Writer: Benjamin Percy

Art: Robert Gill, Guru-eFX, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Tom Muller, Jay Bowen, Joshua Cassara, and Dean White

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price:$3.99

Release Date: April 5th, 2022

An all-new beginning kicks off as the DESTINY OF X commences! WOLVERINE returns to Krakoa as the mind-incinerating menace of Cerebrax terrorizes the island due to a protection protocol that X-FORCE will have to fend against!  Let’s dive into X-FORCE #27 by Benjamin Percy as we discover where Cerebrax comes from, as well as what it wants?

If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the X-Force #27 Review.

THE DISPATCH

The opening monologuing just didn’t sound like WOLVERINE. Sure, he’s just come off a pretty insane excursion that was definitely life-altering, however, the tone seemed more thought-provoking and sophisticated for WOLVERINE’S taste. Yet, as funky as the opening pages were, the next section got very good REAL fast and I love the intrigue Percy places in X-FORCE from this moment on. For those reading multiple titles, IMMORTAL X-MEN #1 led people to believe that something is afoot with some characters behind the scenes. Maybe Sage is somehow involved in something as well? And Percy decides to quickly add more fuel to that fire while also exposing Beast to the council for the dastardly ideas he’s developed since this X-FORCE run began.

Moreover, Percy fixes Forge after the events of INFERNO with a quick throwaway conversation that makes sense and provides invested fans with the feeling like the writers are all doing a great job paying attention and working together. Nevertheless, this angle quickly evolves into a pretty heavy story that reincorporates the Cerebro helmet in a rather crafty way. Now, I have my assumptions, one of which is that the helmet is left with residual brain waves from Omega Red. Or, it could be something else entirely. Either way, Percy creates a rather fun and exciting jumping-on point for anyone interested in test driving X-FORCE.

ART

Robert Gill and Guru-eFX continue their style that very eerily resembles Joshua Cassara in technique and attitude. Their thin linework and smaller panels led to a lack of definition of facial features and expressions. However, when given the canvas like seen on the full page spread of Forge, readers can see exactly what Robert Gill and Guru-eFX can do. I recommend the creative team utilize their strengths and try to tell the store with larger panels and half-page spreads with bigger depictions of the characters to amplify the style and atmosphere of the issue. That’s where they excel the most.

ENTER CEREBRAX

The hostility in Beast is real, however, he has a point as X-FORCE #27 comes to a close. X-FORCE doesn’t need a heart. Sage is trying to implement a different perspective that I rather respect. Nevertheless, it’s this leniency that’s going to eventually bite them in the $@&. Now sure, X-FORCE #27 kind of felt like a “monster of the week” type of episode/ issue.

Yet, even though it had that feel AND the story is rolling into next month, I couldn’t shake the impression that Percy is scheming for something pretty big. It felt like the groundwork is being laid for a Civil War within Krakoa. WOLVERINE began with his weird monologue but he did manage to recognize the severity of the Cerebro Helmet and the impact it’s having on the spirit of Krakoa. It’s almost as if WOLVERINE was admitting how wrong the process is. Plus, Sage and Beast are at the beginning stages of what could develop into a budding feud.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Given time, Percy is orchestrating something big that may take 6-8 issues to formulate. However, Percy had proven time and again that he can be trusted in crafting a powerful story while sprinkling narrative nuggets along the way with some delicious meaning. After X-FORCE #27, I couldn’t help but remember exactly why Percy was one of the few that carried over from the Hickman era. He’s a good writer and it looks like X-FORCE will continue to be one of the rock-solid X-MEN titles once again. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!

8.5/10