Earlier issues of X-Statix listed the "Good Omens" arc as a five-parter, which is interesting, since this issue reads very much like the end.  The total length of the story isn't mentioned this issue, so either they've changed plans or this is a false ending.  Hmm.

This is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek version of the old "team are reunited to fight the big villain" story.  Depressed about his team being slaughtered, Solomon O'Sullivan releases Venus to join X-Statix - a plot thread which seems to have moved on fast forward.  Venus then rounds everyone up to go fight Arnie.

As Myles helpfully points out for the slower members of the audience, "we're in a pastiche of a zombie movie", although he may be a little off the mark in denying that they're also in a soap opera.  To be honest, there have been issues of X-Statix and X-Force which were more successful at striking the balance between parodying the genre conventions and working as actual stories in their own right.  There's still some interesting character material in here, but Milligan is a little too keen to flag up the plot contrivances.

Still, even when it's not quite at its best, X-Statix is still one of my favourite X-books to read - the cynical sense of humour appeals to me, and the ending sets up a story which really shouldn't be able to go wrong next month.

Rating: B+

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