Out this week: X-Factor #7, Spike vs. Dracula #3

Siryn finally deals (or doesn’t) with the death of her father (which I found out about the same time as you guys did, so it took five months for us to be able to get to it) and Spike & Drac form an uneasy alliance for the first time in their association. Whad’ja think?

PAD

30 comments on “Out this week: X-Factor #7, Spike vs. Dracula #3

  1. A perfectly servicable issue. Good story, nice art. But why is issue #10 solicited with another artist? I thought Dennis Calero was doing 8-12?

  2. I enjoyed both issues, though I preferred X-Factor – more seemed to happen; at the very least it took me longer to read. Mind you, that could be simply because my German is a tad rusty. I’m assuming there was some pretty funny stuff on those pages.

    I’m wondering if there could be some further hint worked into X-Factor as to precisely why Cyclops denied recognizing Layla, for those of us who skipped HoM.

    I loved Siryn’s reaction to Banshee’s death – simultaneously funny and poignant.

    Finally, I loved Ariel Olivetti’s art on the title…I’ve lost track of what’s up with the regular artist situation, but I hope he sticks around.

    I also picked up Fallen Angel #5 yesterday, and it was solid as always. Keep it up.

  3. Shades of “Three out of four people in this room have come back from the dead!” or whatever Rick’s quote was when trying to get Dr. Strange to help him bring Marlo back. 🙂 An awareness that death is not so final in the Marvel Universe.

  4. This is sort of off topic. I can’t post about current issues in a timely fashion because I get my books once a month from a subscription service. But I do want to say that the Madrox mini-series and the new on-going X-Factor are about as good as comic books get.

    I also enjoyed Peter’s run on the old X-Factor series way back when. And I remember my reaction upon reading the first issue that he didn’t write: “Man, Peter David must have been having a really bad day!” Then I looked at the credits, saw that Mr. David was no longer the author. “Ah” I thought, “That explains it.” I dropped the title shortly thereafter.

  5. the spike book seemed a little flater thn the pervious 2 no office but it felt overly slow not that i didnt like it but to me the passing was off a bit

  6. Fantastic third issue of Spike vs Dracula, very believable Spike, liked how it connected with canon.
    My only complaint would be the two different styles of drawings, the first half of the comic is awefull and the second half is nicely drawn.

    seeya

  7. Really great issue, which nicely ramped up the rivalry between Spike and Drac. The story seemed darker with an emotional resonance which suited the setting, yet the humour was still there and I had a few laugh out loud moments. Enjoyed the tie-in to the Angel episode,’Why we Fight’ and the nod to my other favourite character in the Buffyverse, Oz.

    This is a gem of a series. Thankyou, PAD.

  8. The commentary by Siryn about dead being dead would have been an interesting character moment if it didn’t speak to the unfortunate truth about Marvel’s management of their characters.

  9. I’m guessing that either Hitler didn’t have the Spear of Destiny in the “Buffyverse” or it worked much differently than it did for the DC Hitler. 😉 Aside from that, an overall enjoyable issue.
    “X-Factor” was fine, as always. My favorite bit was Guido’s misunderstanding over learning of the death of Sean Cassidy. (As long as I’ve been reading X-books, I never really caught the name resemblance, despite my first exposure to Banshee came at the height of Shaun Cassidy’s stardom.) I also liked Siryn’s nod to the resilience of so many of the X-family. Realistically, why should Banshee be any different from the other Xs who’ve “died”?

  10. I still love every single thing about X-Factor, but I’ve been wondering if a bigger story is going to be told in the series. I can’t really explain fully what I mean. Maybe I’m hoping for a more standard story arc. It seems each of the last three issues have been side stories and subplots developing and, while I love it, it’s starting to seem like nothing big is happening. Did that make sense?

    I would also love to know what’s up with Dennis Calero. He’s an amazing artist.

    By the way, even when Rictor only has a line or two, he remains my favorite character in the book. He’s written very well.

    PS. I love Quicksilver. I’m excited he’s coming. I hope he’s not all evil, though. I want him to stick around. (Not getting my hopes up, though.)

  11. I forgot to ask, how did you get around Marvel’s “no smoking in comics” policy that everyone at Newsarama’s been making such a big deal out of?

  12. Loved the story in both issues. Not that impressed by the artwork, but then I buy my comics more for the story than the art.

    Siryn’s reaction to being told of Banshee’s death is perfectly understandable. No one is truly dead or stays dead in the Marvel Universe, so why should Banshee remain dead.

  13. Yes, I am also curious about the no smoking policy. Are you concerned about kids killing their parents, creamating them, and then smoking them?

  14. 1enjoyed both issues storywise but felt that the art appeared rushed. i’m hearing interesting rumours about x-factor and about madrox in particular but dont want to say too much in case i spoil anything. i’ve also heard that joss whedon is doing buffy series 8 in comic format and dream of a few peter david scripted issues, is there any chance with your contract, amount of work you have etc?
    off topic there is a great review of fallen angel at millarworld.tv you should check out
    keep up the good work
    Bill
    IN PAD WE TRUST

  15. > Shades of “Three out of four people in this room have come back from the dead!” or whatever Rick’s quote was when trying to get Dr. Strange to help him bring Marlo back. 🙂

    Yeah, I was expecting a reprise of that – after all, Cyke and Madrox at least have been dead, and M… well, it gets complicated, but “kinda-sorta”.

  16. > A perfectly servicable issue. Good story, nice art. But why is issue #10 solicited with another artist?

    Plus, it’s the guy that’s doing the Son of M (i.e. Quicksilver) mini – and he’s filling in the issue(s?) after the Quicksilver two-parter…

  17. Hmmm…X-Factor…gotta be honest, the issue fell a bit flat. The denial of death, I’ve read before…in Peter’s works…at the funeral of Nick Fury durring the Hulk’s Edge days. It’s one of those problems you run into being long time readers of a writer, seeing their ideas repeated some.

    And Guido’s Sean Cassidy scene just felt like a shoe-horned comic releaf moment.

    Still, some nice Madrox bits.

  18. Siryn’s reaction to her father’s death reminded me of the bit you did in (IIRC) Hulk when the Marvel community reacted to Nick Fury’s death at his funeral, and in a good way. The main difference is that the Fury scene felt like it was played more for laughs, in part because their skepticism was well-founded, since they eventually did bring Fury back. Siryn’s, on the other hand, seemed a bit more poignant, in part because it was a bit more intimate of a character study, and felt a bit more realistic in terms of the denial people exhibit during bereavement. It also rang a bit more true because Banshee’s resurrection doesn’t seem as assured as Fury’s, who’s a far more fundamental Marvel character.

    Good job, Peter. 🙂

  19. Haven’t seen the books yet; i pick up my pulls roughly every other week.

    However, if Siryn’s reaction to her father’s death is basically “Nobody dies for good” — i’m thinking of the “Old Yeller” sequence in “Young Justice”…

  20. I really loved the way you tied the Spike vs. Dracula story into the Angel season 5 episode with involving the initiative.

    Keep up the great work.

    Regards:
    Warren S. Jones III

  21. Syrin’s reaction was interesting and kind of heartbreaking at the same time. I get the feeling this will lead to a scene where she cracks and accepts that he’s going. But, alternately, it’d be way cool if he DID actually come back from the dead, and she’s just like “Hah! I told you so!” That would so rule.

    The opening splash page was all kinds of awesome, as was most of the stuff with Singularity Investigations. and I loved the interesting little quirk thrown into Jamie Madrox’s origin at the end. Some may cry foul, but if Wolverine can have 2 whole miniseries based entirely around startling conicidences in his origin, can’t Jamie get just one.

    I have to say, though, all this cloak and more cloak with S.I. is starting to kind of bug me a bit. I wanna see the %&$# hit the fan in an all out thrown between X-Factor & them, and really see just understand *why* these guys are so frickin deadly. Oh, and where’s Mr. Wizard from issue 2?

    Sue me, I’m impatient.

  22. I also thought it was announced that Dennis Calero was doing issue 8-12? What gives?

  23. RE: X-Factor

    Short version: It was very good.

    Long version: I have no idea if this was an original take, and really don’t care. You nailed it with her reaction. While I suspect (for the moment) he really is dead (though resurrection could happen at a whim), her reaction is the same as most of us in the “real world.” Dead does not mean dead. It just means out of sight for a while.

    Meanwhile, the thread with Madrox was great. Not sure why others thought the issue was flat. I am waiting to learn more of why Singularity wants to get X-Factor off the case — particularly when Layla is opposed to them learning the truth about decimation.

    Since I think your version of Quicksilver is the ONLY one I have ever liked, I have high hopes for his return (hopefully for a while???) to this book.

    Bottom line, if I could only buy one book, it would probably be this one.

    Off topic, but nice comments about the troops. While you obviously have no confidence in Bush, it is nice to hear you compliment those who choose to serve.

    Iowa Jim

  24. X-Factor: You managed to embue this book with a touch of real human emotion. That, plus a solid storyline, and a bit of humor: what more could you ask for? For me, this was the best issue yet.

    Spike vs Dracula: Perfectly fun, with the requistite twists. I loved the line about Spike not listening to the “Prince of Lies”…

  25. There was a body.

    And that has meant what, exactly, in the MU? 🙂

  26. After almost 30 years of reading,saving,collecting comics–I guess this is my way out. If Banshee ‘comes back’ then I am gone. Some Death(s) have to mean something!!! I am looking forward to seeing how Theresa deals with this news. And knowing PAD it is going to be GREAT!!!! Unless the ‘higher-ups’ screw things up. BTW-I loved ther Guido/Shaun Cassidy bit!!!

  27. Sad news!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

  28. WHAT??? Seriously, what the eff!!! This is NOT cool. I’m sure whoever takes over will be fine, but this is like watching a show where the main actors change every couple of weeks! Will he be back!?

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