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Review: X-Factor #257
It’s times like these I wish I did better in literature class. Maybe then I could understand why Peter David wasted one of the last six issues of X-Factor on characters we’ve never met before and the elementary lesson of being careful what you wish for. Did I miss one of the themes or subplots of Hell on Earth War? Does this lesson have something to do with why Jamie Madrox is still stuck in demon form?
X-Factor #257
Why the heck is Madrox still a demon!? Spoilers, he’s still a demon by the end of the issue! PAD only has five issues left of the entire series and his main character is still a mindless, purposeless demon monster! Argh!
Comic Rating: 3/5 – Alright.
I can only hope that this issue is some kind of prologue to the entire End of X-Factor storyline, that maybe its themes will reverberate throughout the entire arc. Maybe it will make sense once the whole series is wrapped. Or maybe it won’t. I just don’t know. PAD has promised that each issue is going to focus on different characters to wrap up their stories. So is this Layla’s issue? Is this the wrap-up we get for Layla Miller? If it is, it’s a terrible wrap-up for her character. Seriously, I just don’t know the purpose of this issue. I’m hoping that it will all become clear in the end, otherwise this is a dud of a story that doesn’t really have anything to do with X-Factor at all.
I’m not dreading the end of the series. X-Factor has had a long, healthy run, and maybe it’s time to say goodbye. The rest of the Marvel Universe has passed it by, and I’m glad that PAD has the opportunity to wrap up the series on his terms. So I guess I was just expecting something more…meaningful? More important? More in line with saying goodbye? I kept waiting for something to happen that would change Madrox back to his normal self, but it never came. All of a sudden the issue was over and nothing had changed. I’m just at a loss as to the purpose of the issue. I really hope it becomes clear soon enough.
Also, not to be too rude, but the art is clearly in “comic soon to be cancelled” mode.
Review: X-Factor #256
This is it! The big finale! The Hell on Earth War comes to a crashing conclusion this issue, and it’s…pretty good. It’s not great, but then I don’t think X-Factor has been mind-numbingly great for some time now. I would definitely say this was one of the best issues of the Hell on Earth War, that’s for sure, giving the story a resounding climax. And that twist ending is definitely something special. I did not see that coming. But then the comic just ends. Right on the verge of giving us a proper denouement, the comic just stops, and that was just as jarring as the twist ending, but in a bad way.
X-Factor #256
I know there are going to be plenty of comics following up on this ending, but I don’t want to have to wait another month to read them. This issue should have been double-sized or expanded so that Peter David could have given his story a proper epilogue in the proper place.
Comic Rating: 4/5: Good!
In terms of a fitting conclusion to the Hell on Earth War, this issue more than succeeds. This is as action-packed and seismically epic as X-Factor has ever been. The action and art are great, but as I’ve been saying all along, the characters themselves don’t get much to do. Most of the emotional weight of the story still rests on Tier’s young shoulders, and while he does an admirable job as the star, I just can’t bring myself to care all that much about him. I care far more about the actual members of X-Factor.
After I finished this issue, I thought back to where the comic began, with Jamie, Guido and Rahne setting up their own detective agency in the pages of MadroX. How the heck did we get from that to this, where those characters battle the forces of Hell for the fate of the entire world? X-Factor has definitely been one long, strange trip, and maybe the time has come to let the comic end. PAD has told a lot of amazing stories, and breathed new and wonderful life into all of these characters. Letting him end the series on his own terms is the perfect way to end X-Factor.
Besides, we all know what would have happened had PAD left the series. X-Factor doesn’t have the best sales, and a lot of them have to be boosted by PAD himself. So if Marvel had decided to put some new writer on the title, X-Factor probably would have languished for half a dozen issues before they’d put it out of its misery. So this is for the best. PAD gets to say goodbye the way he wants.
Though I’m still going to hold out hope that his new project will be some kind of new Madrox solo series for Marvel NOW! Wave 2. Fingers crossed.
Review: X-Factor #255
Penultimate chapters usually rock, and X-Factor #255 is no exception. The balance of power has tipped in the Hell on Earth War, and only the raggedy band of mutant heroes we know and love has any chance of saving the world. Writer Peter David does a great job of setting up the final challenge and positioning X-Factor as the last hope for the fate of the planet – minus one of their own! That’s right! A member of X-Factor dies in this issue, and it’s quite sad.
X-Factor #255
The Hell on Earth War has been generally good all along. It’s dragged a little, maybe, and not all of the characters have had meaningful moments, and Madrox has been almost completely absent, but I’ve enjoyed it and I’m ready for the grand finale!
Comic Rating: 4/5: Good!
Hell on Earth War has been generally entertaining. No part has really blown me away, or connected emotionally, but I’ve enjoyed it better than some of PAD’s other big X-Factor stories. Like I mentioned, most of the characters have just been along for the ride, with all of the emotional weight going to Tier, a character who we don’t really know. And my favorite character, Multiple Man, was quickly saddled with that odd demon transformation, taking him out of the fun. But those are just personal gripes. The rest of the story has been good.
The scope and scale of the Hell on Earth War has been very intense, some of the biggest X-Factor has ever seen, and PAD has kept the pacing sharp. The story hasn’t dragged too much, with something interesting happening in every issue. This issue is no exception. Tier gets a proud moment, there’s an epic fight between Strong Guy and Monet, and Mephisto successfully sets himself up for next issue’s boss fight.
Can X-Factor save the day? Or will their cancellation come early? Join me after the jump to find out!
X-Factor Cancelled; Life As We Know It Is Over!
Why!? Oh why!? One of my favorite comic book series for the past nearly 10 years is coming to an end! Marvel Comics and writer Peter David announced the official cancellation of X-Factor today at the C2E2 comic book convention in Chicago!
I know the feel, bro
The final issue will be X-Factor #262 in September, so just in time for my birthday. Curse you, cruel hand of fate!
We’ve known for a long time now that the next story arc is going to be called ‘The End of X-Factor’, but I thought that was just a clever name for some kind of shake up, or something along those lines. I didn’t think it needed to be taken literally. I’m also holding out hope that X-Factor will merely be relaunched with a new #1 issue as part of Marvel NOW! Wave 2. But based on that interview I linked from Newsarama, this cancellation sounds pretty final.
Peter David had this to say:
“It was basically decided that the ‘Hell on Earth War’ was as major a storyline as we were going to do,” David said. “I’d been building toward it for so long that it simply seemed a logical culmination to the entire series. So we decided to wrap it up. It’s been going for 10 years, after all.”
For those who don’t know, X-Factor is a spin-off of the X-Men series of comics. But instead of starring more popular characters like Wolverine or Storm or Cyclops, X-Factor took some of the lesser known characters and gave them their own series, characters like Wolfsbane, Rictor, Shatterstar, Siryn and, my all-time favorite comic book character, Multiple Man! This was Multiple Man’s series. He was the star! For years, I had to satisfy myself with Multiple Man showing up in small cameos or guest appearances. But then in 2004, Peter David came along and wrote a brilliant mini-series about him called MadroX, and it was amazing! That mini-series was so successful that Marvel decided to give PAD a whole series about Multiple Man and his friends!
Some friendlier than others
So seriously, for the past nearly 10 years, I have been able to enjoy a great, well-written comic book series starring my all-time favorite character. I should and do consider myself very lucky for that.
But apparently the time has come for an ending.
PAD said the final story will be a bunch of short stories starring each of the characters, giving them proper send-offs, I guess. One issue will be about Polaris interacting with Quicksilver.
Because why not
And another issue will focus on the mysterious connection between Longshot and Shatterstar.
Because also why not
No word on how Multiple Man will be left after the series. PAD has always been hinting at having some kind of secret behind Multiple Man’s powers. Will he finally reveal that secret? Or will he just give Multiple Man a happy ending? I’m hoping for the latter.
In the interview, PAD also hints that he has a top secret Marvel project coming up. So I suppose there’s still a sliver of hope that this is all just a feint, and he will reveal a new version of X-Factor to come along, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
As it stands, all I can really do is thank writer Peter David and Marvel for giving this comic book geek an amazing 10 years. What more can a guy ask for? X-Factor has been brilliant from beginning to no doubt what will be a fantastic ending! So three cheers everybody!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
*sniff*
Review: X-Factor #254
More X-Factor, more Hell on Earth War goodness! The battle for the fate of the Earth marches on into Part Five, and it looks like Peter David is finally moving his various pieces into place for the big finale. Specifically, he has Mephisto start making the sort of power plays that put him dead center as the story’s true villain, while X-Factor deals with some more internal problems. I rather like that. I’m not so much a fan of big, chaotic fights between superheroes and faceless demon spawn, but I love it when superheroes bicker and talk with one another. That’s just something weird about me, I guess.
X-Factor #254
We get plenty of both action and talking in this issue, which is another solid installment of the Hell on Earth War.
Comic Rating: 4/5: Good.
One thing that’s interesting to note is that the recap page mentions a meeting between Peter David and his editors at Marvel HQ. As we all know, the recap pages always contain some fun, behind-the-scenes tidbit, usually about PAD’s life and family. This time we learn that PAD has a lot of big, big plans for X-Factor in the coming months, which I’m taking to mean that the upcoming ‘End of X-Factory’ storyline is just going to be a chance for him to relaunch the series with a new focus. Marvel has been talking about Marvel NOW! Wave 2 being on the horizon, and I think X-Factor is going to get a little shake up. I’m excited for this…in theory. If we find out that PAD is ditching all of his characters and going in a completely new direction, then I will be less happy. I’m hoping, instead, that he just plans to streamline the current team and figure out a new direction to take all of them.
As long as PAD is still writing a Multiple Man comic book, I will be one happy camper.
But that also gives extra emphasis to the Hell on Earth War, which might turn out to be the big, penultimate story of this volume of X-Factor. PAD has been writing this ongoing tale for years now, and this looks to be his big blowout adventure. I can definitely get behind that. The story is fast-paced with usually strong character work. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for X-Factor, and mostly we get to see everybody working together (or knocking heads) as they try to be superheroes and save the world. You couldn’t really ask for more.
Henchman-4-Hire 