X-Factor, Madrox

X-Factor 87-89, 92, 95, 108, 109, 125

Joe Quesada did a lot fewer issues of X-Factor than I remember.  He’s credited with 90 and 91, but I’m pretty sure I would have them if he was the actual artist.  (The letter column in issue 92 acknowledges that Jan Duursema did 91.) Also, he only did about two-thirds of 88 and 89.  My surprise at his inability to do a regular monthly title is minimal.

What he does manage to get down on the page is, of course, beautiful.  The classic X-Factor 87 is rightly praised for its amazing dissection of the team’s psychological make up, but it wouldn’t be nearly so successful without Quesada’s interpretation of the script.  It’s essentially talking heads for twenty-three pages, but he coming up with so many ways of keeping it not just interesting, but engrossing. Showing one page for each team member:

I don’t know why I kept the other issues around.  (I used to have even more, but did a culling a long time ago.)  Well, 108 and 109 I got because they lead into Legion Quest in an unnecessary tie-in.  125 is an Onslaught offshoot. 95 I have no idea. These all sucked, easy drops.

Regret buying: No for the Quesada issues, Yes for the others.

Would buy again: Yes for the Quesada issues, No for the others.

Would read again: Yes for the Quesada issues, No for the others.

Rating: Good for 87, Nice for the other Quesada issues, Disliked for the others.

Madrox 1-5

X-Factor 1-2

Peter David returns to X-Factor with a focus on Multiple Man.  And let’s give him every prop for making Jamie Madrox a complex character, taking a WTF power and giving it layers I could never have imagined.  

None of that makes Madrox or the X-Factor reboot all that interesting.  Madrox has a major case of ennui, and his dupes start manifesting as specific parts of his personality.  They’re no longer nearly as obedient to Jamie Prime as they used to me, and while I can see a story where that’s interesting, here it’s just frustrating and annoying.  

I’m not interested in reading any more of this, though I am sorry to not learn more about Layla Miller.  (Update: I just read her Wikipedia entry. Eh.)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck (cutting)