My Week in Comics: Uncanny X-Force #3

Uncanny X-Force came out with one of the biggest boasts in comic history: they're mission is to kill Apocalypse. And from the looks of it, they might actually pull it off. But not if the Final Horsemen have anything to say about it!

Last issue, the team of Wolverine, Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomex and Deadpool got its deck swabbed by Apocalypse's Final Horsemen, some of Apoc's most powerful generals. This week, in Uncanny X-Force #3, it seems like it's the end for our ultraviolent heroes. Riddled with diseases and their minds and bodies continuously being raped by hienously powerful mutants, it's going to take skill, teamwork and a little bit of luck for X-Force to get out of this one.

Uncanny X-Force is shaping up to become one of my favorite new series. It's raw, intense, and with just enough snark and humor to spice it up. I love Rick Remender's idea for the Final Horsemen, the last line of defense for Apocalypse should all other iterations of the Four Horsemen fail. We get to see their origins in this ish, and their powers are simply awesome. Here's hoping they become a thorn in the X-Force's sides in the long run.

I also love how smart this team is. In a far cry from how other writers do superteam dynamics ("You, you and you hit 'em high. Me and him hit 'em low." Every. Single. Time.), Wolvie's team thinks on their feet, drawing up contingency plans, using each member's strengths to finish an objective, instead of just throwing everything they've got on an enemy and hope it's just a sizzling heap when the smoke clears. That's okay once in a while, but it's refreshing to see a team acting like it should: as a team.

Speaking of team, Uncanny X-Force isn't a one-man party. Jerome Opena serves up his grittiest work yet. From Wolverine and Death's disease-filled stand off to the atmosperhic pencils in each panel, the art sets the mood like a good comic should. This is a good looking comic, period. Opena's easily becoming one of my favorite artists.

Uncanny X-Force reads like an awesome violent action movie, and I love every minute of it. When the creative team makes me curse the fact that the next issue is still a month away, you just know this is good stuff. Uncanny X-Force #3 gets a 5 out of 5. Pitch perfect. Pick this up on sight.