Writer: Ed Brisson
Art: Dylan Burnett
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12, 2019

X-Force is a book that seems to have slipped under a lot of people’s radars. Over on our podcast, it has become a staple for one big reason…Kid Cable. Yea, if you don’t like the younger version of the character, this may not be the book for you. Fortunately, I really like him and also dig the rest of the characters here as well. So, can our ragtag team save the little guy (who is now more cables than Cable), defeat Stryfe and make everything okay? Let’s find out…

This is the penultimate issue of the series and really, I went into this expecting the usual setup that is par for the course for such an issue. Pieces have to be put into place for the last big hurrah next month and since this book seemed to get shelved early by the coming of everything Hickman, I expected it all to be a bit hurried and forced as well. Thankfully, I was wrong for the most part!

We open in Ebonshire with the team fighting the Mutant Liberation Army while Blaquesmith deals with Andrei Cutov. The biggest compliment I can give Ed Brisson is that, before reading this series, I had no idea who half of these characters were, yet I already care about them big time! One of my new favs is now Blaquesmith who saves the day (or maybe just an hour or so) and allows the X-Force team and the story to push forward and get to Stryfe and Kid Cable. It also allows my other new favorite, Boom Boom, to…well, be Boom Boom.

After getting a few bits with Rachel that are obviously going to be the start of something huge, the team makes it’s way to Kid Cable…or what’s left of him. Deathlok does his best to prune the hedges, but I am still really scared that we have one issue left with him. If this is the end of Kid Cable, I trust that Brisson will give him a hero’s ending at least.

Speaking of ends, the issue ends with our heroes in a bit of trouble when they run into Stryfe and his gang, but all is not lost. If you’ve been reading this whole series, the cliffhanger and what leads to it won’t exactly shock you (that is kind of a Conduit pun, by the way), but it was awesome all the same!

Like I said earlier, Ed Brisson needed to get all of his pieces set on the board before the grand finale next month and he does just that. Sure, it’s mainly setup, but I liked it a lot. I am really worried about Kid Cable’s future (and past!), but the pain would be lessened by seeing Stryfe get his! If you’ve been enjoying this series with me so far, this issue won’t change that. It’s not the best one in the series but sets up #10 to be just that. If you are a baseball fan, this one is a really good middle reliever. If you aren’t a baseball fan then you can make up your own analogies and don’t talk to me ever again. I mean it!
Dylan Burnett has become one of my favorite artists at Marvel. I love his art and it’s a big reason why I love this book so much. I understand it is a personal thing…as in, if you don’t like his art I will take it personally! I don’t know why I am starting so many fights in this review!!!

Final Thoughts:

It’s the penultimate issue of X-Force and I will be sad when it’s gone. Ed Brisson and Dylan Burnett set up their book for the finale and while the second to last issue of a series will never be a good jumping on point, readers who were there from the beginning should be fired up. I am still worried about Kid Cable, but the cliffhanger at least promises an explosive ending to the series.

8.0/10