Customer Reviews

X-Force Volume 1: New Beginning TPB

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X-Force: New Beginnings collects the first five issues of Peter Milligan and Mike Allred's disturbing recreation of one of Marvel's X-Men spin-off titles.

X-Force originally began as just another way for Marvel to cash in on the late 80's X-Men craze, and about the seventh or eighth spin-off title at that. Through a long and unremarkable run, the book has been, well...unremarkable. About a year ago, as a part of Marvel's larger editorial gamble to revive interest in their characters, Milligan and Allred were given a title on life support and free reign to do as they pleased.

What the two have come up with simply never been done before. Taking Milligan's predisposition for disturbing, cynical and often downright psychedelic storytelling and adding Allred's almost childlike yet stylish pop culture sensibilities has created something that's hard to believe Marvel didn't reject on principle: A team of mutants calling themselves 'X-Force' (Prof. X and company never trademarked the name) is assembled by a rich young software magnate as a product marketing vehicle. They are media superstars constantly holding press conferences and chased by paparazzi, all the while battling for endorsement deals and air time. The missions they undertake are dangerous enough that team members die almost every time out but fame-hungry young mutants are easy to come by, and more importantly the ratings are good.

Enter Mister Sensitive, a.k.a. The Orphan. Given the leadership of the team by their coach and the board shortly after joining, he's clearly the only member with a conscience and seemingly the only well-grounded one to boot. How does he do it? Every morning before he leaves his house he polishes his handgun and loads a single bullet in the chamber. Every night when he returns home, he points it at his head and pulls the trigger.

Hopefully this gives you the tiniest glimpse into how twisted this book really is. And while there's no way I would recommend it to everyone, it's also as magnetic as car wreck on the side of the road that you find yourself slowing down for even as you curse the others that did the same before you. Although there are huge differences between the two series, Milligan and Allred's X-Force shares a similar tone with Ellis and Dillon's Preacher. Hard to believe Marvel publishes this near total indictment of the Marvel superhero universe. I'll keep buying, though.

When X-Force first started it was a bland spin-off comic that seemed to be created for the express purpose to help cash in on the X-Men's popularity. But when issue #116 hit everything changed. With new writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred (best known for his groovy independent comic Madman) had created possibly one of the most controversial comic in Marvel's history, with self-centered characters and mature themes. The book focuses on a team of mutant celebrities/mercenaries.
Using their position on the X-Force for personal and financial gain, these mutants go on missions so dangerous; usually at least one of them doesn't come back alive (so don?t get to attached to any one character). When the team is almost all killed off (there are lots of replacements set up), a new leader named the Orphan takes over. Different from other members, he actually seems to care about people, but suffers from severe depression and plays Russian roulette with himself once a day, miraculously surviving each time. Also on the team is U-Go Girl, who wanted to be team leader and is even willing to kill the Orphan to get that position and the Anarchist, the most uncooperative member of all.
The Orphan changes the team in many ways. His superiors want him dead, but can't reveal their intentions to the public and must be secretive about it. The team itself, while not always agreeing with the Orphan's philosophy, respects him and defends him from his superiors. And U-Go Girl, the most selfish of them all, also seems effected by his appearance. When he cries after a team member is killed, she mocks him for it, then realizes that she can't remember the last time she cried.
The series is both original and unconventional, with a sharp biting satire. The members get away with anything, make it to the tabloids and lie about themselves and their past in order to stay popular. There are also lots of mysteries and conspiracies that make the series intriguing and involving. The rich creep who owns the team is making money on X-Force through both hiring the team out for suicide missions and making X-Force merchandise.
X-Force has been one of the most talked about comic series over the year and with its engaging characters and unique stories may stay that way for quite a while. And Mike Allred's unusual retro-art style adds to the bizarre look and feel to the series. Check this Trade out and you might not be disappointed (popular opinion is 50/50)

"X-Force: New Beginnings" is one of the most unexpected re-launches in the history of comics! Not since Wonder Woman's non-costumed adventures of the late 1960's and Grant Morrison's surreal version of the Doom Patrol in the late 1980's has such a memorable and dramatic change affected a monthly comic book. Instead of the standard, clichéd depiction of Marvel mutants as vilified, hunted and persecuted, Milligan presents a team of celebrities whose adventures (and private lives) are the subject of constant scrutiny by the media. These stories are presented as satire; Milligan pokes fun at super-hero clichés and our societal infatuation with celebrities. His narrative is complimented by Allred's retro-1960s art style which pays homage to Silver Age comic books. This graphic novel will not appeal to the average Marvel fan-boy, but should have wide-appeal for fans of alternative comix, Vertigo comics and Allred's own "Madman Comics." Finally, a Marvel comic that is cool, hip, multicultural and polyamorous! And, of course, don't forget Doop!

It's about time that Peter Milligan is getting some serious attention. Milligan should be considered as one of the best writers of the past decade or so. His original, captivating work on Human Target, Enigma, Shade, Skreemer, Extremist, Minx, etc. is some of the best out there. Since only some of it is available in collected TPB's, I'm very happy to see that X-Force and X-Statix are all getting released as multiple books.

And whoever thought of teaming Milligan with Allred is a genius! Allred's work, especially with his own Madman title, is fun, quirky, and bright. Teamed with Milligan, Allred appears to add some lightness to Milligan's darker style of storytelling.

This is not your typical Marvel superhero stuff. Some readers, expecting a standard good vs. evil, heroes and villains duking it out tale, may be disappointed, or even disturbed by the behavior of X-Force and the world in which they live.

The characters are raw and edgy. As the story develops, X-Force's reluctant leader, The Orphan, endears himself to the reader with his ability to steer through the surrounding chaos, keeping his idealistic sense of good intact. The Orphan is a character, and leader, worth cheering for. As his relationship with Edie develops, as well as his relationship with the rest of the team, the basis for the good vs. evil conflict becomes better defined, in a very refreshing way. Congrats to Milligan and Allred for creating a fresh exciting look at the traditional superhero universe.

When I was in middle school, I occasionally read X-Men and The New Mutants. Eventually, the latter series became X-Force. I stopped reading all of the X-books by the time I got to high school, and thought I'd never pick up one again. When Marvel decided to revamp several of their series, including X-Force, I was mildly intrigued. Several people recommended this title to me, so I picked it up on a lark. I was glad I did. Milligan and Allred have turned a hackneyed mutant title into a dissection of media culture and celebrity with a twist. Bravo! Any negative reviews will doubtlessly come from nostalgics who don't want to see the comics medium reach its full potential or are trapped in an endless adolescence.

They're rich. They're surrounded by groupies. They're hounded by the paparazzi. They have their own franchise souvenir store. Rockstars? No. Movie Stars? No. Superheroes? Absolutely. Like rockstars they're bought and sold by a multi-million dollar conglomerate. Like movie stars they're pampered and spoiled. That's why the X-Force have to be put away and replaced by a new batch of heroes.

Peter Milligan's brilliant story starts out with a bang and never lets up even to the last page. His impressions on the cult of celebrity and how it manages to corrupt even the most noble hero is sheer genius. Mike Allred's art has improved ten-fold since Madman and Red Rocket, and that's saying a helluva lot.

The new X-Force seem to be teetering between the forces of sheer greed and vanity against the old school principles of valiant herodom. The age old dilemma: to stay true to your ideals or sell out. The suicidal leader of the team is The Orphan, who bears an intentional resemblance to Kurt Cobain. Standing between her selfish desires for fame and fortune and her need to do the right thing is U-Go Girl, who reluctantly develops a crush on The Orphan. Will she be seduced by the sacred or by the profane? Read on. You won't be sorry.

This volume reprints X-Force #116-120 and throws a whole new spin on the concept of the Marvel Mutant team. Unrelated to the previous issues of X-Force (other than a small cameo by those characters) this story is full of mutant celebrities, fighting each other for the spotlight and bigger ratings shares. They're given assignments by the Coach, a former mutant mover and shaker himself, and funded by a software Trillionare who's more concerned with using the team image to sell things than trying to do right in the world.

These books were written at a time when Marvel was first trying to capture the `late teen to adult' comic book buyer market, and stumbling around with how to do it properly. These books are published without the comics code, which was a big deal for Marvel at the time, but there is really no reason they shouldn't have the code other than a bit of bloodshed, which is less than you'd see on TV. The characters are cattier, and less likeable than normal, but that doesn't make this stand out too much.

Still, Millgan's writing has a certain `flow' and the plot gives enough hints at what might be to come to make you want to pick up the next compilation. Allred's art is unique and pleasing as always, so the book is easy on the eyes (with the possible exception of the aforementioned blood and gore).

If you're looking for truly `edgy' comics, these might not be your cup of tea. In that case try Preacher, or Black Hole. If you're looking for a fun spin away from the `normal' Marvel Mutant book, then this would be a good bed.

Recommended for Allred fans and readers looking for something different.

I finally gave in to the temptation.

After years of being burned by X-Books revamps that turned out to be more of the same-old-shizznit, I vowed to never be suckered in again. So I resisted all of the hype and rave reviews. Until the release of X-Factor: The Final Chapter made the temptation too great. I snapped up Final Chapter and it's predecessor New Beginnings. Now I'm haunting E-Bay looking for any other issues I'm missing. As bad as it is getting burned by a dud retread book, it's totally cool to discover a new take on an old theme....

Writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred deliver a brand-new X-Force, a kind of corporate Super-Hero group owned by a petulant young millionaire. Milligan sets up a status-quo, rips it apart, sets it up again, rips it apart.....By the end of the book, the team is totally different from the one we met a mere five chapters ago. I can't say I developed an affinity for any of the characters, but I sure did want to see what happened next. It's like a bad car accident. You don't want to look, but you can't help it. Artist Mike Allred's clean, cartoony style adds to the books overall grotesque effect. The aftermath of the distastrous "Boys 'R' Us" rescue would not have been half as stomach-churning if it had been rendered in a realistic art style. The new characters run the gamut from the bizarre to the ridiculous, with the pinnacle of weirdness being the silent Doop, who looks like a flying turd; Doop floats around the team's battles filming them. (S)he (?) also has some kind of weird friendship with X-Man Wolverine.

Marvel's new Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada has another winner on his hands. Give X-Factor a try, and you'll be hooked.

Let"s get one thing out of the way:
Rumor has it, when X-force 116 came out, Rob Liefeld sent a copy of X-force 1 to Peter Milligan with a note reading " To Pete- Thanks for ruining my book" Or somesuch. And I agree wholeheartedly. He and the Allreds took Liefeld's vision of a pro-active attack force of mutants, and turned it into something good.Something worthwhile, something enjoyable, something (not entirely, but still very close to) original, but more importantly than all that, they turned X-force into a book untainted, or even remotely touched by Rob Liefeld's sense of "...anatomy, huh? Plot...what?" comic book making. So in the sense that X-force is a great book now... than yes. Peter Milligan and Mike & Laura Allred have completely wiped themselves on Liefeld's toy catalog...er... book. And God bless them for it.
They(I shall refeer to the creative team as They, for it truly reads like a very Team effort book)took the basic premise of the X-men, and said "...what?" So they made up something new. The Fantastic Four originated the Superheroes-as-celebrities idea ( as far as i know...) They simply improved upon it. Full of not-overly-complex conspiracies;especially loved how the characters are so cunniving they openly admit to plotting against each other, and subtle " how does this Art fit in so perfectly?"-style art, X-force is really one of the few Pop(as in popular, not Warren Ellis' Three issue "love 'em and leave 'em "POP"-comics format) that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth towards America's love of celebrity, and what that can drive people to do.
I totally agree that They destroyed, nay, desecrated Liefeld's book, and I can't thank them enough for it. After all, where else is a superhero nicknamed "Mr. Sensitive" going to play Russian Roullete after a SUCCESSFUL mission, because in this game, if you succeed, the world is your oyster to crack open and eat as you see fit, but if you fail.... you die.

And they have Doop.

Of all the graphic novels I've read of late, this was far and away the most compelling and intriguing.

I'm still wondering why.

I didn't identify or sympathize with any of the characters. The story itself is kind of thin. Heck, even the heroes mutant abilities are the most far-fetched and silly yet. And Mike Allred's art is in direct contrast to the John Byrne/Jim Lee school of conventional wisdom of bulging biceps and powerful pecs.

In large measure, I think it's the sheer AUDACITY and courage it took Marvel to publish this book. I thought Grant Morrison was turning the X-Men concept on its' ear. By comparison with what Milligan and Allred are up to on this title, he's...well, it's still pretty great, but think of Morrison as Bruce Springsteen - original within the traditions he sets to follow and expand - to Milligan and Allred's Tom Waits - bizarre, deconstructionist, and startilingly unique.

This book was designed to draw a line in the sand. You'll either be completely absorbed in it or just be totally offended and turned off by it. One way or the other, you'll walk away with a strong opinion, but either way you'll be aware of a whole perspective and possibilites that maybe previously you weren't.

And that's what art is all about.