Review: X-Factor #239
Forgive me for saying this, oh great comic book gods, but I think X-Factor is starting to show its age. If we take into account the renumbering, this current volume of X-Factor has published roughly 90 issues since 2005, and that’s not including the excellent MadroX miniseries that serves as an introduction. And all 90 issues have been written by the great Peter David. But after 90 issues starring essentially the same team members doing essentially the same thing, I’m starting to think this series is running a bit thin. Why do I say this? Because this one-off issue about Havok and Banshee teaming up to fight a real Banshee doesn’t really offer a whole heck of a lot.
X-Factor #239
Sure there is action and peril, but where is the character depth? Where is the exploration of the relationship between Havok and Banshee? Or more appropriately, where is the heart and soul of the comic?
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright.
Peter David is a master of character work. The early issues of this volume of X-Factor are a glorious examination of the Multiple Man character and the new headspace that David created for him. Not to mention all the twists, turns and relationships of the rest of the cast. Peter David is hailed as a genius for the character work he did with Quicksilver back in the now legendary X-Factor #87 from the 1993. And when Peter David is at the top of his game with this cast, he’s turned out some fantastic single issues. I was in stitches that time Multiple Man took the team to Las Vegas, because it was just such a fun and funny issue.
But after the last few issues, and especially this one, I’m just not feeling it anymore. They’re goods reads, I suppose. I enjoyed myself. But this issue is as bland as bland can get – except for a small scene between Strong Guy and Monet that captures that Peter David genius I’ve been talking about. That scene is stellar. But everything with Havok and Banshee is just boring. Maybe it’s the characters. It’s not like Havok and Banshee have any kind of history to draw on together. But as the writer, it’s Peter David’s job to provide an interesting relationship between these two characters, to make me care about them teaming up like this. And unfortunately, in that regard, he fails.
Full synopsis and more review after the jump!
Assassin’s Creed 3 is Finished, Now They’re Just Making Cool Trailers
Somebody at Ubisoft has a lot of time on their hands, because they just keep coming out with new trailers for Assassin’s Creed 3. Not that I mind, because every new trailer has me wanting the game even more! I’m an American, dammit! And we love badass American history! Enjoy!
Mocking Prometheus is Still Entertaining
Prometheus continues to provide the Internet with fertile grounds of mockery. This time through the wonderful drawing talents of James Lee Animation. Enjoy some good old fashioned making fun of Prometheus!
Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #7
Ugh. Talk about a complete 180-degree turn from the previous issue. Whereas in #6 we actually had some characters debating the merits of this Phoenix-fueled conflict, Avengers vs. X-Men #7 launches straight into a convoluted fight scene, then follows up with page after page of incomprehensible science mumbo jumbo. Plus, I need to stop kidding myself, because Marvel have clearly established the X-Men as the villains of this piece. Now I have no one to root for. Captain America and the Avengers have come off as pig-headed bullies who refuse to even entertain the idea that the X-Men might be right. But because of the nature of the story, the X-Men are most definitely wrong.
Avengers vs. X-Men #7
Which means the pig-headed bullies get to be right by default. And without any moment of compromise or even trying to see the conflict through their opponent’s eyes, Captain American and Wolverine just get to gloat about how they’re awesome, and how Cyclops and the X-Men should have just accepted life under their boot heel.
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright.
I’m not just basing my score on the fact that the team I’ve backed for this entire conflict is being turned into the obvious villains. Even as Marvel tries to keep Cyclops’ intentions pure, the rest of the PhoeniX-Men are turning against him. There’s a scene at the end of the issue between Namor and Emma Frost that makes my blood boil, and if Marvel is really going that route, then shame on them. But the real problem with this issue is that the writing is just dull after last issue’s exciting chapter. The fight scene to start this issue is just a lot of flashy powers and shouting. Then we get several pages of conversation where the Avengers talk nonsense about the powers of the PhoeniX-Five and the Scarlet Witch, as if we the readers or they the writers have any idea how to quantify such cosmically-scaled powers.
And then several pages are wasted on the most idiotic of ruses where we learn that the PhoeniX-Men fear even the mere presence of the Scarlet Witch. But the ruse lasts only a handful of panels, so what was even the point of using it? For page padding? And the cliffhanger to end the issue couldn’t be more boring. Not in the sense that it’s actually ho-hum boring, but in that it promises nothing we haven’t seen before in this series. I’m actually a little surprised that the issue ended where it did considering it’s just another fight.
Continue after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Uncanny Avengers Preview!
Behold a bold new era in comic book covers!
Great, now I gotta turn the comic on its side to read the title
That is the cover for Uncanny Avengers #1 coming out this October. It’s the first issue in the new Marvel NOW! relaunch coming this fall. I wrote about this new thingymabob earlier this week, and I felt it was time to catch everybody up on the specific news that was revealed.
Basically, Marvel is trying out some new directions and stories in the wake of Avengers vs. X-Men. My theory that it looks like the Avengers and X-Men will start blending together looks pretty realistic. The plan is to release a new #1 issue a week for five straight months, kicking off several new comic book series while also just relaunching some classics. First up we have the new Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender and John Cassaday. You can read more about it here.
Of the series, Marvel guru Tom Brevoort had this to say:
“There are characters who are huge characters, who have been around for decades, and are beloved, that you really haven’t seen interact in a meaningful way with one another. This is a place where a lot of that will get to play out. There are not a lot of stories where Captain America and Havok interact in a meaningful way. So Uncanny Avengers will be a place where that sort of thing can happen.”
I am completely on board with this. I don’t think Havok and Captain America have ever even said ‘hello’ to each other. So I like the mindset behind this relaunch. Try out some new characters together, tell some new stories. I am totally sold!
I also like the new cover. In another interview I read, Marvel has decided that since a lot of people get their comics over the Internet, they don’t need to have the title at the top of the cover, like classic comics. They’re going to experiment a little. I also like this idea. That comic looks neat. Though I still get my comics directly from the comic book store, so hopefully I’ll still be able to find the new comics on the shelves.
Now let’s take a closer look at that big promo image for Marvel NOW! that I ran the other day.
This should be one single superhero team
We’ve got a ton of new costumes, which are always cool. I like Captain America’s new movie-inspired costume. And it looks like Cyclops might be alive at the end of Avengers vs. X-Men after all! Although with a red costume and an ‘X’ on his face instead of his classic horizontal line visor, he might become a bad guy. Or maybe that’s not the normal Cyclops at all. Who knows!? We’ll find out this fall.
Among the other new series we’ll be getting, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor will be getting brand new #1 issues. As will The Avengers, by writer John Hickman, which is said to start somewhere around 18 different characters. It’s going to be a big Avengers book.
There’s also going to be a new X-Men title by Brian Michael Bendis, which will feature the original five X-Men coming to the future/present day and being unhappy in what they find. This sounds like a dumb idea to me. You’ve got Bendis writing the X-Men…and you put him on some crazy time travel story? Why waste that talent?
Anyway, I’ll try to keep everyone abreast of all the other new Marvel titles coming out! So stay tuned!
