X-Force #20 Review

After a weekly delay X-Force #20 is finally out. 20th issue is the final issue of the "Not Forgotten" arc telling a story about Laura being kidnapped by the Facility. I guess it would be in order to look back and see what exactly we saw here. My little review might content SPOILERS.
Personally, I'll eat up everything you give me with Laura in it. I might not love it, but I will read it. Especially if Yost and Kyle are the writers and Oback and Choi are the artists. I'm not entirely sure if I liked this ark or not. There's nothing to say to the art - it's perfect as always. But it's the story that bothers me. Single issues are good, they could be much better (who needs lame Snow Giants storyline? It was such a waste of pages!) but they are OK. We saw Yost and Kyle writing much better stories, though. If you look at Not Forgotten as at a complete story you realize that it... kinda didn't tell us anything. There's absolutely nothing new except for agent Morales. We didn't learn anything new about Laura or about Kimura (her promise to eat Laura's brain was hardcore even for her, though), the Facility is just the way it was in the first X-23 series, minus a lot of coolness... I don't know. I am very thankful that we got a story about Laura, but in the end it was like smelling food instead of eating it. The end of the 20st issue still impressed me, no matter how old the whole object of Kimura being a bitch was. Laura's reaction really got to me. Kimura's words really made me shake a little. I really understood what Laura felt at the moment, I could foresee her reaction although I would never logically suggest X'll burst in tears. But she did. Moments like that make me realize how much I love X-23.

P. S.: The cover sucks. Not visually, it is. People, we all know the covers are not supposed to tell the exact truth, but if they lie they should symbolize something. This cover - it looks at us and thinks we are idiots.

X-Force writers are leaving

As announced here on CBR, [Craig Kyle and Chris Yost] will leave "X-Force" at the end of the recently disclosed "Second Coming" storyline. Before anyone panics, though, fans will still be able to enjoy the duo's work on the title for a number of months to come – and those months look to be busy! After concluding the current "Not Forgotten" arc, "Necrosha" and its tie-ins will occupy readers' time for quite awhile. This will be followed by the aforementioned "Second Coming," which will help conclude events kicked off way back in the "Messiah CompleX" event.

Is there any chance you'll be sticking around the X-Universe and write something else? And if so, will you be taking any of the "X-Force" characters with you?

YOST: As far as I know, the book is going to continue. [...] Here's the thing: we love to be honest with the fans. But we're still eight or nine months out, so it's really hard to talk about future plans or endings or anything like that. [...] There's many reasons to want to stick around in the X-World, as well as being fans since we were kids. "Who knows?" is the short answer, but we have many reasons to stick around is the second part of that. And let's not forget about all the fans who have been amazing to us since we started.

Should fans be looking for your works at companies other than Marvel?

YOST: Um, I don't know how to put this, but "Red Robin" is on sale monthly (from DC). I mean, I've got big love for Marvel – obviously – even though I'm working on a DC book right now. And of course, you're going to see Craig's work outside of the X-Men universe.

KYLE: [...] I'm a Marvel boy and I've said it out loud. And it's not as though I don't have wonderful friends like Geoff Johns at DC, but, you know, unlike guys who can jump back and forth between worlds, I'm very comfortable in the world of Marvel. So I'm sticking around. If I'm doing comics, I'm doing Marvel comics.

YOST: And the third bottom line is, we love the X-Office so it's hard for us to say "no." If they come up to us and say, "Hey, do you want to do X-whatever," it's hard for us to refuse that stuff because we love it.

Some great new Gabriele Dell'Otto pages for the "X-Force: Sex & Violence" mini were released not too long ago, so I was wondering if you could give us an update on the status of the project?

YOST: The second issue is about halfway done. I wouldn't be surprised if you see it in the solicitations by this spring, but that's just a guess.

KYLE: [...] It's a three act film, and it's real intimate, real fun, and, obviously very sexy and very violent. I think the fans are going to enjoy it, and the way Gabe has translated that story – it's just thrill after thrill. So no matter how long it takes, I assure you no one wants it on the shelves more than Chris and I. It's going to be worth the wait.

What are the chances of any of the "living dead" staying in the land of the living once "Necrosha" dies down?

KYLE: I think the bigger concern is how many of the living are going to stay a part of that world and not go to the land of the dead, because we're not screwing around with this crossover. Is the potential there for those that were lost to return and stay? Maybe, but it really is the threat that's posed to those that are still alive and have never been dead.

YOST: [...] And the X-23 storyline is the focus of issue #20 which is coming up and it's great – it's gorgeous.

Source

Awesome Video about AXM Motion Comics )

X-Force #23 Cover

X-FORCE #23
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
X-FORCE has a new mission: KILL SELENE. As Utopia burns, Wolverine and the team heads to take down the Black Queen and rescue one of their own, but they have no idea what they're in for when they arrive on the shores of Necrosha. The biggest X-Force story yet continues as Selene's Inner Circle begins to tear itself apart, and the truth about Wolfsbane is finally revealed. PART FOUR (of SIX)
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

Homage covers

Awesome X Force #21 and #22 variant covers by Clayton Crain (Lost Boys, Interview with a Vampire)!
Source

The Secong Coming

The now-teenaged mutant messiah named Hope returns to present day, sparking an X-Men crossover event.

The Second Coming saga serves as the third and final chapter in the "messiah trilogy," which began with Messiah Complex in 2007 and continued with last summer's Messiah War, and centers on the mysterious Hope, the first mutant born since the decimating events of M-Day. [...] Second Coming begins with a one-shot and continues through UNCANNY X-MEN, X-FORCE, X-MEN: LEGACY and NEW MUTANTS on a chapter-by-chapter basis before wrapping in a special finale.

Second Coming ties together a number of threads from the [Bastion's] current machinations in the pages of X-FORCE, finally bringing into bloom the seeds writers Kyle and Yost have been laying since the book's launch. "The X-Men will be facing a lot of their worst nightmares in this story," adds Mike Carey. "Bastion assembled an army and you'll see some very familiar faces in the front ranks. Meanwhile, on the side of the angels, expect to see all the mutants who've gathered on Utopia playing their part. And also some surprises." Also, there is a chance of Hope joining the cast of young mutants in X-Men - Legacy.

[...] The events of "Second Coming" will make it extremely difficult to hide the true nature of X-Force from their fellow mutant comrades. "Secrets can't trump the importance of saving lives, especially since everything as far as Cyclops is concerned hinges on Hope and what she means for the future of mutantkind," Kyle remarked. "So I think that's an issue that will absolutely be dealt with when it comes to the final chapter of this saga."

Each chapter of the story flows into the next one, and each writer will be playing with their normal cast of characters as well as ones who don't usually appear in their book. [...] You'll see characters from all over appearing all over the place.

Sources: Marvel.com, CBR

Hulk #15 Review

I actually do not read any of this stuff, so here are the pics of Laura fighting the Punisher, nothing more =) I really tried to find a good review, but they all say basically the same: "Wolverine fights the Hulk, Domino fights Elektra" (in a nice way) and so on and so on, I guess It's not wrong, there isn't really anything else to say but the reviews are funny to read - reminds me of a cook book. Well, it's Hulk comics we're talking about.
Oh, and I really hope it's some kind of a different universe here. You know, because otherwise the way X-Force doesn't even try to kill, the mare fact of X-Force's appearance in this ridiculous bar and most of all the way Laura chitchats like an idiotic Domino ripoff ... No, this simply can be that stupid, can it?

X-Force #19 Review

Sorry it's been so long, but I waited for a good reviews to come up. Enjoy if you didn't read it already. SPOILERS ALERT!

The issue opens with Agent Morales being interviewed for a position with the Facility by a man named Young. While she does not like the idea of using a child as an assassin, she is shown the files of all the people X-23 has killed and told she will be eliminated if she should refuse the offer. Morales decides against the job and takes out Young quickly. Kimura is in the process of cutting off Laura’s other arm when Morales interrupts the process by shooting Kimura in the head. She frees Laura and X-23 grabs her severed arm and they start to exit the room while Kimura is regaining her wits. The agent is unaware of X-23’s healing and is shocked at how she is able to function. Back with the X-Men, Elixir has gone into a coma after saving Surge and is being helped by the Science team while his friends look on. Heller wants to look for X-23 but Scott refuses saying Wolverine will handle it. Bastion contacts Pierce within the X-Men’s prison and tells him to remain in place and monitor the Leper Queen’s body. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Domino are pushing the Cuckoos to their limit to locate Laura. They fail repeatedly but do find Rahne. Wolfsbane and her Prince have just defeated the Frost Giants and Rahne transforms to her intermediate form and immediately collapses to the snow. At the same time, Selene is in New Orleans and has gotten a new reanimated mutant that Caliban has found. It is Destiny. Back in the Facility base, Laura has informed Morales that Kimura is bulletproof. The agent asks what they should do and X-23 tells her to run. They flee down the hall and Laura is able to drop a security door on her enemy pinning the woman in place. Kimura then orders the building to be locked down. The fugitives are trying to figure out a plan. Morales thinks Laura would know the layout but the girl did not grow up there. She gives Morales a hard time about not doing proper research and then asks why the agent wants to help her. They are interrupted by guards but manage to flee through a closing security door. The women end up in a lab where they continue their argument. It ends when Laura sees a vial of the trigger scent in Morales hand. When X-23 pops her claws, Morales drops the vial but Laura catches it. A look around shows huge vats of the scent being manufactured.

I didn't like how Laura was drawn in this issue, so there won't be any pics of her in this review. But I still have something - Julian Keller wanting to help Laura (one smile for Hellix fans) and proof of Loa being Elixir's girlfriend (one sigh for Elix fans). But you know what - I'm tired of waiting for the writers to give as at least SOME Hellion/Laura time, so I don't expect Hellion to act despite Cyclops' order (like he should and like he would!)

X-Force Releases for October

X-FORCE #20
COVER BY: Mike Choi|Sonia Oback
WRITERS: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost
PENCILS: Mike Choi, Sonia Oback
INKS: Jason Pearson
COLORED BY: Sonia Oback|Dave Stewart
LETTERED BY: VC - Cory Petit
THE STORY: "NOT FORGOTTEN" The Facility created X-23 to be the ultimate killing machine, an assassin for hire that would never stop until her target was dead. And now they want more of her. But X-23's got a new target now... them. HAMMER Agent Morales is about to see a side of X-23 that only two people have ever seen...and lived to tell about it. PLUS... Wolfsbane is reunited with X-Force just as Selene's forces descend on the X-Men. To be continued in the X-FORCE/NEW MUTANTS: NECROSHA ONE-SHOT! Part 4 (of 4).
PRICE: 2.99
IN STORES: October 28, 2009

X-FORCE ANNUAL
COVER BY: Jason Pearson (not to be found yet)
WRITERS: Robert Kirkman, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost
PENCILS: Carlo Barberi, Jason Pearson
INKS: Jason Pearson
COLORED BY: Dave Stewart
THE STORY: Wolverine is sent into the heart of a Hydra base alone. His mission: like a needle in a haystack, he's tasked with bringing in one specific Hydra agent. But why? And what does this mission have to do with the dwindling mutant population and X-Force? Plus, a NECROSHA BONUS FEATURE!! The Black Queen's forces are consuming Utopia. The X-Men and X-Force fight for their lives. And amid the chaos, a squad of resurrected Acolytes have come for the former White King of the Hellfire Club...Magneto. But what they find instead is much, much worse: DEADPOOL! The Merc With a Mouth (and Loa) joins the fight in 'UNDEADPOOL.'
PRICE: 3.99
IN STORES: December 2, 2009

X-Force action figures

My dear friends, there wasn't any posts and news since 29th September on this site, but it's only because there hasn't been any X-23 or even X-Force related news at all. But I just can't leave you without your Laura dose, can I? So there is some old information some of you may know already, but it still is interesting:

X-Force action figure set

I am not a huge joints fan, but these ones are truly cool and very worth every penny! You can check out Warpath, Wolverine and Wolfsbane figures here.

Also check out these handmade action figures of X-23 and Domino, it really is awesome.