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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!
6 Places Multiple Man Could End Up
One of my all-time favorite comic books, X-Factor, is coming to an end in September after more than five years of quality comics. This makes me a very sad panda. The superhero star of X-Factor is Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, my most favorite comic book character of all-time. X-Factor was his first starring role. Before X-Factor, Multiple Man was lucky to play a bit part in random X-Men stories. X-Factor made him a star.
So what the heck is going to happen to Multiple Man now that it’s over?
Sayonara!
I really want to know. He’s my favorite character, and I’m going to miss reading new Multiple Man comics every month. I’m confident that writer Peter David will give him a powerful farewell. But comic books abhor a vacuum. While one writer might send a character off into the sunset, another writer is going to come along and find a reason to bring that character back from the sunset. So whatever Peter David does with Multiple Man in X-Factor #262, I’m confident – and a little nervous – that Multiple Man will show up again before too long.
But where? And what will he be doing? Here are six possibilities.
Review: X-Factor #260
Whoa! Talk about cliffhangers! We’ve only got two issues left before the big finale, and writer Peter David hits us with a doozy of a revelation. I’ll spoil what happens in the synopsis, but just know that this might not actually be the ‘End of X-Factor’. We still don’t know what PAD’s next project at Marvel is going to be…but it looks like he might be dropping hints already. And I’m quite excited. Beyond that, X-Factor #260 is a good issue and a nice exploration of Polaris. Unfortunately, she’s had very little time to make an impression, so her goodbye isn’t that strong. But PAD once again does a respectable job saying goodbye (maybe) to one of his cast members.
X-Factor #260
The guest appearance by Quicksilver is awesome though.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
I have made my peace with the X-Factor‘s cancellation. And I’ve come to accept that it’s no longer the title I once loved. X-Factor settled into a calm, gentle sort of quality over the past few years. The issues are always entertaining and consistently good, but never great, and rarely do they say or do anything new. PAD writes some great characters, the art has always been quality; it’s just that the premise and the stories have all been kind of mediocre. Especially when compared to some of the other comics out there right now, especially at Marvel. It turns out that Marvel NOW! really did shake things up for my favorite publisher. There are so many great books at Marvel these days that I really have to step back and accept that X-Factor just isn’t one of them. Not anymore. It’s good, but it’s not Marvel NOW! good.
Also, personally, I miss the private investigators angle. That was a great premise for this comic, but hasn’t really been around in forever.
I like Polaris. I was really excited to see what PAD could do with her in the pages of X-Factor, and I’m disappointed that he’s run out of time. He had the beginnings of some good characterization, but never really got around to giving Polaris any storylines. She was kind of just there being gruff and stuff. So when the time comes to say goodbye, it’s basically just Polaris sitting around being gruff and stuff. It works for the character, it works for the issue, and it works as a goodbye. Polaris’ farewell actually even ties in with a goodbye to X-Factor as a whole, so that’s nice. The issue also features a cameo appearance by Quicksilver, and that kind of works to wrap-up his X-Factor appearances from a few years ago. That’s an unexpected plus.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Review: X-Factor #259
Hey continuity fans, this issue is for you! Did you ever wonder what happened to Dazzler’s baby from that one brief mention of it’s fate back in 2001? What about the secret history of Longshot and Shatterstar? Are you a scholar of X-Men history so deep and obscure that you’ve been waiting decades for your answers? Peter David and X-Factor have you covered in the latest issue of The End of X-Factor! And it’s mostly good, but also mostly just a quick attempt for PAD to write off a story idea he had in one issue.
X-Factor #259
On the one hand, The End of X-Factor is about tying off each individual character with a bow. On the other hand, like with this issue, PAD might be cramming every story idea he had left into single, one-off issues.
Comic Rating: 6/10 – Pretty Good.
I’m just not a big fan of Rictor, Shatterstar or Longshot, so maybe the true strength of this issue was lost on me. PAD has been hinting at some sort of connection between the two similar heroes for a while now, and I can definitely say I didn’t see this exact twist coming, but it’s still similar to what I expected. It also only comes up in the last third of the book, which turns into a huge info-dump as PAD just lets it all out. I got the feeling that he had planned something bigger and better for the big reveal, but the comic’s cancellation saw to the end of those plans.
The rest of the issue is fine. It’s mostly about Rictor, and it’s so utterly random. After the events of Hell on Earth War, Rictor wound up in the Mojoverse, of all places. That part doesn’t make much sense, but again, this issue is all about tying off the Longshot/Shatterstar story. PAD does a fine job with it, and might actually appease a few continuity buffs in the audience.
Henchman-4-Hire 