts for me are still whenever there’s focus on the characters who originally came from the New Mutants team.
The concept of Sam/Cannonball kind of coming into his own as the leader of X-Force and rejecting both Xavier and Magneto’s worldviews as being too simplistic, was really interesting and feels honest given all these kids have been through. It was nice to have Bobby/Sunspot feel fully integrated back into the time, and I appreciated some of the callbacks, including to Karma.
Cable comes back from what I think was a miniseries that I’m now going to have to look up (forever more x-titles, ;-;), and also seems ready to respect everyone not just as kids, but as teammates.
I’m glad they went back for Rusty and Skids, too.
Overall, this felt like the team getting their shit together and I’m excited to see where they go next, although honestly the best parts for me are still whenever there’s focus on the characters who originally came from the New Mutants team.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2018
Ο Fabien Nicieza ξέρει να γράφει σωστά χαρακτήρες, απλά, με πολύ δράση και τονίζοντας τις προσωπικότητές τους. Ο Greg Cappulo, πριν το Spawn, προσπαθεί να αντιγράψει το στυλ του Rob Liefeld, με τη διαφορά ότι... ξέρει να σχεδιάζει.
Αποτέλεσμα: μία σειρά που ξεκίνησε με όλα τα στραβά των 90's καταφέρνει να δώσει μία πολύ δυνατή ιστορία και να κλείσει μία σειρά από πλοκές που είχαν ανοίξει στα προηγούμενα τεύχη.
Αποτέλεσμα: μία σειρά που ξεκίνησε με όλα τα στραβά των 90's καταφέρνει να δώσει μία πολύ δυνατή ιστορία και να κλείσει μία σειρά από πλοκές που είχαν ανοίξει στα προηγούμενα τεύχη.
August 1, 2024
Too many characters, too many subplots, sketched out ideas, every conflict immediately escalated. This book was a drudge to read.
While it's certainly Less Extreme than some of the issues before it, it's still got continuity blasted to eleven. Time travel, fake deaths, plot lines that require you to have a PhD in X-history, characters whose accents change from one page to the next. Ooof.
I can only recommend this to people doing a deep dive on X-books, or to those who have a nostalgic love for 90s X-Men comics.
***Update During 2024 X-Readthrough***: Like many of the other X-books around this time, this reads better if you've read everything before it. I haven't changed my opinion that you need to have a PhD in X-history to follow everything that's going. I'm just saying that since I got my degree, I had no problem following the plot. Nicieza even seems to be maturing as a writer here. He's still more of an 80's action movie scripter than a superhero comic writer but he included more interesting character development in this volume that I would previously have given him credit for.
If you love 90s X-Force books, this is perfectly fine. Otherwise, yea, it's messy and complicated, and not necessarily worth reading all the backstory to understand what's happening.
While it's certainly Less Extreme than some of the issues before it, it's still got continuity blasted to eleven. Time travel, fake deaths, plot lines that require you to have a PhD in X-history, characters whose accents change from one page to the next. Ooof.
I can only recommend this to people doing a deep dive on X-books, or to those who have a nostalgic love for 90s X-Men comics.
***Update During 2024 X-Readthrough***: Like many of the other X-books around this time, this reads better if you've read everything before it. I haven't changed my opinion that you need to have a PhD in X-history to follow everything that's going. I'm just saying that since I got my degree, I had no problem following the plot. Nicieza even seems to be maturing as a writer here. He's still more of an 80's action movie scripter than a superhero comic writer but he included more interesting character development in this volume that I would previously have given him credit for.
If you love 90s X-Force books, this is perfectly fine. Otherwise, yea, it's messy and complicated, and not necessarily worth reading all the backstory to understand what's happening.
June 2, 2016
There was NOT enough Deadpool in this ... which is the only reason I was reading it. I DID like all the Vanessa stuff, again, not much of it. It's cool seeing all of this ... especially since I still don't remember the movie. I should watch that soon.
This is leading us in to the first actual DEADPOOL ARCH! HURRAY! Yep, still want more!
This is leading us in to the first actual DEADPOOL ARCH! HURRAY! Yep, still want more!
January 13, 2019
Amazing artwork and character development. Capullo has really hit his stride with these characters. Cable and Domino are my favorite X-Force team members,so having them play such a minor role in this collecting is the reason for the mediocre rating.
The militant team also hits their stride in this run, facing off against Nick Fury, War Machine, SHIELD, and the Externals, the action is non-stop.
A very solid read leading right into Fatal Attractions, once of the biggest crossover events in X-title history.
The militant team also hits their stride in this run, facing off against Nick Fury, War Machine, SHIELD, and the Externals, the action is non-stop.
A very solid read leading right into Fatal Attractions, once of the biggest crossover events in X-title history.
May 18, 2022
Plotwise this very much feels like a logical continuation of NM characters into adulthood, but I find the puffy muscles very 90s art kind of distracting and ugly to look at. I'm very much an 80s person now whether I like it or not. Also I don't care about Cable which isn't helping. When I was a kid watching the cartoon I just didn't understand the point of an extra time travelling guy with huge guns when Bishop is right there, and I guess I still feel that way after knowing everything that I do.
March 18, 2020
Collects New Warriors #31 (January 1993) and X-Force #19-25 (February - August, 1993).
Though there was a huge injection of testosterone into the storyline as it transitioned from The New Mutants to X-Force a couple of years before this collection, there are still decent stories to be found underneath it all. Just takes a little weeding to find them.
Though there was a huge injection of testosterone into the storyline as it transitioned from The New Mutants to X-Force a couple of years before this collection, there are still decent stories to be found underneath it all. Just takes a little weeding to find them.
June 15, 2018
Greg Capulo's art is getting better with each issue, and the series is really fun. And intense. The battle for Graymalkin was brilliant. And Cannonball is a far more interesting character than I've ever given him credit for.
August 24, 2024
While the art is greatly improved, although still incredibly noisy, there is little of substance to be had. The story just repeats the same exact beats while continuously introducing more and more one dimensional characters.
Format: Digital single issues through Marvel Unlimited
Format: Digital single issues through Marvel Unlimited
March 13, 2019
Overall, an OK volume, but somewhat to my surprise not quite as out there without Liefeld on board.
Who Mourns the Hellions? (NW #31). It's great to have this New Warriors story collected, as it's integral to the X-line. And it's great having a follow-up to the unnecessary killing of the Hellions. But, oh the retcon, that New Roma was all a delusion is absolutely horrible, in the top-ten worst-retcons-ever sort of way. (Apparently, Claremont later offhandedly wrote the retcon off in X-Treme X-Men.) [2/5].
Open Hand, Closed Fist (XF #19). It's great to see X-Force ever-so-briefly back in the mansion, and this issue really uses that premise to best advantage by creating a nice character piece that shows us who X-Force is, and how they've changed since they were under Xavier's tutelage [4+/5].
Assault on Graymalkin (XF #20-22). This is a nice ode to Cable's legacy that really focuses on what he means to the kids — and speaking of kids, this is the story that really lets Sam comes of his own. But it's also got some endless fighting, and it's even endless fighting with SHIELD, which is a pretty old trope by now [3+/5].
Compromising Positions (XF #23). The Externals were actually a good concept: immortal mutants. Mind you, the actual Externals we met were '90s silliness. In any case, this is a pretty good story too, with its continued focus on Sam as the new leader and X-Force taking the fight to their enemies [4/5].
Prisoners of Fate (XF #24). Returning to the Rusty & Skids plotline was a good choice, since they were horribly misused post-X-Factor. But this comic ends up just using them as MacGuffins, which is disappointing [3+/5]
Who Mourns the Hellions? (NW #31). It's great to have this New Warriors story collected, as it's integral to the X-line. And it's great having a follow-up to the unnecessary killing of the Hellions. But, oh the retcon, that New Roma was all a delusion is absolutely horrible, in the top-ten worst-retcons-ever sort of way. (Apparently, Claremont later offhandedly wrote the retcon off in X-Treme X-Men.) [2/5].
Open Hand, Closed Fist (XF #19). It's great to see X-Force ever-so-briefly back in the mansion, and this issue really uses that premise to best advantage by creating a nice character piece that shows us who X-Force is, and how they've changed since they were under Xavier's tutelage [4+/5].
Assault on Graymalkin (XF #20-22). This is a nice ode to Cable's legacy that really focuses on what he means to the kids — and speaking of kids, this is the story that really lets Sam comes of his own. But it's also got some endless fighting, and it's even endless fighting with SHIELD, which is a pretty old trope by now [3+/5].
Compromising Positions (XF #23). The Externals were actually a good concept: immortal mutants. Mind you, the actual Externals we met were '90s silliness. In any case, this is a pretty good story too, with its continued focus on Sam as the new leader and X-Force taking the fight to their enemies [4/5].
Prisoners of Fate (XF #24). Returning to the Rusty & Skids plotline was a good choice, since they were horribly misused post-X-Factor. But this comic ends up just using them as MacGuffins, which is disappointing [3+/5]
April 5, 2023
Largely meh, but Magneto ripping apart Cable’s cyborg half over jealously for the loyalty of the New Mutants is satisfying on a couple of levels
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews