X-Force and Cable: The Legend Returns Review

X-Force and Cable: The Legend Returns

Marvel Comics
Softcover Trade Paperback
144 pages
$14.99 (2005)
ISBN 9780785114291

Contributors: Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza, Matt Yackey, and Rus Wooton

Reprints: X-Force (2004) #1-6 (of 6)

Synopsis: Cable's past and future collide!  A group of modified humans from the future called the Helix travel into the past to awaken a mutant-eating monster named the Skornn.  Cable had defeated and imprisoned the Skornn many thousands of years ago. 

Now Cable and Domino must put the band back together (X-Force!) to stop the next mutant apocalypse. Unfortunately, not all of the old bandmembers want to team up with Cable again because he plays it a little too close to the vest.  Each former X-Force member has moved on - Shatterstar is trying to find patience with a bunch of kung-fu monks, Cannonball is a farmer, Warpath and Sunspot are XSE members, and Meltdown is bumming smokes down at the 7-11. 

Seriously, that's a bright yellow codpiece

Will Cable be able to convince everyone to help before random mutants get gobbled up like Pez?  Wolverine shows up and waves his hands around, the Thing and Human Torch from the Fantastic Four run around and yell a bunch of stuff, and Stryfe is back from the dead!?  Oh yeah, don't forget about the Skornn - a big talking lizard with the munchies.  Good luck.

Pros: Not much - Liefeld's art is a little more polished, he gives us better perspectives, cooler costume designs (although Cable's bright yellow codpiece is super-pervy)

Cons: Liefeld's art is still a train wreck (check out the cover, WTF is happening with Cable's arm and that gun?) including jacked up anatomy, no backgrounds, the characters don't look like they're holding objects properly, the objects, Nicieza scripts like pieces of wood are talking to each other, plot is fairly horrible, a couple issues of just straight up brawls for no reason, Shatterstar

Mike Tells It Straight: It's the '90s all over again with a reunion of the original X-Force creators Liefeld and Nicieza.  The nostalgia came sliding back on a wave of nausea.  Although I could see improvement in Liefeld's art, it still sucks donkey nards.  Overuse of splash pages (lazy), vague plot details, an all-powerful bad guy with absolutely no explanation besides "Graaa!  Eat mutants!", and it's the same old crap all over again!  The legendary return of suck.

TO BUY and Recommendations: