Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities MadroX and X-Factor Investigations

Responses like this one makes the work going into these reviews very much worth it! I'm definitely behind on reviews (I'm almost on issue 49!), but a response like this should get me back in gear. Spoiler-free comment: It's still damn good!



I'll keep an open mind. I can't just ignore a revival of a character I like so much!

X-Factor Vol. 4: Heart of Ice

Collecting issues 18-24, this volume consists of two story arcs.

The first arc, covering 18-20, deals with the X-Cell problem that was introduced in the previous volume and also brings the ongoing Quicksilver as mutant messiah subplot to the forefront and to a conclusion. Rictor has a big role in this that teases the possibility of his powers returning. Former mutants are rallying around Pietro with some extremists trying to start a terrorist movement.

This arc is my less favorite of the two. For one, I have already voiced my displeasure with Pietro in the book, so an arc bringing him to the forefront would not be my favorite. On the plus side, he's basically gone from the book after this volume (as far as I know), so there's that. And while Rictor and the rest of the team have their moments, the smaller non-action-oriented character scenes that I think make the book so exceptional are few and far between. There's also a lot of characters floating around, former known mutants affiliated with X-Cell left and right, some I knew but many I had almost no familiarity with. It's interesting to see Callisto from the Morlocks, but I could care less about most of the X-Cell affiliates.

Also, Khoi Pham does most of the art in those issues. He's competent but doesn't deliver the deftness with facial expressions that Raimondi and the other X-Factor artists exhibit, instead featuring a somewhat more exaggerated, borderline-manga style. I can see he restrains it here a lot from what I've seen him do before to try to match this book's tone, but he's not quite there. This may be why PAD made this arc more action-oriented.

The second arc is much better and features a character called the Isolationist, who is revealed to have manipulated some recent events in the book as the arc progresses, including, it turns out, a seemingly secondary mission in the same arc that features Siryn and Monet trying to reunite some grandparents with their grandchildren, who happen to be touring as gospel singers with an anti-mutant message. Meanwhile, the rest of the group are approached by the Isolationist as Josef Huber about putting the mutant cause forward as a political movement. The group brings Cyclops on board, and it looks like a huge march on Washington by mutants former and current will soon be in the offing. However, Huber has ulterior motives for trying to get all mutants together in one place. Luckily, his plan is stopped before it ever gets there.

Again, I enjoyed this one a lot more. The quieter scenes are back, including a couple involving Rahne and Rictor that feel very earned and human and pay off their connection that's been building over the series and even in some previous stories they've shared. Some of these coupling can feel kind of dropped in for shock value, but this one feels perfect. A positive pregnancy test is found, which opens the door as to whom it belongs to. There's also a harrowing few moments for Layla as she falls victim to an unexpected facet of Huber's plan, but her ability to overcome her peril becomes Huber's plan's undoing. And then there's Rictor's unexpected role in the final battle with Huber and how an explanation for it is not forthcoming. (I've read thru issue 50, and it hasn't been given yet. After issue 50 is mostly unexplored territory, so I have very little idea what things PAD may still explain or perhaps leave dangling.) It's a good, compelling adventure that highlights most of the characters very well during its course. It is all aided and abetted by the welcome return of Pablo Raimondi and the earliest X-Factor work by its next major artist Valentine de Landro, who will be featured as the primary artist thru issue 50.

Thus begins the stretch of issues from 18-38 that comprise the first batch of issues that I have read for the very first time. This trade was a delight, and, I'm happy to say, the rest of the stretch is entertaining as well--but I'm getting ahead of myself!

X-Men: Messiah CompleX

Set between X-Factor Vols. 4 & 5 (and including X-Factor 25-27 among the chapters) is this massive 13-part crossover that I decided to buy and read because I really wanted to see for myself what happened to our X-Factor cast. And there are certainly some effects on our cast that are far-reaching that I will get to.

Basically, this crossover deals with the appearance of the first new mutant to be born since the events of House of M, in which the Scarlet Witch causes the mutant population to be drastically reduced and the race's future compromised. What ensues is a race between several different factions to obtain the baby for their various purposes.

I'm not going into any real detail on the story and its outcome, which, typically, is more of a to be continued scenario that will play out further in future X-titles but not so much X-Factor, except for how some of their roles therein impact the book going forward.

The first big role for an X-Factor cast member goes to Rictor, who is asked to infiltrate the mutant-hating Purifiers to see what they know about the baby and if they have it. Rictor, I might add, seems to stand out among all the X-titles as possibly the most notable of the depowered mutants. His role here makes me think that there aren't really any other significant former mutants to speak of among the heroic ones. It's pretty much him and Quicksilver, and the latter has (thankfully, for me) no involvement in this story. Rictor is used well over a short arc in the crossover, and his storyline here impacts Vol. 5 in an unexpected way.

Another big role in the crossover is for Rahne, who joins a strike force that effectively begins a new iteration of X-Force. This will impact the book hugely as she will move on from X-Factor for quite a while as this X-Force spins off into a new book.

The biggest impact, however, for X-Factor moving forward is the mission that Jamie is given to send two of his dupes to future timelines that may hold a clue to what is going on with the baby. We follow one of his dupes, with Layla unexpectedly tagging along, to a bleak future where mutants are kept in a concentration camp. They get tortured, branded with facial "M" tatoos and eventually learn that one of their fellow detainees becomes an X-Man in the past and can't be trusted with the baby's safety, him having his own agenda. Layla kills the dupe to send his findings back in time to the prime Jamie, leaving her stranded in the camp. We won't see Layla for a while, which will effectively leave us minus her and Rahne in the cast for the immediate-to-intermediate future.

Anyway, I did find Messiah CompleX a worthwhile read. Beyond the obvious significance to the book in question, it was fairly well told and cohesive in its storytelling. Sometimes, it gets lost in its huge mass of characters, and some artists within are better than others. And it's undeniably important, not only for X-Factor's future but also to how the book has been closely tied to the mutant plight post-Decimation from Vol. 1 on. This moves that storyline somewhat forward and also resolves some things for other books, such as a subplot for Rogue that proves crucial. I'd overall recommend this crossover to anyone seeking to read the complete X-Factor run, but I can't say it's absolutely essential. If I do another future re-read, I'll probably skip it that time. But I feel it was overall worth my time.

That is such a classic scene. And, like PAD often does so well in his work, he offsets the tension with humor (Rahne with a bullhorn: "Rictor, ye bleedin' idjit! D'ye see any Shinto shrines here?" ) before delivering the gut-punch payoff.



Great issue. And, FTR, I am among the very few who never found Layla bothersome. She's what the Brits would call a "swot." As I have been my entire life.

One of my favorite moments in this entire 100-plus issue run!







In all these years, it had *never occurred to me* that Monet filled the same role as Pietro in PAD's X-Factor Mark 1 run! Now I'm all like, "Duh," or, "Coulda had a V-8." That's a really good insight, Lardy!

Agreed 100%.



I love all of the above, but especially the last one. Gods, after all these years, and all the crapola that Marvel's put its universe through, I still wish we'd had a "Monet & Siryn" mini-series.



Reverend Dupe is a brilliant creation. As in other past works of his (I'm thinking specifically of Hulk #370, where Bruce is helped out by an initially suspicious, but ultimately charitable, married couple,) PAD shows how good he is at writing devoutly Christian characters without being patronizing nor pious.

[quote=Paladin]Pablo Raimondi does the majority of the artwork this volume (as he did Vol. 0 and most of Vol. 2), and he is one of the best artists of the series to date. His clarity and gift with facial expressions are much appreciated and strike the perfect note. X-Factor will be blessed and cursed with a revolving door of artists, but Pablo deserves a lot of credit for both the volume and quality of his work that helped define its look.

Raimondi is my second favorite of the long list of X-Factor Mark 2 artists (my favorite, naturally, being Emanuela Lupacchino.) His style reminds me a lot of Darick Robertson, but more low-key, almost hyper-realistic.

Yeah, I hear you, my friend. This was the best lineup of X-Factor Mark 2, hands down. I have to wonder how the next few arcs would have gone if Rahne hadn't been taken out of the book through editorial fiat.

Yeah, PAD is one of the few still-active writers who tries to tailor his scripts to suit the designated artist's strengths. Even so, Pham's art really took a lot of the momentum out of the book, in my opinion.



At the time I read this arc, I remember being really bothered by what I perceived as an unsatisfying ending that really took the wind out of my sails. I'll have to re-read this trade and see if I still feel that way.

The pregnancy subplot was great stuff. I clearly recall that, when myself and other Legion Worlders were discussing these issues in Real Time, I was the one who called the red herring with Monet. Damn, I'm good.

I loved Scot Eaton's art in the X-Factor tie-ins to this event story, and I dearly wish he had been Raimondi's replacement as default artist instead of DeLandro.

At the time, that was pretty much the only positive I took away from Messiah Complex. "Decompressed Storytelling," or whatever the current term is for it, has really been the death of event storylines. X-Cutioner's Song, and other early 90s events, may have their faults, but at least they were jam-packed with all manner of action-oriented thrills. MC reminded me kind of the Avengers Korvac storyline...all that waiting and waiting and waiting and then, "pfffft," it turns out to be a dud firecracker. But today, MC actually holds up pretty well, at least by the different set of standards of superhero stories in the past decade-plus.

Welcome back to this thread, Annfie! I was beginning to wonder! I mean, if there was ever a topic for Fick-click-bait, it's this one!!!



Yep! Rahne on the bullhorn was classic! I definitely should have mentioned it!



I didn't find her bothersome during this re-read. I can't recall if I did the first time I read those three trades (which is how I originally experienced them and the Madrox mini, not as individual issues), but knowing some of what was coming in issues 39-50 (which I DID originally read as individual issues), I was more looking for clues and hints of what was to come.

FYI, I also read House of M when it originally came out, so I was familiar with her role there and was probably curious to learn more about her. Curiously, though, coming into this re-read, I'd forgotten she wasn't a PAD creation until the narrative reminded me. PAD really made Layla his own, though he has credited Bendis with giving him some input. I just can't imagine Bendis' influence was more than just a suggestion or two.

It was pretty darn shocking--and cool! Makes me wonder, though, if a distinctive dupe like that one dies, does it necessarily mean he can't ever manifest again? I assume the answer is "no, he can't", but it seems like something pretty close to him could manifest again if enough dupes are produced, say, at one time.



I think it occurred to me because this re-read has made me realize how much I dislike Pietro. I think your mileage may vary, but that dislike made me think about what, if any, dynamic he's ever added to the book and how Monet made that irrelevant.

I don't know if PAD took that into account when he decided to include Monet, but she quickly became so much more than the "ice queen" of the group. I really just freaking LOVE her and especially how her vulnerable moments are well-chosen and significant. I knew nothing of her Generation X history but what we later learn of it sheds a lot of light on her persona.



Was that ever in the works or just a wish you had? Of course, such a project could only be written by PAD!



Love me some Rev. John Maddox!!! His appearances in issues 40 and 200 are both excellent! (I think the story in 200 might actually be superior, imo.) Y'know, it seems that if dupes eventually lose the ability to duplicate over time, then they might also be unable to be reabsorbed by Jamie, as well. Also, that sexual complication also goes away, and maybe they're just sterile?

I know! Rahne is such a HUGE loss! But I think her absence makes some of the turmoil the team soon goes thru more understandable to some degree.



I suppose it wasn't decisive, but my biggest takeaway from the conclusion was the team's rescue from a certain icy death and how it gave the original lineup one last triumphant moment before the troubled times ahead.

Regarding the pregnancy, as later explained, it wasn't exactly a red herring. I liked how this was explained later on.



I actually think de Landro did a very good job overall. Again, the facial expressions were on point. In fact his style was pretty compatible with Raimondi's, that similarity possibly being what turned you off.

Thanks for the warm welcome-back, Lardy!

Agree that PAD defined Layla himself, even tho he didn't technically create her. Same with Madrox and Guido.

Strangely enough, though, he seemed to enjoy writing Guido much more during his XF Mark 1 run. Not to dismiss the many powerful and memorable scenes (and funny lines) that he gave Guido during Mark 2, but Guido was pretty much the breakout star of Mark 1.

All that said, one of my favorite speeches he gives Madrox in Mark 2 is in the Re-X-Aminations issue, where Madrox is pining for the supposedly more innocent, carefree days of remote-controlled mayo jars, i.e. Mark 1.

Re: The more distinctive dupes, that was one of so very many unexplored nuggets of great potential. Gods, I hope PAD gets to write Madrox again someday!

As for Pietro, I actually like him quite a bit, precisely *because* he's a pompous, supercilious jerk, and makes no apologies for it. Perhaps he'd have come off better in Mark 2 if not for all the baggage that got piled on him, by other writers, right before Mark 2? But, yes, Monet was a much more three-dimensional iteration of that personality-type, and she fully transcended the trope. As for Monet's Pre-PAD self, she had her moments, but none I'd call truly essential reading.

That hypothetical Monet & Siryn mini-series was, as far as I know, just a dream...just a dream...

Re: The Reverend Maddox, I remember 40 quite vividly, but not 200. Will have to dig out that trade -- issues 200 through 210 are probably the ones I re-read the least often. (211 is Emanuela's first, and part of an overall improvement for XF around that time.)

Re: The pregnancy, I'd forgotten that it wasn't entirely a red herring. Wow. I really have to re-read a sizable portion of this run. (That's a good thing.)

DeLandro's similarity to Raimondi could very well have been a turn-off for me. That's kind of how I felt back in the day about Gary Frank's work on PAD's Hulk -- I thought it looked sorta like Dale Keown's, but it lacked "that certain something." Today, though, I can appreciate Frank's own strengths -- at his best (roughly 407 through 418), Frank's faces were more subtly expressive than Keown's, and he was better at dialing down the intensity for the quieter scenes. (And having typed that, I am reminded that I *still* haven't reviewed the PAD/GF issues of Hulk in the Re-Reads thread. I'm planning to take a break from the Legion Re-Read in a few months, after we do the Lightning Lad/Luck Lords issue, so hopefully, I'll finally be able to take care of that loose end.)

It's not that I'm entirely opposed to pompous characters (I like Namor, for one), but I was really taken aback by how repulsed I was by Pietro here. Part of it is what PAD was handed with the fallout from House of M, but it's also the bulk of his history. From his opposition to Wanda's relationship to the Vision to his role as an all-out villain during the early West Coast Avengers run to many other things, he just grates on me in a bad way. I haven't read Mark 1 in a long time (since it first came out), so I can't speak to his use there, but I didn't like any of the screen time he had here.

Issue 200 featured a backup tale with Terry having a chance meeting with John Maddox. It was extraordinary!

It's interesting, though: I thought you'd done a comprehensive re-read recently. Sounds like it wasn't so much?

I guess, though, that your Madrox comment about his distinctive dupes is probably a mild spoiler, meaning there's not much more development on them for the remainder of the run.

Oh, poop!

My reply to your last post got "eaten up" by my glitchy computer.

Sorry, Lardy. I'll re-do it tomorrow.

Namor...yay! Another reason why I love you!



Fair enough. I've recently come to the conclusion that Pietro, as a character bound to Marvel continuity, may just be just as much "damaged goods" as Wanda.



Just dug out my X-Factor trades a couple hours ago.



I may be misremembering, but I think that was at least 3 years ago.



Oops! Sorry, Lardy.

X-Factor Vol. 5: The Only Game in Town

This one collects issues 28-32 and the "Quick and the Dead" special. Rahne officially leaves the group, and it's obvious immediately that she's leaving a void. But in the middle of this loss, Arcade has been hired to make X-Factor, and especially Rictor, pay for the spy mission he took on during Messiah CompleX. The game turns out to be bigger than just another of Arcade's Murderworlds, and all of Mutant Town faces deadly danger.

This arc is a big turning point for the book as X-Factor, not only because Rahne leaves but because they relocate from the so-called Mutant Town at the conclusion. The change in setting will reset the team's thematic focus with its move. But the Mutant Town era gets a big sendoff as the neighborhood literally goes up in flames, and X-Factor must make sure that its people survive. I think it's overall a good move by PAD as he milked the situation for all the story he could. Shaking things up before it got stale was a good move.

My favorite parts of this trade, however, involve the quieter moments, as I feel any of you who have been reading my reviews would expect. 28 starts off by immediately showing us which of the team members is pregnant, and watching the process of everyone finding out, including Madrox, is a joy to watch. Lots of funny moments and misunderstandings ensue. Also great is watching everyone deal with Rahne's departure. Rictor, of course is the most affected. But it's great seeing them all come together with the crisis at hand. For a short time, they will be pretty much at their most united....until something very personal and tragic tears them asunder in the near future, at least.

Pablo Raimondi splits art duties with soon-to-be regular artist Valentine de Landro. As mentioned in mine and Ann's above conversation, I feel de Landro is a worthy addition to the book and shares many of Pablo's strengths, especially facial expressions, which are so key to the book's success.

Rounding out the book is the Quick and the Dead special. Surprise, surprise...I don't much care for it because it catches up with Quicksilver. I mean, I will say that PAD does good work here and tries to humanize Pietro here, him now being at his lowest point. And, of course, another positive is that this is apparently Pietro's swan song in the book, so that's reason for me to celebrate! Nice cameo, btw, by Layla in Quicksilver's delirious state.

So it's the end of an era for X-Factor here, and I found it quite enjoyable. Some more terrific work by PAD and company and the promise of some new things to come. In fact some new cast members are just around the corner.....

I still have to re-read this arc, but I do remember thinking at the time that destroying the whole neighborhood was overkill, and that the Mutant Town setting had lots of potential that should have been explored for maybe another year at least! It's like in PAD's Hulk run, he made a habit of shaking things up every two years, but the Pantheon Era lasted 4 years, albeit with a definite (but not excessive) shake-up halfway through in issues 400-401, when...





I am looking forward to comparing Raimondi and DeLandro's respective styles. And, of course, I'll comment on them.

You know, I didn't get the impression that Mutant Town was a total loss. I felt that maybe it took a beating but would ultimately be salvageable. Either way, I think that most, if not all, of the residents were saved. I could be wrong about either of these impressions, though.

You're right about PAD's tendency to shake things up in his long runs. (Pretty sure Hulk and X-Factor are far and away the longest of his runs, btw, right?) You're right that there was probably more he could have milked out of the setting, but I think the X-Cell story and wrapping Pietro's role really put a bow on it. In any case most of the mutant plight themes don't just get dropped and remain a part of the series' DNA.



Gawd! I'm so far ahead of these reviews! The last issue I read was 224.1, which is well into your beloved Luppaccino's run! Raimondi seems like soooo long ago now, but there's de Landro still pinching in here and there!

I gotta post some more volume reviews before I forget what happened in them!

They are. And Supergirl takes third place with 80 issues.



Fair enough, Lardy. And the book did -- as I'm sure you can already tell, given the point in the run you've reached -- eventually find a new direction as a comedy/mystery/horror/fantasy series, almost like an R-Rated spin on Scooby-Doo.



Yay. You're really on a roll, my friend! Kudos!

So today I just finished up the final issues of PAD's X-Factor run centered on Jamie Madrox's iteration of the team. It's been a really excellent experience--so excellent that it was impossible to quit reading long enough to continue writing my synopses/reviews. My hope is that I will slowly pick up where I left off and share my impressions of each TPB. It's been a wonderful read, and I'm appreciative of our resident "X-Factor cheerleader" for inspiring me to complete my collection of the run and follow through with a comprehensive reading of it. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in the run at all.

Hope to share more thoughts, soon!

Awww...

You're very welcome, Lardy. There are few things quite so wonderful as to read a post like yours first thing in the morning.



Yay!