Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
Yeah, that was over the top preachiness.
Having it come from Jameson seemed to be reaching for a 'Nixon goes to China' moment, but it was too ham-fisted to resonate with me.
I like the assassins, 'though. IMO, Peter David's big weakness as a comic book writer is that he's friggin' awesome at fleshing out underused characters, but sucks at making his own characters, and yet these three new characters seem pretty interesting.
Unlike other adversaries, who seem to have generic amazing powers, like the Tryps, the 'Crone' and that random dude with the powers of every mutant ever, who seemed to get bored with fighting and go away, these three are more limited in scope, and make for a more interesting dynamic, I think.
Registered: Aug 2006
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
219, while a serious issue, kinda sorta, does have a funny exchange between Longshot and the Black Cat.
Longshot "You're the one who got in the way! With my good luck powers..."
Black Cat "You have good luck powers? I have bad luck powers."
Longshot "You think they were messing us up?"
Black Cat "It would explain why we were banging into each other. We should make sure never to start dating."
Longshot (stops in mid-chase) "Well, now, wait. Let's not make any hasty decisions..."
Heh.
Other developments.
Click Here For A Spoiler Rahne is invulnerable to harm, so long as she's carrying the child of the Asgardian wolf-god. Guido dies, and Layla Miller ressurects him with her secret mutant power, but a side-effect of her power is that those she revives lose their souls... We learn the origin of the all-female hit-squad called SCARS. In recent issues, Rictor asks Shatterstar if he's got some special relationship with Longshot, and Shatterstar starts to say, 'as a matter of fact...' but is interrupted, and when the conversation is resumed, with Longshot looking on, says 'no. none at all.' Hmm. PAD is playing with us!
Getting away from Tryp and Crone and the Extremist and all these ridiculously enigmatic supermutant whatevers that will never get developed or explained, is the smartest thing PAD has done. The SCARS feel like a much more appropriate group for a team of mutant detectives to be up against, instead of uber-threats that, by their nature, will never be resolved.
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
So I decided on a lark to check in on X-Factor, even though I had fallen out of love with the book some time ago. I borrowed the "Happenings in Vegas" trade from the library, and I was pleasantly surprised. PAD's jokes hit the bullseye more often than they were doing when last I read the book, and overall he seems to have found his second wind, although there's none of that sense of a big overarching storyline that he does so well. On its own terms, that's acceptable to me at this point.
The other thing that really made an impression on me is X-Factor's current semi-regular artist, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO. She's so awesome she deserves her own thread.
posted
Fanfie, Set and I stayed on and we've both noticed a return to form on the title. Still a few bumps bit I think the 'second wind' you mentioned is right on, and growing.
(At least I hope).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I've actually been loving the last issues. I love the way PAD writes Rahne and she may just be my favorite character in X-Factor (that's saying something). I've really enjoyed her complicated relationship with Shatterstar and hope the two become best of friends down the road, much like PAD has developed the awesome Monet / Siryn friendship.
Poor Guido--I dont think Monet will reciprocate feelings (and don't really want her too).
Also, any time Werewolf by Night shows up, it's awesome.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
Rictor and Shatterstar are very much a couple in this, although Shatterstar wants to be a non-monogamous couple... (He's so far managed to accomodate Rictor's desire for a monogamous relationship, though, and, given that he tends to get what he wants, it's likely that he is talking more about it than actually wanting it. At this stage, he might just be doing it to keep Rictor worked up, since he does come from a planet full of professional actors...)
There's nothing subtle about it, and, except for Guido, who is constantly making somewhat inappropriate jokes (asking Shatterstar if he 'likes gladiator movies' for instance), and getting on Rictor's nerves (Shatterstar remains blissfully unaware of any significance to these comments), the rest of the team seems to regard it as a non-issue, except for Rahne, who was of a mind to re-connect with Rictor when she came back to the team, only to walk in on him and Shatterstar in a state of half-dress smooching, and had a violent freakout about it. (Less a homophobic thing than a 'I slept with him, left for a few months, and now he's gay?' thing, where she even flat-out asks if he 'turned gay' because of how she treated him, to which he responded with helpless laughter.)
Shatterstar seems less 'gay' than 'It has a pulse? I must sleep with it!'
From the way Longshot has (not) reacted to it (at all, other than to sardonically note that Shatterstar 'makes friends easily'), this may be a fairly normal state of affairs for Mojoverse residents.
There's also been some hinting that Shatterstar and Longshot are indeed related, as suggested *ages ago* when a pregnant Dazzler expressed disbelief that Longshot wanted to name their child 'Shatterstar.' Shatterstar has said that his teleportation only works to open portals to places that are important to 'someone I have a connection with,' and, thus far, it's been Rictor and Longshot, and, when asked directly by Rictor about whether or not he has any connection to Longshot, he starts out answering 'Actually, as a matter of fact...' and is interrupted by some other event, and after a look from Longshot during the interruption, finishes with, 'Not at all. No.'
Their relationship is quite a bit messier than the Hulkling / Wiccan relationship (and, IMO, feels a little more 'real' for that, complete with friends who say awkward things, and ex-girlfriends who aren't sure they believe it), and that's kind of cool.
PAD has even poked fun at the media notion that any two gay characters must get together by having Shatterstar, who has flirted with everyone from Valerie Cooper to a very pregnant Rahne to Iceman to Thor, walk by Northstar without comment, and when someone next to Northstar says, 'He's hot!' Northstar shrugs and responds 'Eh. Not my type.'
I kinda like that, like every other relationship in this title (Jamie / Theresa / Layla), it's messy and unconventional.
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
WOW. Okay this now very much sounds like a title I should be reading.
A li'l help... which issues? Trades?
My X-knowledge has been pretty much limited to New Mutants non-crossover issues only the past few years...
Is the book actually titled "MadroX and X-Factor Investigations"?
Thanks for any help; with DC scared to do anything gay-related with any major characters, this certainly now seems like a book I would want to check out... Rictor and Shatterstar were VERY prominent characters at one point, when I was still an X-fan.
Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
This era of Madrox / X-Factor goodness started with the four issue Madrox limited series (which had neither Rictor nor Shatterstar in it), and then led into the X-Factor series, where, IIRC, Rictor was brought in pretty close to the 1st issue (if not the 1st issue!).
Shatterstar didn't show up until quite a bit later, and it lookes like there might be a Rictor / Rahne relationship, for a split-second, before she was snatched away from PAD for the X-Force / Team Schnikt-Bub series.
Once Shatterstar did appear, I think he was snogging Rictor on the same page, 'though, so there was no slow burn build-up to that 'coming out.' Just, 'Bam!'
This is very much a comic book about people and their relationships and interactions. PAD, IMO, falls all apart when he tries to get too comic-book-y and introduces villains or whatever, and my only real complaint about the series is that the uber-villains tend to 'get in the way' of the people-story he's telling about the characters, and feel like intrusions.
PAD almost seems to be fighting his own instincts to tell a story, by including occasional bits of super-hero action that don't seem to be an interesting to him (and therefore, don't seem to get as well-developed as the stuff that happens on the home front).
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
I have read the first several trades of this book and they are good solid stuff Lash. Recommend trying to start at the beginning, as there is some really cool stuff happening throughout the book.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
'Kay then this sounds like a job for AMAZON!!
Thanks guys, I'll put it on my wish list... still got like 6 trades to get CLOSE to finishing before I order a bunch more, but I'm looking forward to this. I haven't had a PAD fix since Young Justice anyway... it's time!
posted
Set summed it up real well and really explained what the series is all about (well said on the superhero stuff 'getting in the way' btw).
I'd add that Richtor as written by PAD is one of the best characters in comics. At times not all that likeable but almost always relatable, whether it's through his insecurities, confusion or even selfishness. Madrox (if there is a 'lead', he'd be it) is very similar in that sense.
Shatterstar meanwhile is more just totally awesome in an ass-kicking, enemy annihilating way. And I suspect gay posters will find him ridiculously attractive (but could be wrong).
It's probably the best gay relationship between two superheroes in comics IMO since it feels very real.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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