When Peter Milligan took over X-Force in the early-2000s, he threw out the existing characters, history, and tone of the existing title, creating a new work that directly commented on the celebrity-obsessed culture that existed at the time. Combined with the iconic pop-art-informed work from Michael Allred, the book was divisive but gained a cult following (me included) and showed the world that the X-office was open to exploring their mutants in ways that hadn’t been done previously.
So, when Allred and Milligan returned to these characters in 2022, following the massive upheaval Jonathan Hickman had on the X-line, it was a surprising but welcomed announcement. In this second mini under the X-Cellent heading, many of the elements that made Allred’s previous work exciting are present but fail to connect the cultural zeitgeist like the earlier titles did.
Collecting The X-Cellent #1-5 from 2023, this mini builds on the storyline from the previous run. Having returned to life, Zeitgeist continues to work towards achieving deification through social media. Framed as a social media beef, with the warring sides fretting over how their actions are interpreted within apps like “Follow+,” the X-Statix work to undermine Zeitgeists hidden plot and attempts to ruin the hero’s reputations.
Far and away the strongest aspect of this run is Michael “Doc” Allred’s incredible art. Every panel is unassumingly gorgeous in a way many modern comics lack. There is a playfulness and purpose to the pop-inspired linework that compliments this specific set of characters and their bizzarro universe impeccably. Allred does some of his most detailed (and grotesque) design work, demonstrating just how turbulent he can make his character’s glossy world when it suits the narrative.
Milligan’s writing is solid throughout, but the comment he is trying to make about our terminally online society seems more forced than it was 15 years ago. It isn’t that social media apps have gotten less influential and intrusive; if anything, they have only gotten worse. It’s simply that this storyline doesn’t seem to say much more than the observation built by the premise. When X-Force was retooled under his leadership, there wasn’t anything like it being done on a major comic platform. While X-Cellent still stands out next to many of its dull compatriots, this current book lacks the same energy and urgency. It’s a fun, enjoyable read, but doesn’t sting in the way Milligan’s X-Force did in 2001.
A few variant covers are thrown in at the end for good measure, but it’s nothing that will sway a potential buyer.
By this point, fans of Milligan’s warped take on the X-Men have committed fans, but it’s unlikely that this miniseries will make a believer of his skeptics. Having said that, it’s comforting to know Marvel is still willing to publish books so willing to buck current trends. One hopes that that an open-door policy exists anytime Milligan and Allred are willing to return for another referential adventure.
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