X-Lapsed, Episode 34 – X-Force #4 (2020)
X-Lapsed, Episode Thirty-Four
X-Force (vol.6) #4 (February, 2020)
“Blood Economics”
Writer – Benjamin Percy
Art – Joshua Cassara
Colors – Dean White & GURU-eFX
Letters – VC’s Joe Caramagna
Design – Tom Muller
Head of X – Hickman
Edits – Robinson, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $3.99
On-Sale: December 18, 2019
Welcome friends, to a most deadly episode of X-Lapsed. Today, we’re covering X-Force #4, which turns out to be rather aptly named… considering how “Forced” much of this issue feels!
Featuring dialogue no human would ever say… and yet another fatal cliffhanger ending… it’s safe to say that X-Force #4 is not my favorite post HoXPoX outing. Please listen anyway!
—
@acecomics / @cosmictmill / weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com
chrisandreggie.podbean.com
I'm very confused by X-Force. Issue 3 was pretty good but issue 4 is pretty terrible.
I do not understand the decision to make Jean and Storm the most hawkish members of the Quiet Council. I would expect them to be amongst the most compassionate. Weird choice.
As for Forge, I'll be honest I haven't read much of him beyond the Muir Island Saga so maybe I missed a change in his personality but this feels so out of character. I suspect they're trying to communicate his excitement at new types of technology but he really comes across as a Deadpool type. I always interpreted him as a fairly morose character. Even when he was shown joking with Banshee there tended to be a dark tone to his humour.
I had the same Jubilee/Sage reaction as you. It definitely is unwise to put other characters in yellow jackets. I was momentarily confused.
By the way, you theorized that they could give adamantium skeletons to everyone but I thought it only worked on Logan due to his healing factor. Most of the characters would die if their bones were encased in metal.