Feels Rather Robotic
I wasn't the biggest fan of the first volume in this series, but it wasn't a bad work either; a fairly contained narrative that was complete in and of itself, with some moderately interesting characters and an imaginative image of Apocalypse's new horsemen. This one feels rather devolved in comparison, with a much less interesting premise and boring villains, and is insultingly short.
For starters, this book has only four issues in it, and of those, only three pertain to the story at hand; the first issue is actually #5.1, a brief story featuring Lady Deathstrike that, though somewhat interesting in terms of delving into her relationship with Wolverine, doesn't add anything to the story Remender is weaving. It feels fairly empty, lacking much impact in general, and frustrates by employing another another artist, one of my pet peeves. However, compared to the rest of the book, the writing here is much better, especially for some of the side characters.
The rest of the adventure, however, reads a little awkwardly, feeling wooden. Maybe that's because the primary enemies are robots that don't shut up, or that Fantomex, though one of the stronger figures, is part sentinel, something that is stressed here and occasionally pervades his dialogue in terms of how he reads. Maybe it's because Angel and Psylocke still feel as one dimensional as ever, both seemingly only here for the sake of the upcoming third act. Perhaps it's because Wolverine, though well utilized with Lady Deathstrike, doesn't add much here (I have something of a bias against him admittedly). There's a lot here that just doesn't work for me personally, and, surprisingly, Deadpool is the only thing that does. We see a certain serious side to his persona, one that made him unique when initially conceived, but has been generally lost over time. However, this does result in some of the ending feeling unsatisfying for me.
Also, there's a serious issue with some of the premise of this book that can't be overlooked. *MODERATE SPOILERS* These robots from the future have come to the past to kill Fantomex and any associates that might protect or fight alongside him. Yet, we find our heroes fighting robot versions of themselves who are Deathloks, and thus composed of the dead bodies of the people they are fighting. So, by killing them now, the robots are more or less destroying themselves; yes, the bodies can be salvaged later to make them, but the versions of them that are currently killing our heroes would cease to exist, beginning the question of how our protagonists are dead if the robots never existed anymore. It's the whole time travel conundrum, and it lacks the logic that make this story fully coherent. *SPOILERS END HERE*
And as if that wasn't confusing enough, the story does a poor job of explaining much of what happens. It's clear that a lot of prior knowledge is needed to follow much of what is being referenced and explained explored here, whether it be Fantomex's past/origin, his interactions with Wolverine previously, the Deathloks and their existence, how "the world" was conceived, and who the primary villain is at the end of the day (including their identity, abilities, longevity, and motivations). Very little is earnestly expanded upon, relying on the audience having a much more expansive understanding than previous asked for, and, when it's all over, I'm not entirely certain of all the details. A story that doesn't make complete sense isn't well told.
Yes, this book sets up for some bigger things, but as a work in and of itself, this is a pretty weak addition to the overall story beyond the last two pages or so. There's little content, even less comprehension, and it's just not terribly enjoyable. Hopefully, the Dark Angel Saga will serve to be a better story than I remember.
Story: 6/10: It's not entirely clear what is occurring here all the time, though it does prepare for the upcoming events of Remender's bigger plans.
Characters: 3/10: Beyond Deadpool and some of what we learn of Fantomex, I like little to nothing about the individuals that are touched on here, leaving us with little to ponder (despite being a book that tries to focus on character development).
Art: 4/10: There were many instances where certain expressions or scenes looked very out of place. Between that, the darker palette (a personal annoyance), and the other artist for issue 5.1, I wasn't impressed or interested with what was going on in the background.
Rereadability: 4/10: This being the second time I read this, I think even less of the story presented.
Length: 3 issues and an additional, optional issue.
Overall: 4/10: Lacks a lot of what made the previous volume flow better or what makes the Uncanny Avengers so enjoyable, leaving behind logic for a brief bridging storyline.