Blog Archives
Full X-Factor Cast Announced – And I Don’t Care for Any of Them
When Marvel and Peter David announced the new X-Factor series last month, they revealed three members right off the bat: Quicksilver, Polaris and Gambit. The remaining three members were kept a mystery, because that’s how comic books work sometimes. Well now it seems the new Previews catalog has revealed the full lineup, and scans have hit the web courtesy of the CBR forums.
This isn’t it, this is what we’ve already seen
I’ll post the scan after the jump in case you don’t want to be spoiled. Suffice to say, I don’t particularly care for anyone on the new team. It really does seem like PAD threw darts at a wall to pick this cast. Kind of like how Uncanny X-Force ended up with Psylocke, Storm, Spiral and Puck.
Click the jump to see the full roster!
All-New X-Factor Revealed!
New York Comic-Con is in full swing today, and announced just this morning was All-New X-Factor by Peter David! We all knew this was coming, but it still feels good to get the first details of the new series – even if it won’t feature Multiple Man, my favorite superhero.
All-New X-Factor #1 will debut in January with Carmine Di Giandomenico on art.
Such fancy suits!
The new premise is that Serval Industries, a search engine company (like Google), has decided to get into the superhero business. So they bought the name ‘X-Factor’ off Jamie Madrox and have put together their own superhero team. The cast will feature Polaris, Quicksilver and, surprisingly, Gambit, along with three other cast members that PAD and Marvel are keeping secret for now.
At least they all get spiffy new uniforms. Though why Quicksilver or Gambit would join some corporate superhero team instead of sticking with the Avengers or X-Men is beyond me. But I’m sure all will be explained once we start reading.
I’m very excited to see what PAD has in store for us and X-Factor.
In the same Comic-Con panel, PAD said the book will focus a lot on the relationship between Polaris and Quicksilver, and the fact that they are half-siblings. PAD also said that Gambit doesn’t trust Quicksilver at all, so that should create some necessary drama. He also gave a more in-depth interview with Comic Book Resources.
When asked about Madrox, PAD apparently said he had “no idea” what’s up with him. X-Men editor Nick Lowe told the fans that there are plans for the character. I can’t wait to see those too! Perhaps he’s read my blog and seen some of my suggestions.
You can read more about the X-Men panel at Newsarama.
The First Hint of the New X-Factor
In the build-up to the New York Comic-Con in a few weeks, Marvel has started releasing some of their typical one-word teasers. You can see a few of them here. I don’t normally post these things, but included among them is the teaser for something ‘Corporate’ by Peter David. This is the first hint at Peter David’s next project since X-Factor was cancelled, and everyone around the Internet seems to think this is also the first hint of the new X-Factor.
We’re all business here
I am inclined to agree.
If you recall the end of X-Factor #260 – the Polaris issue – she was approached by a man named Harrison Snow, who said he was the CEO of a “rather large company”. He offered her the chance to get in on the ground floor of a new X-Factor. Polaris readily took him up on his offer. It’s clear from that scene that the next iteration of X-Factor is going to be corporate in nature.
So with this teaser, coupled with Peter David as the writer, coupled with hints that an X-Factor relaunch was going to be part of the next Marvel NOW! campaign, it might be safe to say we’ll finally get a glimpse of the new comic at New York Comic-Con on Oct. 11!
Too bad Multiple Man probably won’t be involved. But a new X-Factor by Peter David is a new X-Factor by Peter David!
Review: X-Factor #262
It is with a heavy but triumphant heart that I begin this review of the final issue of X-Factor. Though really, this is more than just a review, this is also a farewell, saying a final goodbye to my favorite comic book series of the past eight years, and goodbye to my favorite comic book character – Multiple Man – who is given a send-off in grand style by writer Peter David. Don’t worry, comic book friends, I will spoil that Jamie Madrox does not die at the end of his series. Nor does he go off into that sweet limbo stuck in demon form, as I had so feared. Instead, Peter David goes out with class, and sends Madrox off into the sunset. Fine show.
X-Factor #262
It’s my 30th birthday tomorrow, and I have yet to decide if the final issue of X-Factor coming out in the same week is simple coincidence or a harsh sign of growing up.
Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
I have been luke warm about these final issues so far. Some of them were good, like Wolfbane’s, providing a solid, touching goodbye for the character. Others, like Polaris’ and Monet’s aren’t really endings at all. Some of them have explored the character’s time with X-Factor in meaningful ways. Others were just spontaneous adventures. In the end, I suppose I liked them all, the same way I’ve always liked X-Factor, even when it wasn’t very good. My favorite chapter of The End of X-Factor arc would have to be this issue, saying goodbye to Madrox and his wife Layla Miller. PAD ties up a few loose ends and teases his next upcoming project, but he doesn’t do anything too drastic or crazy. We don’t find out the secret of Multiple Man’s powers, nor does Layla ‘know’ one final, insane thing.
Instead, PAD spends some time with Layla and the Demon Madrox, putting their situation into perspective and finding a fun, clever way to resolve it. There was at least one surprise in this issue that I did not see coming, and it made me smile. As did the ending. I liked this issue for its heart and its love of character. This isn’t a big, raucous goodbye or a massive superhero fight to the death. Instead, it’s a quiet, classy bow out, and I definitely approve.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and a glorious goodbye to X-Factor.
Review: X-Factor #261
The penultimate issue of X-Factor is upon us, and rather than do anything for the larger story, writer Peter David just says goodbye to Monet and Darwin. He checks two more characters off his list, leaving us, next issue, with presumably his fond farewell to Jamie Madrox. I’m comfortable with that. I’m saving all my tears for that issue. Because I’ve never been a particularly big fan of Monet, and especially not Darwin, so this issue doesn’t hold any special meaning for me. It’s a nice little comic, and maybe if the series weren’t over it would hold a little more weight. But for now, it’s just a quick, done-in-one goodbye to two random characters. And sadly, I think artist Neil Edwards is getting a little rushed. Hopefully he saved his best work for the final issue.
X-Factor #261
X-Factor #261 is a quaint little comic that says goodbye to Monet and Darwin by hooking them up for no apparent reason. See ya later, kiddos!
Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.
Darwin has always been an odd character in X-Factor. PAD deserves a lot of credit for doing anything with the character, but his attempts to turn Darwin into a real boy were never nearly as successful as what he did with Layla Miller. Those two characters actually have a lot in common. Both were created by hot shot writers to serve as plot devices in their big stories – Layla was created by Brian Michael Bendis to be the dues ex machina in House of M, and Darwin was created by Ed Brubaker to be pointless in Deadly Genesis. And both were pretty much abandoned by their hot shot creators almost immediately, left for other writers to play around with. That PAD grabbed them both for X-Factor says a lot about him and the series.
But whereas PAD had some amazing ideas in store for Layla Miller (“I know things”), he kind of just plugged Darwin into X-Factor with no real purpose. The guy randomly joined up alongside Longshot in a Secret Invasion crossover, and stuck around for a split second before taking off to parts unknown for more than a year. That PAD ever bothered to bring Darwin back in the lead up to Hell on Earth War was strange enough, but to say goodbye like this? It just doesn’t really jibe in any meaningful way. PAD could never make Darwin work, and he still doesn’t succeed in this issue. Darwin is as bland and boring as anyone can be.
Monet fairs a little better. PAD has always had fun with the character, and her personal journey over the course of the series has been rocky and dramatic. I kind of wish he’d come up with something better for her to do in the end, and it’s kind of a shame that she got saddled with Darwin for her finale. The two characters have zero chemistry together…though that’s probably entirely Darwin’s fault.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 