X-Statix Omnibus Review

X-Statix Omnibus
Story by Peter Milligan
Art by Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke, Philip Bond, Paul Pope, Nick Dragotta, Sean Phillips and Marcos Martin
Cover by Mike Allred

I wasn't reading comics in the early part of the twenty-first century so after getting back into comics a few years ago I quickly realised that I had missed out on some truly amazing runs. One area of particular interest to me was what was happening at Marvel and the change-ups they were implementing in their X-titles. Grant Morrison had jumped across from DC to take on the X-men with his New X-men which would be followed by Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men and around the same time Peter David was starting his second run on X-Factor. But the biggest shake-up by far was what was happening to X-Force.

Peter Milligan was approached by Axel Alonso to take over the book and his initial response was "No. Never. Impossible." Milligan didn't want to wade through the byzantine minutiae of X-continuity and so he said no. Then he and Alonso started talking about what they could do with the book, a book to the side of continuity where Milligan could explore the mutant world through the lens of celebrity and vice versa.

X-Force #116 sees the utter decimation of the team and by the next issue a new team of mutants filled its ranks. Milligan had a clean slate and he quickly went about poking fun at our celebrity obsessed culture while plumbing some impressive depths on what mutants would really be like in our world; self-obsessed celebrities who care nothing for heroics or the greater good but only for their wallets and fame.

The book is drenched in satire and is genuinely funny at points, Milligan is an intelligent writer and his mastery of language shines through in this book, it's an erudite read which deals with a lot of issues which still maintain a topical flavour to this day, after all, many of the conflicts that X-Force and X-Statix as they become known are sent to are set in Afghanistan.

Milligan also writes great characters and dialogue, by the end of this impressive thousand page plus tome I was truly invested in the struggles of these characters , especially the Orphan and U Go Girl. I was genuinely upset by the loss of a beloved character early in the series.

And then there is the art. While New X-Men was a great run because of Morrison's take on the characters and the new direction he struck, the art was a hit and miss affair, Igor Kordey's issues in particular were a real let down for the series. Where New X-Men suffered X-Force and X-Statix thrived, Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke, Nick Dragotta, Paul Pope, Sean Philips and Marcos Martin all gave the love to Milligan's scripts and the result is beautiful.

Mike Allred is the books regular artist and his pop art style fits the book like a glove. His clean lines accented by wife Laura Allred's incredibly vivacious colouring is a match made in comic heaven. I can't remember the last time I read a book that made my eyeballs so pleased.

After reading this book I am dogged by a feeling of melancholy to think that a book like this may never be made again but I think that Marvel had a book which may be X-Statix's successor and it is once again drawn by Mike Allred, of course I'm talking about FF by Matt Fraction and Allred. While the crazy heights of X-Statix may never be truly reached again I am glad that I got a taste of all the madness in this beautiful edition from Marvel.


5 out of 5 Stars