Wow! As has been the case now for some time now, X-Force is the saving grace of the mutant comic book universe!
Had somebody told me a couple of months ago that writer Rick Remender was going to strand our favourite mutant black-ops team in the AoA dimension and that it was going to make for a good story, I would have laughed them right out of the room. "Sounds like Marvel is running out of new ideas!", would probably be my response. Well guess what, he did and it was! This is one hell of a book!
The team follows Dark Beast into the Age of Apocalypse, hoping to find a way to save Warren Worthington, who has become Archangel full time. Once there, it doesn't take long for Dark Beast to betray the team and have all hell break lose in the parallel dimension.
Thing is, the Age of Apocalypse has changed since Logan has been there last. Same old atrocities, but somewhat of a new cast. Unfortunately for Logan (but very fortunate for the avid readers!) some things remain unchanged, like his feelings for Jean Grey. Sparks fly as the two discuss their options, both as a team and personally. They decide to merge their two respective teams and take the fight to Apocalypse himself.
Needless to say, they run into trouble in the form of a team named the Black Legion. And let me just say that they are a very, very cool twist on some really well known characters. But that seems to be the least of their problems, as Logan runs into a familiar face deep within a prison complex, that is bound to change the landscape in the AoA!
This issue has me thinking that not only is it okay that Remender use AoA as his setting, he may have made it better than the epic series was first time around! Only time will tell, but both Remender and artist Mark Brooks are knocking this story right out of the park!