X-Force #95 review

"Magnetic Distraction"

The story in this issue rocks. X-Force has broken in to a Genoshan Cybernetics Lab to recover
the brain of "Archie" an old Pal of Pete Wisdom's as off last issue (which included a nice shot
of Guthrie sucker punching Quicksilver). Suddenly all the robot armors in the room come to life
and the team has to fight their way out. The story's little boxes narrate things from Sam's
point of view, which I think is kinda neat. It shows him reflecting on how Proudstar has
changed in battle and things like that and how they're working with Wisdom because he's going
to reveal something about Sammy's past, but Sam doesn't quite trust him either. It's narrated
from the position of looking back on events, so Sam notices how it was a mistake just to leave
the downed robots from broke when cutting out of there. Then it goes into this bit about the
cyber brain of Wisdom's former flesh and blood friend and how the whole procedure was a test the
dude did on himself and how Wisdom wants to give his old bud a new chance at life. Anyway,
when they are almost out a big nasty robot made of all the trashed pieces of the one destroyed
bursts out of the building. Before Meltdown can work her magic on it though, the thing falls
apart and Sam says: "Aw, no. This is what Ah was afraid of..." a nice touch I think heralding
their run in with Magneto. Sam isn't sure that the team can handle this menace and is mentally
congratulating himself for sending Domino and Jesse off seperately.

Scene switch and we see Jesse beating dudes up with the Kung Fu moves he learned from the
memory boxes in the previos ish. Dom doesn't let him get too excited though and tells him that
being a true master requires years of work and dedication. She goes off up the steps and he makes
a lame excuse of having something in his boot and out pop those pills we've seen the boy sticking
in his mouth lately. Dom catches him and forces him to confess that the pills are the only thing
keeping his powers from messing with his brain chemistry and turning him nutso.

Back to big battle. Mags wants the CPU electro brain thingy, and Wisdom's going nuh uh! Mags
goes you ain't got no choice and tells him if he thought that bringing his former students as
allies was going to mean he'd cut them slack he was mistaken. Sam says that he understands, but
just because they aren't his students doesn't mean they have to be enemies and Dani asks him to
let them take the CPU (again the brain) and leave. He gives them a rather eloquent no and takes
the brain out of Wisdom's paws (sorry, never really liked that guy) with his powers. Sam
bullets after it and grabs it, but Mags grabs the iron in his blood, getting him. Meltdown does
rescue blowing a bomb by Mags and spouting the tough gal attitude we all love. Sam uses the
distraction to toss the brain/CPU to Proudstar who got the Genosha island plans from a memory
box and knows every hidey hole so that he can get away with it. Mags isn't about to let him go
though and some steel girders fly off to block his escape path. Wisdom nails Mags with a hot
knife and in retaliation Mags breaks a few ribs in the english mutie's bod. Dani yells that he's
no different from any other dictator cueing Mags I tried peace speech.

Scene cut again. Proudstar uses the distraction to get away, but runs into Quicksilver. He
ain't none to happy 'bout the sucker punch from earlier and has been tailing the team to see
why they're on Genosha. He tells Proudstar he better 'splain why Mags shouldn't have the brain
and make it fast for Quickie doesn't have much of an attention span.

Mags encircled the team with metallic debris that's moving so fast on his powers that it'd pass
through the muties precious flesh like bullets if it hits them. Dani takes action and with her
powers she disrupts the magnetic field that keeps Magneto aloft. She attacks him and you can see
him feeling the pain. She impresses her teammates, but can't control her new powers so well and
while she's losing it, Mags lets her have it. Sam keeps her from plumeting to her death and
hands her off to Meltdown. Mags tells them to give up and tell him where Proudstar is. Sam acts
like he's gonna give in, but really signals Domino with his communicator. Dom and Jesse disrupt
the islands electric power plant, blacking out all of Genosha. Sam's plan B? Sabotage. Magneto
says no biggie, his techs will fix it soon, but Sam tells him that a lot can happen in a few
minutes. Magneto's loyal Alcolyte Amelia calls him and tells him that when the power went out
the Magistrates attacked the armory and that they are vulnerable. Turns out Sam had Wisdom tell
them there might be a blackout. Mags is mad as heck, but decides he has bigger fish to fry and
Sammy succesfully faced him down. Priceless moment when Dani's asking what happens and Tabs tells
her that she missed the best part.

Time for the story to wind down. They all get to the ship Wisdom had waiting and leave Genoshan
waters. Quickie is there happy with Proudstars info and leaves before Sam can apologize for the
punch. Wisdom fires up some machines to transfer his pals mind from the CPU into a weird robo
thing that the brain designed. At first the robo doesn't recognize Wisdom and Meltdown is ready
to blow it up as it squeezes Pete's arm, but Dani stops her as the thing relaxes and recognized
his pal. Another good writing moment for Moore is when the robot assumes that X-Force is Excalibur
and Tabitha rolls her eyes and goes: "Yeah right... And I'm Kitty Pryde." Hugs and kudos then
Wisdom gives Sam the clue to his past that he promised in the form of another memory box. In it
Sam sees things from the perspective of his Uncle Lucas and sees Lucas and his dad burying two
bodies.

That's the story that wonderfull Moore treated us to this month, and it wasn't half bad. I
hope he further explores Jesse's problem in later issues and I'm now curious about wether or
not Sam's dad and his Uncle commited murder. The art for this ish is ok. It's Cheung and I love
the guy, really, but it's just ok. In the ish there are some lines across the faces meant to
accentuate them but they just look funny. Halfway through the book he does the facial hair
thing and the lines go way to far giving Sam's face in several panels a morose and dark look.
I like my X-Force art streamlined and bright. None of that dark stuff, keep colors alive. The
lines detract from their youthfull looks and make them look to old. So Cheung baby, keep them
young and cute please!




X-Force #95 Review "Magnetic Distraction" The story in this issue rocks. X-Force has broken in to a Genoshan Cybernetics Lab to recover the brain of "Archie" an old Pal of Pete Wisdom's as off last issue (which included a nice shot of Guthrie sucker punching Quicksilver). Suddenly all the robot armors in the room come to life and the team has to fight their way out. The story's little boxes narrate things from Sam's point of view, which I think is kinda neat. It shows him reflecting on how Proudstar has changed in battle and things like that and how they're working with Wisdom because he's going to reveal something about Sammy's past, but Sam doesn't quite trust him either. It's narrated from the position of looking back on events, so Sam notices how it was a mistake just to leave the downed robots from broke when cutting out of there. Then it goes into this bit about the cyber brain of Wisdom's former flesh and blood friend and how the whole procedure was a test the dude did on himself and how Wisdom wants to give his old bud a new chance at life. Anyway, when they are almost out a big nasty robot made of all the trashed pieces of the one destroyed bursts out of the building. Before Meltdown can work her magic on it though, the thing falls apart and Sam says: "Aw, no. This is what Ah was afraid of..." a nice touch I think heralding their run in with Magneto. Sam isn't sure that the team can handle this menace and is mentally congratulating himself for sending Domino and Jesse off seperately. Scene switch and we see Jesse beating dudes up with the Kung Fu moves he learned from the memory boxes in the previos ish. Dom doesn't let him get too excited though and tells him that being a true master requires years of work and dedication. She goes off up the steps and he makes a lame excuse of having something in his boot and out pop those pills we've seen the boy sticking in his mouth lately. Dom catches him and forces him to confess that the pills are the only thing keeping his powers from messing with his brain chemistry and turning him nutso. Back to big battle. Mags wants the CPU electro brain thingy, and Wisdom's going nuh uh! Mags goes you ain't got no choice and tells him if he thought that bringing his former students as allies was going to mean he'd cut them slack he was mistaken. Sam says that he understands, but just because they aren't his students doesn't mean they have to be enemies and Dani asks him to let them take the CPU (again the brain) and leave. He gives them a rather eloquent no and takes the brain out of Wisdom's paws (sorry, never really liked that guy) with his powers. Sam bullets after it and grabs it, but Mags grabs the iron in his blood, getting him. Meltdown does rescue blowing a bomb by Mags and spouting the tough gal attitude we all love. Sam uses the distraction to toss the brain/CPU to Proudstar who got the Genosha island plans from a memory box and knows every hidey hole so that he can get away with it. Mags isn't about to let him go though and some steel girders fly off to block his escape path. Wisdom nails Mags with a hot knife and in retaliation Mags breaks a few ribs in the english mutie's bod. Dani yells that he's no different from any other dictator cueing Mags I tried peace speech. Scene cut again. Proudstar uses the distraction to get away, but runs into Quicksilver. He ain't none to happy 'bout the sucker punch from earlier and has been tailing the team to see why they're on Genosha. He tells Proudstar he better 'splain why Mags shouldn't have the brain and make it fast for Quickie doesn't have much of an attention span. Mags encircled the team with metallic debris that's moving so fast on his powers that it'd pass through the muties precious flesh like bullets if it hits them. Dani takes action and with her powers she disrupts the magnetic field that keeps Magneto aloft. She attacks him and you can see him feeling the pain. She impresses her teammates, but can't control her new powers so well and while she's losing it, Mags lets her have it. Sam keeps her from plumeting to her death and hands her off to Meltdown. Mags tells them to give up and tell him where Proudstar is. Sam acts like he's gonna give in, but really signals Domino with his communicator. Dom and Jesse disrupt the islands electric power plant, blacking out all of Genosha. Sam's plan B? Sabotage. Magneto says no biggie, his techs will fix it soon, but Sam tells him that a lot can happen in a few minutes. Magneto's loyal Alcolyte Amelia calls him and tells him that when the power went out the Magistrates attacked the armory and that they are vulnerable. Turns out Sam had Wisdom tell them there might be a blackout. Mags is mad as heck, but decides he has bigger fish to fry and Sammy succesfully faced him down. Priceless moment when Dani's asking what happens and Tabs tells her that she missed the best part. Time for the story to wind down. They all get to the ship Wisdom had waiting and leave Genoshan waters. Quickie is there happy with Proudstars info and leaves before Sam can apologize for the punch. Wisdom fires up some machines to transfer his pals mind from the CPU into a weird robo thing that the brain designed. At first the robo doesn't recognize Wisdom and Meltdown is ready to blow it up as it squeezes Pete's arm, but Dani stops her as the thing relaxes and recognized his pal. Another good writing moment for Moore is when the robot assumes that X-Force is Excalibur and Tabitha rolls her eyes and goes: "Yeah right... And I'm Kitty Pryde." Hugs and kudos then Wisdom gives Sam the clue to his past that he promised in the form of another memory box. In it Sam sees things from the perspective of his Uncle Lucas and sees Lucas and his dad burying two bodies. That's the story that wonderfull Moore treated us to this month, and it wasn't half bad. I hope he further explores Jesse's problem in later issues and I'm now curious about wether or not Sam's dad and his Uncle commited murder. The art for this ish is ok. It's Cheung and I love the guy, really, but it's just ok. In the ish there are some lines across the faces meant to accentuate them but they just look funny. Halfway through the book he does the facial hair thing and the lines go way to far giving Sam's face in several panels a morose and dark look. I like my X-Force art streamlined and bright. None of that dark stuff, keep colors alive. The lines detract from their youthfull looks and make them look to old. So Cheung baby, keep them young and cute please!


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