X-FORCE #124
"Edie and Guy Finally Do It"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Colors: Laura Allred
Letters: Michael Allred & Blambot
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
This standalone issue boasts a couple of nice changes of pace. The first is obvious: Darwyn Cooke's fun fill-in art. Another is a focus on a single character. The spotlight is squarely on Edie, AKA U-Go-Girl, and Milligan's exploration of the character's past makes her a far more interesting and sympathetic figure while not sacrificing her flawed nature.
Edie's teleportation powers don't seem to be working properly, and team leader Guy, better known as the Orphan, tells her she's got a week to shape up or ship out. He's not too tough on her, though, as he offers to help her get to the root of her problem. The trail leads back to a farm in the American Midwest, where Edie must come to terms with her past and reconnect with her family.
The story's title is purposely misleading, but not completely so either. Still, once I realized what the real plot was, the rather blunt and irreverent title brought a smile to my face. Actually, that contrast between irreverence and irresponsibility that's been at the heart of this run on X-Force and the more serious look at just what makes Edie tick made for an interesting read. It's both down-to-earth and irrepressive all at once.
Cooke's Bruce Timm-inspired style, though certainly different from Mike Allred's work, nevertheless maintains a consistent visual tone for the book. His linework is a lot thicker than what I've seen from him in the past though, but even so, his simple lines and shapes capture the humanity of a blue-skinned teleporter with seeming ease. Laura Allred's colors also capture that afore-mentioned mix of maturity and immaturity with her blend of muted and bright tones.
My upbringing was pretty ordinary and could hardly be described as dysfunctional. But I knew families that dealt with personal crises as Edie's does in this story, and I was always impressed with their resilience in such unusual circumstances. Milligan delves into such relationships and conveys an authentic quality despite the fantastic characters that are involved in the tale. He also transforms Edie into something other than a spoiled-rotten, would-be starlet, making the character far more readable.
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