Blog Archives
Review: All-New X-Factor #3
I need to talk about the cover of All-New X-Factor #3 for a moment. I don’t usually discuss covers in my reviews, but this needs to be said, because cats in comics is kind of my kryptonite (as well as Youtube videos of cats who sound like they’re talking). I dig the unique look of the All-New X-Factor covers. But this cover shows Gambit snuggling with a bunch of cats, and the quote, “I’m their freaking king” above his head. This led me to believe that X-Factor was going to meet an army of cats, and they were going to really like Gambit, and therefore he was going to declare himself the ‘King of Cats’! BUT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN!
All-New X-Factor #3
I kind of want to demand my money back. And I want the ‘King of the Cats’ to become a thing immediately.
All-New X-Factor #3 shows a bit of improvement over the first two issues, but not by much. The characters and their relationships are still paper thin, the premise is still a bit uncomfortable, and writer Peter David hasn’t found anything really interesting for anyone to do (other than crack crappy jokes). But somehow, this issue at least felt like it was put together a little better than the first two.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
At three issues in, I see signs that some of my concerns with this comic might even out. PAD is clearly trying to build up the relationships between his main characters, but he’s still working with a bunch of blank slates, so there’s just not much he can do yet. I get why Gambit doesn’t trust Quicksilver, but the characters have never had anything to do with one another, so the mistrust just rings hollow. And Polaris has been such a non-player for the past few years that she doesn’t really have any sort of relationship with anything, whether it be her teammates or the Marvel Universe as a whole.
Also, when has Gambit been a crazy cat person? That cover isn’t about Gambit becoming King of the Cats, but instead its about how Gambit has brought three pet cats to live with him at Serval Industries. When did that happen? Has Gambit always had a bunch of pet cats and I’ve just never noticed?
Or is it another bit of plot that PAD has pulled over from Gambit’s recently cancelled solo series? I hope the lot of you were reading that series, because X-Factor’s second big mission is mired in characters and plot points from it. Of course, considering the series was cancelled due to low sales, I think we can all agree nobody was reading it.
But PAD forges ahead anyway! Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Review: All-New X-Factor #1
Sometimes you’ve just got to be careful what you wish for. The comic I was most looking forward to in the All-New Marvel NOW! has arrived in the form of All-New X-Factor #1, writer Peter David’s latest revival of his long-standing, moderately popular superhero team. Free of past continuity and characters, PAD has been given free reign to re-invent X-Factor as he sees fit, with a new cast, a new purpose and new momentum. So it really is a shame that this issue fails on every conceivable level.
X-Factor #1
All-New X-Factor #1 is as generic and mediocre a superhero comic as you could get in this day and age. From a boring plot to random characters to a premise that reeks of missed opportunities, every aspect of this comic is uninspired.
Comic Rating: 4/10 – Pretty Bad.
The last time PAD relaunched X-Factor – whether you count the MadroX mini-series or X-Factor #1 – the writer clearly had purpose. Built around the reinvention of the wildly underused Jamie Madrox, PAD’s vision included noir sensibilities, the mysteries of Layla Miller, shadowy villains and a cast of characters with rich histories together. Back then, PAD clearly had ideas. And he had heart.
But all of that is missing in All-New X-Factor #1.
The new relaunch falls victim to Marvel’s recent trend of just piling a bunch of random superheroes together and calling them a team. Again and again, Marvel has done this, whether it’s some new Avengers spin-off or multiple versions of X-Force. And maybe if one of your favorite characters is on that team, you’ll love the comic. But most of these books are just generic superhero stories starring random superheroes, and that’s exactly how the new X-Factor reads. Even the interesting new premise, that X-Factor is now the first corporately-owned superhero team in the Marvel Universe, is painfully generic.
The potential for some interesting ideas or styles is present, but time and again, PAD either skips right over them or doesn’t play them up nearly enough. He could get so much about of All-New X-Factor, but PAD and Marvel seem fine with settling for mediocrity.
I don’t give this comic a year.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Pete Holmes is Going to Make a Habit of Firing X-Men
Fresh off the heels of firing Wolverine, comedian Pete Holmes is now firing Gambit!
This guy is good. I’m definitely going to have to give this The Pete Holmes Show a watch, if I can find it streaming online somewhere. And apparently there are more Ex-Men coming up! I hope he does Beast…or Iceman. Or Archangel!
A New Gambit Series for People Who Really Like Gambit
Another announcement from C2E2 this weekend is that of a new Gambit comic book series, also starting in August. So apparently Marvel is big on books starring solo white guys doing their own thing. Unfortunately, just like Hawkeye, I’ve never been a big Gambit fan. So I don’t have much interest in the comic – but maybe you do!
The latest in a long line of Gambit solo series
The series is going to be written by James Asmus and drawn by Clay Mann. Apparently Gambit is going to break away from the X-Men, and instead of focusing on all the classic Gambit stories (like the Thieves Guild), the book will feature Gambit as the ultimate thief, exploring the Marvel Universe to steal awesome items.
Here’s what Asmus and others had to say, according to ComicBookResources.com:
“This book focuses on the two most important aspects of Gambit: #1 that he’s sexy, and #2 that he’s the preeminent bad ass thief of the Marvel Universe,” the writer said. He explained that the book will feature Gambit broken away from the X-Men, stealing wild items from across the Marvel U in locations like space, places with Kirby monsters and more. “It lets us refresh and do new things with the crime capers involving our classic bad ass.” He also joked that “We got rid of the head sock” in describing Mann’s art as “Sexy.”
Overall, the book will build a “dangerous series of events” that pull Gambit into a “territory of mixed morality.” Asmus also noted that he wanted to make the book as accessible for everyone including fans of the ’90s “X-Men” cartoon and longtime readers who have been asking for Gambit to return in a major way.
Editor Ketchum said that he didn’t want to revisit the same stories that have been told with Gambit a thousand times with Bella Donna and the Thieves Guild in New Orleans. Instead, this will be like a Gambit movie that reintroduces the character in an all-new way.
Henchman-4-Hire 