The Good
One of the complaints about the relationship between Daken and Wolverine is that they don't really have one, so if that's something you have ever wanted addressed in a comic book, then look no further. The opening scene and the first few panels in this comic focus on the father/son relationship between these two characters, something I think is very necessary to the plot of the story. When Wolverine wakes up from a dream sequence he faces Daken and the blame-game starts. Would Daken be different if he had had a loving father and mother? If his father had been a bigger part of his life? Will Wolverine ever manage to get through to his only son? It's a touching scene, and part of you might want to side with Wolverine, but it's easy to see how his destructive behavior and his negligence really were a huge contributor to the current events.
This issue is about change in many of the characters. The most significant is probably Deadpool who has suffered and endured a lot, but has seen the light. He's a good guy now and even when death is knocking at his door, he's still fighting for Evan. Essentially, all these characters are still fighting for Evan; they are all fighting for this idea that Evan can be good. That under the proper circumstances he won't become Apocalypse -- or at least that's their hope.
This issue left me with a lot of questions. What exactly, for example, does the suit do? How will it affect Evan? How much power does it have and will it push him to become evil? In a move that was prompted by the fact that Wolverine was so close to death, Evan puts on the suit to save him. It will be interesting to see exactly what happens next.
The Bad
Nothing bad here. If you've been enjoying this arc as much as I have been, you'll be a bit sad to see it go.
The Verdict
This is really one of the best issues of this story arc thus far. Not only does the issue give enough time and focus to each of the characters on the X-Force team, but it also really pushes the story, ending it on a cliff hanger. It's easy to see, through this issue, how each of the characters on the team have evolved. Being a member of X-Force has forced them to undergo a full character development (Deadpool is the best example of this), and it's been an incredible ride. Things are not over yet, however.
The story is brilliant. The pacing is great and things are left sort of open-ended, leaving me really excited about the upcoming issue. What will happen to Evan? Will he turn to the dark side? What are the full capabilities of his suit? How has Farouk changed Psylocke? Will Nightcrawler really turn on his team? There are a lot of questions that need answers and even when this arc ends and Remender moves on, there will still be a lot to be done.
Phil Noto returns to deliver some really stunning art in this issue. I absolutely loved the panels with Daken and Wolverine and felt they were beautifully illustrated. The choice in deep red hues to color the scene also really helped set the tone of the story. In conclusion, this is a fantastic issue and if you've been reading you should definitely pick it up. I do not, however, recommend new readers start here -- go back at least nine issues to get a better understanding of the story.
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