X-Force #43: Where Do We Go From Here?

Benjamin Percy grinds his plots slowly, but his process results in a story that is exceedingly fine. Storylines that he set in motion three years ago, which he’d been building on all this time (often subtlety, to the point of almost lurking in the background) have come surging to the fore.

This story is composed of a lot of tension, slowly building, like hypertensive blood pressurizing a weakened vein, only to surge out in a gushing stream, soaking everything and leaving all the witnesses shocked, gasping, and utterly drenched.

As always, Percy saved room for some excellent character moments. Quentin’s closet was an interesting touch, as well as providing space for the next story beat. Domino also had a moment to shine, as she uncovered a secret that was too long buried. And as for Sage, well, she must be getting really tired of nobody listening to her. Her frustration was palpable. It seeped off of the page.

Robert Gill’s art was nothing short of remarkable. His depictions of Poitr’s paintings were remarkably detailed, and different enough in style from his own work to lend a sense of verisimilitude to them. They were art existing as objects within a world composed in another style entirely, and I think that that’s a more difficult trick to manage than one might think. His camera work was also incredibly well done. The way that he planned and laid out each shot underlined the significance of the images that he chose to highlight. The scene in which Domino went walking through the flowers, squelched through the mud, and uncovered the corpse of Colossus’s murdered girlfriend were chillingly effective. He gets better with every issue and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to witness his evolution.

Guru-efx’s colors were masterfully laid down, adding a layer of emotional tone to the line work that elevated the whole book.