X-Force #48 is a good step towards Beast's final demise, earned ten times over. It's more of a step, though than a lunge as we await some ramifications and further developments to see where this story is going. Read Full Review

The X-Mens most dangerous unit must find a way to stop their former director at all costs. Percys creative writing injects an unknown factor into a formal mission. Gills imagery shows the complexity of the choice made and the uncertainty of where it heads now. This will be one fans are going to be talking about. Read Full Review

Having not been following anything X-Force for some time, I was surprised how easy it was to slip into their world and how clear the storytelling is, something that not all X-Teams share currently. Read Full Review

It's possible that future issues will prove the expectations established here wrong, but there's still nothing of much substance to be admired in X-Force #48. Read Full Review

It’s a little contrived and not the best execution, but I’m completely intrigued about where this will go.

Beast is back, and this time, it's not just the villainous one coming around to cause trouble. This issue brings back a version of Hank from the good old days, and one of the first things a person will notice is how different old Hank is compared to the modern, evil version of the character. Percy does a very good job of capturing old Hank's mannerisms and style, and Gill does good work here drawing Hank bouncing around on the page, hanging upside down from ceilings and capturing other small mannerisms with Hank and the other characters.

There's also some interesting diologue with Sage and Logan, and it's rather reflective on how each character has viewed second chances and redemption throughout this series. Sage has always been about giving people a chance and that they can change if given the opportunity, while Logan is rather unforgiving and convinced people will never change from who they are. It's an interesting argument, one I would like to see delved in more as the series barrels to its conclusion.

My only complaint with the issue is how it jumps from scene to scene without really much explanation of how characters go from point A to point B. An early example of this is when Omega Red is taken down by evil Beast at the beginning of the issue, but is suddenly fine a few pages later. We also don't really see Sage's thought progression on why she think reviving old Hank would be a good idea. I would have liked to see a bit more of her line of thinking when she came to this decision.

Overall, a solid start to what looks to be X-Force's grand finale. Let's hope it reaches a satisfying conclusion for its cast. more

A pretty solid issue here that I do think could have been a bit better. Regardless, I did think there was good stuff throughout this, particularly with Beast's clone. I'm sure, at least part of why, he's here to have Beast back as a hero for the post-Krakoa X-Men relaunch, but I do think he was handled well here and not just shoehorned in. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series wraps up.

Art: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Total: 7.5/10

The story moves forward, but man is this issue ripe with characters being selectively competent as the plot requires. I guess it takes some courage on the writer's part to consciously, willfully, decide that *more clones* is a good idea in a Marvel book in 2024. I have to respect that.

#ncbd thoughts on X-FORCE #48 by @benjamin.percy & @robertgill_art

Hank McCoy has become a bad, bad, bad person and his genocidal tendencies leave no room for rehabilitation. The introduction of a clone, with memories limited to pre-Krakoa, could have made for quite the philosophical analysis of this story was happening at any other time other than this era’s swan song. The best part of this issue was the scene involving clone Beast learning about Krakoa and his namesake’s actions through a conversation with Black Tom. Deep character explorations aren’t in Percy’s wheelhouse, so it wasn’t a shock to see this kept at a surface-level, but the issue also didn’t play to Percy’s strengths. There were limited moments of action and suspense, which left the issue feeling a bit hollow. I also cringed at the mention of Sage’s drinking problems as I still absolutely hate that unnecessary and poorly handled storyline.

Another area of disappointment for me in this issue is the lack of story for X-Force characters not named Wolverine, Sage, Beast, or Black Tom. We see the full team but they aren’t given anything to do. Heck, they hardly even have any lines outside a few (lame) Quentin Quire lines.

The art in the issue was fine, nothing really stood out to me in the positive. Other issues have shown the Krakoan techno-organic technology in more detailed and interesting fashion. It’s still cool to look at here, though. My biggest gripe with the art in this issue is Sage’s designs. There are a few panels where her facial depictions make her look like a weak leader unsure of her actions and plans. Sage has been a breakout character throughout Percy’s run on X-Force and it’s time she’s treated as an effective leader.

What could have been an interesting exploration of nature vs. nurture, landed more like a means of resetting Beast’s future path ahead of Krakoa’s end and not really doing much for any other members of the titular team. Percy’s run on X-Force has often offered glimmers of intrigue but was far too often hijacked by needing to support plot points from other titles or dealing w/ the Colossus storyline which went on for far too long. more