X-Force #5
Storyline: Angels & Demons part 5 (of 6)
Date: July 16th, 2008
Price: $2.99 US
Writers: Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle
Artist: Clayton Crain

Synopsis: It began with one simple mission: Kill the Purifier leader Matthew Risman before he kills any more mutants. But everything went to hell…and now it gets worse. Wolfsbane’s decent continues. War rages between Risman and Bastion. The Choir rises. And if that weren’t enough… it’s X-FORCE VERSUS ARCHANGEL.

Opinion: Archangel’s back!  And boy is he miffed about someone messing with his wings… AGAIN.  Warren Worthington took a trip to wussy town in the last several years, in my opinion.  This issue brings him back to a familiar form I know so well from my youth as an X-Men fan.  I for one, am super amped about the pure badass that is Archangel.

Read my full review after the jump.

This series has been fun so far, if a little confusing at points.  It has helped that they’re doing recaps at the beginning of each issue, though.   Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t really deliver as promised.  It is awesome that Archangel is back, and it is cool when Wolverine tells his team to stand still and takes this threat very seriously.

But Warren’s in a rage, and in incredible pain fights through the X-Force to take flight, perhaps to get revenge.  This issue focuses more on Risman’s narration and rationale for taking down Bastion.  The narration throughout is his alone, recapping much of the story and explaining his perspective.  It gets a bit droll, and the whole issue feels too much like a setup for the final chapter in X-Force #6.

This comic is by no means skippable, though.  The bloody battle spread drawn beautifully and graphically by the talented Clayton Crain as well as the way Archangel is treated as an animal let loose is very well done, and the suspension at the end is part of the fun.

As a side note, some of you reading Uncanny X-Men #500 might be confused as to why Warren Worthington is Archangel in X-Force but Angel in Uncanny.  This was explained by Joe Quesada in his cup ‘o Joe weekly interview that the events that take place in Uncanny are slightly behind the happenings in X-Force, as the Angel part of Warren Worthington plays a bit fo a role in Uncanny’s storyline so far.  Res assured, Archangel should be back in the pages of Uncanny in no time.

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