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Review: All-New X-Factor #2
Nope, I still don’t care for it. I was pretty harsh in my review of All-New X-Factor #1, but I had high hopes that the second issue would alleviate some of my concerns and prove that I’m an idiot. It didn’t. Not even a little. The second issue is just as generic and uninspired as the first. It doesn’t help that writer Peter David spends the whole issue in action mode, pushing what little character and creativity exist into the background.
All-New X-Factor #2
It’s not that All-New X-Factor is a bad comic, per se, it’s that I know PAD can do much, much better. So far, the relaunch is painfully mediocre, and that’s just not good enough.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
There is nothing about the second issue of All-New X-Factor that has anything to do with ‘X-Factor’ as a comic or a concept, let alone this new Serval Industries angle. The mission to save a bunch of captured mutants could have been performed by any of the X-Men squads, either of the X-Forces, the New Mutants, the Fallen Angels, the X-Statix; anybody. Any chance PAD had to make this comic specifically about these characters is wasted. Gambit, Polaris and Quicksilver are all in fine superhero form, but nothing they do is particularly unique to them, least of all the dialogue.
Gambit makes a Star Wars reference in this comic that literally anybody in the universe would make. Captain America would make that same reference. I could see Magneto making that reference, it’s so simple.
I think part of the problem is that PAD (or Marvel?) just didn’t pick very interesting characters for this team. Gambit, Polaris and Quicksilver don’t really have anything to do with one another, but they’re all old hats at this concept. They all know what it’s like to randomly be part of a new superhero team, so they’re all familiar with what they’re supposed to be doing. But they’re not really familiar enough with each other to make the banter or interpersonal relationships all that interesting. There’s no wonderment involved in being on this superhero team.
So far, All-New X-Factor is just a group of workman superheroes doing their job, but it’s written as if this is all supposed to be really cool and exciting. Generic superhero comics are a dime a dozen, even at Marvel Comics. X-Factor needs to find a way to stand out and do something new.
Also, if you don’t remember the specific characters and the conclusion to the X-Cell storyline from 2007, you’re a little bit out of luck with this new issue.
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.
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!
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