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Underground > Comic Books >

Peter David's New X-Factor

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16:11 / 17.12.05

each of which was equally as much Jamie as any of the others, as opposed to this current take that seems to have reinvested in the idea of a 'core' Jamie

Yes, that's how I would've preferred it as well. Something slightly creepy but also inspired about that kind of portrayal.

In regards to the murder of Jamie by Jamie, the resolution of that storyline pretty much established that there is, in fact a "core" Jamie. The Sinister affiliated one absorbed X-Factor Jamie, resulting in an implosion of sorts. The result was X-Factor Jamie saying that he was the "original". In retrospect, that seems to contadict the prior issues' arguments: the murdered dupe cannot be reabsorbed, and long-standing dupes develop individual personas, meaning that all dupes are potential cores - as you suggest.

Perhaps "core" Jamie is a failsafe to preserve the collective?

16:59 / 17.12.05

Anyone want to explain why Jamie's even still around? I still have a copy of X-Factor 100 somewhere where he straight up dies of AID--I MEAN the Legacy Virus. Some of DeMatteis's schlockier stuff, but I don't doubt he was under X-Treme Editorial Pressure.

22:20 / 17.12.05

Dupe died, innit? Cue heartwarming reappearance involving Strong Guy at Multiple's grave.

16:39 / 18.12.05

Oh, well, duh. I probably could have guessed that. Thanks kindly.

On the PAD tip...reread all of Spider-Man 2099 the other day and it is fly as hell. He really did have something back in the day...we just haven't seen it in a while. With any luck, X-Factor and FNSM will see him back in top form.

Oh, and now I'm remembering the first 8 issues of Supergirl...goddammit PAD could write. I'm gonna go pick up X-Factor after work. Awesome.

rabideyemovement

16:57 / 18.12.05

I loved Spider-Man 2099 too. I remember some villain named Thanatos or some such who was really Rick Jones with cosmic power.
I hear the Exiles will be dropping into the 2099 'verse soon.

19:25 / 18.12.05

I know this is off-topic, but Spiderman 2099 was the first comic where I remember thinking, "That Miguel O'Hara is an ASSHOLE."

Most heroes are sarcastic bastards or differnt in their ways, but Mig was fucking his brother's girl. Cold as ice! There's another book thaty deserves collecting. Nothing else from 2099 was worth the effort I think.

21:18 / 18.12.05

DOOM 2099 had its moments. Loved the 2099 Spidey. Peter David has been a consistently entertaining writer for well over a decade now. His HULK run is definitive, and I'm glad Marvel has started collecting it. Great stuff.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

22:15 / 18.12.05

Cue heartwarming reappearance involving Strong Guy at Multiple's grave.

Can I just say how much I loved that little moment b/w him and Siryn? "Go to hell."? That was some real shit. I liked that.

22:22 / 18.12.05

FUCK thanks for ruining Thanatos's true identity for me. I never made it that far into Captain Marvel. That's kind of lame, now that I think about it.

Also, I must take serious personal offence to the comment that there was nothing else in 2099 worth reading. Len Kaminski's Ghost Rider was a cyberpunk epic, Gerry Jones's Hulk had some lovely moments, and Ravage...umm...was written for seven issues by Stan Lee. Yeah. Frankly I think 2099 was a fascinating experiment, spanning from the height of the early-90s glut and "Marvelution" all the way up through the bankruptcy. For the first time since Stan'n'Jack we were reading a Marvel Universe that WASN'T built on recapitulating the same conservative fantasies--our heroes could actually EFFECT CHANGE and their actions HAD CONSEQUENCES. It was pretty breathtaking. Not to mention that all the villains (almost every single one) were representatives of Evil Corporations (is there a better lesson to teach kids in the modern world?). Exciting stuff.

Okay, sorry bout the threadrot. I've been rereading through my 2099 collection and maybe I'll start an actual thread later tonight if anyone wants to get into the nitty-gritty with me. Back to X-Factor.

01:40 / 19.12.05

PAD frequently writes folks that are out and out assholes. Usually, they have cute smiles, though, so it's all - always - forgiven. Still, assholes.
X-Factor seemed/seems to have missed that boat. So far.

Cowboy Scientist

23:30 / 19.12.05

PAD frequently writes folks that are out and out assholes. Usually, they have cute smiles, though, so it's all - always - forgiven. Still, assholes.
X-Factor seemed/seems to have missed that boat. So far.

Well, that is if you don't count the bastard Jaimie dupe that pushes Rictor off the building.

21:08 / 20.12.05

Loved the issue. Would have liked a bit more 'origin' I guess. Anyone know what exacly Siryn and Rictor have been doing since X-Force?

The way the ending to this issue was forshadowed, yet I still didn't see it coming. I dig anything that suprises me like that yet makes me feel a little stupid for not having seen it.

It does seem a little that Jamie's doubles are just a little too cardboard, until the plot requires them to be more complicated. He can instantly discern which aspect of his personality each dupe has. I think it might take a little longer. I see the split personality as a direct result of him reabsorbing doubles after so much time has passed, but I'm not sure if thats ever been laid out.

In any case, this is a series to keep your eye on.

21:19 / 20.12.05

anyone know what exacly Siryn and Rictor have doing since X-Force?

Briefly affiliated with X-Corp. Their squad was headquartered in Paris.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

05:06 / 30.12.05

Bump. #2 came out today, which seems really fast. Is this supposed to be the Biweekly Adventures of X-Factor? While #1 was top knotch, #2 left me considerably colder, primarily because of two things:

1. This secondary penciller, who did half the book. Was this a method of getting the book out on time because Sook's habitually late or something? Dennis Callero's work felt awkward and stiff, in comparison to the smooth and sexy Sook linework. Sook's pages are brilliant.

2. "I'm Layla Miller. I know things." XF1 was my first exposure to this obnoxious thingee, this Misty-ripoff, and I don't care if she's actually Professor X in disguise; she's really annoying.

Looks like we're up for more time travel hijinx. What was Singularity's role in the Madrox mini?

I loved Monet's personality, the way PAD writes her - "Supergirl meets Veronica Lodge" is brill.

Would have liked some more fleshing out of the effect that Jamie's dubious dupe had on him, Ric, and everyone. But I suppose - they glossed over it way too quickly, just to bring us another page with Layla "I know Stuff!" Miller.

The subplot case Siryn was working on didn't do much for me, but that couldn't have been the art again.

Here's hoping #3 swoops back upward again...

12:18 / 30.12.05

Weird! I went to Midtown Comics in NYC last night and this issue was not on the 'new issues' shelves, as far as I could see. Did anyone else go there and see it there? Maybe I just plain missed it.

I did notice the fill-in artist in the preview pages posted online...kinda weird to have a fill-in for the second issue.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

13:10 / 30.12.05

It wasn't bad, the last panel was pleasantly surprising, the TV Tropes of Angel and Veronica Mars are slowly congealing, although Layla's a bit young for Veronica so if they have her start dating Rictor's cross between Duncan Kane and Logan Ecchols, it will certainly get weird. Monet is certainly a less annoying Cordelia than the actual Cordelia, it's probably the flying. Let's hope Rahne's Doyle fares better than her progenitor. And the introduction of the Rogue Dupe should add the requisite level of angst to the procedings. It's almost like Jamie's...curse.

And really, the more they bring up Decimation, the more it makes it so obvious what a stupid fucking idea it was.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

14:39 / 30.12.05

I enjoyed the Singularity bloke referring to it as the "Decimation," in quotation marks - it would have been better with him doing air quotes as well. Gave the whole scene a "delivered with teleprompter" feel.

01:26 / 03.01.06

This is way off topic but weren't Rictor and Shatterstar an item? I distinctly remember something like that... and if so where's Shatterstar now?

rabideyemovement

03:01 / 03.01.06

yup.

.
.
.
I found that at http://www.geocities.com/ricshatty/here.html
The Rictor/Shatterstar website.

Last I saw Shatterstar was when he teamed up again with Cable in last year's brief X-Force mini (which I found too horrible to read, so I don't know what happened).

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

21:15 / 03.01.06

Yeah, Fabian's X-Force certianly continually hinted that there was something between Ric and Shattybuns. But it was left pretty nebulous as to the truth of the situation.

I like to think there was a thing there.

rabideyemovement

22:41 / 03.01.06

Check out the evidence at the website above. It makes a pretty good case for it.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

18:22 / 21.01.06

2. "I'm Layla Miller. I know things." XF1 was my first exposure to this obnoxious thingee, this Misty-ripoff, and I don't care if she's actually Professor X in disguise; she's really annoying.

It struck me as the thing I dislike about PAD's writing: Jokes taking the place of story, or obscuring story. I get that he's trying to do the David Letterman technique of repeating something until it becomes funny, but it doesn't work well in comics, and now I just see the character as a one note joke.

The series has been better than PAD's work has been for the last 7 years or so. I soured on his writing as his wrapped up his run on The Hulk, and other than Fallen Angel I've not been impressed. He seemed to be writing his comics as if they were still a buck each, which is fine when they are, but annoying when they are $3 each. This one has me hooked, though, and has enough going on that I feel like I get my money's worth.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

20:34 / 21.01.06

It's worth noting that PAD's Layla Miller is *absolutely nothing* like her portrayal in House of M. Different powers, different personality, different schtick... hell, possibly even different age.

And on a related note, I'm tired of this "she's Prof X" bullshit.

12:43 / 05.02.06

saw this on a comic board:

----

SOOK SAYS "SO LONG" TO X-FACTOR

According to a post on writer Peter David's log on Saturday, February 4th, artist Ryan Sook has voluntarily left his position as regular penciler of Marvel's X-Factor ongoing series, written by David.

"Issue #4 of X-FACTOR will be Ryan's last," writes David. "This is entirely his decision. Andy [editor Andy Schimdt] and I would love for him to stay on, and Ryan reportedly loves the book, but he has taken himself off it because--I presume, since I haven't spoken to him--the monthly schedule is just too problematic for him. He is, however, going to be continuing doing the covers.

"Dennis Calero, who I think is doing an excellent job, will be doing issues 5 and 6, and Ariel Olivetti is doing issue 7. An announcement of an artist beyond that point would be premature, although Andy is considering several possibilities, all of whom I believe would be great for the series.

"As for Ryan, it was far too short an association for my taste, and I'm certainly hoping to work with him again."

Look for more on details on the creative future of X-Factor when they are available.

-----------------------------------------

09:06 / 09.02.06

This is way off topic but weren't Rictor and Shatterstar an item?

I doubt it, though. You see in our modern world the fictional gay male couple is still a very dangerous thing. We may have advanced exponentially but the old wives tales are still very much true and should be heeded unless you're willing to face the consequences. If you write gay male characters doing gay male activities bad things happen, babies get gobbled up by horrible troll monsters and rivers turn to blood. So you see not even Marvel would dare risk any of these fates on the world. That's why it's better to keep them gays out of mainstream media, unless they're portrayed as hee-larious or as a necessary plot device. Rictor and Shatterstar's "love-that-dare-not-speak-its-name" does not fit this criteria. Oh and F.Y.I. lesbian couples are okay and not dangerous because they're hot! Whooooo! Lesbians Rule! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! (this is the sound of frat boys drinking beer).

"Issue #4 of X-FACTOR will be Ryan's last," writes David. "This is entirely his decision. Andy [editor Andy Schmidt] and I would love for him to stay on, and Ryan reportedly loves the book, but he has taken himself off it because--I presume, since I haven't spoken to him--the monthly schedule is just too problematic for him. He is, however, going to be continuing doing the covers.

Why does this always happen? They lure you in with the goods and then four issues in they pull the carpet and saddle you up with some no-name talentless burk. It happened with Grant Morrison's New X-Men too...ah, I remember it so well. I had read the lovely E is for Extinction and was thoroughly under Quitely's thrall but then when opening the first issue for the Germ-Free Generation arc, my dream of reading four years of Frank Quitely-penciled Grant Morrison X-Book was shattered to bits. Now it's happening again...gawd dammit.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

11:36 / 09.02.06

Hadn't you heard? According to Joey Da Q, gays can only be gay in Max books. True story.

13:33 / 09.02.06

At least there won't be any fill-in issues on All-Star Superman. In an uncertain world, I feel pretty certain about that.

Spyder Todd 2008

14:35 / 09.02.06

Hadn't you heard? According to Joey Da Q, gays can only be gay in Max books. True story.

Seriously? What a douche.

rabideyemovement

14:57 / 09.02.06

What about the gay kids from Young Avengers... and Runaways? and others in New X-Men, right?

15:00 / 09.02.06

Good point, rabid eye - Young Avengers has two very clearly gay characters. Don't know how that fits in with his "Any gay stuff had better be in MAX books, otherwise we open ourselves up to attacks from angry homophobic parents, the religious right, etc." edict. The X-Men stuff has been mostly about Northstar, who doesn't seem to be doing much lately in the books.

15:01 / 09.02.06

oh, yah, and Runaways, too, like you said.

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

15:16 / 09.02.06

Well, I wouldn't count on them showing up in the Marvel Romance books, is all I'm saying. They seem to usually skirt the opportunity to make flat-out statements about their sexuality. I'm looking at you, Ultimate Colossus.

15:29 / 09.02.06

Yeah, I was just thinking maybe the unspoken Joe Q. addendum is that the MAX books will have the more explicit gay themes/scenes/discussion, whereas Runaways, Northstar and Young Avengers can deal with it and mention it as long as it's not very explicit, whatever that means.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

04:11 / 02.03.06

X-Factor #4 came out today. I picked it up like a nervous tic, because I've been meaning to drop this title but there's Sook! Making Jamie all hot, and Monet suddenly intrigues me even though her ethnic background seems to have changed and Rahne! Being Rahne.

It wasn't bad. Rahne & Guide establishing martial mutant law in Mutant Town intrigues me because it splits X-Factor's mandate between street-level detective work and something more in line with the Authority, to the point where they say FUCK IT to the world that hates and fears them. It potentially could go the way of the Inza Nelson Doctor Fate series, where Inza used her magics to transform a city block into an island of urban paradise for a while.

It's lame that Sook's leaving the title, though. I'm not sure if I can stomach the other guy's art as it stands now.

23:29 / 04.06.06

>> * X-Factor artist Dennis Calero told Comics Continuum that #9 will be the final issue of his run. He said had about two more weeks' worth of work on that issue and then will decide what his next project will be.

So even the replacement artist is leaving now after a few issues. I pretty much dropped the book after Sook's departure; I think I bought and read 2 issues post-Sook. Now I just skim it in the store. I don't care enough about Layla Miller to deal with mediocre artists.

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