Category Archives: Multiple Man
Review: X-Factor #234
In which two members do some soul searching while everyone else enjoys a much deserved group hug. And that’s mostly it. This issue of X-Factor had a few certain story beats it wanted to hit, so it did. Everything else is just kind of fun, generally moving a few different plots along while taking care of the ‘Madrox is back from the dead!’ angle. It’s not the big, emotional scene of awesome I was hoping for, but it’s definitely some good team bonding. We also have Madrox and Havok start butting heads, so that was fun. Though I hope we see some more of this team drama in the issues that come.
X-Factor #234
This issue also featured one of the most adorable superhero group hugs ever.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
This issue is also book-ended by the Isolationist’s story, as the mysterious woman is finally revealed in full. But their little segments add absolutely nothing to the overall threat they’re trying to convey, and I find myself rolling my eyes at them even more than last week. They are not threatening, they are not interesting and I have little to no desire in seeing them eventually face off against X-Factor. This book’s greatest strength is when its characters can act like real people, and deal with grounded, street-level adventures. The idea of them facing off against two far-out super-villains seeking world domination just doesn’t interest me in the least.
Fortunately, this issue mostly focuses on the good characters and what their lives are like together. So that’s a plus.
Review: X-Factor #233
Madrox the Multiple Man is alive again and all is right with the world – except for this far from spectacular issue of X-Factor. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun read, but it did not accomplish anything particularly noteworthy or interesting. This is mostly just a solid story with a few funny gags, some nice characterization, but a pretty bland conflict. And then the teasers for the next big storyline leave me in a big pile of yawns.
X-Factor #233
Still, Multiple Man is back from the dead! I’m definitely more excited than Pip the Troll…I’ll explain in a bit.
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
X-Factor #233 basically features a straight forward and simple tale of the good guys vs. some generic bad guys, while supporting two subplots that move along certain storylines while setting up others. From a purely storytelling standpoint, writer Peter David probably should have held off for longer before bringing Multiple Man back (blasphemy, I know!). But the primary conflict that arises in this book, the idea that Havok and Polaris took over as leaders of the team in Madrox’s absence, has not had any time to play out. The last time we saw the entire team of X-Factor in this book, they were introduced to Havok and Polaris becoming the new team leaders. This issue features one superhero adventure with Havok and Polaris as leaders. But next issue, most likely, is going to be about who gets the Matrix of Leadership, Madrox or Havok/Polaris?
Yet we haven’t gotten to know Havok and Polaris as leaders. This issue indicates that some time has passed since Madrox died, but we, as readers, have not experience this time. This conflict of leadership isn’t really the kind of conflict David wants it to be if we have no reason to support Havok and Polaris’ claims to the title.
They have no legitimate claim to leadership now that Madrox is back. But something tells me they’re not just going to step aside. I guess we’ll find out next issue. For now, let’s check out this issue after the jump!
Multiple Man By Way of DeviantArt
If you’re not familiar with DeviantArt, it’s a website where artists can post their work for the entire Internet to see. It’s great! Fun to just browse and take a look at various projects and masterpieces. It’s also a fantastic place to see superhero fan art, which is my primary use for DeviantArt. Everyday fans like you and me can draw superheroes to their hearts’ content and post them online for other fans to enjoy. It’s one of the things to love about the Internet.
So just for kicks and giggles, I decided to see what kind of fan art is out there for my favorite comic book character: Multiple Man.
Let’s take a look at some of the best ones.
First up is ‘Multiple Man’ by Mr. Representational.
'Multiple Man' by Mr. Representational
I really like this one. It’s got style, it’s got class, and it’s got a nod to Madrox’s current gig as a private detective. Plus it showcases his powers in a fun and original way. Definitely a great pic.
More after the jump.
Review: X-Factor #232
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! The end of ‘They Keep Killing Madrox’ is here and it’s left me a very happy comic book geek! I won’t spoil the surprise until I actually get to the review, but suffice to say all my fears from the past few months have been put to rest. Writer Peter David did not shoot me in the face with sadness. Instead he has brought joy and happiness back into the world!
X-Factor #232
Sing with me, fans of Multiple Man, at the glory of this issue!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
That is to say, it’s not a great issue. Heck, it’s probably not even a good issue. But the ending bumped it up a notch. Like last issue, with Caplok vs. Iron Man, we basically spend the entire issue hanging out with Jamie Madrox on some strange, foreign dimension. He meets a new group of strange, altered characters, with the issue based almost exclusively around those characters. Once again, Madrox is just along for the ride in his own starring story. That sucks! David is writing such a great Madrox, but he doesn’t have anything for the character to do. We also don’t get anymore answers to…anything really. No better idea what Madrox is dealing with, nor any hints about the ‘truth’ of his powers.
Still, good enough read, with a fantastic ending! I’m one happy comic book fan. Spoilers and synopsis after the jump!
Review: X-Factor #231
Only more questions arise in the latest chapter of Madrox’s ‘afterlife’ adventure. I want the conclusion already! This issue dips in quality because it devotes far too much time to a bunch of alternate reality characters that just don’t matter. Or maybe they’re going to matter in future stories? I rather hope not, because there was nothing very interesting about this reality. When Madrox isn’t the focus, the book issue is incredibly boring. But when Madrox has the time to shine, the book is a gem.
X-Factor #231
Clear answer: give us more Madrox!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good.
Basically this issue feels a bit like padding. The entire issue is spent with Madrox, but we don’t learn anything new about his predicament, don’t get any revelations about the ‘truth’ of his duplicating powers and we don’t get any closer to Madrox returning home. It’s basically just Madrox hanging out in an alternate reality, but rather than one filled with character like the one with the wedding, this reality feels mostly cliche. Not to mention the fact that it drops a lot of random references to ‘House of M’ and ‘Civil War’, plus features a character who hasn’t been seen in so long that new readers won’t have any clue why he is important.
But all this worry is only temporary, as next issue is the conclusion to ‘They Keep Killing Madrox’! I’m on pins and needles!
Synopsis and spoilers after the jump.
Henchman-4-Hire 