quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Madrox has been fun. Love the dupes... I sort of wish Luornu could be taken somewhat in this direction. Though without the 'disposability' of Madroxxi (sp?).

---

The plural is "Madri" - buy the AoA TPB when it comes out

And what did you mean about Lu? Turn her into Myriad?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I wish Quicksilver and Lorna would show up... just for a panel or two.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ferroboy:
Hell, he's done wonders for Rahne Sinclair in just the first issue!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Future:
It's a little jolting... but I'm just glad to see Rahne get some use.

---

I can relate. I loved seeing Adam Warlock in the last two issues of SHE-HULK, but a)he was depicted in his classic 70's outfit and b) was shown dying and "cocooning" to be reborn again, when most recently in Infinity Abyss, Marvel:The End and the Starlin THANOS issues, he was updated visually and could no longer be reborn-- next death's the last! --like that matters at Marvel...
 

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Posted by Omni Craig on :
 
I'm greatly enjoying this 5 parter, and wouldn't mind seeing more MadroX mini-series down the road. I don't think it warrants an ongoing, it feels more refreshing in this format. It's like when you go visit old friends. Great for the first few days, but then you've worn out your welcome!

This is the way I remember Guido and Rahne (thank goodness I haven't been buying all the "X"-books for the past few years!!!), so I'll just pretend the other stuff doesn't exist (ignorance is bliss!)...
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Future:
To answer Drake's question (Hey, I'm a New Mutant nut):

Rahne returned to the mansion after taking some time off from the mutant life with Moira's death and the loss of her powers. She's left behind some of her timid roots and has become more outgoing and more partial to leather and tank tops than plaid skirts and sweaters, all as her way of trying to find the "lost wolf" inside. Even with her powers back, she's kept with the more outgoing person she's become.

The biggest change though (the one SoM is noting) was that she lost her accent, explaining she had been in the States far too long. This was all followed up on in at the end of the New Mutants v2 series (#9 - on) and continues in New X-Men. It's a little jolting to have it back in MadroX, but I'm just glad to see Rahne get some use.

---

Yeah. Just read New Mutants 7-13 and NXM: Academy X #1-6. Even though there's some bad art on a few issues by Khary Ranolph (sp?), you still won't regret it

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pov:
I can relate. I loved seeing Adam Warlock in the last two issues of SHE-HULK, but a)he was depicted in his classic 70's outfit and b) was shown dying and "cocooning" to be reborn again, when most recently in Infinity Abyss, Marvel:The End and the Starlin THANOS issues, he was updated visually and could no longer be reborn-- next death's the last! --like that matters at Marvel...

---

Nah - that was Starlin's "dead is dead from now on" from The End's universal reboot.

Which Captain Marvel undid straight away with it's universal reboot (Technically, the CM story was published 5 months earlier, in CM6 (The End 6 was published the same month as CM11). But since Genis was in the red'n'blue in The End, that has to have been earlier. Besides, that the Dead means Dead rule had been wiped wasn't confirmed in CM until CM18, which was definately after )

And Warlock & Kismet don't die when they cocoon anyway - they cocoon before they die. Warlock's only actually died once (in Avengers Annual #7).

And as for his look - Bobillo doesn't even try to draw the right looks. His Spidey had a weird cross between the Ben Reilly and "classic" suits, and as for his Thing

[ October 27, 2004, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

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Posted by ActorLad on :
 
Another great issue, although it might get annoying if any more Madri die in the course of the series. I hope Rahne & Guido get more panel-time next issue.
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
Agreed, ActorLad. I think the Madri need to be treated with a little more respect! But Jamie did seem to really feel it when that last one died.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ActorLad:
Another great issue, although it might get annoying if any more Madri die in the course of the series.

---

Look at it this way - at least if some Madri die, it doesn't reduce the number of Madri there can be, unlike Lu.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Oh yeah, btw it bothered me when the assassin guy threw that other guy off the Empire State Building. There's almost no way he could've done that without people noticing. But that's a minor quibble I guess... (and thanks for the NXM update)
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Madrox #3 [SPOILERS]

"Everything okay? Why aren't you letting me out?"
"What's the point in letting you out? What's the point of anything?"
"Aw Lord."

Buy it.
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
I did but I haven't read it yet. Half of me wishes this was an ongoing, but the other half knows what happens when PAD stays on a book too long.
 

---

Posted by Star Boy on :
 
I'm loving this series.

Normally I stay away from the Marvel Universe as I somehow fixated on the DCU at an early age (thanks to a box of old Silver Age Superman comics an elderly neighbour let me read), but in recent times I've wandered into the Ultimate Marvel Universe (following Millar, mostly). So the rare times I delve into the regular Marvel U I view with trepidation of sorts, like the MU is some kind of murky pool wherein may be found all sorts of spiky, gooey and ugly things... and the occasional gem.

I view Madrox as one of those gems. I knew nothing about the character apart from the basics, and I honestly thought the character seemed rather stupid from what little I knew of him. But when I learned that his duplicates had a bit more stability and longevity than I imagined, and that PAD planned to cast Madrox and some other 'fringe' characters in a film noir setting, I thought I'd give it a try.

The writing is typical PAD, and since I choose my PAD carefully, I've managed to be quite happy with his work. I liked YJ and what I read of Supergirl (mostly crossover stuff), and I like his insightful dialogue, use of metatexual elements and intriguing interpersonal interplay. The concepts that PAD is playing with are intruiging as well - the fragmented personalities of the dupes I found to be fascinating, and rather than being annoying, I found the deaths of dupes to be an interesting character point. If Madrox continues to release dupes off like fire & forget missiles and the plot is revealled in thus fashion, I won't be disappaointed, and would find it quite appropriate.

I haven't gotten issue #3 yet (we get comics a few days later in OZ and I missed getting to my CBS this Friday), but am interested to see how things develop.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
One thing about duplicating heroes like Madrox and Triad is the question of their clothes and objects that are duplicated as well. I mention this because it seemed "wrong" to me that he would've duplicated the handcuffs as well. I'm willing to take for granted that clothes get duped, but if he can dupe cuffs, could he put on a gold chain, dupe himself over and over then take off the gold and be rich? Do objects have a limited shelf life? Would they disappear the second he reabsorbed the dupe even if he wasn't wearing it anymore?

Anyhow, the last page revelation was interesting and unexpected but makes sense considering how his dupes have been acting. It'd make sense some of Jamie's darker aspects would be villainous.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Well, he's been wearing a necklace-thing the whole mini. And why should his power treat handcuffs differently from a T-Shirt anyway?
 

---

Posted by Star Boy on :
 
Does that mean he could stuff his pockets full of cash, duplicate a few time, empty them all into a big pile, reabsorb, and repeat? (Of course, they'd all have the same serial numbers, I suppose...)

Just finished the latest issue and I really liked it - this series continues to entertain in wonderful ways. The fractured personalities of the dupes make for excellent scenes, and the glimpses we see of Wolfsbane & Strong Guy could be seen as changes of scene for pacings sake, but are as exciting and fun as the 'main story'.

The last page made me wonder why I'd not considered this possibility all along, given the disparate personalities shown by some of the dupes. But can't Jamie reabsorb any dupes?

And... which one is the dupe?
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Do the dupes have the ability to make more dupes or just the original? If so, would those dupes be like "copies of copies" and be even less emotionally stable?
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
Dupes can make more dupes, at least they've done so in the past. The Jamie in Fallen Angels believed himself to be the real Jamie and made dupes. And wasn't there a dupe in X-Factor who ended up dying? I think that one could make more dupes. This is one of the reasons why it's difficult to tell a dupe from the original - if "original" even means anything to someone like Jamie.
 

---

Posted by Star Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrakeB3004:
Do the dupes have the ability to make more dupes or just the original? If so, would those dupes be like "copies of copies" and be even less emotionally stable?

---

Like the slow descent of the dupes in 'Multiplicity'?
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Paul O'Brien's review: http://thexaxis.com/minis/madrox3.htm

But if you can't be bothered reading the whole thing, the sum-up is:

quote:

---

For god's sake, go and buy the thing. Show some support when they produce something genuinely worthwhile.

Rating: A+

---

[ November 22, 2004, 02:51 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

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Posted by ferroboy on :
 
I'll have to give a "ditto" to Paul's review.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Haven't got issue #4 yet, but it's out, so
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
********SPOILERS for #4************

Poor Steve Buscemi, I mean whateverhisname was. It's practically par for the course that the "dame" betrays the gumshoe, but she appears to have a disturbing mutation/means of attack (too bad we couldn't see it "full frontal").

I was a tad disappointed that the "evil" dupe had just been created - it seemed to me like he had been there awhile. I'm still not sure how plausible it is that he was able to convince the bad guy that he was on his side so quickly.

The new enhancement to Jamie's powers is interesting and makes him a bit more formidable - it's also a disturbing visual. Good to know that his "life lessons" pay off in interesting ways. I can see this being an ongoing if David keeps using Madrox in such interesting ways.

The Rahne subplot just seems tacked on at the moment - I hope it ties in somehow. I wouldn't mind it in a series but in a mini, it seems like fat that could've been trimmed.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Haven't read #4 yet, but I have to say I'm loving this series. I came on late, but read 1-3 the other night and really enjoyed them. B/t this and Fallen Angel, it looks like PAD is getting back to his writing best. This is the most likeable I've ever seen the Madrox character.

And since I saw mention of New X-Men Academy, let me reiterate: BUY IT! It's one of Marvel's best books right now!
 

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Posted by rokk steady on :
 
Madrox is such a great series! Imaginative uses of Jamie's powers, perfect comic noir tone, five thumbs up. Buy it, everyone, buy it!
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
for the release of the MADROX: Multiple Choice TPB.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I never did pick up this series. Is the TPB a full collection?
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Yeah, Scoot. It collects the full five-issue mini.

Worth a look if you get the opportunity.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
You might notice an odd resemblence to Triplicate Girl -- just remember this series came out before Lu's new origin...
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
If it's in stock, I'm picking this up tomorrow.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
You were the first person I thought of when I saw the trade listed in this week's releases, FC.

I didn't see any posts from you, looking back through this thread... So this will be completely new for you then? You didn't check out any of the miniseries prior to this? You're in for a fun read! I'm almost jealous... this story probably works better when read in one sitting.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I decided not to spend the money on another TPB (blew too much on my PSP this week) so I acquired the mini by other means. I'll probably read it this weekend.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
You know, I don't think I ever bought and read issue #5. WTF? I'll have to look for it this weekend.
 

---

Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
Picked up the five issue mini on impulse when I got Legion 4 yesterday.

It's definitely worth a look.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Just read issue one. Forgot Rahne was a feature player. I love that girl, have since the original New Mutants.

"Whattaya think of the company name?"

"It sounds like you investigate pornography."

"I can live with that."

Classic. If the rest of the series is as good, I'll probably wish this was an on-going title.
 

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Posted by Redjack on :
 
oh god I'm buying the hell outta this. I loved the series, so I'll support it however I can. The end left opening for a new series...one can only hope, eh?
 

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Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
I wouldn't know. I only found the first issue, and i was really looking forward to it. Gonna have to go to my store and have a little talk with them. I also didn't get any at all of the deadshot mini. My store is pretty good about my pull and all, but they have been kinda slacking off lately.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
The paperback was a great read! It was good to go through the 5 issues all at once; there were enough twists and surprises to keep the pages turning. Not a plot so convoluted that one would have lost the thread by waiting between issues - but I think more enjoyable in concentrated form, since it really was one big story.

Rahne had some great lines. And I liked the idea of Mutant Town, where you never knew what powers the neighbours might have. Best surprise: when the white-haired killer splits into two and says "What? Did you think you were the only one?"

Very tempting to get the next issues, but I'll hold out for the next TPB.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I don't think there are any more issues, at least not according to the note in the last book. I think five issues is all we are getting of this. Although, if DistrictX is still around, maybe we could see this team still together and playing a part of that series.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Nothing more? Ultimate bummer.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Before LL's misreading of the last page of Mx #5 takes hold:

quote:

---

" target="_blank">http://www.newsarama.com/forums/printthread.php?postid=757961[/quote]
- Brevoort said fans can expect more Madrox sometime after House of M.[/quote]

Plus the page itself (shown below) always looked to me more like an X-Factor Investigations series was pending than that this was The End.


 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Okaaay, I thought that error was fixed now... (*leaves the above post to point to as an error...*). Here's how the post should have looked:

Before LL's misreading of the last page of Mx #5 takes hold:

quote:

---

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/printthread.php?postid=757961
- Brevoort said fans can expect more Madrox sometime after House of M.

---

Plus the page itself (shown below) always looked to me more like an X-Factor Investigations series was pending than that this was The End.


 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
And what exactly did I mis-read? I said those five issues were it and they were.

quote:

---

Bottom line, this IS the end for the MADROX series.

---

I never said we weren't going to see the character ever again. I hypothesized that they could use the characters in the DistrictX book since that also took place in Mutant Town.

[ April 04, 2005, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Lightning Lad ]
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
1) Since DX is cancelled, that's fundementally unlikely (not to mention that it would be missing the point as much as that short-lived rumour that put the Runways in NXMAX)

2) Next snetence: "But it is not the end for Peter David and the character" This after the last page set up an X-Factor revival with PAD writing, starring Madrox, Rahne & Guido. (and PAD doesn't write DX, BTW).
 

---

Posted by knowjack on :
 
Just read the TP collecting the first five issues of this book. I wasn't expecting much, since I don't expect much from any "X-book" these days, but I really enjoyed it. Props to writer Peter David for taking a minor character like "Madrox, the Multiple Man" and making him interesting. The way Madrox and his "dupes" are presented is way cool. Liked seeing Rahne, aka "Wolfsbane" in action too. Pretty sweet art, also.

So wait a minute--those five issues were all we're going to get?
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Damn. LL's misreading of the last page of Mx #5 DID take hold...

quote:

---

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/printthread.php?postid=757961
- Brevoort said fans can expect more Madrox sometime after House of M.

---

quote:

---

From the last page of Madrox #5:
"...it is not the end for Peter David and the character"

---

I'm expecting an X-Factor Investigations series in the autumn, or at most by the end of the year.

[ April 26, 2005, 09:21 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by Polar Boy v2.0 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
Just read issue one. Forgot Rahne was a feature player. I love that girl, have since the original New Mutants.

"Whattaya think of the company name?"

"It sounds like you investigate pornography."

"I can live with that."

Classic. If the rest of the series is as good, I'll probably wish this was an on-going title.

---

I completely forgot about Rahne from New Mutants. She sure grew up nicely. She's no longer that awkward teen and thinking her power is a curse. She grew into it very well...almost to well
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004001

There really is only one thing I can say here, isn't there...

[ July 20, 2005, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

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Posted by Caliente on :
 
Man, I loved that LS. So much. It'll be great to see Jamie and Guido again and a not creepy Rahne!! (I didn't like the thing with Josh in NXM -- it was yucky.) I love those three...

I'll be interested to see Terry and Jamie interact after... the weirdness of the past. And I'm curious how they're gonna bring in her, Julio and Monet. I know the girls were with X-Corps... but yeah. Haven't seen any of them in main books for quite some time! Should be interesting. Can't wait!
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
I'll be interested to see Terry and Jamie interact after... the weirdness of the past.

---

What past? Who's Terry? There be a gap in my X-lore knowledge -- whuddup??

I'm glad Madrox did well enough to garner this relaunch of X-Factor. There are a lot of characters though and I hope Jamie doesn't get lost in the mix.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrakeB3004:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
I'll be interested to see Terry and Jamie interact after... the weirdness of the past.

---

What past? Who's Terry? There be a gap in my X-lore knowledge -- whuddup??

---

Terry and Jamie had sex... only the Jamie she slept with was a dupe and not the original Jamie. He has the memories but none of the feelings (paraphrased).

I'll be curious to see how they bring in the other characters. No matter, though. I'm looking forward to the book as is.
 

---

Posted by ActorLad on :
 
Terry is the nickname of Theresa Maeve Rourke aka Siryn, former member of X-Force and daughter of the former X-Man Banshee. Terry became very close to Jaime and they even joined The Fallen Angels together but that turned out to be a renegade dupe and not the "main" Jaime. Terry was understandably hurt when when she and Jaime didn't have the same connection despite him having the memories do to him reabsorbing that renegade dupe previous.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
oooOOOooohh.... interesting. Does Banshee know about this? I imagine he and Jamie are kinda close considering all the time they spent together on Muir Island....
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
I dunno. If I were Terry, I wouldn't tell my dad. Well, if I were me, I wouldn't tell my dad either... yeah. But, still... not something to openly share, y'know?
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Well, the whole of X-Force were there when Siryn & Madrox had this little talk...
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Marvel's released an image. Sook looks pretty good:

 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
Who's the woman with the long black hair and the guy in the back?
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
The guy in the back is Julio aka Rictor and the woman with long black hair is Monet aka M. The former is from New Mutants and X-Force and the latter is from Generation X.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Can't wait to pick this up.

PAD + Madrox = yes, yes, yes.

And I've always loved Siryn as a character, and see the additions of Richtor and Monet as a good thing.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
What's the story with M? I read GenX for awhile, but she was always mysterious. I dropped the title before finding out what she was really about.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'd like to know, too. I never could follow her storyline.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
You don't really want to, trust me. Suffice it to say that Lobdell's original intentions were totally screwed by Larry Hama's run.

Fundamentally, she's a genius telepathic Supergirl with an often-cold attitude.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
She has twin younger sisters, one of which is autistic, and a crazed brother called Emplate who steals mutant energy or something. She joined up with Sean's X-Corperation thingy and Xavier's X-Corps France for a bit, as well. That's pretty much all I was ever able to salvage.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
She has twin younger sisters, one of which is autistic ...

---

Are you referring to that non-speaking girl who was in GenX with the claws and bondage outfit? What happened to her?
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
No. That's Penance.

Originally Penance was actually Monet trapped within and Monet was being immitated by her sisters. (Yeah, I know, go with it.) Then, Monet became herself again and her sisters became stuck inside Penance. Then the twins were set free and Penance was her own being.

No one knows what happened to Penance. She was probably retconned out of existence, since, well... you can see what kind of convoluted nonsense she was bogged under. Makes Donna Troy look normal, huh?
 

---

Posted by ActorLad on :
 
Lobdell's original intention was that the twins (who were 8) merged to form the gestalt M 16 year old form and that there was no real Monet to begin with. That's why their own brother Marius (Emplate) didn't recognize "her". Penance wasn't supposed have any connection to the family other then being Emplate's longtime victim.

[ August 09, 2005, 10:11 PM: Message edited by: ActorLad ]
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
The guy in the back is Julio aka Rictor and the woman with long black hair is Monet aka M. The former is from New Mutants and X-Force and the latter is from Generation X.

---

Thanks. I thought M looked more like Dani Moonstar or Risque. I would never have pegged Rictor working for a detective agency.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Siryn and Rictor are the BIG draw for me here. They are two examples of Fabian Nicezamenksiosneotrueoizjkhashuitriq's (SP) fine work. He developed both characters into believable, multifacted players in X-Force.

My limited experience with PAD has been good, but I've never really grown attached to any of the others. Sook's art has been hit or miss with me. I didn't care for his work on the latest SPECTRE series, but I'm digging that promo piece Marvel is using.

The Pulse article has the editor sounding rather haughty, but if they can keep the described vibe to the book, I'm going to stick around for the long haul.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ActorLad:
Lobdell's original intention was that the twins (who were 8) merged to form the gestalt M 16 year old form and that there was no real Monet to begin with. That's why their own brother Marius (Emplate) didn't recognize "her". Penance wasn't supposed have any connection to the family other then being Emplate's longtime victim.

---

Yep.

Penance was supposed to be a deaf-mute Yugoslavian called Yvette (and various hints in Lobdell's issues, like references to the lack of freedom in "her native land," Chamber being the only one who could speak to her, and Moira's scans showing that her skin was only diamond-hard because it was pulled tight in fear out-and-out don't make sense in light of Hama's "revealations" about M & Penance).

[ August 11, 2005, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
Siryn and Rictor are the BIG draw for me here. They are two examples of Fabian Nicezamenksiosneotrueoizjkhashuitriq's (SP) fine work. He developed both characters into believable, multifacted players in X-Force.

My limited experience with PAD has been good, but I've never really grown attached to any of the others. Sook's art has been hit or miss with me. I didn't care for his work on the latest SPECTRE series, but I'm digging that promo piece Marvel is using.

---

Just so you know, JM DeMatteis wrote the last SPECTRE series. Writing Hal as a "Spirit of Redemption" is a perfect example of DeMatteis' writing. (That's not necessarily a compliment, especially where the Spectre's concerned.)

And while I do like Rictor, I just can't see how he fits into a detective agency. It just doesn't seem his style.

As for PAD himself, I expect this series to start out great. But, like everything else, he'll overstay his run and drive it into the ground.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Interview with PAD on the new X-Factor: http://www.newsarama.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=41312
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
X-FACTOR #1 is out!!!

No spoilers
-- LOVE seeing Sook again! He was great in "The Spectre" and was already starting to break from his Mignola style. He may be leaning towards an Adam Hughes style at times, but he's great either way. He totally sets the right tone for this series.
-- Interesting new development for Siryn's powers
-- So there's a Scottish girl and an Irish girl on the team? Why do I envision a funny scene or two coming from David about that.
-- Interesting that M is under wraps for now. Maybe there was too much going on at the time to introduce her, or maybe she's busy on an assignment?

Click Here For A Spoiler-- The ending threw me for a loop. Jamie can be a real bastard (especially considering how Jamie's dupe turned against him in the mini). Will this be a running theme? Even if this is just one aspect of him, the fact that he's at all capable of throwing a friend off a roof just to be "unexpected" is worrisome. If Richtor weren't on the cover I might be more worried.
 

---

Posted by Arhinochne on :
 
I loved it. Definitley a keeper. I'm not crazy aobut Layla Miller, though. I hope she's not too important.

I wonder if there's some twist for M that we don't know about yet. I can't say I'm relly fond of the character, but I suppose she'll keep things lively.

Interesting twist on Terry's powers, but not (IMO) as interesting as the twist on Rictor's powers.

Click Here For A Spoiler Poor guy, no wonder he was considering jumping. It must be like loosing one of your senses and part of your body at the same time.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Welcome back, Peter David. All the characters rang true, for me, with the possible exception of Rahne, who came across as a bit too strident. Siryn's new wrinkle in her powers was well-presented and is intriguing. Suits her name, too. The mystery surrounding Madrox and his 'evil'(?) dupe makes me look forward to #2. The surprise of the issue, for me, was the way Rictor was written. I've always liked the guy and his powers, but PAD gives the character a speech about his now-lost powers that was poetry. Poetry that illuminated Rictor's presence on the edge of a rooftop. Poetry that made me think about Polaris and Moonstar, also depowered. Lorna, especially, would have similar connections to the physical world. Rictor's lines also, for some reason- maybe seeing Crystal and Lockjaw in SON OF M, made me think of Inhumans with nature/Earth/water-based powers that must feel imprisoned on the moon.

Anyway, this is a strong debut.
 

---

Posted by Rhino Eater Lad on :
 
Sook's art was awesome thought I'm not sure I like Siryn's costume yet...its a little victorian poofy goth or something.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I love the mood Sook set, but I thought some of the figures looked a little short. I'm probably just too used to superheroes with exagerated height.

And I thought Siryn's costume was neat.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
This was a great way to kick off the title. I wish I could have heard PAD's reading of it a few weeks.

I'm bummed about Rictor losign his powers, at with it his cocky 'tude. But it was good to see him again. And Siryn is getting to live up to her name.

The artwork is moody, but it fits. Yeah, they seemed a bit short, but I won't complain.
 

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Posted by Polar Rhino on :
 
wow I missed the mini but I picked up the first issue and its one of the best things ive read since fallen angel.
 

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Posted by Polar Rhino on :
 
also I think this team needs husk (does she still have powers?)
 

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Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Wow -- so apparently "X-Factor" #1 has sold out! Good going David/Sook!! Who'dathunk a book fronted by The Multiple Man would be big? Now if only Sunfire could get his own title...
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Polar Rhino:
also I think this team needs husk (does she still have powers?)

---

Dunno. She had a cameo, in-costume, in Day After, but nothing that said anything either way about her power-status.
 

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Posted by Kid Cobalt on :
 
This might be my pick for tightest script/best written piece of work PAD has produced in ten years--and trust, I'm a PAD fan.

Totally awesome. I can't wait for me. Talk about hooking in readers!
 

---

Posted by Rurouni KJS on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Polar Rhino:
also I think this team needs husk (does she still have powers?)

---

If anyone needed to be "deciMated" it's Paige Guthrie. Stupid, nonsensical powers wasted on an otherwise decent character (or at least she was before they paired her up with Warren of all people -- the heck was that all about-- talk about nonsense).
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
X-Factor #2 is supposed to come out next week. Now that's what I call service.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
X-Factor #2 is supposed to come out next week. Now that's what I call service.

---

Well, #1 was a fortnight late, so...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I finally got to my local comic shop yesterday after being a way for a month-and-a-half, and X-Factor #1 and #2 were waiting for me in my pull box.

Truly awesome, probably the best comics I've read since I returned to comics back in March of this year (and how fitting that I read them just before the year ended.) Even better than Peter David's early-90s stories with some of the same characters! Now I've gotta look for the Madrox mini-series TPB!

If Peter David wasn't working for Marvel, I would read even fewer Marvel books than I already do. If his dropping Hulk helped X-Factor turn out this good, then I'm no longer upset that his second Hulk run ended so quickly.

Has anyone else gotten #2 yet?

[ April 12, 2006, 08:09 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I picked up issue #2 yesterday. I also noted that Sook is sharing the art chores already. The second artist (I can't recall the name dagnabbit) managed to maintain Sook's style for the rest of the book. It wasn't distracting, just discouraging.

As for the story, a fun read to be sure. Rictor's fall from the building ended as expected... And Jamie faced off against his delinquent dupe. Siryn and Guido talked with Layla Miller. Monet made her appearance, with a quaint joke about her codeletter.

I liked the tone of the book. It's not jokey, but still has a lighthearted feel to it. PAD really got across how arrogant Monet is, and I liked her relating to the rest of the crew.

The case Siryn worked on, and our sneak peek at Singularity (I'm sorry, but that name has to have something to do with Jamie being the Multiple Man,) have me hooked. I want to know more.

My only complaint is Layla. I'm not sure who suggested using her, PAD or the editor; but her constant "I know stuff" bugged me.

[ December 30, 2005, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: CJ Taylor ]
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I liked Layla, but agree that the "I know stuff" will get annoying if used constantly. I hope that once the character gets established in the office, that line will be dropped.

Is she from another book? I thought she was a new character, although I am not up on all the mutants Marvel had.
 

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Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Layla Miller is the dues ex machina character. She was created (literally) during "House of M" -- she's the personification of the side of Wanda that realized what she was doing was wrong and helped the heroes set things right. What she really is and what she's doing here needs to be addressed soon because her function as instigator and know it all bugs me and screams "lazy writing" to me. I'm sure David has something in mind...

This book is reminding me a lot of "Angel". Layla functions as Cordy's visions, Jamie's newfound lack of trustworthiness is akin to Angel/Angelus, Guido is Gunn - the muscle, Rictor is Wesley - fired from the council with nowhere to go, M functions as the standard Joss Whedon "team member whose selfishness and lack of genuine concern for what's going on allows her to say inappropriate and funny lines". And I almost expect David to make Rahne a lesbain a la Willow. This isn't a bad thing per se, it's just something I noticed (oh yeah, and Singularity = Wolfram & Hart)
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-FACTOR #2 Rictor, with his gas station heroics, is the star, for me thus far. I already knew that PAD had Jamie Madrox down cold, and now the ex-(?)mutant can be added to the list. A lot of thought appears to have gone into Siryn, but as yet I'm not sold on her take here. Same for Rahne. Layla is too much associated with HOUSE OF M (not a good thing, for me). M I think will be a good fit for PAD. Strong Guy gets funny lines and is obviously a character that PAD is fond of writing.

I really wish Polaris, Havok and Quicksilver (the rest of the 'old' PAD X-Factor) could be freed up to appear in this title. I guess they're a generation removed from the cast, as it is. Truthfully, I can't quite imagine Alex as a private eye-- though I can see Pietro and Lorna working for XXX.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Another great issue. I've been reading about Rictor since New Mutants and no one's ever made me care about him as much as I have in these two issues.

I'd like to see the rest of PAD's first X-Factor, too, but maybe not as cast. Some references now and then they're keeping in touch would be nice.

Still not crazy about Layla Miller, but I may be able to put up with her as long as they're not sending her on missions or letting her get kidnapped every few issues.
 

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Posted by Caliente on :
 
Definitely agree about Rictor Archane! He's never been more than a blip on my radar. I mean, seriously, the guy had a mullet. Need I say more...?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I may be able to put up with her as long as they're not sending her on missions or letting her get kidnapped every few issues.

---

Then she'd be the new Jubilee! (Kidding, I kid... mostly...)
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Thoughts on #1.

I was never a big Peter David X-Factor fan. Still I liked #1. Ofcourse, Rictor was a fave of mine and seeing him lose his powers I didn't care for. But atleast he is being used!

First issue was pretty good. I like when Peter doesn't do too much comedy.

Rictor started off as a Vibe rip off it seems. Then he had the Lifeld mullet. Then it got interesting when rumors of something going on between him and Shatterstar. Now he is powerless...the character is a survivor. Now I hope he sticks around.
 

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Posted by Bevis on :
 
I love PAD and I love Sook so I picked up #1 because... well, because it was the two of them, and then I picked up #2 because I enjoyed the first issue and I think I'll carry on getting it. That's not faint praise though sicne I have virtually never read any X-Men stuff and this is the first X book I've ever actually gone out and bought and as such i have almost no clue about any of the characters and what they're like and stuff. PAd had, so far, written them so that completely new readers can just dive straight in though. Sure there are things that i don't get but it's not a case of me sitting there and feeling like I have no idea what's going on (which to be honest can be a fault of PADs much as I love his writing).

That being said though can someone give me a basic run down of who the characters are and what they can do? Obviously I may be opening a whole can of worms here what with convoluted X-history but a potted history would be muchly appreciated.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
The non-convoluted backstory (from what I remember):
Jamie Madrox (The Multiple Man): The mutant one-man army. His own best friend. Kinetic force triggers his ability to create "dupes", and he seems to have an unlimited supply. PAD depicted him in his previous X-Factor run as something of a prankster and a goofball, but also introduced a dark side. He was deeply affected by the time in his life when his parents died and he was completely alone with only himself for company. Spent years working with geneticist Dr Moira MacTaggart on Muir Island. She's dead now.

Guido (Strong Guy): Jamie's straightman and butt of many jokes, Guido used to be bodyguard to intergalactic rock star Lila Cheney. He's strong.

Rahne (Wolfsbane): Former New Mutant. Very religious background, was almost killed for it when her powers emerged. She has two modes - the "werewolf" mode and full on four-legged wolf. Used to be a lot more shy and demure. Had a very special bond with fellow New Mutant Danielle Moonstar (who was empathic with animals). The aforementioned Dr. MacTaggart was like a mother to her.

Siryn (I forgot her name): daughter of the mutant Banshee (who might've just been killed off in "X-Men Genesis"), she inherited her father's sonic abilities. Of note is that Banshee was in a long-time relationship with the ubiquitous Dr MacTaggart, making her and Rahne "sisters" of a sort. She and Jamie also have a past. She's also a recovering alcoholic.

The others I'm not too clear on in terms of backstory...

[ January 03, 2006, 05:57 AM: Message edited by: DrakeB3004 ]
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Rictor: Son of mexican gun dealers. Hung around with the original X-Factor (which was made up of the original X-Men). Went on to join the New Mutants, a team that included Rahne. Rahne and Rictor were an item, but that seems to be in the past. Was later a memeber of X-Force with Siryn (Thressa Roarke Cassidy) and his best friend, Shatterstar.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
From Comicscontinuum:
After selling out more quickly than the first issue did, X-Factor #2 is going back to press, Marvel Comics announced on Tuesday.

Holy Canoli! Who'dathunkit?? I'm just glad to be able to enjoy a new title without the threat of cancellation hanging over its head.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
That's great news to brighten my morning. Thanks, Drake.

One last bit of information for you, Bevis: Rahne's surname is Sinclair.

I don't know if any current X-Factor readers other than myself are also fans of PAD's first Hulk run from the late 80s through the mid-late 90s, but I thought I'd mention that the old guy with the long white beard and hair looks to me a bit like the presumably deceased Agamemnon from the Pantheon (although Aggy had a long white beard and a bald head.) Maybe it's just a coincidence and doesn't mean anything...or maybe PAD has plans. It wouldn't be the first time he would bring characters from one Marvel title he wrote into another Marvel title he's writing. Which makes me hope that maybe we'll see the new Scorpion and/or her mother in X-Factor (they appeared in Hulk during PAD's brief second run, in the House of M tie-in issues.)
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It's good news that the title sold out. For Marvel, for readers, and for PAD.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I don't know if any current X-Factor readers other than myself are also fans of PAD's first Hulk run from the late 80s through the mid-late 90s, but I thought I'd mention that the old guy with the long white beard and hair looks to me a bit like the presumably deceased Agamemnon from the Pantheon (although Aggy had a long white beard and a bald head.)

---

Actually, he bore a suspicious resemblance to Bucky. And died in Hulk 425.

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
[QB]It's good news that the title sold out. For Marvel, for readers, and for PAD.

---

Actually not. I nearly didn't manage to get this issue.

And as for PAD: http://peterdavid.malibulist.com/archives/001018.html

[ January 05, 2006, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
[qb]I don't know if any current X-Factor readers other than myself are also fans of PAD's first Hulk run from the late 80s through the mid-late 90s, but I thought I'd mention that the old guy with the long white beard and hair looks to me a bit like the presumably deceased Agamemnon from the Pantheon (although Aggy had a long white beard and a bald head.)

---

Actually, he bore a suspicious resemblance to Bucky. And died in Hulk 425.

---

Yes, I already knew that, which is why I referred to him as "presumably deceased."

Lots of dead characters are coming back to life, and I'm guessing Aggy's next in line. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right. Time will tell.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
This guy's from the future, remember? (he's working off memories and historical records from his own time).

Given PAD, he's probably a far-future version of the very guy he was talking to.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
We have no way of knowing right now whether this guy is telling the truth about being from the future, or whether he's fooling the villain because he has an agenda of his own. As I said, time will tell.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
#3.

"I'm Layla Miller. I know stuff."

Ouch.

[ February 02, 2006, 06:18 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
I'm glad we're getting right into Layla Miller and what she's about. Good to see she's still intimately tied into Decimation and the larger story.

Like I said before, the tone and elements reminds me a lot of Buffy (or maybe Angel since it's more urban and darker). It looks like we'll be getting smaller cases revolving around a larger arc involving Singularity.

And PAD continues to explore the character implications of Madrox's abilities - moreso for what they mean to him as a person than just use of his powers.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:
And as for PAD: http://peterdavid.malibulist.com/archives/001018.html

---

While this puts a damper on being sold out, my unqualified notion is that if Marvel supports the book with reprints, then it might counter the effect David is talking about. And I think it's still good press -- among fans I think just hearing something sold out might pique someone's curiosity, especially if they're already familiar with the characters or were on the fence about checking it out.

[ February 02, 2006, 07:15 AM: Message edited by: DrakeB3004 ]
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrakeB3004:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:
And as for PAD: http://peterdavid.malibulist.com/archives/001018.html

---

While this puts a damper on being sold out, my unqualified notion is that if Marvel supports the book with reprints, then it might counter the effect David is talking about. And I think it's still good press -- among fans I think just hearing something sold out might pique someone's curiosity, especially if they're already familiar with the characters or were on the fence about checking it out.

---

But if they have to wait a month for a possible reprint, will they? Besides, the Law of Diminishing Returns on "sold out" notices kicked in at least a year ago, and they tend to generate more cynicism than interest these days.

And I didn't see any B&W X-Factor #2 covers today anyway...

[ February 02, 2006, 07:24 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Just based on my own reactions, I'll usually take notice if I hear something has sold out but whether or not I try a new book will be based on general buzz and my feelings or initial interest in a property. My general feeling is that if there's enough buzz to get someone to think "maybe I'll check it out" it's not a matter of them waiting for the book, but a matter of getting them to pick it up and flipping through it the next time they happen to see it on the shelves.

But I never took marketing or anything, so ...
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Okay, so #3 is out. And, while I really liked some parts of it (no more pseudo-gay Rictor, yay!)... I do have a few nitpicks.

Firstly, I remember Jamie and Terry having a thing back in the day. Only, it was actually one of his dupes and, after he was reabsorbed, Jamie!prime didn't have the same emotional connection or something. Terry confronted, there was anger... so can someone please explain how that scene in the beginning is supposed to work in continuity?

Also, is it just me or is Rahne completely... weird? I get that she's more agressive when wolfed out but... that whole scene was so... over the top. Like, too far, y'know? And I don't get what her deal with Rictor is. Especially since they had their own thing way back when.

I'd just like to point out that, ironically enough, both of those relationships were addressed in X-Cutioner's Song. Madrox and Rahne were arresting X-Force, which had Terry and Julio as members at the time. I just remember there being one page kind of showcasing that or something. Tangent, yeah.

Other than that, though, this series is really intense (in a good way). I've been really enjoying it so far. And I'm interested in seeing where it's going...
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
Firstly, I remember Jamie and Terry having a thing back in the day. Only, it was actually one of his dupes and, after he was reabsorbed, Jamie!prime didn't have the same emotional connection or something. Terry confronted, there was anger... so can someone please explain how that scene in the beginning is supposed to work in continuity?

---

I was wondering about that myself, and finally got a response, such as it was, out of PAD at Newsarama - http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?action=showpost&postid=1607545
 

---

Posted by Bevis on :
 
Actually, it's really nice to see a writer be so honest about something like that. As someone who is completely new to the characters with this series (seriously, never read anything with any of them in before #1) he's right, I would have probably have found it a bit distracting. Of course the flip side to that is, could he not have ahd a similar conversation that didn't 'avoid' certain aspects of continuity and still got the point across?

Still, of a week of good comics PAD managed to have the top two for me with X-Factor #3 and Fallen Angel #2. Of course having fantastic artists on both didn't hurt either...
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Well, this sucks...

Newsarama's reporting that Sook is voluntarily giving up the art chores for the book. DAMmit.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Well, he's done one whole issue and two half-issues and we're only on issue 3. And if issue 4 has "Maximum Sookage," I'll be very, very surprised.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Regarding the PAD article about Siryn and Madrox, I really don't see where it would've been confusing to mention that they once had a thing. Even if there was (god forbid) an editorial caption that said "it happened waaaay back in so -and-so". I don't think it would've been a big deal for new readers. I guess if he has no plans to build on it then there's no reason to mention it, but I'm a little surprised he would put her on the team and not want to include that dynamic.

And I'm really disappointed that Sook is leaving. I hope he doesn't prove to be as integral to my reading enjoyment of this title as Cheung is to "Young Avengers"
 

---

Posted by NeroMan on :
 
Over at newsarama, somebody said that in this issue, Layla went from cute to Very Creepy
Although personally, I think she went from Very Creepy to Really Very Creepy.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-FACTOR #3

I like this book a lot, though I'm not sure I want a long-term 'who or what is she' mystery centered around Layla Miller. Everything else, I'm loving. Rictor and M? Hee-hee. Guess that does put the Shatterstar speculation to rest. Or does it? Why couldn't he be bi?

Jamie Madrox continues to shine. I love what PAD had done with a character who, after all, began as a one-shot adversary for the Fantastic Four in an annual.
 

---

Posted by Monkey Eater Lad on :
 
It sucks that the book's gonna be sans Sook (still submitting slick covers though)...

Jamie rocks but I kinda miss his old costumes (both the green and yellow with connect the dot pattern and the last X-Factor version).
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
God, I love this book. The tone shifts so smoothly from comedy to tragedy, as all of PAD's best books have done over the years. The riots in Mutant Town, and Rahne's bloodthirst, were deeply disturbing. I must admit that if I had been there, my knee-jerk reaction would have been the same as hers ("Let 'em rot!") I just hope Guido doesn't go into too dark of a place; I don't want to see him turn too far away from being the jokester.

A good case of PAD's talent for characterization: Monet is the only team-member who I was completely unfamiliar with (being mostly ignorant on X-Continuity from 1994 to 2004; uncannyxmen.net helps a lot, but it's not the same) and yet she has already become my favorite character. She even shares my abominable taste in musical guilty pleasures...Right Said Fred, omg.

Re: Terry and Jamie and PAD's choice to ignore their history...I, personally, have come to dislike continuity and the way it compromises stories. I agree with PAD's choice -- he seems to be searching for a middle ground, and this is the best he can do for now.

And yes, it is a strange bit of synchronicity that this should come up just as we've been talking a lot about The X-Cutioner's Song.

[Cue Twilight Zone theme]
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'm with Stealth on this one. It's a great mix of humour and drama. The riots really brought out the darkness of modern Marvel. And Layla has me wondering about her now. What will M do when she finds out she isn't hte only know-it-all?

I didn't mind PAD's sidestep of continuity. It happened before I came to the X-world ('round Executioner's Song coinidentally enough.) It didn't contradict any info I had, just made me rethink some of it.

I hate multiple artists on a book. Unless it's used for different plotlines, it really jars my reading. I'll miss Sook, but if he needs fill ins, I'd rather have a different penciller.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I think M's gonna be fighting mad and nobody better get in her way. But she'll do it without losing her sense of humor or her sense of dignity. I just realized, M reminds me a lot of Sersi during the Harras/Epting Avengers Era. No wonder I like her so much.

I agree with CJ about multiple artists -- I'm enjoying myself, but then I turn the page, and...* gah *, what is that??

Hopefully the new artist will be okay. I remember on PAD's Hulk when Dale Keown flaked out and left the book...right in the middle of a major story arc, too (Ghosts of the Past.) Jan Duursema (who was doing tons of fill-ins for Marvel at the time...IIRC, her daughter was born at this time, and she needed the extra freelance money) and Chris Bachalo both stepped in to do work that was far below either of their standards. Then Gary Frank became the new artist, and...uh...well, he went from being mediocre to somewhat less mediocre. Saddest part was that Paul Pelletier did much better work than Frank on a bunch of back-up stories, and Pelletier also did a full issue (# 412, guest-starring She-Hulk) which had the best Hulk art since Keown left. I don't know the behind-the-scenes politics, but I assume that Pelletier was being groomed as Frank's successor, and then something must have fallen through, because Frank ended up being replaced by Liam Sharp, one of those artists who's good today but was abominable back in the mid-90s (see also: Mike Deodato.)

Point being -- and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get to it -- that even after Keown left, we still had more than two years in a row of good-to-great PAD Hulk stories which rose above the erratic quality of the art. I think X-Factor will be a similar case...except the stories are gonna stay good for much longer than two years, because PAD's on a roll here.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
So...the last I heard, X-Factor # 4 was originally scheduled for this week, but now it's been delayed until at least next week. I had already set aside some time in my crazy, unpredictable schedule to go to the comic shop this weekend. I can't get there as often as I'd like because it's far away from where I live, and it's the only half-decent comic shop in the vicinity that didn't close down after the collapse of the speculator market in the 90s. Looks like I'll be reading # 4 later than the rest of you.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to get my PAD X-Factor fix by re-reading PAD's first X-Factor run, # 71-89.

Chris Batista fans take note: in X-Factor # 88-89, PAD wrote a wonderful Quicksilver/Crystal backup story which was drawn by a then-unknown Batista.

[ February 24, 2006, 05:51 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
So...the last I heard, X-Factor # 4 was originally scheduled for this week, but now it's been delayed until at least next week.

---

It's on the provisional list for next week, and it's in the first looks @ CC, so it should definitely be out next week.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Which only confirms that I'm just barely going to miss it. Bah.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
"I have to go out. Jamie wants you to deal with the corpse on the floor."

"Okay-dokey."

[Later]

"A bill from a private messenger service for $1000? Why?"

"Because they'll go anywhere at any time, and they don't ask questions."

I don't like PAD's take on Siryn, I've decided (cliffhanger notevenwithstanding). Good issue otherwise tho.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
PAD really has some entertaining interplay between these characters. I'm not sure I don't like his take on Siryn, I'm just waiting to see why she is so angry these days.

Something about Junior... almost like it's an affectation he's assumed.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Great issue, with a nice scene with Monet and Jaime. Rahne and Guido did very little, but I really just enjoy them together written by PAD.

I like PAD writing Siryn, but I'm slightly less familar wtih Siryn than (I assume) most of you are...
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-FACTOR #4

Y'know, I'm sure there're some readers who think that M is Emma Frost lite. I tend to think that she's what Emma wishes she really were. I was a bit dubious about her inclusion in this series, but PAD's won me over. I like the complexities to her character. I'm *not* so sold on his Rahne or Siryn, yet. And Layla leaves me cold. Annoyed, actually.

Pietro's coming! Cool. If only Lorna were around the corner, too... but I fear that's not in the cards.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Loved #4.

I was never all that fond of Siryn, so I don't have a problem with PAD's take on her. I'd like to see Rahne calm down a bit. M has potential. Layla is... a curiosity. I can put up with her for awhile.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
That was a disturbing cliffhanger ... I'm waiting for a Tryp/ Layla showdown...
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
M is arrogance personified. I liked the phone call Jamie had with her.

Wolfsbane is a bit extreme lately, but I attribute that do her wolf form. Hehe, she is a spitfire gal ain't she.

Rictor is the big cypher for me. From his intro here, he's been nothing like the cocky loud mouth punk in previous titles. It's almost as if PAD wanted an ex-mutant and didn't care who.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Grrr! Okay, maybe I'm just a continuity freak but... Rictor was in X-Force with Siryn, wouldn't he know she was a drunk? I'm not sure if that's supposed to be him learning it, though, or just him being a self-absorbed loser.

Either way, I'm not really digging PAD's Siryn either. I can't exactly put my finger on it but... something's not right for me. I like the character okay, and I guess she was good in X-Force. (Which is my Least. Favorite. Book. Ever. I have... issues with it. >< Cable, eugh.) The most enjoyable I've ever found her, though, is when interacting with Deadpool. Which I think is more for Deadpool than her...

Anyway, I feel like X-Factor like I feel about Ultimate X-Men. I don't really like any of the characters, exactly, but, for reasons unknown, I still like the book. It's... I dunno. I'm rambling. Long story short, I like Layla despite not wanting to and I'm curious to see where things go from here.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
I don't really like any of the characters, exactly, but, for reasons unknown, I still like the book. It's... I dunno.

---

Sounds like Siryn is working her subliminal mojo on you ... "you will like this book.... you will like this book...."
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Awww.... come on.

I'll post about the issue itself later, but I got namechecked on the letters page for "a very thoughtful missive" on the Madrox/Siryn thing in #3... only PAD got my name wrong, with my No. 1 most hated typo of my name. Gree-ife.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
at least he called it "thoughtful"...

I really didn't get the point of this issue - it seemed like a complete non sequitor and wasn't even all that interesting. (It reminded me of stunts I've seen on tv shows, where they drop everything else to tell one story that's of a different tone from the rest of the show)
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Well, this all worked out just right in the end -- I got to read # 4 and # 5 the same night. I'm glad, too, because I would have gone crazy if I'd had to wait for # 5 after # 4's horrifying cliffhanger.

I thought # 4 was the best issue so far because, as I've said many times on this forum, Monet has been my favorite character in this book from the very start, and # 4 was where we finally got to see a more vulnerable, more caring side to her -- but since PAD understands how real people behave better than most comics writers, Monet puts her defenses back up and threatens to hurt Jamie if he tells anyone he saw that side of her. I'd love if PAD and Sook did a Monet solo mini-series; surely Sook would be able to handle that without deadline problems? (And please, don't anyone bother recommeding the Sook-drawn Zatanna mini-series; I'm not intrested because I don't like Zatanna.)

# 5 wasn't as good, but I think I can see the point PAD was trying to make: in the aftermath of the mass de-powering, individuals are even scarier and more dangerous than the mobs we've seen in earlier issues. Plus, I think it's a turning point for Rictor as a character -- he's finally getting over having had his bubble burst and found the real hero within; unlike the psycho, he's dealing with his power-loss in a positive way. Extra points to PAD for not making Siryn a damsel-in-distress, despite the circumstances she was in.

Some thoughts on characters other than Monet and Rictor:

Siryn: Until this series, she was a character I had wanted to like but always ended up feeling indifferent towards. Part of it was that I could never get into X-Force. Another part of it was that, in other books that I saw her in, she always seemed to be treated by writers as a background character. I think she's still in the process of being defined as a three-dimensional character. I like the feistiness and defiant attitude she's shown in this series, but otherwise I'm just standing back and waiting to learn more about what makes her tick.

Rahne: I might be in the minority, but I like her bloodthirsty attitude. As I said earlier in this thread, her "Let 'em rot!" scene was one of my favorite moments in this series so far. She's clearly still dealing with her repression and her religious issues. Now, if that contradicts stories from recent years which I haven't read...it's a valid point, but I personally don't really care about continuity anymore.

Guido: One of my few dissapointments in this book is that Guido has been consistently under-used, whereas in PAD's first X-Factor run, Guido was practically the star of the book. I'm hoping that PAD has plans to put the spotlight on Guido in the future.

Jamie: Headed for a multiple meltdown. I'm certain of it.

Layla: Again, I might be in the minority, but I actually like her and I hope she doesn't turn out to be completely evil.

[ April 12, 2006, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I enjoyed this issue, it was a little bit of X-Force fun for this former fan.

This issue really did get Ric out of his woe-is-me mode. And the artist, Callero (sp), did a fine job. I can see why they asked him to help fill in for Sook. He has that same moody style. It looked sharper than Sook's, and I liked it. He's doing a few more issues before we get the new regular artist.
 

---

Posted by Spellbinder on :
 
I just removed this title from my pull list. It's okay, I guess, but to be honest I'm just not feeling the characters. For the most part, none of them seem very likable. Rahne is too belligerent, M is too arrogant, Siryn is too... Siryn-y, and the guys are too... I dunno. And I wasn't a fan of Layla Miller during House of M, and seeing her now doesn't endear her to me any more.

In fairness, though, I dropped all of my other X-titles again, too. Maybe I'm just not feeling the X-Universe at this time.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spellbinder:
I just removed this title from my pull list. It's okay, I guess, but to be honest I'm just not feeling the characters. For the most part, none of them seem very likable. Rahne is too belligerent, M is too arrogant, Siryn is too... Siryn-y, and the guys are too... I dunno.

---

Funny, because that's exactly what I enjoy about the characters, their lack of easy likabililty. I'd rather read about a bunch of prickly pears than a bunch of over-sweet apples.

Different people, different tastes, etc.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
that's exactly what I enjoy about the characters, their lack of easy likability.

---

Stealth, are you reading DC's current MANHUNTER series? That's one of the hardest points of trying to sell new readers on the book; The lead, Kate, is very hard to like upfront. It's not until you get inside the character that she's... well... not likeable, exactly... maybe not *as* unlikeable.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Yeah not digging this at all. PAD (like Waid) is a big hit or a miss with me.

I'm a fan of all the characters (save Madrox). PAD just sometimes is too corky/left field for me. ohwell.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Oh! I forgot the reason I came to this thread earlier...

PAD's going to be dealing with the mystery surrounding Layla sooner rather than later-- in issue 6.

It's *gotta* be better than Jim Valentino's explanation for Starhawk's "One Who Knows" schtick in the 90's Guardians series.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm enjoying the title. Maybe it's because I'm not strongly attached to any of the characters, but I like them all. Except Layla; I'm glad to hear she won't be a mystery for long.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pov:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
that's exactly what I enjoy about the characters, their lack of easy likability.

---

Stealth, are you reading DC's current MANHUNTER series? That's one of the hardest points of trying to sell new readers on the book; The lead, Kate, is very hard to like upfront. It's not until you get inside the character that she's... well... not likeable, exactly... maybe not *as* unlikeable.

---

Thanks for the recommendation, Pov. I'll browse through Manhunter the next time I'm at the comic shop.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Cool, I hope you like it. The first 6 issues are collected in a trade.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I finally bought the Madrox: Multiple Choice TPB, and read the whole thing just before bed last night.

I liked it, but not as much as X-Factor. I don't know...I figured out early on who the real villain was, and it just didn't quite do for me what X-Factor does.

On the other hand, I thought Guido was better-written here than the way he's been written in X-Factor. And Pablo Raimondi's art was outstanding.
 

---

Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pov:
Oh! I forgot the reason I came to this thread earlier...

PAD's going to be dealing with the mystery surrounding Layla sooner rather than later-- in issue 6.

It's *gotta* be better than Jim Valentino's explanation for Starhawk's "One Who Knows" schtick in the 90's Guardians series.

---

Peter David stole my idea. OK so there is no way he knew it was my idea, but he stole it anyway.

Layla's power is Click Here For A Spoilerthe power to extrapolate. My idea was a one-shot issue of a hero named the Extrapolator. In the issue the Extrapolator is sitting in his home. He suddenly bolts up saying "The Earth is in danger" He starts rushing across town, dodging criminals, government agents, and assassins, who were watching his house. He goes to a nondescript apartment, rushes up to the third floor, bursts into an apartment, and move a flower pot from the right side of the window to the left. He then thinks "The Earth is now safe!" The End
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
And yet another fine issue of X-Factor. IMO, Peter David has pulled off a couple of things that a lot of current comics writers (and a lot of current TV writers) have been attempting but failing:

1. He's giving decompression a good name; it only occured to me the other day that not a lot has actually happened in these six issues, but I'm still satisfied and looking forward to what's ahead.

2. The answers to the questions of Layla's origin may be all (or almost all) untrue, and yet it doesn't bother me at all. Nice use, too, of Rictor as the skeptic; PAD is adding a lot of depth to this former hothead.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I've dropped every X-title BUT this one...mostly because of PAD. LOVE the letters pages...and I find most of the characterization consistent with what I know about the characters--not necessarily jibing with continuity. I like David's comments on that subject, especially when we're dealing with the multitude of crappy minis, one shots, cancelled series, crossovers, etc. that have plagued the X-titles for the last decade (Stealth, you said you unplugged from the muties for ten years...I assure you that you missed next to nothing. I've been going back through the hundreds of issues that probably cost me thousands of dollars, and dumping those that I don't care about...for example, I kept three copies of Wolverine out of over sixty that I had gone through). Chuck it all. Talk about a universe that could USE a crisis...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:

Talk about a universe that could USE a crisis...

---

That's so true.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:
Talk about a universe that could USE a crisis...

---

Tell me WTH Wonder Woman's chronology is meant to look like now, with the Pérez run apparently out-of-continuity (since it dealt heavily with her coming to "Man's World" for the first time, inc. learning English - AND was heavily tied into the continuity of the day), Hippolyta's time as WW apparently out too, her "founding the JLofA" back in, etc; then get back to me on that.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Reboot, I've got a wait and see approach to WW. There's certainly a number of plausible approaches to her revised continuity.

As for X-Factor, this is a title unlike anything else Marvel is doing. It's mix of likeable and disdainable characters. I'm with Rictor, Layla is still suspect. Did I miss something about her switching mutations, or was the bit about horns a crack?
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
Reboot, I've got a wait and see approach to WW. There's certainly a number of plausible approaches to her revised continuity.

---

But they all involve whopping great retcons. As things stand, they'd basically need to retell all the altered stories - which they're patently not going to do.

Rather than fanwanking her back into the original JLofA and damn the rest (which seems to have been DC's general approach for the past three+ years), how about moving FORWARD?
 

---

Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
I have a question, seriously...

Why do good characters have to be "likeable". I love the show "house". Hugh Laurie is a first class @$$, and the show is tremendously fun to watch.

I liked James Spader's character Alan Shore. He was a tremendously unlikeable character that was pure fun to watch. Now they have watered the character down to the point that he has almost disappeared from his own show.

Lets face it, if everyone was likeable, there wouldn't be any conflict or...fun.

As to the new book, i liked the new issue. Art was a little muddy for my taste, as well as coloring, but it is supposed to be noir, so thats okay.

Still,, the best power for a PI is the one that John Taylor has in the Nightside series by Simon Green. He makes the Deux Ex Machina work so well with it. Layla reminded me of that a bit.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
So Siryn learns of Banshee's death in this most recent issue. PAD's characterization here certainly feels like a typical fan's reaction.

And seeing Madrox meet Singularity's head... I like Jamie's irrevernt attitude. Also, an interesting hint about Singularity's infrastructure.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Interesting hint that there's a lot more to Madrox's origin than we know.

Siryn's reaction makes perfect sense in this world. At this point there's no reason why the characters wouldn't be skeptical of death - especially if they don't witness it personally.

I'm still enjoying this book, but there's something missing - and it's not just Sook's art. Maybe they need a clear cut case for the team to work on, I dunno...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
If anyone other than Peter David was writing this book, I would be losing my patience. But I have confidence in PAD's ability to follow through with a strong payoff.

Great banter as usual:

GUIDO: Why all the long faces?

RAHNE: Some bad news, Guido...Sean Cassidy is dead.

GUIDO: Aw, that's too bad. I remember him from "The Hardy Boys"

RAHNE: What?

GUIDO: "Hardy Boys". Him and, what's his name, Kirstie Alley's ex. And he did a nice cover of "Da Doo Ron Ron"...

MONET: Not Shaun Cassidy, the actor! S-e-a-n Cassidy! Banshee!

GUIDO: Oh...crap. Oh, holy... I feel like an idiot.

MONET: Go with the feeling.

RICTOR: C'mon, M, cut the guy some slack, okay? He didn't know.

MONET: Whatever.

GUIDO: Geez...how'd it happen?

RAHNE: Scott came by. He said Banshee died in combat, saving a planeload of people.

GUIDO: Well, that's how he'd have wanted to go out. How Sy taking it? I bet she's a wreck...

SIRYN (cheerfully): Guys? I'm thinking we bring in Chinese for dinner tonight. Who's in?

I enjoyed seeing Cyclops' guest appearance, because I've had a crush on him since the very first mutant story I read: The Dark Phoenix Saga TPB, which I bought somewhere around 1991-1992.

Next issue: Quicksilver guest stars, and nobody writes him better than Peter David.

And if you're reading this and you're a fan of Astonishing X-Men, take note: issue # 9 is an X-Factor vs. Astonishing X-Men showdown.

[ May 30, 2006, 01:52 PM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
A quick question from the last issue. It was stated that Layla gave a different story to the X-men. Was there an X-men story with her or is this just part of the X-Factor story?
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
I got nothing, Quis. The only other regular X-book I'm buying is Astonishing.

(And HI, STEALTH! )
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Hi, Pov. Awww, that's so sweet. Thank you. I wish I could spend more time here at Legion World. But no matter how busy I get, I can guarantee that I'll set aside a couple days each month to visit this X-Factor thread. After all, this is the one comic book that I literally count the days until the next issue.

Quis, as far as I know, Layla's only appearance outside of X-Factor was in the House of M core mini-series; I haven't read it, but I assume that Cyclops and some of the other X-Men encountered Layla there.

A couple things I didn't think of last night:

Madrox laughing in Tryp Senior's face after Tryp offered him an "exclusive contract" was priceless; not quite PAD biting the hand that feeds him, but certainly nipping it. And his sarcastic remarks about Tryp's office -- "Love what you've done with the place. It just oozes confidence and gravitas, with a dollop of testosterone." -- read to me like a good description of the crap that Quesada's pet writers crank out, which gives Marvel a bad name, even though there are a few good books (such as X-Factor) coming from Marvel. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but...

And now that Siryn has inherited Cassidy Keep, I wonder how long it is until the entire team heads over there for an adventure.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Hi Stealth!

I thought the latest issue was another great one. Siryn's response has been done before, but it was very well done here too by PAD.

Lots of great dialogue. Madrox is so much fun to read, and PAD has a handle on him like many other great characters he's made 'his own' over the years.

I thought Monet's reaction to Sean's death was very well done. It was very understated so no one needed to know that he was once her mentor in Generation X, but it was still there--PAD certainly knows these characters pasts inside out.

I'm ready for more Guido and Rahne now!

Singularity Investigations isn't really wowing me as antagonists, but I have feeling that is about to change shortly.

Cannot wait for Quicksilver!

I'd prefer Reboot's name misspelled again this issue, but we can't always get everything

Re: Layla. Some of the X-Men met her in HoM, although not all of those that did remember her, I believe. Cyclops and Emma Frost definately do though at least. Probably Wolverine too. So there's (3) Astonishing X-Men that do, and w'ere supposed to be seeing them shortly here (looking forward to that too!).
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
XF8 preview: http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=99&itemid=8665
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-FACTOR #7

Not bad for a set-up issue. Can't wait for Quicksilver's appearance. I just read that there is going to be a 'therapy' issue similar to the much-loved DOC SAMSON issue of the original run. *That'll* be a blast! M in therapy-- the mind boggles.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Hi, Stealth.

---

Hi, Cobie.

X-Factor # 8 is the best issue yet! Quicksilver only makes two brief appearances at the beginning and the end, but it's clear there's going to be a lot more of him in # 9. And while he's off-panel, we get to see

Click Here For A Spoilerthe unfortunate side effects that his recently acquired new power has on others.

Peter David gives "Civil War" the obligatory nods, and gets both a sharp anti-registration insight from Siryn and a good laugh out of it when

Click Here For A Spoilerone of Madrox's dupes turns out to be a suit-and-tie S.H.I.E.L.D. agent

There's also an intriguing new revelation about the Tryps:

Click Here For A SpoilerDNA tests on the samples that Madrox took last issue reveal that Tryp Junior is actually a DUPE of Tryp Senior, and they're an unclassified human sub-species. I assume this means Madrox is also a member of this species; all these revealtions can't be good for him as he continues to unravel.

Nice surprise guest appearance by Click Here For A Spoiler Spider-Man , and the scene where Siryn Click Here For A Spoileruses her power on him is priceless. It's also probably the single best page of X-Factor that Dennis Calero has drawn to date. Calero has really improved a lot in a short span of time, although I'm sure that having a guest artist on # 7 gave Calero the time to put extra effort into # 8.

And the usual great dialogue:

Guido: Hey, Layla, that's a thick book you're reading. "Harry Potter"?

Layla: "Atlas Shrugged."

Giudo: Yeah, there's a conversation killer.

This comes full circle later:

Madrox-Dupe, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Good heavens, young lady, you look so serious, like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Layla: I do.

Madrox-Dupe, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: How do you deal with that?

Layla: I shrug.

But Siryn has the best line of all:

Siryn: And if Wolverine gets in my way, I'LL yank his skeleton out this time, and I'll pull it through his arse.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I just read that there is going to be a 'therapy' issue similar to the much-loved DOC SAMSON issue of the original run. *That'll* be a blast!

---

In # 8's letters page, Peter David has confirmed that said issue will be # 13.

The letters page this month is especially good. Here's a favorite of mine, from a certain Onyx Hunter:

quote:

---

Those who are sick of flat, one-dimesional characters who express their exact thoughts, plans, and motivations in long solliloquies should get clued in on the depth and mystery that is X-Factor.

---

And from Peter David himself, once again on the subject of continuity:

quote:

---

There's no mechanism in place -- none -- to provide all the writers with all the upcoming stories and storylines. So if I keep writing stories to play catch-up and reflect developments elsewhere, X-Factor is going to have a perpetual five-month lag time. I deemed it necesarry when it came to addressing Banshee's death [Actual conversation between PAD and editor Andy Schmidt: "Uhm, Andy...Banshee just died. Is he really dead?" "He did? Lemme check. (an hour passes) Yeah. He's dead." "Well, geez, Siryn should really react to that, should she?" "Yeah, that'd be good."]

---

Works for me. I much prefer it to the painful micro-management taking place at DC right now.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
M in therapy-- the mind boggles.

---

Not my mind. I think it'll reveal that she's a lot more complex than most people seem to think.

EDIT: Omg, I almost forgot -- when Quicksilver meets with the X-Factor members next issue, Click Here For A SpoilerRictor's probably going to ask Quicksilver to give him back his powers. That could be catastrophic!

[ June 30, 2006, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Stealth, por favor, pleasepleasePLEASE don't do that. If you're going to use spoiler tags, don't do little bits of lines, do that whole post in one tag or somesuch.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Okey Dokey. I'll do the single box in future posts.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It's another entertaining issue... As Stealth mentions, PAD gives us some witty dialouge and a gripping story. This was more set-up for future issues, but with Layla's interludes it doesn't feel like it. I still don't like her and wait for the day Ric gets to toss her in front of a bus- but that isn't really a bad thing. Ric's little jibes at M suggest PAD is looking to straighten out this former mover and shaker.

Siryn's still bothering me. Terry was the most well adjusted member of X-Force (before AoA ruined that title) and I don't get her anger here. Given the recent news about her dad, lashing out with a sonic lance at a gunman's head is understandable. But since this title started she's been surly.

The art is good, I wouldn't mind Calero being the regular. But enough with the shadowy mini-blinds. It's almost like that's the only way we could tell this was a noir book.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
That reminds me of something else Peter David said in the letters page: when he refers to the upcoming psychiatry story in # 13, he adds that the characters will really need it after "the traumatic events of issues # 10-12." With # 9 already confirmed as being a payoff issue, it looks like # 8 is the very last set-up issue for the next few months.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-FACTOR 8:

Is Layla possibly somehow Luna, Quicksilver's daughter? I don't get Pietro as 'evil', frankly. We'll see.

I liked the prodigal Madrox coming back with a badge. I wonder how many other dupes have built their own lives around the world? Or elsewhere?

The Spidey/Siryn scene was fun. I hope there's a follow-up.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
X-Factor # 9 is the first issue that I would call a dissapointment. I thought it would be the first big action issue, but it wasn't. The resolution to Decimation is rather ho-hum; then again, I guess nothing could quite live up to the tension of those last few pages from issue # 8. There are no standout Peter David lines, and Calero's art takes several steps back to the meh level of his earlier work. Still, it does have its moments, and they're in the spoilers:

Click Here For A SpoilerSo now Quicksilver is under X-Factor's protection, and their role as the guardians of Mutant Town looks like it's going to make them even more insular. This could lead to interesting plot developments in future issues. Quicksilver's scenes are the best thing in this issue; despite all the changes Pietro's been through recently, Peter David doesn't hit one false note with Pietro, as if he had stopped writing him 14 days ago instead of 14 years ago.

On to the resolution of the Singularity plot thread over the next three issues. This one still shows some promise, tying in the way it does with Madrox's origin (a couple issues ago, we found out that Tryp killed Madrox's parents; Madrox himself still hasn't found out.) I even wonder if Madrox will even still be in the book by the time this is all done.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Is Layla possibly somehow Luna, Quicksilver's daughter?

---

No. Go read Son of M
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I read it. Hence, the 'somehow'.
 

---

Posted by Kid Prime on :
 
Peter David was by far always the best Quicksilver writer.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
And it looks like he's going to be writing a lot more with Quicksilver, for the time being.

All we need in X-Factor now are guest appearances by Havok and Polaris; maybe after they come back from their space travels.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
X-Factor # 9 is the first issue that I would call a dissapointment. I thought it would be the first big action issue, but it wasn't. The resolution to Decimation is rather ho-hum; then again, I guess nothing could quite live up to the tension of those last few pages from issue # 8. There are no standout Peter David lines, and Calero's art takes several steps back to the meh level of his earlier work. Still, it does have its moments, and they're in the spoilers:

Click Here For A SpoilerSo now Quicksilver is under X-Factor's protection, and their role as the guardians of Mutant Town looks like it's going to make them even more insular. This could lead to interesting plot developments in future issues. Quicksilver's scenes are the best thing in this issue; despite all the changes Pietro's been through recently, Peter David doesn't hit one false note with Pietro, as if he had stopped writing him 14 days ago instead of 14 years ago.

---

I gotta say this was a hit for me. PAD gave us an X-Factor/X-Men showdown without a throwdown. Jamie's arguements to Cyclops showed the usual well thought out dialouge we associate with PAD. Sure it would have been nice to have witty banter and some damage done. But that just wouldn't be reasonalbe between these two teams.

This issue makes me even more excited about the Singularity face-off.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Meet the new, oddly familiar artist... http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8062
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Oh. My. God. IAMSOHAPPYWTFBBQYAY!!!!!!

/fangirl

But seriously. Yay. I really, really loved the art in Madrox and now... wheee!!
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
#10 preview: http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8101
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Who hooo! Maybe this new guy won't rely on backlit mini-blinds to convey that noir feel.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Can someone give me the Cliff Notes version of Layla's involvement with the House of M? That was about the time I became a mutant crossover conscientious objector.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
She was the deus ex machina to restore everyone else's memories.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I don't have a lot to say about X-Factor # 10. For most of the way through, I was enjoying it more than I had enjoyed the previous issue, but the last page was very upsetting to me.

Click Here For A SpoilerOne of my favorite characters, Guido, turns out to be a murderous traitor working for Singularity.

I'll keep reading the book for the time being. I'm still looking forward to the Doc Samson issue, and to the arrival of Pablo Raimondi (although I don't agree with him that the book should be spandex-free). But I can't honestly say anymore that I'm pleased with where it seems to be headed.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
Okay, X-Factor # 11 isn't bad, but it doesn't impress me the way the first eight issues did.

Click Here For A SpoilerI was wrong about the old guy's identity. He's another version of Tryp.

Hopefully # 12 will liven things up with a stirring conclusion. And maybe the book will rise back to the quality level of the early issues.
 

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Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Stealth, at least the development at the end of #10 proved to not be as bad as what it appeared.

I agree that the series isn't as good as when it started. Despite the loss of Sook, I don't think it's the art that's lacking. Maybe the team needs to spend more screentime together or working cases instead of being wrapped up in this Singularity and Civil War stuff - i can't put my finger on it.

Still, I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming "therapy session" issue. Hopefully that'll re-center the series and give it a boost.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
Can't wait for the big reveal. This whole 'multiplicity vs. singularity' thing has been brewing long enough for my taste.

I wonder if Jamie is ever going to figure out that his habit of sending dupes out to live his life is screwing him up and the root of all of his current problems with ornery dupes? He's literally giving himself MPD...

I never thought I'd like Guido, or M, or Rictor, but I'm liking all of them. I particularly liked Rictor's PI turn when he tracks down Siryn, demonstrating that he's a better detective than Madrox!

I always like Rahne, so she's cool. Layla intrigues me. Madrox has always been my favorite mutant, bar none, so I'm thrilled to see him front and center.

Siryn, tho? Ugh. I have a neurotic dislike for female versions of male characters. She-Hulk, Supergirl, Batchick. Blah. Show some originality. She's just Banshee with breasts.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
The results of drunken duping were quite funny. Don't want to see what's going to happen when the egotistical girl and the Irish girl find out about each other...

There does seem to be a bit of a holding pattern. I'm ready for the payoff.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
With my expectations lowered, X-Factor # 12 turned out to be a pleasant surprise!

Click Here For A SpoilerIt was great to see Siryn get even with Young Tryp. I only wish her scream had decapitated him instead of just knocking him down. And I love how PAD brought back Madrox's renegade dupe from X-Factor # 1 and having him blow up himself, Middle Age Tryp and Young Tryp while quoting his dialogue from when he pushed Rictor off the ledge. That's the sort of thing that makes PAD one of my favorite writers.

quote:

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Originally posted by DrakeB3004:
Stealth, at least the development at the end of #10 proved to not be as bad as what it appeared.

---

Yes. As the saying goes, thank heaven for small favors.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrakeB3004: I agree that the series isn't as good as when it started. Despite the loss of Sook, I don't think it's the art that's lacking. Maybe the team needs to spend more screentime together or working cases instead of being wrapped up in this Singularity and Civil War stuff - i can't put my finger on it.

---

It looks pretty definite that the remaining plot threads from the first year will be back-burnered for the immediate future. Hopefully the second major story-arc will be more satisfying and less drawn-out.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DrakeB3004:Still, I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming "therapy session" issue. Hopefully that'll re-center the series and give it a boost.

---

I've seen a preview of that issue and, combined with the partial return to form of # 12, I'm really excited about it now. Raimondi's art looks even better than his work on the Madrox mini. Ryan Sook Who?
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
So, Re-X-Aminations...

*bump*
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
not bad at all. Quicksilver's becoming quite intriguing.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
I thought some of the sessions were better than others; Rahne's and, especially, Monet's, were both very powerful. And the ending was clever and witty. Overall, I liked this issue. Good art, too.

Click Here For A SpoilerCant wait for the continuation of the Madrox/Monet/Theresa love triangle fallout next issue.

quote:

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Originally posted by Arachne:
Quicksilver's becoming quite intriguing.

---

I agree. Peter David proves once again that this is a writer/character marriage made in heaven.

[ November 25, 2006, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

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Posted by wndola1 on :
 
do you think Pietro actually knows Layla was responsable for HoM falling apart?
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Now that'd be interesting.

I agree about the art, Stealth. Hopefully, this one will stick around for awhile.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I wanted to read more of each vignette!

I *so* wish the Doc Samson mini from a few months ago had taken a similar approach, but with subjects from a variety of Marvel's settings.

I know therapy doesn't move forward in the time-span of what one issue would cover (at least usually), but it'd be gratifying to see some sort of resolution come out of one of these sessions.

Wasn't it implied in the old X-Factor issues that the therapy contined for at least some of the characters? Maybe that'll happen here. I'd love it if Doc became a member of the supporting cast. Heck, I'd love it if he joined a team. He could view it as a long-term ongoing 'active' therapy protocol.

Imagine if he were on a team with Moonstone from the Thunderbolts...
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I agree about the art, Stealth. Hopefully this one will stick around for awhile.

---

Yeah. I hope he and PAD set a new record for the longest run by the same creative team.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I wanted to read more of each vignette!

I *so* wish the Doc Samson mini from a few months ago had taken a similar approach, but with subjects from a variety of Marvel's settings.

I know therapy doesn't move forward in the time-span of what one issue would cover (at least usually), but it'd be gratifying to see some sort of resolution come out of one of these sessions.

Wasn't it implied in the old X-Factor issues that the therapy contined for at least some of the characters? Maybe that'll happen here. I'd love it if Doc became a member of the supporting cast. Heck, I'd love it if he joined a team. He could view it as a long-term ongoing 'active' therapy protocol.

Imagine if he were on a team with Moonstone from the Thunderbolts...

---

Todd, I love all of these ideas.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It was a great looking book to be sure. This is a welcome change from the overdone mini-blinds.

I liked the idea, but wish we got more than a page for everyone. Ric and Siryn have been favs since X-Force, so I was hoping for more in their heads.

I was surprised to see M so enraptured with Jamie after one night of passion. Nothing before or after suggests anything other than that.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Maybe he multiplied at just the right moment...
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:
Maybe he multiplied at just the right moment...

---

 

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Posted by Insomniac Girl on :
 
Although not much of a Marvel reader, I enjoy this series immensely. I think it really says a lot about Peter David's writing that he's able to make the X-Factor characters interesting and relatable and the storyline comprehensible even if, as in my case, the reader doesn't know the characters' backstories or much about House of M, Civil War, and whatever else is going on at Marvel right now.

Was a bit annoyed though with last issue (or Theresa and Monet) in that they thought the remedy for their problems was a relationship with a guy, and that they obviously fell for behaviour as smarmy and one-dimensional as that of Jamie's libido dupe at that (at least I had the impression that both of them fell victim to the dupe. Well, Jamie doesn't know either...).

Poor Monet, you shouldn't have to deal with a "bright spot" such as this turning sour when occasionally entertaining thoughts of suicide, either.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Anyone read #14?

I know 'copying' between DC and Marvel causes some head-wagging, but I *really* wish LSH creators would take a page from Peter David's book and write Triplicate Girl with a fraction of the detail he's giving to Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man.

He's becoming one of my favorite characters-- with his dupe diaspora storyline. His Doc Sampson-prompted decision to gather his disparate selves lands him in hot water at issue's end, and *could* propel this title's plots for years to come (or not).

And he ain't hard to look at, either-- as drawn here by Pablo Raimondi.

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Clever conversation between Madrox and Rictor, as scripted by Peter David. Rictor could be interpreted as nonchalantly bringing up his bisexuality-- or this little scene could be interpreted as joking interplay between friends. Rictor's been the subject of quite a bit of speculation, as to his relationship with Shatterstar. Did the 'spew' answer the speculation? Maybe yes, maybe no.

It was a fun scene to read, whichever way the wind blows (hee!).

The Monet/Siryn scene was kind of fun, too. Though a bit more... familiar. Stereotypical? Hmmm. That doesn't fit.

I'm afraid Layla hasn't grown on me that much, the way she apparently has on almost all other X-Factor readers. Frankly, I'd rather Dani Moonstar had her spot. Or Magma. Or Polaris, even.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

I'm afraid Layla hasn't grown on me that much, the way she apparently has on almost all other X-Factor readers.

---

I kinda wish she had at least one other outfit in her wardrobe. Given her current situation, the thought that this kid is wearing the same clothes day in and day out, and none of the others have even noticed, is kinda creepy. I get that she has no money, being a runaway from an orphanage, but would it kill Jamie to give her a coupla bucks and send her to goodwill?

Interesting bit from Tryp the Elder an issue or two back, about competing forces of Chaos. Layla came out of the whole Scarlet Witch-Ex-Machina reboot mess, which heavily involved her 'no-such-thing-as-chaos-magic' powers. Could Layla be a literal personification of her chaotic powers, kind of Wanda's tulpa or something?

If she knows that she, on a very fundemental level, isn't 'real,' and isn't destined to have a 'real life,' it could explain some of her fatalism.

quote:

---

Frankly, I'd rather Dani Moonstar had her spot. Or Magma. Or Polaris, even.

---

Eh. Dani was cool in the first dozen issues of New Mutants, but then her powers got tweaked so many times that she made Psylocke look uncomplicated and straightfoward. Manifest illusions of people's fears, talk to animals, make material objects out of psionic energy, create psi-weapons, see the presence of death, fight death on the astral plane, superhuman strength, flying horse, manifest people's hopes and dreams as material constructs, blah-blah-blah. I just lost interest in her about six changes in.

Magma, IMO, is best when paired up with the insufferable Empath, her sometimes-boyfriend. They made a fun pair.

Polaris was always Havok's appendage, and never really worked on her own, IMO. I'd rather see a 3rd tier X-Men Wive's Auxiliary character like Lila Cheney or Amanda Sefton or better yet, a more dynamic personality like Joanna Cargill or Cecilia Reyes or Carmella Unuscione, all very fun characters.

Much like the Legion of Super-Heroes universe, the X-Universe is absolutely crawling with fascinating secondary and tertiary characters, and in X-Factor, Peter David has managed to create a compelling team out of the X-version of random Subs and Cadets, which, IMO, totally rocks.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
I like Layla, but I would love it if Carmella Unuscione joined the team. There's gotta be a way that she survived the destruction of Genosha during the Morrison era (Morrison...GRRRR).

X-Factor # 14 was a joy to read. Every issue from # 12 on has, IMO, gradually come closer to the quality of the first 8 issues, and this one finally equalled it, maybe even surpassed it.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
I kinda wish she had at least one other outfit in her wardrobe. Given her current situation, the thought that this kid is wearing the same clothes day in and day out, and none of the others have even noticed, is kinda creepy. I get that she has no money, being a runaway from an orphanage, but would it kill Jamie to give her a coupla bucks and send her to goodwill?

---

Ummm... we've not seen Jamie (apparently) change his outfit in this series - and PAD finally got his "he's got a wardrobe full of identical clothes" anacdote into print in issue... #9 I think. One of the two Civil War issues anyway. Who's to say Layla doesn't do the same thing?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I'm afraid Layla hasn't grown on me that much, the way she apparently has on almost all other X-Factor readers. Frankly, I'd rather Dani Moonstar had her spot. Or Magma. Or Polaris, even.

---

But see, here's the thing. None of those three characters - or Cargill, Reyes, Unscione, Scanner, etc could fill the role that she does. PAD's given Layla a role in the story that... I don't want to call "unique" since the second I say that someone'll pull out an über-obscure character who could do the same thing, but certainly there's no other character in the X-Universe that I can think of offhand who could genuinely pull the same role without a complete personality & power refit to the point that it wouldn't just piss off fans of that character anyway. Especially if you want a very different character to PAD's Layla. It's not a "spot" you could have plugged lots of characters into with only limited adjustment, like Siryn, M and Rictor's roles to date have muchly been.

Probably the biggest weakness with Layla is that she's HAD such a refit for X-Factor - she's simply not the character with that name and general appearance from HoM. There's been the odd semi-token attempt to reconcile, but fundamentally it's a character with a completely different personality & powers. OTOH, no-one liked Bendis' HoM Layla and with good reason, so...

[ December 26, 2006, 09:22 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It certainly was an entertaining issue. The character interaction has been exceptional here, to the point of squeezing out the super-heroics. PAD is a whiz at thse kind of moments, so it works well.

As for Layla, she may have a unique position on the team, but I still don't like her. I echo Rictor's sentiments with each issue. Replacing her would be difficult, but I'd rather see someone else anyway. Heck, Monet could pull it off in her own obnoxious manner.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
As much as I want Dani back in the spotlight, I've gotta agree with Reboot.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
There's often been an annoying know-it-all AT on various teams. Sage, of the expanded X-universe, has filled that role, and while not as 'cosmically conscious,' so has Monet.

Given his scatter-brained nature, Jamie himself could fill that role, knowing something about everything, and often pulling obscure, or downright outre, knowledge out of his butt.

Layla, unfortunately, is a gimmick. I'm not sure she could function without her gimmick, and her gimmick is far too much of a Deus Ex Machina / McGuffin / Plot Device for me to be entirely comfortable with her.

As for the notion of her secretly being rich and having an entire wardrobe full of the same outfit like Jamie, I guess that's one option. It's not like she can't win a lottery anytime she wants cash, or 'lucky guess' the winner of a ballgame or horse race or something.

[ December 26, 2006, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: Set ]
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
Given his scatter-brained nature, Jamie himself could fill that role, knowing something about everything, and often pulling obscure, or downright outre, knowledge out of his butt.

---

But that's past knowledge, or general knowledge. When it comes to knowing or deciding where to go, he's hopeless and that's a character point.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
And, just a thought - I think Layla might be in for some speed-aging in one way or another at some point in the not-too-distant future. Why? Because PAD's now set up the "marriage" thing with her and Jamie as firmly-not-a-joke, and brought Raine into it. And, in the natural scheme of things, that would happen years - decades, in real time - in the future, and PAD doesn't usually set up stuff that won't resolve in some form (quick cancellations & him being booted off the book excepted, of course). And for it to resolve as either true or false, he needs to either kill off one of Madrox, Raine and Layla, or get Layla into her late teens/early twenties within the next year or two.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Well, if Layls is 15, and Jamie is in his mid 20's it wouldn't be inconceivable (Kitty and Piotr) if they became attached in another 5 yrs of Marvel time.

Honestly, I didnt' think Layla meant anytime soon, just that it was going to happen eventually. And of course, there's nothing to say it is just a school girl crush...
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Five years Marvel Time = 20-30 years Real Time.

And it's the Raine thing from XF12-13 that really makes me think the fast-forward button is getting pushed...
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Okay, so the Monet and Terry vacation to France was fun. PAD has really made me like M, in all her arrogance. And Siryn was less surly; more like that gal I know from X-Force.

I will say I'm tired of Jamie. I know he's the star of the book, but issue after issue of him whining about being unstable has turned me off the guy. Maybe have him sit a few issues out.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
X-Factor # 15 has some of the best dialogue in a long time.

SIRYN: No problem, skank.

MONET: What was that?

SIRYN: I said, "No problem, thanks."


MONET: Aw, no!! The Victor Meyer Faberge egg I just bought! A bullet bounced off me and shattered it! Oh, you are DEAD for that, monsieur!


MONET: Je m'appelle Monet St. Croix. Mon pere est Cartier St. Croix, il est ambassaduer. Je veux parler immediatement a un avocat. Et rendez-moi vite mon ouef de Faberge!


What we really need now is a Monet & Siryn limited series.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
X-Factor # 15 has some of the best dialogue in a long time.

[...]

MONET: Aw, no!! The Victor Meyer Faberge egg I just bought! A bullet bounced off me and shattered it! Oh, you are DEAD for that, monsieur!

[...]

---

Actually, that line was AWFUL - M saying "Aw, no!!", "Oh, you are DEAD for that"?

It reminded me of Monica Rappacini in Hulk - PAD completely "losing" the character's voice in favour of his "default" voice.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
Yeah, I won't deny it was awkward that way. I just thought that the joke behind the line (and behind the line in French, too) -- about how self-centered and shallow she often is -- was funny.

Re: Dr. Rappacini, I plead ignorance. I still haven't managed to track down a copy of the Amazing Fantasy/Scorpion digest, so the only voice of her's I'm familiar with is the one she had in Hulk.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
No question about it, X-Factor # 16 is my favorite issue since the first eight. The most difficult dillema yet for Madrox; lots of Monet, including some always-welcome-for-me signs that she's more complex than a lot people give her credit for; and intriguing hints of the upcoming "mutant terrorists" storyarc.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I thought for sure he was going to absorb that dupe. Is the only exception to absorption having a virtuous life and family? Doesn't this call into question the entire reabsorption plan, ethically?
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
Wow. Good point. I honestly never thought of it that way until now. But I have a feeling PAD is going to address it somewhere down the road.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Can judging yourself- or parts of yourself- be an ethical question?
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
He didn't leave the dupe to spare the dupe, he did it to keep from hurting his wife and kid. IMO, anyway.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
He also spared himself the guilt of depriving a wife of her husband and children of their father.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I wonder if there's a chatroom or website on the Marvel internet where the dupes can communicate...
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
And what would it be called? Dupeology.com? Multiplemadness.com? Everybodyingreen.com?
 

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Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

I thought for sure he was going to absorb that dupe. Is the only exception to absorption having a virtuous life and family? Doesn't this call into question the entire reabsorption plan, ethically?

---

It does indeed.

When he re-absorbed Jamie Madrox, Agent of SHIELD, and walked away claiming that he could still here the other screaming in his mind, but that it would fade away in a few days, like it always does, I was like, HOLY CRAP!

Jamie, IMO, is not all screwed up because he's got dupes all over the place. I've come to think that he's all screwed up because he's been killing himself over and over, sometimes multiple times a day. Every time he looks in the mirror, he sees a face that he's seen before, eyes wide with fear, trying to get away from him, hoping not to die. He remembers these moments, *from both sides,* he's seeing both victim and murderer.

How can he value his own life, when he takes it on a daily basis? (And I'm not referring to the dupes that seem to come home and willingly be re-absorbed, I'm specifically thinking of the ones he's re-absorbed kicking and screaming, so many times that he's familiar with how long it takes them to 'digest' and stop 'screaming' inside of him!)

There is no real-world parallel for duplicating mutants, but his dupes are real people, fully-formed, able to have their own hopes and dreams and fears. What he's doing by re-absorbing them against their will would be akin to me having a child, and then deciding that I'm expending too much of my own resources supporting said child and *hunting it down and eating it.*

I don't think that it's the duplicating that's messing up his mind, I think it's the re-absorption. At some point, he has to learn to control the process, to stop producing these 'free-range dupes' that have their own agendas. He's already demonstrating a limited psychic link with the dupes, being able to call to them to 'come home,' feeling pain when they are hurt or slain, etc.

This sets the stage for him eventually being able to more directly link with his duplicates, to a situation where he is one mind in many bodies and not a dozen squabbling individuals.

If Professor X had ever in his life actually bothered to teach any of the mutants under his care the first damn thing about their powers, instead of just saying, 'oh Jean, you can't control this, so I'm turning it off,' or 'oh Scott, here's some glasses,' or 'oh Logan, you're all messed up. Deal with it by killing your teammates and getting mind-controlled every six issues,' I think he could help Jamie to get back the control he has lost, back to the way he was first introduced, able to produce dupes that were essentially psychic clones lacking free will, that he could re-absorb without screwing himself up by murdering himself in effigy on a daily basis and having to live with screaming people slowly dying in his mind.

PAD's really introduced some neat stuff here. I can't wait to see how it works out.

[ March 07, 2007, 08:30 AM: Message edited by: Set ]
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'm going to look bad here...

Doesn't John owe Jamie for his life? He gave the dupe a chance to be, gave up part of himself. This isn't like giving birth- Jamie gave up part of himself, his personality for John to exist. I don't deny that John has taken that small part and grown with it, but it's still Jamie...

So now that John is a separate being, Jamie doesn't have the stable, paternal side of himself anymore?
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Maybe not, but can you think of a better cause to give it up to than his own son? The baby is genetically Jaime's even if he doesn't remember making the kid. On the other hand, if he ever wants to be an active parent he'll be missing that side of his personality. Of course, without that side of personality he may never want to be a parent...

Tough issue.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
More dupe drama this issue. I did enjoy the story, but how many more of Jamie's dupes can say no before the idea gets old?

Terry and Monet take a break and we check in with Guido, Ric, and Rahne. It was some fun reading, and PAD dropped a nugget I'd like to see explored between Ric and Rhane.

Still my favourite X-book (and the only one I read monthly.)
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
In keeping with recent issues of this book, X-Factor # 17 was witty and well-written (say that last part ten times fast.)

But I'm concerned about the status of artist Pablo Raimondi. He joined the book less than six issues ago, and we've already had a couple delays and now we have a last minute fill-in artist. I hope we don't get a repeat of the Sook situation.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
After six consecutive good-to-great issues, X-Factor # 18 didn't quite satisfy me. Part of it is that Raimondi is still M.I.A., although solicits for upcoming issues seem to indicated he will be back. The choices of de-powered mutants to make up the terrorist group are not characters I particularly wanted to see again. But I take comfort in the knowledge that the Sigularity arc began to unravel until it pull itself together at the end. Hopefully, history will repeat itself.

And Peter David's wit helps make the issue more palatable. The reference to a popular TV cartoon had me in stitches, as did these lines:

VAL COOPER: And you better not screw this up, Madrox.

MADROX: When have I ever?

VAL COOPER: Don't get me started.

********

SIRYN: I work for a detective agency. How should I know about clues?

********

NICOLE: Am...I in trouble?

LAYLA: I haven't decided.

********

MONET: Remind me to kill Layla.

SIRYN: Not if I get to her first.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I know PAD loves Layla, but I'm with the other characters. She is a pain, and I'm ready to kill her.

But it's interesting seeing PAD use her to solve problems.
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
How can he value his own life, when he takes it on a daily basis?

---

Another way to look at is that not only is he continually "killing" himself, he's also being continually being "rejected" by himself. Here are parts of himself that decide they'd rather not be part of him anymore -- that their life is better than the one he has and they don't want to be part of it. Reminds me of Gogol's "The Nose" wherein a man wakes up one day to realize that his nose is missing and when he catches up to it, it doesn't want to go back to his face because it's having a much better life on its own.

I also wonder if it's significant that Layla was surprised by whatsername showing up. It's a cute joke, but could it mean something more?

[ April 22, 2007, 01:08 PM: Message edited by: DrakeB3004 ]
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I'm not feeling the anti-Laylaness. She is what she is--but I'm finding I really like the way the whole final sequence was set up.

Another pretty chilling dupe experience. As long as Peter keeps coming up with these little moral conundrums, I'm in. I can understand someone getting sick of the emphasis on Jamie, but to paraphrase, I'd read Peter David write Madrox reading the telephone book.

So if the dupe dies, his experience revert to Jamie? How does that work? I know we're not exactly on firm empirical ground with any of this, but that doesn't make much sense to me unless there is a "soul" transferral, which I'm not sure I'm willing to accept even in a comic book.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
I like Layla, but part of the reason I like her is because she pisses people off, teammates and readers alike.
 

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Posted by Disaster Boy on :
 
i love layla, she's cool. frosty cool.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
Marvel has made some noise about stuff neither being created nor destroyed recently, which is a dubious and laughable justification for strapping all of the 'missing' mutant powers on some other macguffin.

And yet mutant powers aren't the only thing that has vanished from the Marvel U lately.

Tryp 'outs' Layla as a fellow force for chaos.

According to Dr. Strange, 'chaos magic,' like Wanda (and himself, from time to time) used to use, 'doesn't exist anymore.'

Gosh, if plot devices can neither be created nor destroyed, where, oh where did all of that chaos magic go?

Seems to me that the 'non-existent' chaos magic is doing the same thing the 'non-existent' mutant powers are doing. Hanging out, waiting for the inevitable retcon.

In the case of the missing chaos magic, I theorize that it's hanging out in the form of a stocking-clad girl, sucking on a lollipop, getting increasingly impatient with how long things are taking...

Which creates the possibility that Layla might have a pair of teenaged twin brothers as well, named Billy and Teddy, also creations of a frustrated mad magic mamma.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Anyone think Layla may be Destiny reincarnated? She was "born" during the House of M.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I kind of like the idea, although Destiny's just about the only mutant that HASN'T come back to life.
 

---

Posted by Disaster Boy on :
 
i always thought Wanda just created Layla to undo her crazy work....like she created her sons.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
OK- time for Siryn and M to share scenes with some other folk. The two of them are getting a bit too claustrophobic.

The Rictor/Quicksilver stuff is *really* interesting. That last page was nicely subtle. I can almost enjoy Pietro, despite Marvel's campaign to vilify every hero who appeared before 1975.

I like the implied decay in the survival instinct perhaps caused by mutantkind's apparent near-extinction. Provocative. Speculatively quasi-scientific. In a good way.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Sounds good. Can't wait to read it on Saturday.

I like Siryn and M together. I still think they should get their own mini-series.

I re-read the previous issue recently, and caught a funny exchange that slipped my mind last month:

MADROX: Rahne's right.

GUIDO: Yup. Rahne's right as rain.

MADROX: Shut up, Guido.

Ahhhh, even after all they've both been through, the Madrox/Guido dynamic is holding strong. I'm happy.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'll echo the Siryn and M sentiment.

PAD does seem to be working the witty word play a bit tho.' Guido's conversation with Rahne felt a bit overdone.

I'm glad to see Ric isn't going to be a sideline character. I've faith PAD is just playing with us, and Ric won't give in to Quicksilver's temptations.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I read it right after I got back from the comic shop. I think it was better than the last issue. It had some much-needed action, it had the witty dialogue coming fast and furious, and it explored some intriguing grey areas in the State of Mutantkind in 2007.

My only complaint is that once again, we got the mediocre fill-in artist. I hope that this is happening so that Raimondi has time to draw the concluding installment.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Some powerful scenes in the latest issue. And I really liked that one character didn't allow his dislike for another character to keep him from saving this other character. I just hope he lives to see another day now.

Some funny stuff, too:

FATALE (as she's about to combust): Do something!

MONET: Okay.

FATALE: What are you doing?!?

MONET: Getting some distance. This is a new shirt.

Only thing I don't like is that the fill-in artist ended up doing the whole arc.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
It's weird. I liked the issue but at the end I was like, "What just happened here?" Somewhere along the way, I sorta missed the point of the plot. (If there was one.) I did like the 300 nod, though. Very amused.

Oh, and vaguely disturbed by Layla's comment about Rahne and Julio. Mostly because I remember all the weird stuff with them before and not really liking it. Let's just give Ric Shatterstar back, hmm? Preferably off panel, so I don't have to see him...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
Somewhere along the way, I sorta missed the point of the plot. (If there was one.)

---

To me, the point seemed to be twofold:

1) Never make rash assumptions, even about a corrupt institution like the U.S. government.

2) No Faustian bargain is ever worth the price one pays for it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
Let's just give Ric Shatterstar back, hmm? Preferably off panel, so I don't have to see him...

---

No, no, Shatterstar is MINE!
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'm with Cali, give Ric & 'Star a chance. Preferrably onscreen
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
There's something I forgot to post last night.

Andy Schmidt, who got the Madrox mini-series greenlighted, and who then stayed aboard to continue editing the X-Factor ongoing, has recently decided to quit editing.

This concerns me, because X-Factor has been so good up til now, and I think we all know that a change in editors can often ruin a book.

I'll admit I have something of a fatalistic streak, and hopefully my worries are unfounded, but I just wanted to prepare us for a possible decline. If it happens, I won't be surprised if the decline begins with the new editor.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Right now X-Factor has to survive three issues of tie-in to this latest crossover garbage, which hopefully it can do, having the advantage of PAD already sowing the seeds of X-Factor involvement with the whole Decimation thing.

I wonder how Layla, who seems to be a creation of Wanda's last magical mystery tour, will relate to this new event.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I recall seeing something on PAD's blog several weeks ago, to the effect that the mega-crossover has been well-planned in advance, so there shouldn't be any serious problems with the X-Factor tie-ins.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I thought this issue was particularly cruel to Rictor. I think a power like his-- one that puts an individual into enhanced rapport with some aspect of nature or life-- would be almost impossible to endure being without, once the individual encompassed it.

So, being teased with having that restored, only to lose it in one use, though that use was so the right thing to do, would be *horrible*.

Maybe it'd be a better thing if the character doesn't survive the cliffhanger.

I feel sorry for Quicksilver, too. He seems completely misguided in almost every decision, but "evil"? I don't get it.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
So-- Rictor and Rahne... whaddya think?

Cute couple or cop-out?

If Shatterstar (or some new guy) turns up, will he make three? And what would Rahne make of that?

The Isolationist-- interesting name... he has my attention, but not much has been revealed to back it up. I wonder if he's similar to Jamie-- I've forgotten what they're calling whatever special class of being they're saying that Madrox is.

M and the pregnancy test-- is this the beginnings of the Messiah Complex? Has it been stated that mutants or former mutants can't have 'normal' human children, as well as mutant ones? If not, I think the 'extinction' threat is a tad bit of a reach.

Does that imply that mutants who have children who are not mutants would love their progeny less?
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Rahne's back in X-Factor. Guess I'll have to start picking it up again. (Not that I don't like the title, I'm just watching pennies.)
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Did Rahne ever leave X-Factor? She's been there the whole time as far as I've seen...
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
i think, Arachne is referring to her time in New X-Men/Academy X, just before the X-Factor relaunch.

Rahne is there and her recent coupling with Rictor seemes a bit forced to me. It's playing off the romantic attachment both had years ago in New Mutants. Since then, they've both gone on to have relations with other characters.

Knowing thhis team, I don't think the relationship will play out all shiny happy like.

PAD still makes Siryn and Monet the most entertaining part of the book. Seeing Jamie as the messed of head of this dysfunctional group has been fun. Guido's recent job offer makes me happy, as I've never been a fan of his.

And Layla- eh
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Okay, my brain stopped functioning last night. Of course Rahne's in X-Factor.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
First of all, welcome back Pablo Raimondi! The wait was frustrating, but his art is well worth it.

And kudos to Peter David for not only bringing in a detective case, but also for dealing with a very timely and very scary real-life development that isn't getting nearly enough coverage in the mainstream media: hate groups using sweet songs and cute kids to bring people to their side.

I think Peter David quickly figured out that the madamoiselle and the colleen have great chemistry and that we would want them re-teamed.

Speaking of the madamoiselle and the pregnancy, I think it might be a red herring and another character is pregnant. You don't have to be pregnant for a bad smell to make you sick.

I don't find the Rahne/Rictor romance forced at all. It really clicks with me.

It feels to me like the first twenty issues make up one big storyarc, and this issue is a fresh start.

Still my favorite comic being published today.

And Layla rocks! Nicole does, too!
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Stealth

quote:

---

I don't find the Rahne/Rictor romance forced at all. It really clicks with me.

---

Rahne is being pretty consistent. She's always had a mother-hen (mother-wolf?) instinct, and gravitated to the 'odd man out.' Doug Ramsey, Josh Foley and now Rictor, all very similar in their seeming sideliner status, due to powers (or lack thereof) and / or former foe status.

Whether this is some sort of protective instinct turned to something else, or an indication of her own status issues (not thinking that 'someone like her' could end up with the team leader-types like Sam Guthrie or Jamie), I'm not terribly clear. As with most such situations, it's probably six of one and a half-dozen of the other.

I'm not real keen on the idea of any of the girls getting knocked up. Just because female characters have uteri, doesn't mean that they have to become part of the plot, yanno? That way lies John Byrne... And Theresa is already the poster-child for 'what *else* could possibly go wrong?' and doesn't need this added to her alcoholic, in-denial, anger issues, whateverthehelliswrongwithherthisweek. Ironically, given their natures, Monet seems the more likely to 'have an accident,' since Siryn has been shown to be pretty active, and presumably knows her way around a bottle of birth control pills by this point.

Then again, it's always fun to speculate what the mutant offspring of two mutants would be. Jamie and Theresa could have cherubic triplets with ever-increasing sonic abilities, as their voices 'synch up' to produce greater and greater levels of effect. They can be called 'Choir' or 'Chorus.' Jamie and Monet, I have no idea. Monet's powers are all over the map, with telepathy, flight, super-strength, and, just recently confirmed, invulnerability. She's like Marvels mutant Miss Martian...

Jamie and Rahne, that's the fun one. Their daughter would be Wolfpack, a waifish redhead who can turn into a *pack* of wolves.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
The latest issue was pretty good. Was that Solo...the merc who teleports??? If it is PAD fit him in nicely.

Huber is going to be very evil I feel.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I agree. And Jamie seems all too willing to go down a dark path with Huber.

The Theresa & Monet segments were great. I never saw that plot twist (re: Monet smashing through the door) coming.

There is something I did see coming; I'll put it in a spoiler box.

Click Here For A SpoilerNicole's betrayal. But even if it wasn't surprising, it was still a quite powerful scene. I hope Layla survives to get even.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Dark and disturbing, but never oppresively so. That sums up the way this book is in general, although this issue was low on humor, and next month's conclusion promises to be even grimmer. I'm counting the days even more intensely than I was counting the days for this month's issue.

Click Here For A SpoilerSo a demoralized and demented Quicksilver gets decapitated at an amusement park. If any writer was going to kill him off, Peter David was the right choice, given how he understood Pietro better than everyone else.

Monet and Siryn crossed the desert awfully fast. I'm glad they're okay, but that still felt like a cheat. Last minute rewrites maybe?

Enjoyed the guest appearances of Cyclops and Beast, even if the Isolationist played them for fools.

Turns out the Isolationist has been involved in every major event that has affected X-Factor since the first issue.

Remember what I said about how I thought issue # 21 was a fresh start? Forget I said that. It's obvious that it's a 24-issue arc, and the fresh start is going to be # 28, the first one after the Messiah CompleX tie-ins in # 25-27. But that's all right, because # 1-24 fits neatly into four trades...or a single omnibus volume.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Interview with sometime X-Factor artist Pablo Raimondi:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=131393

Since he currently seems to have an arrangement to draw only every other X-Factor arc, I've started referring to him as "The Good X-Factor Artist", the way Carl Barks was referred to as "The Good Duck Artist".
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
I'm leery about Rahne leaving, but, given PAD's track record, he can probably take *any* character, including one pulled from his butt, and make me interested in them. I sure never thought that Siryn or Rictor or 'Strong Guy' would be interesting to me...

Still, Rahne and Madrox are my favorite two characters, and she's always seemed to be a central figure, personalitywise. I'm not sure I'd call her the heart of the team, but she fits the bill better than anyone else.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I'd never looked at it that way before, but now that you mention it, she is the only character with both feet on the ground (aside from the occassional lapse, and then only when she's in wolf mode), so I guess that would make her, rather than Madrox, the glue that holds the team together.

Maybe one of the other characters will evolve into providing a similar function. Or maybe we'll have a new character that does it.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I'd never looked at it that way before, but now that you mention it, she is the only character with both feet on the ground (aside from the occassional lapse, and then only when she's in wolf mode), so I guess that would make her, rather than Madrox, the glue that holds the team together.

---

And I didn't realize it myself until I posted that. She really is the 'adult' of the team. Monet has her force field of disdain protecting her from the world, Siryn is lost in her own magazine rack full of issues, Madrox can't even hold *himself* together, let along help people with their own issues and Guido hides behind his jokes, to mask his pain.

With Rahne gone, *Rictor* is going to be the stable one of the group. Which, actually, is a good place for him to be. Mutant powers as a metaphor for the Lost Boys who will never grown up, still living in their fantastic world of make-believe, and it's only the boy who has forgotten how to fly who can play the grown-up.

{Technically, Layla is, ironically, the 'grown-up' figure of the group right now, but I don't know how long she is for this world...)
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
With Rahne gone, *Rictor* is going to be the stable one of the group. Which, actually, is a good place for him to be. Mutant powers as a metaphor for the Lost Boys who will never grown up, still living in their fantastic world of make-believe, and it's only the boy who has forgotten how to fly who can play the grown-up.

---

That makes sense. Rictor's character arc has been one of the most seamless in this book, and it definitely seems headed in that direction.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
{Technically, Layla is, ironically, the 'grown-up' figure of the group right now, but I don't know how long she is for this world...)

---

I know, and I'm hanging on to the possibility that she might not die because that would be predictable and because PAD already gave us a fake Layla death recently.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'm expecting Layla to survive her time trip during Messiah CompleX, but I think she will come out of it aged...

As for Rictor, I'm all for him getting more spotlight time, even if it is as the group's resident "normal."
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
The end of the second year was anticlimactic to say the least. Which is surprising not only because PAD usually delivers, but also because he gave the end of the first year a great climax. But there were still plenty of laughs and plenty of good character bits, and that Layla/Nicole scene joins Monet's idea of justice, and the unexpected return of Madrox's renegade dupe, and Siryn seducing Spider-Man (and too many more to list) among my favorite X-Factor scenes.

Click Here For A SpoilerSo...the Isolationist just gives up? And with the mega-crossover around the corner, who knows how long it'll take to solve the loose end involving Siryn and the psycho family (that twist was surprising to me, though).
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It did feel a little unsatisfying. I think it was jsut a rush to get things set up for the cross-over, not that PAD has to change it, just hurry through it.


I'm worried for Siryn.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Yeah, Siryn keeps getting beat up/down/whatever. Her being alone with the crazies does not bode well. Jeez, and the parents talked about mixed messages, though? Ironic.

I didn't actually feel like it was unsatisfying, though. I mean, yes, there was a bit of strange pacing and X-Factor really didn't "save the day" or "kick the bad guy's butt", but I got the impression this may be an ongoing thing for them. This sort of threat looming over them. First there was Singularity and now H...whatever his name was. I dunno. We'll see where it goes.

I just hope the crossover doesn't eff the team up too badly...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
<<Brushes away cobwebs and dust>>

Thank god the Messiah CompleX tie-ins are over for this book.

Preview of # 28:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=144039

Pablo Raimondi's still drawing every other arc. Yay!

Click Here For A Spoiler Unless PAD has a surprise up his sleeve, it looks like Monet is pregnant after all. I think that's kind of a conventional way to soften her character; hopefully PAD will put an interesting spin on it.
 

---

Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I echo your "thank God" Stealth
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
What happened to the "permanent" Bishop-style eye-M that Madrox was meant to have?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I don't really check the previews for X-Factor, but I assume Layla will be staying in this book. Maybe even aged a few years. I wouldn't mind seeing an older Layla/Jamie romance begin to go along with PAD's story.

So Rahne is out. Do we know who PAD might bring in then to replace her? I really liked her romance with Richtor (whom, I reiterate, I never cared for until PAD came along).
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
The tie-in really sucked my enthusiasm for the book right out. I hate that Rahne is leaving for Team SniktBub and I don't like Layla being killed off (or the chump-like way in which X-Factor was treated by the rest of the Xverse anyway).

Freaking crossovers. I am this close to dropping the book, but I'm going to give PAD a few issues to salvage what they've left him.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
I don't really check the previews for X-Factor, but I assume Layla will be staying in this book. Maybe even aged a few years. I wouldn't mind seeing an older Layla/Jamie romance begin to go along with PAD's story.

---

According to PAD, she won't be back "by issue #30 or even #31".

The arc starting in #33 (after the 5-part Arcade arc) then.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
[QB]So Rahne is out. Do we know who PAD might bring in then to replace her?/QB]

---

Darwin.

[ January 24, 2008, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Solicitations for the next three issues, courtesy of Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/xmen/Divided/solicitations.html

The bad news is, Raimondi is apparently only drawing the first part of this arc. The good news is that, as Reboot already mentioned, the villain is Arcade, who I think is the perfect veteran X-Men villain for PAD to write; I have a feeling this arc will be a return-to-form for X-Factor.

quote:

---

X-FACTOR #28
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by PABLO RAIMONDI
Cover by GLENN FABRY
A DIVIDED WE STAND tie-in!
Following the events of MESSIAH COMPLEX, X-Factor Investigations is in shambles. Jamie is a basketcase from his trip to a nightmarish future, Layla’s fate is completely in the air, and Wolfsbane has to leave the team to join X-FORCE, though none of her friends can know about it. What will Wolfsbane tell the X-Factor team? What are they going to do about Layla? How is Jamie coping with his guilt? Get onboard here for X-Factor’s brand-new direction!
32 PGS./Rated T+…$2.99

X-FACTOR #29
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by GLENN FABRY
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN PART 2 (of 5)
How can X-Factor be the defenders of Mutant Town when their little piece of the world is hemorrhaging its population? Combine that with Rahne already being gone and Rictor having one foot out the door, and Madrox's team finds itself at its lowest point. Unfortunately, since they're the last mutant team standing and the only game in town, that puts them squarely in the crosshairs of one of the X-Men's oldest and deadliest foes.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

X-FACTOR #30
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by GLENN FABRY
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, PART 3 OF 5
As Rictor faces down death underneath a rapidly lowering, swinging blade, the rest of the team finds themselves in a Mutant Town transformed into the vicious Murderworld of the diabolical ARCADE! But who has hired the red-haired assassin to take out our heroes? This issue ends with an explosive finale that will literally change the landscape of New York City.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC - 3/27, On-Sale - 4/16/2008

---

 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

As Rictor faces down death underneath a rapidly lowering, swinging blade

---

Shatterstar finally found out about Rictor cheating on him with Rahne?
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 

 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I called the plot twist on page one of X-Factor # 28!!

Click Here For A Spoiler I knew all along that Monet was a red herring and it's Siryn who's with child. PAD does it again.

I also called Madrox's meltdown. He's melting like the makeup with which he'd been covering the "M" brand he got in the future.

The whole issue is just bursting with wonderful character moments!

Much as I hate that Rahne has left, PAD did as good a job on her exit as humanly possible.

I love how we see both sides of Monet in the same issue -- the surprisingly compassionate side and the totally mean side, sometimes from one word balloon to the next.

Raimondi, as always, does a fine job on the art. I so wish he was doing the next four issues. Just how much lead time does that guy need away??

My only concern is that the book has a new editor (I would hope that the exit of the one who did the last few issues was meant to be temporary until they found someone who could settle in.) And I cringe whenever I see Axel Alonso's Executive Editor credit -- him and PAD had a feud a few years ago when PAD criticized the direction the Hulk took while Alonso was editing it (the Bruce Jones era.) I'm just paranoid enough to worry that Alonso deliberately wants to sabotage X-Factor (it's not as if he's been a good influence on the rest of the X-Universe.)
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I liked the way PAD wrote Rahne leaving... Jamie's frustration and Monet's bipolar reactions. Her conversation with Terry about the pregnancy wasn't unexpected.

The Guido and Rictor buddy thing was interesting. I never really saw these two hanging out much. It will be intersting to see it play out.

Jamie's monolouge was understandable, to frame the story and give readers an idea of where things stand post MC. But it got to be a bit much for me. Here's hoping it doesn't bleed over the rest of the story arc.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Yeah this latest issue was awesome! I just haven't been digging the title all that much. Good character stuff but I get bored a bit with the usual Madrox & Layla Miller stuff.

This was a break away from that. The Rahne leaving story was awesome! Good focus on each character! The spoiler made things much more interesting!

I always loved the character work. Now with Madrox and Layla trapped in the future(s?) things are really going to get interesting.

I didn't think this title was going to benefit from the crossover but I was wrong. I'm for a new direction.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Nice to see Jamie going all wild bunch on the Purifiers. Couldn't happen to a skeevier bunch of pointy-headed cretins.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
Yeah this latest issue was awesome! I just haven't been digging the title all that much. Good character stuff but I get bored a bit with the usual Madrox & Layla Miller stuff.

This was a break away from that. The Rahne leaving story was awesome! Good focus on each character! The spoiler made things much more interesting!

I always loved the character work. Now with Madrox and Layla trapped in the future(s?) things are really going to get interesting.

I didn't think this title was going to benefit from the crossover but I was wrong. I'm for a new direction.

---

I think this may well be the best X-Factor issue to date.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
Nice to see Jamie going all wild bunch on the Purifiers. Couldn't happen to a skeevier bunch of pointy-headed cretins.

---

LOL
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
The first X-Factor one-shot spinoff special brings back a character thought dead, who Peter David writes very well.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=13036

quote:

---

X-FACTOR: THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils by PABLO RAIMONDI
Cover by BOO COOK
He’s gone from the son of the one of the world’s greatest villains, to one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and then to one of the world’s greatest villains in his own right. Now, Pietro Maximoff, Quicksilver, the man behind the Decimation of the world’s mutants finds himself depowered and trapped in a prison cell, where he must confront all the demons of his past. Be sure not to miss this momentous, unforgettable story of the world’s former fastest mutant, with an ending that will have massive ramification for the mutant universe. 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

---

 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
So I lived through the "Limited Series" era, now I seem to be living in the "One-Shot" era. If it's an X-Factor story, PUT IT IN THE X-FACTOR TITLE. I cannot and will not keep up with all of these Countdown, Civil War, etc. one-shots. Problem is, then I end up on one of these threads going "So what exactly happened in ____?" Still, better that than paying four dollars for the sake of being complete. I'm too old and too poor to be a completist anymore. Oof--I'm coming off a a bit bitter today.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Most of Marvel's one-shots (e.g., the various Gage Thunderbolts one-shots) are fill-ins by another name. This... this is bizarre. Utterly bizarre.

It's the same price as a standard issue ($3), the same size as a regular issue (32pg) and by the same creative team (PAD/Raimondi). It's X-Factor #31.5, there's essentially two standard issues in the same month. Just one isn't numbered.

And what makes it even weirder yet is that one-shots typically sell a significant percentage less than a numbered issue...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
X-Factor themed Q & A with Peter David
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.2855

Apparently, there's a new artist and TWO new members (one of which is presumably the already-announced Darwin) coming...
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.2862.X-Factor_Q%26A:_PAD
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Every time I tried to get on to marvel.com, my computer froze.

Could you please cut & paste the articles?
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Pretty thin gruel of an interview, IMO.

Click Here For A Spoiler With a team name like X-Factor, unpredictable change has a way of finding you out.

X-FACTOR Writer Peter David, never a fan of letting his characters rest on their laurels for too long—or ever—has recently begun putting his squad back together in the wake of their losses post-"Messiah CompleX."

These things don't come easy, though, and X-Factor has a little more way to go before they reach the light of day. Marvel.com caught up with the prolific scribe to talk about what's in store for the only official team of mutants in the Marvel Universe at the moment. Marvel.com: X-Factor seems to be a little depressed lately, with Layla Miller trapped in the future and Rahne leaving the team. Why has this hit them so hard? What will it take to get out of this rut anytime soon, or is there only more bad news on their horizon?

Peter David: Rahne and Layla were literally the heart and soul of the team. They didn't even realize how much they needed Layla until she was gone. It's like someone shut off the lights, and for the next few issues they're shouting against the encroaching shadows of the darkness. The next few issues will really blow the entire world of X-Factor to hell and gone. That doesn't mean there will be endless bleakness, though. By the end of the current story arc, X-Factor is going to be left in a better place than they are right now.

Marvel.com: Has "Messiah CompleX" altered the team's mission statement at all?

Peter David: They've been redefining their mission statement ever since House of M, really. They're the most street-level team in the Marvel Universe, and thus are the most directly affected by major events.

Marvel.com: Speaking of "Messiah CompleX," Jamie still has a dupe trapped in a potential future. Have we heard the last of that plotline yet?

Peter David: No. That will definitely be revisited.

Marvel.com: How is Siryn handling the fact that she's pregnant with Madrox's child? And, for that matter, how will the team respond to the revelation?

Peter David: Different members of the team will respond in different ways, although I certainly think some version of "Holy crap!" will be a consistent reaction. As for Siryn, she's in turmoil, but also oddly at peace about it.

Marvel.com: Arcade will soon be paying a visit to the "Middle East Side." Why has he chosen now to make his reappearance?

Peter David: For the best reason of all: Someone hired him. Someone who has a very specific reason to resent the hell out of X-Factor.

Marvel.com: X-Factor will be moving their base of operations soon. Anything you can tell us about that?

Peter David: Well, sure, but why spoil it?

Marvel.com: You've got a crossover with SHE-HULK, which you also write, coming up—how'd that come about?

Peter David: Literally because fans asked for it. People kept saying, "We'd love to see She-Hulk and X-Factor run into each other." And I agreed. So we're doing it.

Marvel.com: Will we be seeing any pointy-eared aliens infiltrating the book in the near future?

Peter David: Secret Invasion will play a factor in the X-FACTOR/SHE-HULK crossover, yes.

Marvel.com: You just wrapped your first arc on SHE-HULK, what else will Shulkie have to face before her crossover with X-Factor?

Peter David: First she'll have to deal with the fallout from issue #26, and that's going to involve visits from some unexpected associates. Then she goes to Cleveland to try and arrest Bran the terrorist, only to run into the man who was responsible for her being disbarred. Issue #29 will feature the full story of just how she lost her bar card, and issue #30 features a guest appearance by Hercules.

Tomorrow, X-Factor Week continues as we announce, speak to and preview the book's brand new artist! And right now you can check out the catalogue of Peter David over at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Oh yeah, the first 'article,' which was basically a heads-up of what they were gonna do on the following days.

Click Here For A Spoiler An "x-factor" generally refers to an element one can't see coming; the unpredictable intangible that throws everything around it into a state of chaos; the "wild card" that means all bets are off.

In the Marvel Universe, X-FACTOR means all those things as well as one heck of an entertaining ongoing series starring Jamie Madrox and the world's most dysfunctional team of mutant private investigators.

Over the next few days, Marvel.com gives our buddies at X-Factor Investigations more than a little love with "X-Factor Week," a thrill-a-minute look at the former Multiple Man and friends chock full of Q&A sessions, features and exclusive announcements on the future of X-FACTOR.

Here's a sampling of what to x-pect…

TUESDAY: Our weekly Tuesday Q&A snags X-FACTOR writer Peter David, who chats about the new direction for his team spinning out of "Messiah CompleX," a crossover with a certain green goliath he also guides the destiny of, and speaking of green…how an upcoming "Invasion" will affect X-Factor. All this and more, including…a new home?

WEDNESDAY: A new artist for X-FACTOR gets announced exclusively on Marvel.com! This x-citing name is no stranger to Peter David or X-Factor, so stay tuned for the major announcement!

THURSDAY: Another exclusive announcement of two new members joining the X-Factor roster! Who will take their place alongside Madrox's current band of misfits? You can only find out on Marvel.com!

And that's just some of what we've got in store for Jamie, Guido, Siryn, Monet, Rictor and the rest! It's X-Factor Week and anything can happen!
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
Thank you, Set.

I haven't read PAD's She-Hulk since the disappointing first two issues; based on the lack of "buzz" on this board or any other, I assume it hasn't improved. Having said that, I look forward to his X-Factor/She-Hulk crossover, because his X-Factor/Hulk crossover from the early 90s was excellent.

And I hope the new artist is not only good, but, more importantly, able to maintain a monthly schedule.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
X-Factor # 29 is great!

After the intense character moments of recent episodes, we seem to be in for a fun (but still dark) romp for a change of pace. With a vintage X-Men villain, yet. And there's still plenty of the usual great banter.

I've never heard of Valentine DeLandro before, but the art is excellent. Shame it's only for one arc.

So, who's the new "regular" artist going to be?
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Larry Stroman
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
LOL

I disliked his art a lot more back during the early 90s PAD/Stroman X-Factor v.1 run than I do now.

Long as PAD keeps writing top-notch scripts, I'm there.
 

---

Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I liked Monet's "Three's Company" comment.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
And the new members are Darwin and... LONGSHOT?!

http://marvel.com/news/comics.2890
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Orignally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
I liked Monet's "Three's Company" comment.

---

I liked it too. Brings back memories of watching that show, dubbed in Spanish, as a kid. Most of the double-entendres got lost in translation (that's probably why my parents allowed me to watch it), so to me it was just slapstick fun.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:
And the new members are Darwin and... LONGSHOT?!

---

I'm happy with Longshot joining the team. I've always liked him. Plus, the team has had so much bad luck lately, they could use him.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I liked Monet's joke. But as a telepath with her own personal moral code, it seemed a bit out of place. She's rather young to be watching that old show.

Ric's response to Rahne was spot on for me. I'm not one for Dear John letters; if you had something to say, you'd make sure to say it.

As for the new recruits... Darwin is a cypher to me. But Longshot? Trust PAD to take all those Shatterstar requests and give them a twist
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
She's rather young to be watching that old show.

---

Not necesarrily. It was only a short time ago that Three's Company was heavily rotated on TV Land, and even today it still shows up in the wee hours.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
PAD talks X-Factor/She-Hulk crossover



Try to keep an open mind, kids.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Darwin and Longshot?

I'll be getting this anyway, but if I were on the bubble, their introduction to the team certainly wouldn't induce me to continue with it.

In other words, *yawn*.

I suppose Madrox and co. on Mojoworld is therefore inevitable. Double *yawn*.

Darwin, at least, is pretty much a clean slate. It'll be interesting to see what Peter David does with his powers, if anything.

Hmmm. Isn't Longshot Shatterstar's father? Or something?

Wonder how Rictor'll react to him if he knows that...
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Huh. X-Factor # 30 continues the Arcade arc, and while PAD's portrayal of this veteran X-villain is on target, something about the story seems off. The sight gag involving Monet's encounter with high voltage doesn't work for me, because it minimizes the danger that the characters are supposed to be in (and the way she starts addressing teammates by other names has got me totally confused.) Rictor's escape from the deathtrap doesn't work for me, either, it seemed way too easy. The dialogue seemed off, too; the wittiest moment was not verbal but visual, when we get a glimpse at Arcade's Space Invaders socks.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It was fun and entertaining, but it didn't have any weight to it. But that's okay, I like the occassional "fun" story. Monet's bit made me smile, and Jamie's rather chivalrous dupe brought a smile.

This is that quirky book PAD is known for, and with Longshot joing, I'm hoping to see more of it.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Avoid the X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead one-shot. Its only connection to X-Factor is that Quicksilver has an imaginary conversation with Layla. It's obvious that it's just a Quicksilver one-shot with the X-Factor name tagged on to attract more readers...which I wouldn't mind except that Peter David seems to be writing on autopilot, just like last month's issue of the real X-Factor, and Pablo Raimondi's art is uncharacteristically inconsistent -- Pietro imagines seeing his sister Wanda, who looks lovely in one panel and ugly in the next panel.

Click Here For A SpoilerAnd if you're wondering if there's any point, it's that Quicksilver regains his super-speed powers by thinking happy thoughts. Meh.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Now we just need to get Dani some powers and House of M will be completely undone.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 


Just when you thought X-Factor was back to its regular programming...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16477

quote:

---

X-FACTOR SPECIAL: LAYLA MILLER ONE-SHOT
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by BOO COOK
Trapped in a future she never made, Layla Miller finds herself smack in the middle of the Summers rebellion that was responsible for the eventual liberation of mutants from the camps. The only question is, will she survive it?
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

---

 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I liked X-Factor #31 better than the previous issue. It's still not prime PAD, but it's closer. Monet had a memorable moment for the first time in a while, which I'll post about in the Monet thread. The tone shifts to a straightforward suspenser about the destruction of Mutant Town (did anyone really think it wouldn't be destroyed?), and PAD's gift for creating engaging characters with just a few lines of dialogue really shows here in his portrayals of the disaster victims. There's only one thing that concerns me...

Click Here For A SpoilerVal Cooper's line at the end: "Now I work on finding Madrox...and tell him how things are going to be from now on." Dear God, they're not going to end up working for the government, are they? That's turning back the clock to PAD's previous X-Factor run, and the return of Larry Stroman is already more than enough misguided nostalgia.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Got to say, I was underwhelemed with it as well. I thought we were going to get a great moment with Rictor, and instead we get that? And Arcade's final fake out? This feels like a holding pattern til PAD could line things up for the cross-over.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Aren't there any Legion World-ers other than me and CJ Taylor who are still reading X-Factor?
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I'm still reading, but the last couple of issues didn't inspire. I actually kind of like Arcade, in small doses, but he didn't seem... whimsical enough here. I agree about the fact that events seemed to be leading up to a big moment for Rictor and then... eh.

I'm sort of dreading the She-Hulk crossover. I've been fairly disappointed with that book since PAD took over, though Jadzinda(?) is a fun character and a good addition to the cast.

I think the time being marked is mainly until the X-Universe resets with the upcoming #300. I'm also somewhat put off by the cast additions that have been announced, leaching away some of my appreciation for this title.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Thanks for replying. I share some of your concerns, and I dropped PAD's She-Hulk after his first two issues, but I have a feeling the crossover is going to be a pleasant surprise. And I still have enough faith in PAD that he'll find a second wind on X-Factor (actually, by my estimation, it would be his fourth or fifth wind.)

I really make an effort to post in this thread every single month, because X-Factor restored my faith in super-hero comics after the first issue of Infinite Crisis left me feeling gutted and depressed, so this comic means a lot to me. I think that, even though there hasn't been a really good X-Factor issue for the last couple months, it's still better than 95 percent of other super-hero comics, and I'm still a passionate supporter of it, and I'm proud that I've helped keep this thread afloat when most others have dropped into the archives long before the 31st issue.

I'm not asking anybody to match my devotion, but a greater number of posts in this thread would be much appreciated. I want this to be the first Legion World thread about a monthly comic to reach the magic 2500 posts.

So I ask everybody at Legion World who's reading X-Factor to please share your thoughts on it every month. Thank you.
 

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Posted by Pov on :
 
Layla's getting a one-shot spotlight, with PAD hinting at more plans for her. YAY!
 

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Posted by Lard Lad on :
 
I'm a fan, Stealth, but I'm very far behind, having only read the first three trades at this point. I hope to pick up the fourth (and the MadroX trade that's kind of a prologue) soon, but will probably skip all the Messiah Complex stuff. I'm pretty sure an all-X-Factor fifth edition (trade or HC) hasn't been covered yet.

I am getting back to where I will start collecting monthly titles again but haven't decided whether I'll be doing that with X-Factor since the trades have read so well. Is the monthly still going strong saleswise?

Anyhow, I hope you can see how this makes it difficult to participate in this thread and its discussion of current issues!
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Thanks for the explanation, Lardy. It definitely helps me see the big picture more clearly.

You can, and IMO should, skip the Messiah Complex tie-ins.

Regarding the sales...

http://www.comichron.com/MonthlyRankings/Diamond2008/DiamondApril2008/tabid/301/Default.aspx

According to that chart, X-Factor is still selling over 50,000 copies a month.

38 X-Factor 30 $2.99 Marvel 51,437

And when placed alongside the book's sales history, 50,000 is pretty good. Hopefully the changes ahead won't affect that average too much.

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/05/01/marvel-month-to-month-sales-march-2008/#comments

quote:

---

28. X-FACTOR
03/06 X-Factor #5 - 46,490
=====
03/07 X-Factor #17 - 38,067 ( -0.4%)
04/07 X-Factor #18 - 37,851 ( -0.6%)
05/07 X-Factor #19 - 37,898 ( +0.1%)
06/07 X-Factor #20 - 37,105 ( -2.1%)
07/07 X-Factor #21 - 50,227 (+35.4%)
08/07 X-Factor #22 - 52,627 ( +4.8%)
09/07 X-Factor #23 - 53,311 ( +1.3%)
10/07 X-Factor #24 - 52,085 ( -2.3%)
11/07 X-Factor #25 - 79,066 (+51.8%)
12/07 X-Factor #26 - 84,219 ( +6.5%)
01/08 X-Factor #27 - 81,350 ( -3.4%)
02/08 X-Factor #28 - 61,173 (-24.8%)
03/08 X-Factor #29 - 54,832 (-10.4%)
6 mnth ( +2.9%)
1 year (+44.0%)
2 year (+17.9%)Drifting back to normal levels after “Messiah Complex.” Issue #28 picks up an extra 4,601 copies with a second printing, so the drop isn’t as steep as it looks. Like UNCANNY, X-FACTOR is still up on “Endangered Species” sales, and miles above its pre-crossover levels.

---

 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/06/05/marvel-month-to-month-sales-april-2008/#more-5461

quote:

---

38. X-FACTOR
04/06 X-Factor #6 - 45,220
=====
04/07 X-Factor #18 - 37,851 ( -0.6%)
05/07 X-Factor #19 - 37,898 ( +0.1%)
06/07 X-Factor #20 - 37,105 ( -2.1%)
07/07 X-Factor #21 - 50,227 (+35.4%)
08/07 X-Factor #22 - 52,627 ( +4.8%)
09/07 X-Factor #23 - 53,311 ( +1.3%)
10/07 X-Factor #24 - 52,085 ( -2.3%)
11/07 X-Factor #25 - 79,066 (+51.8%)
12/07 X-Factor #26 - 84,219 ( +6.5%)
01/08 X-Factor #27 - 81,350 ( -3.4%)
02/08 X-Factor #28 - 61,173 (-24.8%)
03/08 X-Factor #29 - 54,832 (-10.4%)
04/08 X-Factor #30 - 51,447 ( -6.2%)
6 mnth ( -1.2%)
1 year (+35.9%)
2 year (+13.8%)Another “Divided We Stand” arc, although that really just means that the book has gone back to business as normal with an extra logo on the cover. Considering that X-FACTOR used to sell consistently at 37K, it’s benefitted hugely from the “Endangered Species” back-up serial in issues #21-24 and the crossover in issues #25-27.

---

 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
X-Factor # 32 is, in my opinion, another issue that doesn't quite click.

Except for the double-twist ending -- that was clever and showed off PAD's ability to subvert what at first looks predictable.

Anyway, I'm not giving up on this book. After having thought about it a lot, I'm now actually looking forward to Larry Stroman's arrival next issue! I find almost as many things wrong with his weird style as most people seem to, but I also think that there's a tremendous energy to those early 90s PAD/Stroman X-Factor issues that the current X-Factor has only had in fits and starts. So I'm hoping that Stroman can help PAD find that energy again.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Too much is hinging on Val Cooper, a character that just doesn't make sense to me anymore. Is she anything but a fairly stereotypical bitch/government lackey? I don't get it, if so. She's like a shorthand link to the old X-Factor, without illumination.

I'm not fond of the five-month jump. But at least we won't have to read interminable morning sickness and hormone jokes. I am curious how it'll fit in with the rest of the X-corner of the MU.

I liked that Jamie figured out Siryn was pregnant (I'm reading Layla as a projection of his own thoughs to himself, rather than as a truly existing entity, sent or resident in his mind).

I've decided I'll give Darwin a chance; his powers could be interesting. But PAD's gonna have to work a miracle to get me to care about Longshot at *all*.

I'm glad Rictor stayed with X-Factor. He's probably my favorite, though Madrox is up there.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I liked that Jamie figured out Siryn was pregnant (I'm reading Layla as a projection of his own thoughs to himself, rather than as a truly existing entity, sent or resident in his mind).

---

I think there's a little more to it than that, because it just seems weird to me that we've recently had both Quicksilver and Jamie seeing and talking to Layla. What I hope this means is that she's coming back sooner rather than later.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
It did feel like a placeholder issue. Nothing happened except the team moved from NYC to Detroit. The story started with Val demanding they become gov't lackeys, and it ended that way.

Layla's appearance just makes me think Jaime's unhinged... I liked it better when he had an external monolauge with himself ala` ish #1.

And Val is nothing more than a plot device these days. I see her and think Gyrich from the 80's.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I think there's a little more to it than that, because it just seems weird to me that we've recently had both Quicksilver and Jamie seeing and talking to Layla. What I hope this means is that she's coming back sooner rather than later.

---

Layla one-shot in a couple of months.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Reboot, did you miss this post from the previous page of this thread?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:


Just when you thought X-Factor was back to its regular programming...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16477

quote:

---

X-FACTOR SPECIAL: LAYLA MILLER ONE-SHOT
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by BOO COOK
Trapped in a future she never made, Layla Miller finds herself smack in the middle of the Summers rebellion that was responsible for the eventual liberation of mutants from the camps. The only question is, will she survive it?
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

---

---

When I said I hope Layla comes back, I meant to the present day.

[ June 19, 2008, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
I lost interest in this book several months ago. It's too bad - it used to be one of my favorites.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
If, or rather, WHEN, X-Factor gets better, this thread will be the first place to report it.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Or maybe not.

It's taken a lot to make it happen, but it's happened: after reading the 33rd issue, I'm losing patience with X-Factor.

First of all, Larry Stroman. I was expecting his art to be bad, but not THIS bad! It looks like John Romita, Jr. trying to draw after drinking too much cough syrup. I'd never realized until today just how much the Glynis Oliver's coloring over Stroman's early 90s X-Factor helped make it readable, along with PAD-in-his-prime's high quality writing, of course...not a million miles from the Jim Fern issues of L.E.G.I.O.N. where the talents of Alan Grant and Lovern Kindzierski transcended Fern's dreadful art.

That was then, this is now. The coloring on today's X-Factor is drab in a way that's all too typical of these times, making Stroman's art even uglier. Then there's PAD's script. How does a writer fluctuate the way he's been doing on X-Factor?? I mean, I can objectively accept that the peaks and valleys have been taking place for most of the book's run -- for example, I think the first eight issues are great, then nine through eleven not so good, then a great conclusion to the singularity arc in twelve. But I don't think there were any truly bad issues until 26 and 27, the second and third Messiah CompleX tie-ins. But THEN 28, the aftermath of Messiah CompleX where, among other things, Rahne leaves, was possibly the BEST-written issue to date. And I think the Arcade/destruction-of-Mutant-Town arc got off to a great start but went downhill like a snowball. So now it's come to...THIS -- jokes that sputter where they once sparkled, characters that are flat where they were once fully-formed, set-ups and situations that fail to involve where they once inspired joy and devotion.

In fairness to PAD, I really think there must some kind of problems between him and editorial, which would mean that my worst fear has come true.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth (In June of 2007):
Andy Schmidt, who got the Madrox mini-series greenlighted, and who then stayed aboard to continue editing the X-Factor ongoing, has recently decided to quit editing.

This concerns me, because X-Factor has been so good up til now, and I think we all know that a change in editors can often ruin a book.

I'll admit I have something of a fatalistic streak, and hopefully my worries are unfounded, but I just wanted to prepare us for a possible decline. If it happens, I won't be surprised if the decline begins with the new editor.

---

It recalls the decline of Amazing Spider-Man in the 1980s when Roger Stern left less than two years after beginning his run; Stern says he left because his chemistry with editor Tom DeFalco (who had just been taken off the Spidey books and promoted to Special Projects Editor) was so perfect, that he knew he could never be as good with a different editor (ironically enough, the writer who replaced Stern was...Tom DeFalco.) Looks like PAD would have been wise to follow Stern's example. Then this 2nd PAD X-Factor run would be remembered the way that the Stern Spidey run -- or, more to the point, the 1st PAD X-Factor run -- is remembered today: brief but brilliant.

And yet, I'm STILL not ready to give up on this book. THAT'S how much I love what X-Factor has been at its best -- and maybe still can be.

I'm making 35, the first issue after the Secret Invasion tie-ins are over, the cut-off issue. If it's not PAD's best script since 28, I'll...well, most likely I'll keep buying X-Factor, at least for a while, but probably won't post about it anymore.

Time will tell.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I was not impressed with the artwork either. Facial close ups were what really bugged me. But from pencil to colouring, it's a drastic change from the rest of the series, so I'll give myself a little bit of time to get use to it.

PAD's cast seemed one note this issue, but he spent most of his time on the newbies. I'm not liking the Val dynmaic, but I don't think we're suppose to anymore than Jamie does.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Not a fan of this art, either. Especially the faces.

I did like learning that Monet had memorized the bios of known surviving mutants.

Who else might have done that? Will this be remembered?

I thought the transition from Longshot and Darwin's fight to Jamie meeting with their client was both clever and maddening. The line "I'm looking for my son," sent my mind straight to Shatterstar. He is still considered Longshot's son, isn't he?

Of course, there was no search for Rictor's old boyfriend. The 'son' in question is Darwin.

Uncovering a hidden Skrull could have made for a nicely atmospheric noirish X-factor story. Instead it's a fairly typical superhero slugfest, awkward team-up.

Disappointing. It's just one more issue of SI crossover, though, right?
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
So did anyone get the SHE-HULK crossover issue?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Well, the art was so bad on this last two-parter that I couldn't enjoy the story one bit. That's unfortnate.

I also did not like the previous issues with Val Cooper. PAD has a tendency over the years to really lay it on too thick with the 'government are a bunch of evil assholes' routine. He does so here.

Another PAD tendency I hate is his involvement with every crossover. And yes, I've read over and over his rationalization for it and I don't buy into it.

So even though I like the title and love PAD's writing, the two things he does that bother me the most are present lately, combined with distracting art.

Not dropping the book (by a longshot) but hoping this all goes away quickly and we can get back to the PAD's X-Factor I've come to enjoy. Plus Detroit is so ripe for jokes that I'm looking forward to that.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
This last issue was meaningless to me. I don't know Darwin from a hole in the wall, and I'm not interested in why Jen is being such a raving freakshow of a character all of a sudden, when she used to be one of my favorites.

I got this the same day as Legion of Three Worlds, which had me *far* more engaged, so it felt like a chore to read anyway.

The useless damn crossovers are destroying this book for me. It just can't get any momentum without everything ending suddenly and anticlimactically to make room for the next pointless crossover that also has nothing to do with the book. Seeing Longshot (whom I haven't liked since his original mini-series with the Art Adams artwork, when I thought he was the coolest thing, ever), in the last issue made me think I was reading an issue of Exiles, which I shook like a bad habit when Claremont decided to reboot the series.

Too many lame endings. Hubert gets bored and walks away. Quicksilver and his wannabe mutant gang kinda vanish. Arcade shows up and does about fifty gabillion dollars worth of work, and, as usual, kills none of his intended targets. This book has just yawed from one epic fail to deliver a complete story to the next epic fail to deliver a complete story.

Bored now.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
With only hours to go, I've managed to make my monthly X-Factor post.

I didn't think the ending of the Secret Invasion/She-Hulk tie-ins was as bad as the beginning, but that's really not saying much. It was cool to see Monet delivering a right hook to the Skrull's jaw, though.

I'm surprised no one's commented on the X-Factor: Layla Miller special. I thought that one had good jokes, good art, good characterization...even if in the end, it's really all for nothing. As Paul O'Brien (http://thexaxis.com) said in his review last week:

quote:

---

I rather suspect that this is a story designed to give at least some closure to a character who is being written out for the foreseeable future.

---

If that's the case, then it's yet another nail in the coffin for my interest in this book.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
Another PAD tendency I hate is his involvement with every crossover. And yes, I've read over and over his rationalization for it and I don't buy into it.

---

I haven't read his rationalization, but I do know he hasn't been enamoured of EVERY crossover. He hated Acts of Vengance, and deliberately requested the lamest villain available for his tie-in issue of Hulk.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
This book has just yawed from one epic fail to deliver a complete story to the next epic fail to deliver a complete story.

---

I don't entirely disagree with you, but I do think the Singularity arc of the first twelve issues works as a complete story; I don't think it's perfect -- among other things, it loses momentum with the second half of the Civil War tie-ins -- but I find the last issue of that arc more than satisfactory.

And finally, I have to once again stress that I think the book's loss of direction has to do with the loss of its original editor. PAD's justly celebrated run on Hulk worked because he had the same editor from the Las Vegas stories (which is IMO where it changed from merely a superior action/superhero book to a distinctly PAD superhero book) through his final issue (although it did jump the shark in its last couple years because of Onslaught/Heroes Reborn, but that's a whole other discussion.) Personally, I have a feeling that PAD won't be on this book much longer, and when he's gone, he'll be replaced by someone who will bring it completely in line with the mediocrity of the rest of the Emperor Axel Alonso era of the X-Books.
 

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Posted by Pov on :
 
Yah, Stealth!
 

---

Posted by Uranus Lad on :
 
Count me also amongst the disappointed former readers of X-Factor. The art is amazingly bad (I think the artist uses a balloon as a nose-model) and the story suffers quite a bit because of that. I also get the feeling David has given up on it. I mistakenly bought the Skrull whatever tie-in that I couldn't care less about and that was enough to sour me. Too bad, I really liked this book at one time. It was refreshing to see a more realistic approach to super people, with characters who don't always have to retain the moral high ground or conversely don't occasionally turn into berserk maniacs a la Wolverine. Oh well, it's a couple of bucks savings to me a month I guess.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Uranus Lad:
Count me also amongst the disappointed former readers of X-Factor. Too bad, I really liked this book at one time. It was refreshing to see a more realistic approach to super people, with characters who don't always have to retain the moral high ground or conversely don't occasionally turn into berserk maniacs a la Wolverine.

---

Well said.

I dropped it after # 35. I thought it best to make a clean break instead of hoping in vain that next month's issue (and then the next month's, and then next month's after that...) would be better.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
I've not been getting it either. I do, however, note that the guy who did the last Mutant Town story and the Layla one-shot is doing the two most recently-solicited issues (#37-38) at least...
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Four days later, not only has a third issue (#39) now been solicited with Valentine DeLandro (who did #29-30, #32 and the Layla one-shot before) as artist, but PAD's now said at CBR that his "understanding is that Valentine Delandro is going to be doing the book regularly, but the way things go in “X-Factor” land, that could be changed by the time this response sees print."

DeLandro's an "okay" artist rather than a great artist, but they're about a thousand percent better than Stroman. If DL, or another artist with a style which is closer to Sook, Calero, Raimondi, et al* becomes the official regular artist, I might start picking up the book again...

*Yes, I'm well aware that there is a difference between (e.g.) Sook & Raimondi's art, but they fall in a range which Stroman is a few hundred thousand clicks outside of.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Delandro is..."acceptable" to me to continue. But what I really need now is for PAD to get back into his groove.

For really no real reason I can explain I loathe Detroit as a comic book setting. I'm going to try to ignore it but its not helping.

Still buying hoping for an old-school "PAD turns things around in two issues" type moment.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
The story has been “off” since the big mutant cross over. I wasn’t impressed with that and the X-Factor moments didn’t satisfy. Marvel needs to keep the X-books united in some fashion, and there was a sales bump during the x-over, so mission accomplished there. But is it worthwhile in the long run?

We’re free from cross-over madness for a bit, PAD will hopefully get a chance to run with his stories. It’s his comments about editor shift and artist shuffle that give me cause for concern. Why can’t this be a Moon Knight or Punisher or Iron Fist book that gets left alone and earn it’s way?
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Okay, I think a full week is long enough...

SPOILERS FOR #40, ESPECIALLY THE ENDING. DO NOT CLICK IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW! And, really, the issue all comes down to the ending, ultimately. The rest of the issue is just there to sell us that Madrox has reached such a low that, yes, he would kill himself - with "John Maddox" to represent the Madrox of days gone by. And it *is* something that needed space, even after last issue's overtly shocking events, to be sold. [As for last issue, briefly... it doesn't make sense. PAD thought of a twist that no-one would see coming because it doesn't make sense, and the added explanation THIS issue means it makes LESS sense - Why didn't the dupe manifest at full size, as his dupes always do? If it was a "hysterical pregnancy", that means there was never an embryo - and on that score, the "revelation" that M had one too and shrugged it off means what; does she still have some sort of latent dupe inside her? - and it's meant to be some sort of telepathic thing? It's the black hole of plot holedness, and every attempt to elucidate just makes the event horizon bigger]

And to the ending of #40. This is one that PAD went far too far with his shilling of - if it had come out of nowhere, without stuff like (and I quote from the recap page) "the ending of this issue will quite simply blow you away" [he went even further elsewhere, saying it was more shocking than Baby Dupe, but that's actually IN THE ISSUE], it might have worked. As it is, Adult Layla is something we knew was coming [and have done since #13], just not "when", and trying to sell it the way he did sabotages it.

Given that losing Layla sent the book into a quality death-spiral - far more so than losing Rahne did - I'm glad to see her back , but this had the potential to be something like the Conquest Prologue, with a dawning realisation followed by a smile, and it ended as "oh, that's it?"

Oh, and then PAD went onto his blog and said (quote tags don't work inside spoiler tags, unfortunately):

"I will say one thing about the ending, which readers of this should feel free to repeat on any thread anywhere, spoiler or not:

Most people are assuming that the last page is exactly what it appears to be.

That's a mistake."

Now, my best guess based on the future solicits is that he meant "Layla's not planning to stay in the present, she's going to pull Madrox back into the future with her", but really not improving matters, Mr David. If it turns out to be Not Layla, I will feel actively cheated.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
After finding # 39 surprisingly good, I read # 40 at the store but left without buying it. I thought it was talky and dull and meh. Madrox's instability and lack of faith have been way too drawn out -- he had his meltdown what, a whole year ago?

Click Here For A SpoilerEven Layla's return -- if that's really her -- didn't excite me. Much as I'd love X-Factor to find a definite direction again, I don't have any confidence that it will, unless the X-Editorial goes through a reshuffle.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Preview for #41: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=2229&disp=table

More or less exactly what I expected to happen...
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I actually didn't see the PAD warning in #40 and when I read it, I thought it was really great. The last two issues have been very good, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

But 'Boot is right--the ending didn't punch me off my chair. I'm glad I didn't see the 'warning', I might have felt let down.

But if its not __, then yeah, I'd feel cheated too. If it is, well then THANK HEAVENS, because X-Factor has really needed something to get it back on track.
 

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Posted by LardLad on :
 
Having just read 39 and 40, I wanted to say that I really enjoyed them. The reaction of Theresa to what happened was raw and visceral. And I thought 40's story was very good. X-Factor has always been best, IMO, when it concentrates on Jamie and all the complications inherent in his strange existence. When PAD goes there, my interest always goes up several notches.

That said, like 'Boot, I'm not sure the explanation of what happened with the baby makes any kind of sense. I guess I'll just suspend disbelief for now and hope the ride is worthy of that particular speedbump.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So I caught up on the latest two issues (forget the numbers, so maybe another has come out since I bought them). All in all, its not bad and I think PAD has regained his footing a bit. However, the series is still not great; its still not as good as it was.

I'm glad to see Layla back and I actually like that she's aged a bit. I even like the potential Madrox/Layla romance that will build over time. That whole thing is something I'm enjoying, and I'm looking forward to when Jamie meets back up with Siryn and Monet with Layla.

But the potential future timeline thing...ugh. I'm so tired of these stories. And I still can't help but feel like it doesn't count because I know how fickle comic book continuities are. The Dr. Doom thing actually didn't feel right to me at all. I hated it.

Meanwhile, the other stories are moving along but don't really feel that interesting.

The art is okay. I miss the noir, darker, scratchier feel.

And the Rictor/Shatterstar kiss? Well...it felt kind of forced. Like PAD was encouraged by the internet and basically let them dictate where to take the story. It just didn't feel right. Maybe he can turn that around. I only really know Rictor from this series and barely know much about Shatterstar, so I could follow the story anyway he takes it, but he needs to make it feel natural. Hopefully he will.

I'm still enjoying but I don't think I could honestly encourage people to start buying again or not drop the title.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
While I've grown to like Layla, I still think of Jamie and Rahne as a couple, in my head.

Naturally, I choose the only (female) member of X-Factor he *hasn't* been hooked up with...

The 'kiss' did seem fairly shocktacular, and I'm kinda waiting to find out that it meant nothing (Shatterstar then goes on to kiss Guido, and says, "What? I've been in Mojoworld for X years, it's how we say, 'hi.' You don't do that here?") or something, to make it feel less like a gimmick.

While I'm all for more of the gay in comics (and, if at all possible, some gay characters who don't necessarily fall over with their legs in the air for *every* other gay person they meet), the driver shouldn't be taking direction from the passengers, and sometimes, two dudes can even be friends, without it meaning something deeper.
 

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Posted by Reboot on :
 
Take a look at the X-Factor #50 cover, Set.

And Teh Lobe hinted at this in his X-Force run, PAD didn't pull it up out of nowhere.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
While I've grown to like Layla, I still think of Jamie and Rahne as a couple, in my head.

Naturally, I choose the only (female) member of X-Factor he *hasn't* been hooked up with...

---

I do thatall the time. Sometimes with characters who've never actually met.

Yeah, Loeb dropped hints, but his run was a complete disaster, so I've got no problem if other writers ignore it.

I can't comment much on David's take, since I'm still behind on reading it, but I got the impression that Shatterstar initiated the kiss, which seems rather out of character regardless of sexual orientation.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:
Take a look at the X-Factor #50 cover, Set.

---

Any idea where I could see that? CBR doesn't have any reviews newer than 46...
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
You should be able to find it in the (October?) solicitations.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
It's at the top of this PAD interview, which also includes him discussing it: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22080

Incidentally, before my last post? I saw Set's post before Cobalt's, and actually thought of the Madrox/Layla kiss first. That gave me more (...think American...) squicks, considering that part of it was obviously trying to get us to stop thinking of her as a 11-year old kid now please.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I can't comment much on David's take, since I'm still behind on reading it, but I got the impression that Shatterstar initiated the kiss, which seems rather out of character regardless of sexual orientation.

---

He was half-passed out, having just snapped out of mind-control, and Rictor grabbed him.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
#49-- Shatterstar now has some sort of teleport/transport power? Or alien technique? Or hidden tech?

Suddenly, his kissing habits (this issue, Val's on the receiving end) aren't the most interesting thing about him.

Sure hope that's not how he greets his rumored father, Longshot.

The Rictor/Guido conversation was fun-- laced with silly innuendo and real-seeming doubt.

I hope reunification happens with that big number next month-- the split storyline's not my favorite. Doom's been all kinds of fun, though, and probably makes it all worthwhile.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
No word on number 50?

I'm not a fan of Jamie or Layla, so the resolution to that story has been a long time coming. And with no Siryn or Ric, this issue had too many hurdles to overcome for my approval.

Not bad, but not interesting to me.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
While the plotline for #50 was kind of 'meh' to me, I'm pleased with the revelations about Layla.

Honestly, I'm more excited about the series going forward with #200 and what's in store. I'm glad to put these Detroit-centered issues behind us.

I'm down on this series yet, mainly because a PAD-written Madrox and Layla is enough to keep me going, but hopefully the series will return a little to what it was at the beginning in terms of 'spirit'.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So X-Factor is renumbered with #200 and another jumping on point arrives. And I say, good, because the title needed a little back to basics approach and thats exactly what it feels like here, with all of the drama and emotional baggage of before hanging over the characters heads and keeping me intrigued every step of the way.

The storyline "The Invisible Woman has Vanished!" isn't anything spectacular thus far in and of itself, but the "spirit" of X-Factor seems to have returned under PAD's pen with this issue and it was enjoyable. Thus far we have the beginning of what could be a nifty little detective yarn, and hopefully that's the case. More importantly, we've got Madrox & company back in NYC doing what they do best. Monet quickly rejoins the cast (as you'd expect) and by now I don't even mind that Darwin and Longshot are around. I just wish Wolvesbane still was.

Layla's story continues to interest me so I'm glad PAD isn't making us wait too long.

The Richtor/Shatterstar thing to me still feels contrived but I'll go with it and see if PAD can pull it off. More than anything, I just want Shatterstar to be 'awesome'; there is a little bit of that here with his fight with the Thing, but its not quite right yet. It might be his look. But Shatterstar is the guy who killed Masque and chopped off Reaper's hands. That should always be there in the background of his scenes.

Being a #200 issue, it had some extras. Most importantly was what I thought a great Siryn back-up with Reverend John Maddox, who is always a welcome addition here. I thought it was a solid moment for Terry to move her along to wherever she is going next. I felt it a little groan worthy that a return to a relationship with Deadpool was hinted at but I guess there's precedent (none of which I ever read). Its amusing to me that the numbering is at #200 because X-Factor is a rare Marvel title that is absent from our collection. We never collected the original title other than when I picked up the issues of X-Cutioner's Song, X-Tinction Agenda and Muir Island Saga a few years back. But I like when comics have a history to them, so I don't mind this at all.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I liked this issue, too. I like PAD's take on Shatterstar, although I think his hair's too short and the sword blades coming out of his sleeves are even dumber than the double bladed sword. I thought the fight with the Thing was well in character. I do agree that they should show his more ruthless side soon.

I just wish I liked Rictor more.:7
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
I'm really waiting to see if PAD is going to do anything with a meeting / conversation between Longshot and Shatterstar, who are, ostensibly, father and son.

I'm not hugely impressed with the writing of late. PAD does really neat characterization, but his action / adventure bits fall flat for me, sometimes being resolved really anti-climactically, where there should have been, at some point, a 'crowning moment of awesome.'

I'm less interested in the Rictor / Shatterstar hookup than I am in Guido's reaction to it. Here we have a main character in the book who *isn't* reacting well, which I think is ten times more interesting than having the main cast shrug and / or give speeches about open-mindedness. It makes Guido feel more 'real,' to have him reacting adversely to Shatterstar's offer of a hand up.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
I'm really waiting to see if PAD is going to do anything with a meeting / conversation between Longshot and Shatterstar, who are, ostensibly, father and son.

---

They're ostensibly not - the sole source for that comes from an offhand suggestion (and joke on the writer's part) that Dazzler name their baby "Shatterstar". That in itself (and the reaction to it) played a big part in them THEN having Dazzler miscarry, such that Longshot now doesn't have a son.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I liked this issue, too. I like PAD's take on Shatterstar, although I think his hair's too short and the sword blades coming out of his sleeves are even dumber than the double bladed sword. I thought the fight with the Thing was well in character. I do agree that they should show his more ruthless side soon.

I just wish I liked Rictor more.:7

---

Where's the love for the earthmover? Ric and Star both played well off each other better than they ever did on their own. The original X-Force was where they came into their own, and since the AOA they haven't been the same.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I wish Ric'd get his powers back. That issue where he rhapsodized (eulogized?) over the way his abilities made him feel causes me to pity him more than anything.

I realize it's a somewhat unique place to spring from, from a writer's pov. Probably what attracts PAD to Rictor.
 

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Posted by superboymddjr on :
 
whoa whoa...I am so much much behind those X-lore.....you saying that Rictor and Shatterstar are lovers and Rictor is dead? is that right? Guido's a homophobe ?? sorry that does not ring true to me because Guido has been working in the Enterntainment too long should know better that there are huge # of gays/lesbians working in the entertainment and rock music bands. I bet Lila Cheney would give him a lecture when she finds out that he's a bigot.

as simliar to Superboy giving a holler to Spark in Superboy and the Raver on Hero's homosexuality.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Guido hasn't been a bigot at all in the series. He's made some odd remarks is all. One of his teammates - one he presumed straight based on interactions with Rahne and Monet- has shown a gay side. Guido is acting off balance, not homophobic. It's almost like he thinks his jabs are funny, but they aren't.

It's the sort of light hearted banter he'd have with Jamie back in the old days. With Jamie being all emo now, Guido has found a means of cracking wise with Ric and 'star.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
No, Rictor's not dead- he's just powerless. And Guido's as surprised by his reaction to Ric and Shatterstar as you are. Maybe it's because Rictor was involved with Rahne up until she left to become an assassin in X-FORCE and Rictor wasn't exactly forthcoming about his apparently on-again/off-again relationship with Shatterstar. (Well, except to Jamie Madrox, anyway...)
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:

I just wish I liked Rictor more.:7

---

Where's the love for the earthmover? Ric and Star both played well off each other better than they ever did on their own. The original X-Force was where they came into their own, and since the AOA they haven't been the same.

---

I've just never liked Ric as much as I like Shatterstar. You're right about them not being the same after AOA. Loeb's messed up origin of Shatterstar kept them both out of comics for years.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
So there is X-Nation:X-Factor out this week. Our group of outsiders pay a visit to Utopia. Hilarity and philosophy ensue.

'Star and Ric meet some of their old teammates. Ric gets a bit jealous, Star gets a bit mouthy. But in a fun way.

Dazzler and Longshot bump into each other. Repeatedly. Lastingly?

Darwin has a chat with Xavier, and that brings out what little conflict this issue has. It's a little underwhelming and surprising in this new Utopia.

Jamie and Scott discuss their differences again. Jamie plays the mouth piece for anyone that's questioned the mutuant movement to the former Asteroid M. He asks all the questions I've been asking since I heard this story. Scott's/Jamie's rebuttal- what else can we do?

It's a nice bit, a fun read that does capture X-Factor. Hope it works for the sales of the on-going title.
 

---

Posted by Dev Em on :
 
Behind on reading the trades for this...gotta go to the library soon.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:

Dazzler and Longshot bump into each other. Repeatedly.

---

Hee-hee!

I enjoyed reading this, too-- particularly the bit where Emma, Namor and Magneto appear, causing Layla to crack up due to dialogue between Cyclops and Madrox.

I also liked Rictor's ongoing jealousy (though I would've liked it if someone flirted with Ric and made Shatterstar a little jealous-- or something).

Was that Iceman that shot a pouty little flirt at Shatterstar? I wasn't sure, due to the coloring in one panel.
 

---

Posted by Lardi on :
 
Having read X-Factor 200 recently, I was prepared to be knocked dead with its quality based on the reviews here and elsewhere. But I wasn't, not really. It wasn't bad or anything, but it didn't feel like the fresh start I was hoping it would be.

I did enjoy the art in the lead feature a good bit. It had a touch of grit and shading to it that fit really well into the mold of what Jamie would characterize as a "noir" book, It's funny but Guido actually looked kind of handsome and not at all the slightly freakish and disproportioned fella he usually appears to be. He was rocking those shades!

We'll see how this story progresses. I'm not wild about the prospect of this title becoming "Marvel Mysteries" featuring rotating guest stars, if indeed that's where this title is going. Franklin and Valeria were pretty entertaining though, and I am wondering what the heck's goin' on with Reed and Sue.

What's more disappointing is it appears we're not leaving the events of the overcomplicated last arc in the past. The ending with Layla and Doom certainly seems connected to that storyline. I'm all for Layla continuing with the series, but getting away from that future-past thing is something I really want the series to do. Maybe PAD will surprise me?

So the backup lays the groundwork for Teresa to do some healing and forgiving that will likely lay the groundwork for her return. I'm all for reuniting the gang, so that gets us a step close (though I still want Rahne back).

We'll see what the coming issues bring, but I'm not entirely enthused by what I've read of the 'new' direction.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Well I didn't see that coming.

PAD introduced us to two stories last issue - the missing Invisible Woman and Monet's kidnapped father. I was expecting a team split, but PAD does like to give us the unexpected doesn't he?

Lardi, I do think Layla's time with Doom will be very brief this time. The pace to this story just feels faster.
 

---

Posted by Chemical King on :
 
This is the last Marvel title I'm buying, and though I often don't know where the story is going, it somehow always manages to entertain me. The future story was not really to my taste, but the new storyline should be a good one - the Richards children are fun to read, and a focus on sexy Monet can't be such a bad idea.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
#202-- Alternative timeline (or whatever) Reed is creepy. So is Sue's little fantasy (but giggle-worthy, nonetheless). If Sue, Monet, Emma and Namor are ever all in the same room together, there oughtta be some first-class snark handed out.

Outcreeping them all is the Layla/Doom... what would you call it? Business arrangement? Relationship? What? He's... well, maybe not smitten, but intrigued by her. And she-- she's even more 'gray' than I thought.

What was essentially a romp took some dark twists, to be expected when ol' Doc Doom's involved.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
There's always some well timed quips and character bits in this book. The alternate time-line is a staple of comics, I'm liking that little throw back.

Monet v Namor in a battle of the 'tude! You know PAD could make a great mini out of that.

Doom came across a little understated. We're suppose to fear him on rep alone in this story?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Man, I'm not feeling the last few issues of X-Factor at all! Something needs to really happen soon, because I'm barely able to get through the issue.

*If* the murder of Darwin and Longshot in the latest issue actually really happened, that would get me interested. Especially since those are the two X-characters I think I care the least about in the entire history of mutantdom. But I doubt it, especially for Longshot.

I'd really hate to cancel X-Factor but something has got to change. That goes for all the X-titles.
 

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Posted by Officer Taylor on :
 
Yeah, X-Factor did not survive my recent Marvel purge. I think I can distill why down to it just not seeming to be about anything anymore (if that makes any sense).

That issue with the birth of Madrox's dupe baby seemed to promise a more intensely personal series but never delivered on it. It's what drew me back, but Peter just seemed to shy away from the topic ever since, jumping into that convoluted and confusing time travel arc and then relaunching as something else. The Rictor/Shatterstar thing is very interesting, but the story keeps the topic at such an arm's length that we can't really sink our teeth into it. I think PAD has burned himself out or been so burned by editorial edicts that all the fun's gone out of it for him.

It hurt a little, but I had to let it go.

[ May 13, 2010, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Officer Taylor ]
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
The only thing I can compare it to is when PAD's run on Captain Marvel seemed to hit a point where it just meandered around aimlessly without giving me anything to read about.

I like these characters under PAD's pen, but none of them are characters I've ever cared about before, so I have no great attachment to them. My interest in them lives and dies on what PAD has planned for them and so far, outside of Monet, I haven't seen much of anything.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
The latest issues, with the return of Rahne and the cool Hela/Pip story, have been a move in the right direction IMO. And it needed it, because the story before this was pretty weak.

I have one complaint though: PAD can't write a tough guy character worth a lick it seems. He writes strong females in a good way, but his strong guys just don't cut it. As much as he's trying, Shatterstar is not coming across bad-ass at all. Guido is more dorky than tough. He needs to re-find his Hulk mojo for writing a tough guy lead.

Darwin & Longshot are still hella-annoying.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
#213: I could've done without the opening scene, frankly. It does set the stage for Darwin's departure and Madrox's efforts to convince him to stay, though. Followed by the team- well, Banshee (once Siryn), mostly, weighing in.

Pip the Troll, formerly a guest-star hiring Madrox and company, apparently joins the cast, complete with nefarious motive. There's some hilarity between a sun-bathing Monet and Pip and an amusing scene as Siryn, Shatterstar and Rictor discuss the paternity of Rahne's child. Interestingly, Rictor suspected he wasn't the daddy.

Rictor finds Rahne and they share a nicely-modulated, character-rich scene that avoids all the obviousness such a scene might have wallowed in. Gotta say, she was unrecognizeable in the art, though.

A transitional issue, this won't likely appeal to readers who haven't been following the title- though particular fans of Pip, Monet, Rictor or Wolfsbane would find something to smile at, I'd think.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
#214: Darwin has a dream(?) encounter with a strange group of folks inhabiting an abandoned Old West ghost town theme park. Lots of surreality, but the revelation that the gunfightin' sherrif's mother is Rahne Sinclair floored me. My initial reaction was, not more time travel, please.

All the dialogue previous to that revelation about a 'real' coming Apocalypse unrelated to the mutant bearing that name, along with 'real' four horsemen, again unrelated to those who've served in that capacity, was made much more compelling. End of the world stuff ahead for X-Factor only? The larger X-verse? Marvel Earth in general? Not my favorite mythological imagery, but attention-getting, that's for sure. Nothing like a little '666' to raise a little dread...
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
#213 of X-Factor gave the series a long needed break from longer-than-necessary stories, like the last one involving Hela, and helps get the series back on track a bit. I’ve said that before though and the inconsistent nature of the series is a bit annoying. But this issue was very good and provided the right amount of characterization and moments for each character on the team to remind us why we like them. It also tied up some loose ends in the quintessential PAD way, with some humor and moments where characters show some added depth to them.

Overall, I’m still enjoying the series enough to keep collecting it. But it’s the smaller, in-between issues that are saving things, as PAD just can’t seem to pull together a coherent story with some real tension & plot other than ‘someone is trying to hurt X-Factor’, and then he hardly ever gives any sense of resolution to it. His writing wasn’t always like this—I hope he can recapture his mojo.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So in the latest issues PAD totally crossed into "preaching to the reader" territory in a way that made me roll my eyes. I swear, I remember PAD used to be subtle about these things. Did I dream it?

That being said, I'm still enjoying the series quite a bit, more so recently than I have in quite awhile. The characters seem more "themselves" and the recent storyline is pretty interesting (as compared to several dull ones previously).
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
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).
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Thanks, Cobie.

I figure the next trade will be out soon. If I like it as much as "Happenings in Vegas", I'll start buying X-Factor again.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by MLLASH on :
 
SO, are Rictor and Shatterstar in this, and if so, are they a couple? They appeared to be in YOUNG AVENGERS Children's Crusade # 6...
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
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).
 

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Posted by Dev - Em on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
'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!
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
They both hit my metaphorical spot in that YA issue! So I'm down with this! In fact I am going to Amazon now while I am thinking about it...
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
OMG!!! DENNIS CALERO IS THE ARTIST?!?! I LOVE HIM!!!!

Okay, but I only see ONE X-factor Investigations trade? Dev says above there are several so I will check again!
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
Okay now I see more... a LOT more. I'll google this to make sure I only order the correct trades. I see Calero only on the first one? That's okay, I think I like that other artist too.
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
Copy/pasted from eBay to give me a sense of where to start:

This new X-Factor team is an investigation team started by Multiple Man, Wolfsbane, and Strong Guy. This first trade paperback listed is Multiple Man's solo limited series that sets up X-Factor Vol. 3.


•Madrox: Multiple Choice
◦Madrox #1-5
◦Cover Price: $13.99
•X-Factor: The Longest Night
◦X-Factor Vol. 2 #1-6
◦Cover Price: $14.99
•X-Factor: Life and Death Matters
◦X-Factor Vol. 2 #7-12
◦Cover Price: $14.99
 

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Posted by Pov on :
 
I jumped off with the renumbering and constant derailment by tying into the latest Event...
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
Hmmm... I hate crossovers with events...
 

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Posted by MLLASH Siegel on :
 
Maybe I'll check the library
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Shatterstar doesn't show up for quite awhile. #43, I believe.

PAD likes participating in events. His usually aren't cookie cutter entries- his manage to read like an issue of the comic he's working on, rather than event interruption #4 of 5.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Now for those who're already reading:

I wish the wolf-baby would get born already- it seems like Rahne's been running for months! It probably ain't gonna happen, but I wish the daddy would show up... It occurs to me that the goings-on in NEW MUTANTS involving trips to Hell and Hel and possibly Asgard would've been a great way to tie in Rahne and X-Factor. I'd love a team-up between these two groups. Imagine the dialogue between M and Magik... or between Strong Guy and Warlock... maybe Sunspot and Magma could even get actual dialogue!
 

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Posted by MLLASH on :
 
My CBS had several copies on the shelf so I just bought what they had, which was issues 220-224. If I enjoy these I'll keep getting it but *southern accent* I ain't fixing to try to figure out those back issues/trades.
 

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Posted by Future on :
 
I adore this title. Sure, it has its plotlines or issues which don't hold my interest perfectly - but not an issue goes by where there's not a line I smile about or an idea that makes me go "ooh" for five seconds. Really, not a lot of books do that consistently.

Just finished #224. I'm beyond glad Rahne finally had her child. What I'm not beyond glad about is that even though this storyline is probably wrapped up for the moment, it doesn't look to be the end of Crazy Wolf Gods Mythology and other things in the near future. I don't mind a pestering ghost of Feral, but all these other characters and demons coming with her aren't holding my interest well. Hopefully a break in focus will be what the doctor ordered.

Not sure how I feel about Rahne Click Here For A Spoilerspurning her own child - even if it was one psycho looking, killer wolf baby. I can understand her surprise, but her reversion to 13 year old "crazy religious Rahne who can't do anything but curse herself" felt a little out of right field for some reason.

I'm perplexed about the upcoming, marketed death. There's actually no one in the cast, barring perhaps Longshot, that I'd be willing to lose from the title (let alone have killed).
 

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Posted by Debbie T. Tastic on :
 
MARVEL COMICS! remember them? They're still around, I think...

I read X-FACTOR 220-224 tonight in one sitting and was rather entertained, despite it featuring one of my least-fave comicbook tropes (the pregnant superheroine), which speaks volumes for Peter David.

Notes for future comics-writers: Superheroes having babies never work out. Don't go there, please...

Despite enjoying it overall there probably wasn't enough to bring me back, for now.

But a nice diversion from DC it was.
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
I borrowed the follow-up trade to Happenings in Vegas, and I didn't think it was as good. Even my girl Emanuela couldn't get me involved with the stories.

I'll check out the return of Havok & Polaris next month, and we shall see where I go from there.

Lash, the Madrox mini-series, the first four X-Factor trades are all must-owns. Since then, the series has periodically promised to re-scale those heights, but never quite has. IMHO, of course.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I'm right with you, FL. In fact, these last couple of weeks I've been seriously hemming and hawwing about whether to continue with X-Factor. The situation is IMO, the DCnU was much better than I thougth and I'm buying more comics from DC; meanwhile, the independent companies are just killing it these days and I'm buying more from them. So I have to make a real decision on whether I really want to continue buying some series that I'm just not loving.

And X-Factor is paramount among them. I've been buying since the Madrox mini but like FL says, after about the first 30 issues of PAD's run, the series lost something that its never been able to recover. Everytime it gets to where it feels like its just about back to being great, it reverts back to mediocre.

I think I'm out...I'm going to tell my CBS that I'm canceling the series. It's just dragged on for too long for me.
 

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Posted by Set on :
 
X-Factor, Avengers Academy the current Children's Crusade/Young Avengers mini-series are about all I get from Marvel now.

The X-Factor crew, IMO, has gotten too big again. It's hard to really focus on characters I'm interested in (Madrox, Rahne, Monet, mostly) when there's so many other characters in the scene. I'm sure fans of Guido and Siryn, etc. probably feel the same way, that their favorites aren't getting enough attention because of what seems to be a heavy focus on Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship, etc.

I am amused with how PAD plays with fanon. For the second time, he's had Shatterstar *almost* bring up what his relationship is with Longshot, only to have Longshot cut him off...

In retrospect, the scene on Utopia island, a year or so ago, where Longshot and Alison (Dazzler) are watching Longshot talking with Boom-Boom/etc. and talking about him seems pretty potent stuff, the two of them basically watching the 'son' they never got to have living his life.
 

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Posted by Lard Lad on :
 
I've been off-board since shortly after the renumbering. Have they gotten to the issue yet where someone gets killed off? If so, who?
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I think the killing you mean happened in this month's #227, Lardy. With Peter David, there could be a lot of misdirection occurring.

Click Here For A Spoiler Madrox is apparently killed on the next-to-last page by one of his dupes... a dead one, possibly possessed by the villain of the piece, Bloodbath.

But relax...

Click Here For A Spoiler He wakes up on the next page in a totally different location and circumstance.

I enjoy this book much more than others here apparently do. I'm looking forward to Havok and Polaris, though I agree the cast is already a bit crowded for noirish/detective agency stories. Handy for those two-issues-in-one-month that keep happening, though. When the team's split in two, as it so often is, then things don't seem so crowded. I think Longshot should move on. To me, he doesn't add all that much. Everyone else is a keeper, though.
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Looks like I'm going to be buying X-Factor again, at least for one arc.
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
So I decided to start picking up the issues leading up to 250 and the Hell on Earth arc.

246 is a mildly amusing focus on Pip the Troll that ends with...

Click Here For A Spoiler...Pip being shot.

I already knew from internet spoilers that PAD has been severely pruning the cast in recent issues, and the cover for 250 only shows Madrox, Layla, Shatterstar, and Rictor.

If Monet does get written out, I hope it's not in a horrible way.
 

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Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
247 focuses on Madrox and Layla and a zombie Robert E. Lee and foreshadowing of Hell on Earth to moderately entertaining effect.

The real meat is the art accompanying the "Next Issue" caption. Combined with an offhand comment from PAD in the letters column, it would seem that...

Click Here For A Spoiler...Monet is not long for this world.

But I still have enough faith in PAD that he'll genuinely surprise us, and that Hell on Earth will be worthwhile. Heck, at this point I'd be satisfied even if it was only as good as the Vegas arc guest-starring Thor.
 

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