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Review: X-Factor #253
The Hell on Earth War continues in this issue of X-Factor and it’s still pretty good. Not great. Not bad. It’s just kind of entertaining and enjoyable to read. And I think that’s good enough. I would like to see something really dramatic or amazing happen, but I’m not expecting it. The best issues of X-Factor are usually the quiet, introspective issues. Hell on Earth War is definitely not that. It’s big. This is probably the biggest storyline X-Factor has ever done, at least in terms of in-comic scale. Hell has come to Earth, and both the Avengers and Fantastic Four make cameo appearances.
X-Factor #253
In terms of scope, this storyline is huge. And it feels like it within the story. That’s a good thing. But something like the Hell on Earth War serves to remind us how little an impact X-Factor has on the rest of the Marvel Universe. And that’s a shame.
Comic Rating: 4/5: Good.
My opinion has wavered up and down a bit on this storyline so far. It has its faults. Few of the characters feel particularly engaged in the actual storyline. Everyone just kind of feels like they’re being dragged along with no real emotional depth. The story revolves around Tier, who we barely know or have any connection to at all. And the story makes it perfectly clear that Tier is the only character who can actually stop the various Hell Lords, so what is there for X-Factor to do?
But beyond those faults, it’s still an entertaining story. The characters are written well, the villains are strong and Tier isn’t so bad. Writer Peter David is keeping a fairly rapid pace, and the stakes are definitely high. It also feels like there might be a twist or two coming up somewhere along the line. I guess we’ll wait and see. I am enjoying the story, and I remain cautiously optimistic that it’s going to be pretty awesome in the end. Though I am slightly annoyed that my favorite character, Multiple Man, has been sidelined for who knows how long.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Disconcerting News For X-Factor
Solicitation previews for June have hit the Internet, and it looks like the next big X-Factor story arc after the Hell on Earth War is going to be called The End of X-Factor! Not only that, but Madrox still looks like he’s possessed by a demon!
Still rockin’ the duster, though
Both of those things are sad to hear!
Granted, it could just be a title. Word has it that Peter David is recovering well and still writing, and there’s been no suggestion that The End of X-Factor is anything more than just a title. I don’t think the book is getting cancelled. Still, it’s a sad title. As is the fact that Madrox is still a demon by then? Is he going to spend the entire Hell on Earth War as the demon slave of Mephisto? That sucks. I read X-Factor mostly for the awesome Madrox action!
I’ll let you guys and gals know if I learn more.
Review: X-Factor #252
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!
Review: X-Factor #251
I take back any bad thing I ever said about the Hell on Earth War. I can’t believe I ever doubted Peter David. This story has been fantastic so far. PAD is writing it at such a fast pace that the story never slows down, it never lingers. I thought all of his previous high-concept mythical stories had that problem. They stretched on forever until their impact no longer mattered. But so far, PAD and this story are on a roll.
X-Factor #251
Though if I’m being entirely honest, when PAD explains the motivation behind the Hell on Earth War in this issue, it’s a far-fetched and arbitrary. But I’m comfortable with it.
Comic Rating: 4/5: Good!
The justification for this war is kind of silly. There’s no way around it. The idea of all of Marvel’s various hell lords getting into a fight is a cool one. It definitely has potential. But PAD comes up with a very arbitrary reason for their fight. At least he ties it into the X-Factor story in a neat way. That’s a definite strength of the story so far. All of the storylines PAD has been crafting over the past few years are coming together in a smooth way, from the birth of Tier to the corruption of Strong Guy. And while it’s sad to see Strong Guy as such a villain, it’s definitely adding to the personal feel of the story. This is X-Factor’s story and they are at the heart of the action.
Any story can be about the devil fighting a bunch of other devils for the rulership of Hell. And any story can feature superheroes beating up bad guys. But you’re not going to have a good story unless you’ve got good characters, and unless the reader actually cares about the characters. Well PAD has got things down pat, and the Hell on Earth War is burning up!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Review: X-Factor #250
As many of you may have heard, X-Factor writer Peter David suffered a stroke while on vacation with his family in the end of December. From what I understand, he’s been recovering, but I don’t think there has been any word yet on what will happen to X-Factor. I’m sure he’s already got several scripts in the can ready to publish. Peter David is a fantastic guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the New York Comic-Con a few years ago, where he politely entertained by stumbling declarations that I loved his work on X-Factor. I’m glad I brought my brother along because he had far more substantial questions to ask. To help support PAD’s hospital bills, everyone is being encouraged to buy some of his ebooks and comics online, which you can do at his website. His wife Kathleen also gave an update on his condition this week.
X-Factor #250
Considering Peter David is almost single-handedly responsible for turning Multiple Man into my favorite comic book character, you better believe we here at Henchman-4-Hire wish him a speedy recovery.
Especially since he’s kicking total ass with the Hell on Earth War so far!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
The second issue in and this story is pretty awesome. PAD is hitting the heroes hard and fast with the action, trying up a lot of his ongoing stories as he launches this brand new one. There are a lot of questions still about what has caused all of his hellfire and brimstone, but PAD is definitely keeping the story exciting. X-Factor is thrust right into the heart of the conflict with this issue, and all of it seems to be focused around Tier, the son of Wolfsbane. I’ve never been all that interested in this certain story, but really it’s just a reason for X-Factor to be awesome and face off against villains from Earth and Hell alike. Leonard Kirk’s art remains just as strong as it’s always been, making this story a definite winner so far.
If I had one complaint it would be that none of the action really seems to affect the characters on any sort of personal level. They’re all just kind of there, reacting as the adventure unfolds. Even when a certain character makes his dramatic return, nobody seems all that affected. Hopefully PAD can add to the oomph level in coming issues.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Henchman-4-Hire 