Review: X-Factor 35

I think Greg is overselling the badness of this art – it’s stylized, though perhaps less stylized than Stroman in the 1990s. It’s not necessarily my favorite, but I don’t think it will cause anyone gastrointestinal distress. However, it’s certainly within his rights as a reviewer to point out what he does and doesn’t like about something. Anyone else who’d like to comment on X-Factor this week, feel free to do so here!

- Matt

I e-mailed Greg that I thought he was overselling it, and I don’t think he’d mind my putting his return comment here:

“Look at Longshot. Look at him. Should he really be defined solely by having a spiky mullet cut? Because that’s the only way I even know it’s him.”

That’s a lot more specific complaint than he voiced in the review, so I thought I’d put it here for others’ reference.

- Matt

I was totally stoked to see 2 comments on the story. I had no idea it was just you. Maybe we should scrap the blog and just e-mail our thoughts about comics to each other from now on.

- Greg

I haven’t read this yet, but I’ll agree with several points:

- X-Factor was, at the helm, genius. the MAdrox limited series was noir at it’s best, and X-Factor had a lot riding for it: great team members, interesting ideas, fun writing.

Then sometime around issue 7 it all went to hell.

And then there was the Secret Invasion issues, which I’ll agree with Greg, were some of the most muddled, confusing, botched pencils I’ve ever seen.

I think Peter David, on his game, is fantastic. But X-Factor, to me, has become a lame duck, telling the same stories with the same outcome, and just seems to be going through the paces. I love Strong Guy, M, Rictor, Madrox and Syrin… yet it seems that the stories are more about faux-drama and wandering plotlines that nobody cares about, rather than actual investigative work or noir mutant detective stories.

That’s my two cents. Great idea, but it needs a refresher, and it needs direction.

I’ve got to agree entirely with Greg’s reaction to Stroman’s art on X-Factor. I found it mentally painful to look at the artwork. I think in the proper circumstances and the right title, the artwork would be fine, but it goes against the grain of the established style of the title that it just comes off as awful.

I also noticed that Madrox’s M tattoo came and went through the issue, as well. Frankly put, it was as if someone took an ugly stick and beat the living hell out of the X-Factor gang. I can’t wait to see Stroman depart stage left.

Thanks for the comment! I made Greg tone down some of his comments about how much he disliked the art, but I think his feelings still came through!

- Matt