X-Force #49 firmly establishes the stakes as Beast rises up to threaten an entire people while a newly awakened cloned Beast tries to make amends and prove he's a hero at heart. This is a great espionage spy story fit for the X-Force team. Read Full Review

Readers who have followed all 49 issues of X-Force thus far are sure to appreciate the finale's staging in X-Force #49 as the series' longest and most interesting threads are drawn together. Read Full Review

The story is straightforward and cohesive while remaining large in scale and attached to the broader X situation. The art and all the fundamentals are solid.

As X-Force reaches its conclusion, we get an issue that focuses primarily on Beast, both the good and the bad. The good Hank gets a chance to shine and show his knowledge, skills, humor and good nature as he reconnects with Wonder Man. On the flip side of that, we see what bad Hank has been up to and I was pretty shocked at how nefarious his plan is and how well-connected it seemed to be to the wider narrative of X-men comics. It's not often we see references and connections made to other X-books in Percy's writing, but I think it was done really well here and I am very curious to see how the team resolves this dangerous situation.
When the story isn't focused on Hank, it is unfortunately weaker. The fact that good Hank managed to escape undetected for an entire 24 hours seems like a glaring oversight on security and doesn't make the team look good. I also noticed that Wolverine seems to be back in the lead role leading field operations despite the fact that he had abandoned the team for an extended period, it seems a bit odd that we don't see the characters really reconciling or settling into their new dynamics with each other. Instead, most of the cast is just there, and I for one wish that they actually got more diologue and development before the series ends. more

Loving the 80s era Beast and his team up with Wonder Man was a fun bit. Percy’s X-FORCE is at its best when the full roster feels utilized and that was mostly the case here with Wolvie, Sage, Kid Omega, and Domino getting some good lines in. Omega Red is being severely underutilized though.

Crazy to think the next issue is going to wrap up this run when it feels like there’s so much that could be done still. What is Beast Prime planning to unleash and will it redeem the character? We’ll see.