In a perfect world, X-Force wouldn’t be necessary. Unfortunately, we aren’t so lucky. In X-Force #10, the team revisit the threat of Terra Verde. Will X-Force ever be the same? Will Beast’s morally grey decisions come back to bite him in his furry, blue, bottom? Does Kenneth even remember what Beast did because it’s been SO long since the last X-Force came out? Let’s find out!
Kenneth Laster: Ari…it’s been YEARS since we last talked about X-Force. Literal decades. But what a solid issue to come back on. This issue has all of the hallmarks of this run, morally grey decisions, questions about life, death, and reincarnation, and my personal favorite: Joshua Cassara drawing weird plant body horror. Initial thoughts on being back Ari?
Ari Bard: I feel like I just woke up from a nap that lasted about a century too long, and who needs expresso when you have a heaping dose of Black Tom Cassidy energy? It feels great to jump back into all things X-Force, especially those morally grey decisions. Truly the bread and butter of this well-oiled machine one could call a team.
KL: And boy oh boy are those decisions grey! Let’s hop into it.
Memories
KL: The return to Terra Verde starts pretty strong with some classic interpersonal drama concerning Domino’s recent resurrection. For those who may have forgotten, Domino was extremely vocal about keeping her traumatic memories after going through Krakoa’s resurrection protocols but of course she comes back with those memories gone. Now, while traipsing through some caves, famous semi-amnesiac, Logan, voices his opinions on Domino’s current state.
While this argument mostly serves as a base of the dynamic between Quentin, Logan, and Domino, it continues to pull at some of the classic Krakoan themes of self and choice and continues the current X-line’s theme of questions without easy answers. Does the missing trauma mean that resurrected Domino might as well be a different person? Who knows? And we definitely don’t get an answer in this issue but it’s definitely the existential quandary I’ve come to appreciate in this book. Your thoughts on the opening Ari?
AB: All I can say is that you know something’s a little off with the team dynamic when you see Logan thoughtfully and eloquently explaining his frustrations with erasing a part of oneself instead of the usual shouting match we might be used to. Logan’s characterization in X-Force just feels right to me. I’m not as well X-read as some of our Xavier Files colleagues, and I haven’t read Percy’s Wolverine #1 yet [Ed. note: Ari, this is literally your unpaid hobby job], but he has a way of portraying Logan here in a way that lets you know everything matters without bringing up continuity or explicit experiences. I think we often see this idea of a “hot-head” character as someone who gets angry and explodes all the time, when those characters are served much better as people who feel things very intensely, whether it be anger or otherwise. As someone who has lived so long and sort of “learned to feel” multiple times, it would make sense that Logan actually has a very high emotional intelligence, and so I think this seasoned, intense, and experienced leader is a Logan I am very excited to see more of.
On the flipside, seeing Domino like this is just heartbreaking, while also philosophically interesting. We know as readers that Domino explicitly did not make this choice [Ed. note: Colossus did], but what Percy is now asking us is: Does it even matter? The obvious answer here is yes, as we must respect one’s ownership of their own trauma. It is not our decision to take that away or interpret it for others. The way this plays out, however, is that Piotr is absolutely in the wrong, but what happens to a perfectly comfortable resurrected Domino who is satisfied, even if the decision wasn’t her own. Is it right to force her to relive it again? Should she be treated as a totally separate character? I honestly feel like that’s worthy of an entire dialogue by itself. And yet, with so many shifting variables and free-flowing emotions, it’s nice to know that there’s always one constant: Quentin Quire is still an a-word hole. Anything to say about that Kenneth?
KL: Shocking the Quiet Council hasn’t asked the Five to make Quire less of an a-word. I agree with you on all points. Colossus making that shitty decision for Domino makes it very interesting later in the book when he’s suggested as the teams potential new moral center because…YIKES! And speaking of morals…
Morality
KL: One of the many shades of grey of X-Force comes to a head between Jean Grey and Hank McCoy this issue. Beast’s shady decision as the conductor of the dark orchestra has come back to bite X-Force not only by Terra Verde resurfacing, but with Jean discovering Hank’s manipulation and not being too pleased about it. Jean quits X-Force, hitting Percy’s theme of whether there’s a place for morality in espionage, especially mutant espionage.
There are specific word choices where Jean says that the lies are for “humans” calling back to the early declarations of X-Force being something more than traditional human espionage and then tying into the major Krakoan questions of whether mutants can build a nation without the same failures as humans. Jean calls out Beast for not taking into account the “human” costs of his decisions which implies that X-Force isn’t really better than the human forces they aimed to be better than. Jean and Hank within this series specifically feel like a confrontation that’s been brewing for a bit and it’s nice that it tied in thematically to a larger question in the series. What were your thoughts Ari?
AB: I feel really torn about this scene. There were a lot of elements I loved, but I honestly feel like Jean could have let him have it a bit more. It feels like “Hank gonna Hank” is a little too accepted and I’d really like to either have experienced that scene for a little longer or have it laid out in such a way that we could feel a little more of what Jean was doing to Beast’s mind come off the page. Nevertheless, her tirade was still well-deserved and great to witness. Calling people like Hank out on asymmetrical thinking is part of what I live for. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Jean and her involvement with X-Force though. I think she does bring a needed morality and her internal conflict is more easily felt than anyone else’s. Also it’s pretty clear that just from a basic firepower standpoint, the team kinda needs her so everyone doesn’t die on every mission [Ed. note: looking at you Quentin]. What do you think lies ahead in the vein of morality Kenneth?
KL: I definitely agree that it feels like there could have been more in terms of consequences for Hank. We know how Jean feels but does Xavier have a problem with this? Or was Jean the only person to keep him in check. I hope it’s not the last we see of Jean but I do kind of like the permeability of the X-Books, where characters can quit a team and not disappear from continuity so I’m sure Jean will have a role elsewhere if not in X-Force. Like I mentioned before, Sage and Colossus are brought up as new moral compasses for the team. I don’t know much about Sage, but Colossus…should not be the moral compass for anyone after erasing Domino’s trauma. Then again since he would be such a terrible moral compass, maybe he’s perfect for X-Force.
AB: I’m definitely in agreement with you there Kenneth. While it is made very clear that there are many massive parts to Colossus [Ed. note: ?], his heart ain’t one of them. There has to be a counterweight for the rest of X-Force to balance things out, but I’m confident that this creative team can make the right call about who might stickin around, heading out, or coming in. Honestly though, all of that thinking and worrying has worn me out. Luckily we’ve saved the best for last, cool plant stuff!
Mulch
KL: While there’s the more lofty questions of existence and morality, there’s also cool gross plant stuff that Joshua Cassara and Guru-eFx do so so well. With both Terre Verde and Black Tom Cassidy being major parts of this book, the plants were out in full effect. Quentin Quire, once again dies, in what may be a new running bit. “Kid Compost” as Domino calls him is a really gruesome, but gorgeously drawn image. Theres so much detail and the flowers growing out of QQ’s eyes are just a strange innocent touch to this very gross murder. It’s gross! I love it! Thoughts on the art of the general return of Terra Verde?
AB: I promise that your questions are very important to me, but I just have one thing to say first. I LOVE THE VEG. Black Tom’s self-pep talk was such a delightfully oozy kind of weird that I adore. The big scene at the end is peanuts to me compared to Black Tom’s declarative horniness to Krakoa. Nevertheless, you are right and there are a lot more plant-related events to talk about. We get to see some added range to Forge’s organic weaponry with the sight that Domino uses, and that’s a really cool versatility feature. It’s clear that there’s more imagination going on with how this organic network operates than just stabby or shooty things, and that’s really appreciated.
Kid Compost was another highlight of the issue, as even though Cassara’s details were remarkably vivid and gruesome, the flowers were relatively pleasant compared to what normally comes out of his mouth. The techno-biological malware combination of powers was another really cool and imaginative utilization of these organic based enemies. The alternating layouts of Sage, Jean, and Black Tom’s combination and Wolverine getting smothered made for a really dynamic page. Percy has really struck an untapped type and style of enemy and mechanic in these plant based organisms and weaponry, and I can’t wait to see what continues to come of it. That said, nothing can really top the “sweet, groiny taste of Krakoa” in my eyes. What about you Kenneth?
KL: Oh I definitely agree with all points Black Tom. I have no idea how to describe what he brings to this book [Ed. note: Kenneth, this is literally your unpaid hobby job] but I love the things he says and does and am pleased. I also wholeheartedly agree with the bio organic warfare in X-Force being a really fun corner for Percy, Cassara, or whoever is on art duties to really get creative with visuals and storytelling which is always a plus. Maybe X-Force should tackle HordeCulture, the hit new X-Villains of 2019 that everyone loved.
AB: Yea. That’d really kick some a-word.
KL: Maybe in the next issue…whenever that is…We’ll be there!
X-Traneous Thoughts
- Will I get sued if I rename all my succulents “The Veg?”
- “It’s like you got measles, but the measles is pockets” -The X-Force creed.
- Kenneth’s favorite sound effects (remember to read aloud for full effect):
- “Shlorp Shlorp”
- “Koom Koom Koom”
- “Sklish”
- Is a “Sklish” a wet “Snikt”?
- I think so!
- Russian in the data page reads “Chronicler”
- Krakoan teaser reads: Code Red, which they told us on the last page anyway
- Ed. note: As the least horny column on this website, the guys didn’t even mention the hot tub scene which was STEAMY
- Wr. Note: There is plenty of good and just horniness mentioned, not whatever that was.
- Ed. note: And Jean’s Bikini was very obviously drawn on at the last minute
Ari Bard is a huge comic fan studying Mechanical Engineering so he can finally figure out how the Batmobile works.
Kenneth Laster is a critic, cartoonist, and cryptid with a movie degree.
