Now that Inglorious X-Force has closed up the introductory arc (and made it past five issues), Cable’s team of mutant miscreants are entering into a whole new mystery. The Tim Seeley and Michael Sta. Maria series has had a lot of fun playing around with different eras of the military-minded X-Team, and in doing so, crafted one of the most surprisingly enjoyable team rosters in quite some time. That being said, one member has felt like they’ve been given the short straw for narrative real estate: Kamala Khan. For being such a relatively new and popular character, with her own TV show no less, it’s surprising how little time Kamala has had in the previous issues of this series. Thankfully that changes in Inglorious X-Force #6, as Ms. Marvel, and our creative team, start to feel more comfortable on the team as they prepare for a new mission.
With Archangel, Boom-Boom, Hellverine, and Cable’s mission to find the traitor in their midst now wrapped up, it’s time to expand their search to the next likely culprit: The Mutant Liberation Front. The longstanding rivals to X-Force, this new version is run by the mutant Kali, who has taken to social media and streaming to get her message to the youth of the nation. As Kamala deals with Kali’s growing popularity among her peers, Cable calls the team in to go over their next mission. Now that they’ve all been cleared of the future assassination of Kamala Khan, Cable has decided to go more pro-active and stop the attack decades before it can ever happen. This leads the team into a direct confrontation with the new MLF, but unbeknownst to them there may still be a traitor in their midsts. One who looks a lot like Nathan Summers and has already confronted X-Force ally Domino, leaving her confused and helpless in upstate New York.
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While Inglorious X-Force #6 is the same cover price and page count as other issues, it feels like a comic twice its size. This is largely due to the sheer amount of information Tim Seeley throws at you in this issue. I’m not sure if Inglorious was supposed to go over the initial five issues of the opening storyline, but a lot of the wordiness in this issue feels like an attempt to appeal to anyone looking to jump onto the book now that the first story has wrapped. That’s all well and good, as every comic is someone’s first comic, but I can’t imagine a lot of people grabbing this and not being a little confused by the issue’s end. This issue is setting up a new mission, teasing the potential for this evil version of Cable, covers some high school drama for Kamala, has some nice small town moments with amnesiac Domino and a cafe owner, AND has more of Boom-Boom and Daken hooking up. It’s just too much for a single issue, and at times feels like Seeley is just breathlessly trying to get everything out there to keep you entertained (or prevent the book from being cancelled). For new readers, it’s overwhelming, and for those of who have been following the book since issue one, it’s annoying because we know a lot of this already. It feels a little wheel-spinning when it really doesn’t need to be, and for all the mission briefing and talk of the Mutant Liberation Front, they barely make an impact in their brief appearance this issue.
On the art side of things, Michael Sta. Maria is back, and it’s a testament to their style that they can make a mission briefing feel just as exciting as the big action attack on the MLF. Sta. Maria’s art has been the big selling point for Inglorious X-Force since the series started, and that’s no exception here, as they really flex their artistic muscles to show off what they can do with the medium. The amount of things in this single issue could be daunting for an artist, but for Sta. Maria it’s an excuse to showcase what they can bring to the table, and there’s a real thrill in seeing how well Sta. Maria is able to make a small town look just as good as a super secret military base like X-Force’s hideout.
Inglorious X-Force #6 is definitely a “boots on the ground” start of a new story for Cable’s team, but there’s almost too much to unpack in this issue. Sure, jumping to a more action-focused story is a good call to make, but there’s simply too much setup in this issue to feel like much happens. Additionally, the subplot for Domino feels like it could work better as the beginning of the issue. Putting it in the middle creates a jarring tonal shift that almost takes you out of the momentum of the comic. Inglorious X-Force has had some stumbles before, but Seeley and Sta. Maria have been able to right the ship. Here’s hoping they can pull it off again now that the introduction to this new arc is done.
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