All-New X-Factor #4 – Review

By:  Peter David (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Rachelle Rosenberg (colorist)            

The Story: Gambit faces his worst nightmare, an enemy who can’t be robbed, blown-up, or seduced. Can he pull off the impossible before Polaris kills a former X-Man?

The Review: Let’s get it out there: All-New X-Factor #4 is one giant battle sequence. If you’re looking for something else, you might be disappointed, but leave it to Peter David to remind us how much fun it can be to just watch our heroes struggle.

Of course in order to struggle X-Factor needs an adversary and one capable of taking on the fledgling team. Fear not on that score, Danger more than adequately fills the role. Possessed of all the powers of the Danger Room itself, the amnesiac android makes for a convincing threat. Her hard-light constructs, in particular, get put to good use.

Unfortunately, Danger isn’t all that much more charismatic than her namesake chamber this issue. Driven by blind anger and lacking memories, Danger is fairly one-note villain. The number of times she declares what she knows or proclaims the time of someone’s demise is simply too high. Like the Terminator or Jason Voorhees, Danger’s…well, danger comes from her slow inevitable crawl towards victory, but while her tactical cleverness makes for some great bits, her intelligence robs her of an elemental charm.

All-New X-Factor #3 – Review

By: Peter David (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist)

The Story: Gambit discovers that leading the Thieves’ Guild is as easy as herding cats as we discover that he’s actually pretty good at herding cats.

The Review: The first two issues of All-New X-Factor were somewhat surprising. I’ve always found Peter David to be a very talented writer with a knack for defining his characters and people swear by his second run on X-Factor. All the same, there was a distinct lack of identity in the opening story of this series.

This issue begins to address that concern and wastes absolutely no time doing it. From the first panel, David’s character-driven, old-Hollywood sensibility comes through clearly. In addition to a greater sense of David’s voice, this issue deals with many of the most interesting topics from the first two issues. Big subjects like Serval’s morality and Dr.Hoffman’s obsession with mutant powers get some time to grow, while David set the stage for the introduction of at least one of X-Factor’s missing crewmembers. Along the way, he also makes good on his NYCC promise that Gambit’s leadership of the Thieves’ Guild would come into play, which sets up our newest arc.

As you may have guessed, this issue is the best paced of the short run. The issue is packed with plot progression, but there’s plenty of room to play around. Quicksilver’s personality is still being defined as ‘hated by one and all with good reason’, but he’s much more human than he was last time. We also get some insight into Polaris that certainly frees her from the ‘generic team leader’ role that she seemed in danger of falling into. Though she has a ways to go, the weak link continues to be Gambit.

All-New X-Factor #2 – Review

By: Peter David (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist)

The Story: Pietro finds himself dodging bullets, returning insults, and surrounded by people who want him dead, including the ones he’s there to save. So, really, a pretty average day for him.

The Review: Now that we’ve established our team and the questionable multi-national funding them, it’s time for this all-new X-Factor to take on their first mission. In classic Peter David style, the issue pokes all kinds of holes in our preconceived notions of the genre.

One of the most interesting elements of this mission is our antagonist, one Dr. Terrance Hoffman. Though we’re still reading comics awash in a sea of Silver Age nostalgia, it feels like a long time since we’ve had a fair share of old-fashioned ‘mad scientists’. Well Hoffman certainly fits the bill. He lacks some staying power, but he’s a charming opponent with some fascinating theories on mutation that just might come back into play. I can’t help but notice that all his talk of energy conversion contrasts cleanly with Gambit’s abilities.

Speaking of Gambit, he remains our lead character, though David does a good job of spreading the love between his three protagonists. David’s lack of experience in writing Remy is a little more apparent, now that he’s not stealing things left and right. His accent seems to pop in and out, and at times he seems a little too normal. He’s not quite the everyman that Madrox was and, funny as it is to hear he and Pietro argue about Star Wars, I’m not sure that it reads as a convincing Gambit. Polaris, on the other hand, suits David’s style wonderfully. She’s competent without being perfect and relatable without being unfocused.

It will be clear to anyone reading this issue why David’s Quicksilver has a reputation for being a scene-stealer. Pietro’s exactly the sort of character that’s fun to read about because you’d hate him so in real life. The script has a great handle on Pietro’s powers and way of thinking. Unfortunately this story has serious ties to some of Quicksilver’s more questionable recent history. It’s explained pretty well within the issue, but nice as it is that David found a way to make something out of those stories, my opinion has generally been that the less Marvel references its crazy, inbred, decade-long X-Men event conga the better.

All-New X-Factor #1 – Review

By: Peter David (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist)

The Story: Gambit finds himse- THIS YEAR GET HER WHAT SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED- you can skip this advertisement in 5…

The Review: The original Peter David X-Factor was a team of mutants assembled by the United States government with mixed results. The next time David assembled the team they were a struggling private investigation firm based in Mutant Town. Now the transformation is complete as X-Factor becomes a corporate entity, bought out by the mysterious Serval Industries.

As he did in the Madrox miniseries that launched X-Factor Investigations, Peter David has chosen to start slow and introduce us to three key members of his new team. Gambit is our protagonist this issue and David proves capable of writing a heroic, yet flawed version of the character. Gambit’s wit and sex appeal are intact and, though he’s a tad more generic than in his recently canceled ongoing, I think fans will be happy with David’s first foray into writing out favorite Cajun superhero.

Fans of David’s Quicksilver may not be as pleased. While Pietro is himself, he’s a fairly unspectacular addition to this particular issue. Polaris is largely relegated to being a plot engine, however David does set the stage for some interesting developments and I expect that future issues will be better for both of Mr. Lensherr’s children.

All-New X-Factor: An Interview With Peter David

On the last day of New York Comic Con, I had the very good fortune to sit down with Peter David to talk about his long and storied career in the world of comics.

Mr. David has been writing comics for the better part of thirty years and has worked on all manner of projects; from cult classics like Young Justice or his trademark X-Factor to lengthy runs on some of the industry’s biggest titles like Aquaman and The Incredible Hulk. He’s also found success as a novelist and a screenwriter.

Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates # 28 Review

By: Joshua Hale Fialkov (Writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (Penciler), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Inker), Jim Charalampidis (Colorist)

Review: First of all: Yeesh! Try typing out the names of that creative team. Go on, try it. It tests everything you ever knew about the layout of the QWERTY keyboard to its utmost limits. I felt like a monkey tasked with typing out the entire Human Genome with single-stroke key taps while I was entering that…testing stuff.

Second: All such effort was totally worth it because now I can get to the good bit – telling you exactly how awesome Fialkov and co have made The Ultimates. I was pleasantly blown away by the last issue, and this one continues to impress. Humpries’ run seems like a distant memory now (one that I’m keen to forget) and even though some of Fialkov’s moves lay claim to similar structural traits as those laid out by his predecessor, this team actually makes them work – and work brilliantly. It’s full of the kind of grand ideas, great character moments and high stakes that make this book an undeniable keeper.

Actually, the storyline also has shades of Hickman’s time on the title, as well as a touch of the Phoenix Force Five’s A vs X exploits. Reed’s band of villains have set about winning the hearts and minds of Earth by building a better world than the Ultimates were ever able to give them. Quicksilver’s doing what is, I guess, community outreach work, Banner’s bringing about an ecological revolution (and the odd bit of smashing) to Africa, and Reed’s Herbietrons are fixing and securing pretty much everything else.

Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #27 – Review

By: Joshua Hale Fialkov (Writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (Penciler), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Inker), Jim Charalampidis (Colorist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Lettering & Production)

Review: I didn’t know quite what to expect from Fialkov’s run on The Ultimates. Previously I was only loosely aware of his work on I, Vampire, and even so he was a pretty unexpected announcement when the time came for DC’s post-Geoff Johns Green Lantern plans. Those were some pretty huge shoes to fill, so maybe things worked out best the way they did. Or maybe not. I mean it’s not like Sam Humphries was a tough act to follow – my thoughts on that are well documented – but even so, what he’s achieved here is remarkable. Under his stewardship The Ultimates has evolved from a book that I’d come to borderline despise with every ounce of my being to one that surprises, thrills and horrifies (in the vey best way). As far as the Ultimate universe goes, it’s a revelation.

In this issue our heroes are either already round beaten, or in the process of being beaten. Following the recent last few issues’ Infinity Gem-fuelled madness – whereby Reed Richards, Hulk, Quicksilver and a funky version of Kang the Conqueror have teamed up to rule/save/destroy the universe – the Ultimates are scattered and lost in a world of hurt. Cap and Hawkeye are Kang’s prisoners, rooted in a jail from which there seems no escape. Ben Grimm (does he even go by ‘The Thing’ in the 1610 anymore?) and Susan Storm are being chipped away piece-by-piece, literally, by Quicksilver. Thor’s facing an unfeasibly over-powered Hulk. And Tony…well, Tony’s predicament is the worst of the bunch.

Really, there’s no concern in spoiling the Reed Richards’ interrogation of Tony Stark in this issue; the cover tells you almost all you need to know. Tony is strung up in a lab, prostate and paralyzed as Reed digs into his brain in the search for an Infinity Gem. Say what!? Yeah…Tony’s brain tumour was actually a magical space gem all along, which kinda explains the whole ‘Little Anthony’ situation. This scene underpins the majority of the issue, and Fialkov revels in the horror. And horrific it is. The most pertinent corollary I can think of is the infamous ‘Brain Dining’ scene in Hannibal, minus the cannibalism. Reed’s also a much more refined tinkerer, and an even more sadistic captor – he keeps Reed conscious and cogent throughout, taunting and mocking Tony’s pleas for compassion and surrender. It’s a brilliant scene, stuffed as it is with dialogue almost as sharp as Reed’s scalpel and a sense of dread that builds up to a truly macabre climax. That bit I won’t spoil.

Avengers Academy #14 – Review

By: Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen (penciller), Scott Hanna (inker), Jeromy Cox (colorist), John Denning (assistant editor), Bill Rosemann (editor)

The Story: Electro attacks France’s main science institute while most of the full-fledged Avengers are away. The kids need a chance to prove themselves and Electro isn’t the baddest guy in town. When they get there, though, it turns out he ain’t alone. The kids don’t do too bad, though, all things considered.

What’s Good: Gage did one thing every great writer must do. He made the heroes active. They wanted something. They wanted it bad, and we the reader can sympathize: they want to prove themselves. They’re not asking for a free lunch. Just put me in the game coach. I like them already. This situation also creates a lot of tension, because when has any battle plan survived contact with the enemy? I love how well the trainees do against the Sinister Six and I have to say, I really like the ending. For a while, when I saw how they got the bad press and all, I was thinking “Oh great. Another thin persecution story. Seen it.” But Gage tricked me. That wasn’t the end. The end was about stepping up to the plate morally that was the big climax of the book. The fight, for all that it was a great superhero donnybrook, was really just a plot device to get to the personal growth made by a surprising number of people at the end. What am I saying about the writing? Gage was right on target.

And, I have to say, after my first exposure to the Chen-Hanna-Cox team, I’m loving the art. The fine lines leave a lot of room to fill the panels with detail, which I love. The credit page is a pretty good example of this. From top to bottom, the big panel is brimming with the external accoutrements of the Avengers Mansion, the backgrounded and framing characters, the tight line of those arguing, with some intense Giant-Man action thrown in as background. That is visual storytelling! And Cox’ colors are beautiful and clear, with the bright spots attracting the eye to the important parts of the page. I also enjoyed Chen’s slanting camera angles and overlaid panels. His layouts and choices of borders (or not) kept the pages from ever feeling the same. Chen and team made it feel like there was so much action going on that it could only be layered. And a PS: I loved the texture of Reptile and Rhino when they slapped down.

Mighty Avengers #31 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers), Sean Chen (artist), Yeung & Morales (inkers), John Rauch (colors)

Well, it’s now five months later and the best I can say for this story is that it’s finally over.  Thank. Freaking. God.  With “The Unspoken”, I feel that Mighty Avengers has hit something of a sophomore slump.  I finally gave up on this issue, and the overall storyline, about halfway through when, during a giant-sized fight with the Unspoken, Pym says “You’ve chosen to spend your time wallowing in past mistakes…not learning from them and moving on.”  I thought this was terribly apropos as it’s exactly what Slott and Gage have done.  These are both smart guys and good writers, and yet their sprawling story was exactly the kind of uninspired, MacGuffin-driven nonsense that was in style back in the 70s.  I’d like the think the bar in storytelling has risen considerably higher since those halcyon days, and yet this story utterly failed to become anything more than a less-than-average potboiler.

This story more or less seems to have been hatched for no other reason than to bring the various Avengers teams together for the upcoming ‘Siege’ storyline.  There is some value to this decision, as it was truly entertaining to see characters from the Initiative, New, and Mighty Avengers interacting with each other.  However, considering what a non-threat the Unspoken turned out to be, (which was a shame considering how much time the writers spent building him up to be a Serious Villain) and the disappointing way the Xerogen gas was finally resolved (really, Pym?  That was your great solution?  Kind of a buzzkill for the guy Eternity named Earth’s Scientist Supreme), I almost wish Pym would have called up the other teams and invited them over for beers and Xbox since it would have achieved the same goal, been just as entertaining, and taken up a fraction of the issues.

Despite an incredibly uninteresting, disappointing storyline, culminating in this issue that proved to be too little too late, I nonetheless feel like this book is headed in a direction that’s going to pay off in a big way down the road. Of the crop of Avengers books being published right now, this is the one that keeps me coming back month after month because I believe in its potential, even when the comic doesn’t live up to it.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

 



Mighty Avengers #30 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers), Sean Chen (artist), Mark Morales (inker), John Rauch (colorist)

The Story: Hank Pym and the embodiment of reality have a heart to heart while a ridiculously impressive number of past and present Avengers unite to collectively bitch-slap The Unspoken.

The Good: I enjoyed the subplot of this issue far more than I did the main story, but that’s not saying much when talking about “The Unspoken”.  The conversation between Pym and Eternity was far-fetched and more than a little ridiculous, yes, but at the same time it was so wildly off the wall that I couldn’t help but admire its brazen audacity.  I question if this is the right direction for Pym, but am also curious to see where Slott and Gage go with it.  This issue seems to be a prelude of sorts to the upcoming “Siege” storyline, as the New, Mighty, and Young Avengers all meet for the first time.  I was pretty impressed with how epic and powerful that moment felt, and am really hoping to see new team rosters come from this assembly.

The Not So Good: Why, oh why won’t this story end already?!  We’re now four months into this sloth-like monstrosity and practically nothing has happened.  Despite the writers’ efforts to convince us otherwise, The Unspoken continues to be an uninspired and thoroughly boring villain.  I’m utterly baffled that three full teams of Avenger are needed take down this guy when it takes him so long to get anything done.  Sure, the Slave Engine has finally been raised, but at the rate this story is going it will take another four months for this moron to actually activate the damn thing!  My concern is that this storyline will be dragged on right up until “Siege” begins, and I’m not sure I can hold out that long, this story is really that dull.

Conclusion: Mighty Avengers continues to be a fun comic and the best Avengers title being printed right now, but it is taking a serious beating from a bad story that is getting worse every month.  There are a few slivers of good ideas present here, but not nearly enough to justify buying the comic.  You don’t need this one, either.

Grade:  D

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #29 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers), Khoi Pham (artist), Allen Martinez (inker), John Rauch (colors)

The Story: US Agent, Quicksilver, and the People’s Defense Force are still dancing around The Unspoken, understandably reluctant to directly confront him again even as he unearths the ominously named Slave Engine. Stature, Ronin, and the Young Avengers are still working on getting some answers out of Scarlet Loki, and Pym is still too busy to be bothered with all of this. Can’t say I blame him.

The Good: I liked the cover.

The Not So Good: This is tricky. We’re in the middle of “The Unspoken” so it’s hard to speak to this issue directly when it’s only one component to the entire storyline. You can’t appreciate this issue without having read the previous two, which were much more promising, and you can’t appreciate successive issues without having read this. What I can say with certainty though is that after reading this issue I was bored to tears. I feel like “The Unspoken” has taken a nosedive and become yet another generic potboiler. That’s not to say the story can’t improve next month, because I really hope it will, but right now I cannot think of one reason why you need to buy this. The Unspoken’s explanation of Xerogen gas and Xerogenesis was weirdly moronic, the Slave Engine sounds like something selected at random from the Big Book of Generic Ideas, and the Young Avengers’ battle with Scarlet Loki was anticlimactic, considering how great a threat Loki poses. And then there was that tender moment between Ronin and Scarlet Loki, which may have not totally jumped the shark, but came pretty damn close. Assuming we are in fact in the middle of this story, I would think that this is the point where things need to happen, tension needs to build, and excitement should become palpable. None of these things happened though, and I honestly have no idea why because until now Mighty Avengers has enjoyed a string of great stories.

Conclusion: I hate to say it but for me, the honeymoon with “The Unspoken” is over, and I’m left wondering when this story is going to end so we can move on to better things. You don’t need this.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #28 – Review

By Dan Slott and Christos Gage (writers), Khoi Pham (artist), Allen Martinez (inker)

The Story: Cut off from the rest of their team by the machinations of Loki, US Agent and Quicksilver have no other choice but to battle The Unspoken alongside China’s premiere superhuman army.  Statue discovers ‘Scarlet Loki’s’ treachery but is prevented from revealing it to the other Mighty Avengers so she turns to her friends on the Young Avengers for help.

The Good: Ever since Slott came on board, I feel like this title has found new life and a sense of fun that is well worth my money.  There is a vibe to this book that reminds me of the kinds of Avengers stories I grew up reading, when dynamic and dramatic team rosters united against epic foes. Uber Republican US Agent was by far my favorite character in this issue, and I laughed out loud when he reverently referred to Norman Osborn as being a patriot.  What made that scene even cooler was his fight with the Collective Man, a Communist who can summon the strength of every person in China.  Delightfully mad ideas like this keep me coming back to this book every month.

The Not So Good: This was a fairly average issue that didn’t amount to nearly as much as it would have you believe it did.  I was so into the battle against The Unspoken that when Slott changed scenes to Pym injecting team members with keys to the Infinite Avengers Mansion or Stature deciding how to overcome the spell Loki placed on her, I felt like they dragged on longer than necessary .  The funny thing about that though was that when I went back to look at these scenes again, they really weren’t that long after all.

Conclusion: The Mighty Avengers is one hell of an entertaining book that harkens back to an older, more enjoyable tradition of Avengers stories.  If you’re fed up paying $8 a month for Bendis’ Avengers books, I strongly encourage you to give this a try instead!

Grade:  B

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #23 – Review

By Dan Slott (writer), Khoi Pham (artist), Allen Martinez and Danny Miki (inkers)

Even as I grew to despise Bendis’s writing over the years, I was always willing to give him a chance when it came to The Avengers because they have long been a favorite team of mine since childhood.  From Avengers, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, and right up to Dark Avengers, Bendis has conned me into thinking that each new iteration of the team might be the one that delivers the kind of epic action and drama that I’ve come to associate with the franchise.  Sadly, every title has let me down.  They’ve become vanity projects for Bendis full of overblown, Seinfeldian dialogue and plots that aren’t nearly exciting enough to justify the $3.99 price tags that are conveniently on his comics.  Needless to say, when I learned that Bendis was leaving Mighty Avengers I became optimistic, and when I read the roster for Slott’s new team, I became excited.  This team, a powerful combination of characters old and new, was a group of Avengers that made sense.  More importantly, it was a team I felt would be fun to read, and so far this title definitely delivers.

Completing the “origin” story of this new team of Avengers, this issue finds Hank Pym, now calling himself Wasp in honor of his late wife, being challenged by none other than Tony Stark for leadership of the group, which has been mysteriously assembled to combat the ancient Chaos god Cthon.  During the conflict egos clash, insecurities arise, a leader emerges, and the team’s malevolent founder is revealed.  In the sea of crap that Bendis has thrown the Avengers franchise into, Slott’s opening storyline on this title is a much needed breath of fresh air.  His script easily balances action, comedy, and characterization in ways that remind me why I’ve loved the Avengers for so long.  Khoi Pham’s art works best on a large scale, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the covers to his first three issues of this comic and tell me you wouldn’t buy a poster of it right now if you could!  Slott and Pham will need a little time to make this title their own, but I’m willing to give it to them because they have finally given me an Avengers comic I can enjoy again.  This is shaping up to be quite a fun comic and I hope you’ll give it a try!

Grade: B+

Tony Rakittke

Ultimates 3 #4 – Capsule Review

Jeph Loeb, (Writer) Joe Madureira, (Artwork) and Christian Lichtner (Digital Paints)

To be honest, this one doesn’t deserve any more space than it is getting. If it wasn’t for the awesome (its a love or hate thing I know) artwork by Joe Mad and Christian Lichtner I would have dropped this one after the first issue. The storyline is a mess featuring too many characters, Jeph Loeb’s dialogue is hilariously cliché, campy, and one-note, and I am fairly certain characters are acting wildly out of character. This is easily one of the worst things I have read since getting back into comics. If the artwork wasn’t so fun to look at, I would have to consider this a complete and utter failure at every level. (Grade: D)

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

I have no idea where this book is going anymore. And to think it’s going to wrap up next issue is just unthinkable. The only thing I can make a wager on is that it’s going to say, “To be continued in Ultimatum” at the end of issue #5. There’s just too many subplots and dangling threads (that have been randomly conjured up, no less) to be wrapped up in another 22 pages of story. This series has done nothing but sullen The Ultimates brand and lower the integrity of the creative team. Joe Mad’s art is the only reason why people are buying this turd, because the story is a convoluted mess and the coloring is still too dark. Why he would want to be associated with a piece of garbage like this is beyond me. At least with Hulk, I know that Jeph Loeb is purposely writing a bad story for the hell of it. Here, there’s just no excuse. Even the cover sucks. (Grade: F+)

– J. Montes

The Ultimates 3 #1 – Review

By: Jeph Loeb (writer), Joe Madureira (art)

*Slight Spoiler Alert*

I was talking to the Chief (J.Montes) about this book today. He said something to the effect of “It’s like watching a car crash”. He really hated this book so I had to check it out for myself.

I opened the book and there in the first panel, Tony Stark is plowing the Black Widow on the Ultimates big screen TV with all the other members watching it. The only thing I could think was… Awesome! But wait, there’s more. By page two there is an all out slobberknocker with Venom, who appears to be looking for someone. Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more craziness, Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver end up being lovers, (whhhhhhhat!) and Hank Pym O.D.’s on some pills but really who cares about Hank Pym. I won’t wreck the ending (yes, there is more) but it is highly entertaining and quite confusing.

Joe Mad was my guy in the 90’s. I grew up on Mad and Turner art, so when I heard Mad was coming back to Marvel I just about peed myself. His art in this book is fantastic; he really makes this book worth reading. If it was anyone else I would consider this the strangest piece of crap ever but he sells it with his art. The writing is really out there (sometimes hard to follow) and the dialogue is rough in certain areas but the shock value more than makes up for it.

If your mind is in the gutter and you enjoy snuff films, this is the book for you. I will likely lose all credibility with any future review because of this review, but I got the book and had a smile on my face from start to finish purely for the sake of the shock value. I’m going against the boss here… (Grade:B)

-Chris Williamson

A Second Opinion

Sorry, Chris, but this book is a steaming load of turd. Gone are the excellent and realisticly designed Bryan Hitch outfits, replaced by manga inspired “Age of Apocalypse” garb. Jeph Loeb stirs up all sorts of controvesy for the sake of nothing more than to get a reaction out of people. He makes this book trashy and tabloid-ish. We don’t need this crap.

This book belongs under the Marvel Knights brand. To sully the “Ultimates” name is unforgivable. (Grade: F)

– J.Montes