X-Force has quickly confounded expectations. On first announcement, it seemed like Chris Yost & Craig Kyle had grown tired of the constraints of the X-Franchise’s “Younger Reader” book, and had decided to balance things out with a gory rampage. While the Angels & Demons arc accordingly delivered buckets of blood, it was the willingness to casually reintroduce old X-Men plot threats into the action that literally marked the title as being for older readers.

To understand this approach, it’s worth considering a comment by Yost, who described the second arc’s use of the Vanisher as being a follow-up to Angel’s recent clash with the character. When the writer says “recent”, he means 100 issues and 8 years ago, adopting the perspective appropriate to a series of this length, if not to the normal definition of comics readers’ memory. The creators’ policy is to determinedly look at the X-franchise as being one continuous story, from which useful elements can be pulled without preamble. They don’t get caught up in resolving tiny inconsistencies in the past, simply cherry-picking plotlines which could be continued as a means of driving the franchise forward into new territory. What’s particularly interesting about X-Force is that the writers have abandoned the practice of including expositionary dialogue for the elements they reintroduce. While New X-Men cunningly engineered considerable discussion on the subject of the Nimrod Sentinel before it became a part of the plot, this issue’s cliffhanger relies on the reader instantly recognising the significance of the Vanisher’s target.

As the opening to a second arc, Old Ghosts’ first issue seems well judged; allowing the team some breathing space while the book’s main plotline develops outside of their control. A few minor issues are resolved as the writers sure up the book’s “secret team” premise, and a chilling montage shows Bastion beginning his work in earnest. Mike Choi and Sonia Oback’s art is spectacular, marrying detail with some superb storytelling. The pair’s experience of working with these writers shines through, making them a natural choice for secondary art duties. Choi is able to work in some of his trademark touches, such as Cyclops’ habit of wearing his New X-Men jacket over his present outfit, while keeping to the established style of the book. Also laudable is his actually making the cloned X23 resemble Wolverine, a detail that is often forgotten by other artists. The only misstep comes with Warren’s transformation into Archangel- where Clayton Crain was able to convey real horror in issue four, here a straightforward “turning blue” approach is adopted.

The series’ risk-taking ultimately pays off, however. While some plot points might leave casual readers of the franchise either confused or unmoved, the result is arguably a more essential purchase for X-Men fans than some of the core X-books.