Alright, alright, the Hell on Earth War is settling in nicely, and X-Factor remains a good read, but the potential for being overdrawn is starting to set in. This is part three or five of the big event (depending on if you count the prologue), and we haven’t made much progress as of yet. That’s not a problem, per se. But I’m starting to worry that writer Peter David has too much stuff planned, and that this story will become mired in filler and fluff until it grossly outstays its welcome. That’s what tends to happen with PAD’s big event stories, and I’m definitely worried for Hell on Earth War. So far, things seem to be moving forward well enough, but I definitely think there is reason to worry.

X-Factor #252

The story isn’t really resonating on a personal or emotional level with any of the characters. Everybody is kind of just doing stuff and then doing more stuff, with the only promise being that more stuff is definitely going to occur in the next issue.

Comic Rating: 4/5: Good.

The only real characters with any kind of real, personal connection to this story are Tier and, by extension, his mother Wolfsbane. But we barely know Tier. Prior to this story, he was a baby, so this is our first time getting to know him as a thinking, feeling adolescent. And, by extension, we don’t even really know Wolfsbane as a mother. We know she was pregnant for awhile, and was really broken up about abandoning Tier, but we never saw her spend any real time with the kid, at least time that wasn’t about running from danger or fighting. So we have no real experience with Tier, and no experience with Wolfsbane as a mom. So even their personal connection to the Hell on Earth War is really based on stuff we were told about, not something we were actually shown and experienced. The personal connection to the reader just isn’t there.

Likewise, everybody else in X-Factor is kind of just along for the ride. They also barely know Tier, and are kind of just helping him because it’s the right thing to do. There’s maybe been one line from Multiple Man about how they’ll protect him because he’s Wolfsbane’s son, but nobody has really said or done anything with Rahne to indicate that they’re going to stick by her side no matter what. They’re just there and fighting whatever bad guy shows up on the page. Even when their good friend and teammate Strong Guy is revealed to be a villain, it doesn’t seem to faze anybody. Nobody really cares that Guido has turned on them. He’s just the bad guy that shows up, so there’s a fight scene.

This cannot sustain a comic book story, especially not one that lasts as long as PAD usually does. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were still dealing with the Hell on Earth War come the fall. So I’m really worried about the pacing of this story. But at least, for now, it’s still an exciting read with a lot of cool action and adventure.

Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!

X-Factor have been ambushed by Pluto, ruler of the Underworld in the Greek pantheon. They waste no time in attacking both Pluto and his Hellish minions, with Monet going straight for the big guy himself. Tier continues to narrate, describing some of the action and characters as the battle is waged in Central Park.

Tier could write trading cards

But X-Factor is definitely outmatched by the god. Monet is knocked aside and Polaris’ attempts to use Pluto’s own weapons against him is easily turned back on her. At one point, Darwin saves Wolfsbane from a demon ambush, and he remarks that since his efforts to kill Tier failed, he might as well just lend a hand against the Hell lords now. That’s awfully nice of him.

The members of X-Factor can’t lay a finger on Pluto, but he easily whoops all their butts. He roasts Madrox alive with hellfire – while his wife, Layla, is forced to watch – and easily dispatches with the entire rest of the team. But seeing everyone defeated and possibly killed for his sake pushes Tier over the edge. The young wolfboy snaps and attacks Pluto with a wild savagery. In Wolverine circles, this is called a ‘berserker rage’. Tier is faster, stronger and deadlier than Pluto, and easily kills the Lord of the Underworld.

And then he dunked a basketball

The members of X-Factor are quite impressed.

The other Hell lords are revealed to be watching from a distance, and they point out that the 7th billion person on Earth (Tier) has the power to kill them – though ‘kill’ is a relative term. They say that Pluto has already rematerialized down in the Underworld. But now that he’s been defeated, he’s out of the contest.

As such, Mephisto says that it’s time to up the stakes and unleash the hordes of Hell on humanity…and on each other! Mephisto attacks the other Hell lords and declares that their final war has begun! He’s clearly not a very fair sport.

Elsewhere, X-Factor teleport out of Central Park once they’ve gathered up Tier. However, both Madrox and Jezebel are missing, and they’re forced to leave their leader behind. Layla is, of course, heartbroken, screaming for Madrox as they teleport away.

Can’t you hear her yella’? You’re puttin’ her through hella!’

As they leave, however, Wolfsbane notices that the sky has started bleeding…

Where have Madrox and Jezebel gone? It seems that Mephisto has taken them captive down in his domain. He has his traitor daughter bound up in chains, and he reveals that he’s turned Madrox into some kind of demon monster!

That coat is ruined

This is one of the shortest synopsis I have ever written because, quite frankly, not a lot happened in this issue. A lot of time was spent fighting Pluto with no real depth to the action. It was just general fighting. And while it was entertaining to read, it doesn’t leave much of an impact. At least artist Leonard Kirk is doing great work with the series. Everything is well drawn and the action is exciting.

So yeah, I’m probably just getting impatient. The overall plot hasn’t really progressed all that much since it was first introduced, or maybe it has and I just don’t care that much for the direction. Like I said, this comic is basically just the characters doing stuff and punching bad guys. They fight, they run, and Layla worries about Madrox for a bit. That cliffhanger final page is more confusing that enticing, but maybe Madrox and Jezebel will work together to escape Mephisto’s lair in a B-plot. That might be kind of cool.

I dunno, I’m probably just grumbling for no good reason. The pacing has been OK so far, heavy on the action and battle. But I’m worried that all we’re going to get for the next umpteen issues is X-Factor fighting demons until it’s all over. I would like a little more depth than that.