X-Force/X-Statix was a brilliant title that launched from the ashes of a ruined title and became something completly unique to the X-Men franchise. Nothing had ever been like this and nothing ever will. A brilliant masterpiece that ran commentary on celebrity, politics, and reality tv. It was a can’t miss…well…unless you missed it. If that’s the case read this article and give me some time to convince you that you missed something worth going back to read.
First let’s have a story. Before there was X-Statix there was X-Force and before X-Force there was, well, X-Force. You see Marvel was in the midst of retooling and relaunching or canceling a great many X-Titles to try and have an every title brings something different to the table philosophy. X-Force was one of those retooled titles. In favor of the established team that had over the previous decade evolved from New Mutants to what they were Marvel instead chose to keep the title but change the concept entirely in issue #116. Many including myself were pissed beyond belief. The best part is at that point I had read maybe three X-Force titles. All of them were parts of crossovers.
Now how could I be pissed about this if I hadn’t ever read the title anyway? You got me. I have got no answer for you whatsoever. While in the long run I maintain it was a bad idea to change the name and concept, similar to the Thunderbolts/Fightbolts change, it isn’t because of fanboy rage but instead because I now know that when it finally got it’s own title it also got it’s own place in the X-Men mythos. It’s easily one of the zaniest and unique things to come out of the X-Men franchise.Peter Milligan and Mike Allred together on this series were the definition of brilliant. They gave us a title that was placed squarely in the X-Men neck of the woods but still very much so on the fringe of what was going on. While Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly had their team running around in leather the members of X-Statix still dressed the part of superheroes. While Uncanny couldn’t keep a single writer and artist for a long period of time X-Statix was beyond consistent.
All those things were great aspects of the title but the best in my eyes were the characters. Doop, U-Go Girl, Dead Girl, Orphan, Anarchist and even Spyke were great characters. Most of the characters cycled in and out as they perished fighting the good fight to stay famous but some stuck around and became very fleshed out characters with real emotions and pathos. Milligan truly cared about these characters and you could feel it with every issue as the characters chartered their way through fame and fortune just to feel loved and wanted.
One of the coolest characters of them all was Doop. He was this crazy green blob that followed the team into action and recorded their exploits. He spoke an alien dialect that when looking at the comic seemed to be nothing more than random symbols. This was later shown to
be untrue as Marvel released a symbol to English conversion chart that allowed you to go back and read what Doop had been saying. This made the series extremely fun to reread as well as enhanced future reading. One of the best issues was the Nuff’ Said issue that takes place in Doop’s head. It was a brilliant and crazy issue.
If you aren’t sold yet let me just tell you a few more things
1.Characters in this title drop at an alarming rate but it always serves a purpose and often times it’s an emotional death.
Continued below2. There is an Eminem style character named Phat who turns out to be gay and falls in love with a Geeky werewolf mutant. Come on that’s pretty freaking awesome!
3. The X-Statix at various points face off against both the original X-Force and the Avengers. The Avengers issues are particularly legendary.
4.While Allred’s art is one of the best draws for the series at certain points Darwyn Cooke steps in and delivers amazing work.
