X-Force #43 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Robert Gill

Colorist: GURU-eFX

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña; Rahzzah

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Everyone wants to attend the party, but will Sage let them? X-Force's leader doesn't have the last say, as she's taking orders from Colossus. But the metal man's mind is on other matters as the Hellfire Gala gets set to rock. How will Sage, Colossus, and their squad fare as the massacre of the millennium begins? Let's leap into X-Force #43 and find out!

 

Story

Colossus doesn’t want X-Force to join the party. As a representative of Krakoa’s Quiet Council, he orders them to monitor the gala remotely. What they don’t know is he's under the sway of his brother Mikhail. X-23 and Deadpool may be none the wiser, but Domino suspects Colossus is compromised. Can she discover his secrets before the festivities begin?

 

If you've read X-Men Hellfire Gala #1, you know about the party that rocked the mutant community to its core. X-Force #43 serves as a prequel and gives greater context to the event. While Deadpool and Quentin provide the laughs, Domino’s excursion exposes the change Colossus has undergone. Even if you know how the group’s journey ends, what Domino discovers in the Savage Land enthralls.

 

 

Art

Appealing characters inhabit this strange, organic world. Rooms and buildings look grown instead of made, rounded instead of rectangular, and more whimsical than real. Communities rise from the seafloor to stand above the ocean waves in X-Force #43. Plants decorate buildings and interiors. Bright colors mesmerize, energize, and prevent the epic tragedy from becoming dark and dreary. Inspired by such artistry, Deadpool and Colossus indulge their creative sides.

 

Lettering is tiny, as lowercase black words inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and boxes. A letter from Mikhail and an entry from Sage's logbook prove easier to read in X-Force #43. Few sound effects accompany the team's journey into darkness.

 

Final Thoughts

Sage struggles to control her team as Domino races to discover Colossus’ secrets in X-Force #43.

 

8.8/10

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.