Uncanny X-Force #35
Story by Rick Remender
Art by Phil Noto
Review by Mara Whiteside
Hold on one moment while I wipe away my tears.
I have been reading Uncanny X-Force from day one. For months, it was the only X-Men title I was reading. It was the only consistently fantastic title to come out each month. It was a title I looked forward to reading, one that I lent out to people, one that forced me to question a few things. Now it’s time for us to say goodbye to this incredible book.
Ending a comic book series can be difficult. It’s hard to wrap up all the loose ends and straighten out everyone’s lives. The best part is that Remender really doesn’t do that. Logan is still heartbroken over Daken’s death. He still feels the horrible weight of being an absent father to this man whose life would have been drastically different otherwise. Betty feels guilt for her actions within her family, asking her brother for forgiveness in one breath and a favor in the other. The team honors fallen heroes, and one of those heroes turns up again.
My favorite part of this issue centers around one of my least favorite characters. Deadpool is usually hit-or-miss for me. I don’t get excited to see this character show up, and I’ve tolerated him in Uncanny X-Force because the story was so good. But when Deadpool climbs into Evan’s window…guys, just thinking about it is making me weepy. I am not a weepy person. This interaction between the would-be Apocalypse and the Merc with a Mouth is the culmination of 35 issues of heroic deeds at the expense of sanity. We are quickly reminded of how much each member was hurt, how fragile they really are in the span of three simple pages.
Remender throws us for a loop by reminding us that he’s not quite finished with the events from Uncanny X-Force. That’s right – he tells us that the sequel to the Dark Angel Saga will be in Uncanny Avengers. The events in this short series will impact the rest of the Marvel Universe. Remender has done something special here.
THE VERDICT
I would tell you to buy this issue just for the Deadpool/Evan interaction. I would also tell you to buy this issue just for the shame and guilt Logan shows about Daken. I would tell you to buy this issue to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle. When it all boils down, this is a spectacular final issue. If you’re at all interested in the direction of the Marvel Universe, pick it up.
