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!
New Avengers Cartoon Trailer!
As if I haven’t posted enough Avengers trailers over the past few months, we’ve got a new one – but this trailer is for the cartoon The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Season 2 is right around the corner!
The cartoon is a blast. It seems loosely based on the various movie versions of the characters, while adding a ton of comic-related stories and villains. It stars Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Wasp, Hawkeye, Black Panther and Ant-Man. It’s made by the sort of writers who like to seed their stories early, then let them play out.
For example, the villainous Ultron was something of a background character (and even a temporary Avenger!) before he eventually became the big bad at the end of the first season.
This new trailer is rather exciting. I see teases for the Vision, Red Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom, Ms. Marvel, the Kree, the Skrulls and basically just a whole lot of awesome, comic book jibba jabba! I know I’ll be tuning in.
The Doctor’s New Companion is a Hottie!
What’s it take to fight aliens, sidekick to a mad genius, and travel through time and space in a blue police box? Extreme hotness, it seems. The BBC have announced the actress who will take over as the Doctor’s faithful companion: Jenna-Louise Coleman!
I have no idea who that is. But she is damn pretty.
The TARDIS could stand to be a bit more glamorous
The BBC posted this article about the announcement earlier today. Coleman has been in a few shows, and even had a small cameo as someone named ‘Connie’ in Captain America: The First Avenger. I tried IMDBing her to find Connie…but no luck. The role is no doubt super small.
But other than that, I have no idea who is woman is, so I’m not thrilled or excited or disappointed or anything.
Showrunner Stephen Moffat had this to say about Coleman’s upcoming character:
“It always seems impossible when you start casting these parts, but when we saw Matt and Jenna together, we knew we had our girl. She’s funny and clever and exactly mad enough to step on board the Tardis,” Moffat said. “It’s not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it’s about to happen. Jenna is going to lead him his merriest dance yet. And that’s all you’re getting for now. Who she’s playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters. Even by the Doctor’s standards, this isn’t your usual boy meets girl.”
So that sounds kind of exciting. I’ve definitely warmed up to Matt Smith as the Doctor, so seeing him with a new friend should be fun.
I won’t be sad to see the Doctor’s current companions, Amy and Rory Pond, leave. Not that I have anything against them, but I don’t particularly have anything for them either. When Moffat took over and Smith became the Doctor, the focus changed from the companions (under the Davies/Tennant era) to the Doctor. The Ponds have suffered from it. They had their cool moments, but I was never very attached to them.
I also never really bought into their romance
I’m sure I’ll cry buckets when they leave because Moffat said that episode would be ‘heart-breaking’, but that’s just because Doctor Who does amazingly well with emotional episodes. So I’m sure it will be an incredibly sad episode. But I’m eager to see a new companion. Apparently she’s going to debut in this year’s Christmas special.
The only issue I have with the new companion is her incredible hotness.
When one considers a companion for Doctor Who, based purely on the general idea of the show, and not his actual history, I think one almost immediately goes with the idea of a hot, young, female companion. It just makes sense, from a TV stand point. Same with the Doctor. After Tennant and Smith, could you imagine casting the 12th Doctor as someone as old as the 1st Doctor again? In today’s modern TV age, it just wouldn’t fly! Same for the companions. I imagine TV producers want them to be cute, young and hip.
But the last time Doctor Who did that, we got Martha Jones, my least favorite companion:
The Doctor teaming with an actual medical doctor? Crazy!
But after Martha came my favorite companion: Donna Noble!
But then I have a thing for redheaded British women...
Older, bitchier, kind of a dork and with no sexual tension whatsoever. As far as I’m concerned, young and sexy do not a good companion make!
6 Super-Villains That I Want to See On the Big Screen
The best superhero movies are also the ones with the best villains. Would Spider-Man 2 have been so great had Doctor Octopus not been such a sympathetic and tragic character? All four X-Men movies have given Magneto a starring role, and for good reason. And the late Heath Ledger redefined the Joker with his incredible, Oscar-winning performance. The superheroes may be the stars of the flick, but a great super-villain can easily steal the show!
The only super-villain recognized by the Academy
There have been some fantastic super-villains on the big screen. From General Zod’s immortal demand that Superman “KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!” in Superman 2, to the gregarious Loki pulling double-duty as the villain in both Thor and The Avengers. But being the notorious comic book geek that I am, I know of many classic and fantastic super-villains who have yet to see any motion picture love. So here is my list of 6 super-villains who have never appeared in feature films before, but definitely should!
CGI Green Lantern No Longer Looks Like Crap
Instead, it looks like an exciting cartoon series that will feature multiple aspects of the various multi-colored Lantern Corps. This clip came out of Wondercon this weekend, and not only does it feature Hal Jordon doing his Green Lantern thing, but we’ve got Red Lanterns, Star Sapphires and Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps.
Oh man oh man, does Saint Walker look absolutely zen-badass!
