X-Factor #43 is out this week, plus some other comics.
PAD
32 comments on “STASH WEDNESDAY – MAY 13”
I really can’t picture Siryn calling her teammates by the names of the Marx Brothers, but I am very excited to see who’s just turned up.
PAD, I’ve overlooked a LOT of things about you to maintain my fan status (especially your politics), but in the latest X-Factor you went too far:
YOU MOCKED THE LEGION.
Oh, and “Cortex?” I know you. It’s not that simple.
They’re actually saying “Gore-Tex,” the waterproof, breathable fabric. I dunno how you got Marvel to sign off on the use of a trademarked brand name, or how it all ties together, but I know it does…!
BTW, I was talking with a friend and we both decided that you would have been an ideal candidate for the novelization of the new Trek movie. You’ve done novelizations, you’re probably the most successful Trek author, and you’re a master of the little homages and tributes and throwaway references that the movie was littered with. Were you ever approached about it?
J.
Ha ha! The Legion panel was my favorite one in the whole book! HILARIOUS. “Don’t be an idiot.”
.
Are we doing the whole no spoiler thing again with this issue? I’ll wait for a few days or so, but this is good stuff and I want to discuss! For now I’ll just say that I KNEW Jamie would get stronger. And that has to be the coolest way to wield twin blades since… well… ever.
My particular concern about spoilers was because I was spending three issues setting up a particular status quo that I wanted to be a surprise. It’s all in place now, so I’m less concerned. Talk about whatever you want to talk about.
.
PAD
That honestly wasn’t intended as mocking the Legion; it was intended to mock Jamie. If nothing else, he’s not in the 30th century, so he’s an idiot for asking.
.
PAD
I didn’t interpret it as mocking the Legion, either. I saw it as a tribute. Jamie immediately soured on the future when he got his first impression that it wasn’t like the Legion’s 30th century. Of course the reason he an idiot is that he’d been in that future just a few years earlier and he knew how much it sucked. The sentinel should have been a solid clue that he was still going to hate it.
Went to the LCS shop today, where a friend said to me, “Hey, that Speed Racer movie was pretty good. I watched it 3 times.”
.
These days, I seldom care to recommend any comic, movie, book, or song to anybody. People (including friends) seldom listen or their tastes are different than mine. (I raved about Coraline and Juno, yet only one friend saw Coraline and none went to see Juno.) It often seems as if I am spitting into the wind.
.
Here are some of the books I bought this week:
Zorro
Action
House of Mystery
Fables
Secret Six
Trinity
Green Lantern Corps
.
Most of what I read are comics that are writer driven. 20 different comics about the latest Mega-Summer-Crossover? Nope, not for me.
Hm. I also got four of the same books.
“Cheese-stuffed manicotti”
On the subject of X-Factor: My hat’s off to whoever re-designed this issue’s surprise guest-star; they managed to make him look not stupid for the first time in his history.
I’m totally with you there. The ponytail was fine in the 90s but I’m glad it’s gone now.
Overall, I’m enjoying X-Factor, Peter, but I’m curious about your take on Jamie’s relationships. As you write it, was he really in love with Theresa when he accepted her marriage proposal? If so, it seems a bit jarring narratively, for him to just then fall in love with Layla. Yes, I know some amount of time has passed (enough for Jamie to have grown a beard, but for his finger to still be broken), but is he just on the rebound, or something, overjoyed that he’s found her, and thinking it’s love?
His accepting her proposal may have been a combination of his love for her and doing what he felt was the right thing to do. His love for Layla may be stronger/deeper though. It’s possible for normal people to love multiple people at once… things that deal with “multiple” desires can be little more complex for Jamie.
Also, some more of the revelations Sawyer/Juliet/Kate love triangle made me think of the Madrox/Siryn/Layla triangle that has sort of developed in X-Factor… especially the “true love” being lost in time and the protagonist “settling” for another that he loves.
(Also, just want to make clear I am definitely not saying PAD or Abrams copied either/or.)
Fables – Part four of the Great Fables Crossover was very entertaining, and a solid mix of the wacky Jack style and the more sober Fables style. This is turning out to be one of the better Fables tales in a while.
The Unwritten 1 – Can’t really go wrong with 40 pages for one dollar and solid Peter Gross art. But I am really not sure what I thing of this comic. I can’t say if I buy the premise or not. But it doesn’t grab me immediately, if nothing else. Will need to re-read this one to decide if I want to buy more.
Booster Gold – Booster in the 50s with a Suicide Squad. Eh. Sometimes you can tell it’s a guest writer and artist.
REBELS – Not nearly enough character development for the new team but great art and a very interesting space opera built around a revitalized Starro makes me want more.
House of Mystery–3 short stories and a one-page fun page.
.
Wish I’d known about the Lace Anniversary back in 1992; could have used the service offered. Lace Anniversary is the story drawn by Eric Powell of Goon fame. It starts on page 13.
And of course, Issue 13, with all of its stories revolving around the number 13 in some fashion, came out on the 13th of May…
Peter, I haven’t seen a “Cowboy Pete” review regarding “Lost” in a while, but if you haven’t seen the “Lost” finale, it was freaking awesome. I would say up there with the season one and three finales. Off the hook craziness. Now that BSG is gone, and “Lost” is over in one year, televison dramas will have some ridiculously high standards to live up to.
X-Factor was great! There’s so much going on, though, that I have to make sure I slow down as I read it!
Did no one else get “Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers”? Chris Eliapolous does a great job making a fun, sweet, funny book about the animals of the Marvel universe. Now if they could only have a meet-up with Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew…
Oh, and I also have to compliment whoever is doing the present day timeline portion of the art. I don’t know if it’s De Landro or Santucci, but whoever is doing that portion is obviously influenced by Alan Davis, and the art looks great. It’s some of the most solid art I’ve seen in one of your books, Peter.
Great issue. X-Factor day is the one day a month I pick up my comics. Always a good day.
This issue: very weird, Layla + Madrox which we knew was coming but it’s still….halfway ewwwwey. But I’m ok with that.
I love that the dupe is an actual character. I’d like to see him stick around, but I’m sure whatever you’ve got planned will be fun.
I have to say S.S. was probably the X-Man I least desired to ever see return BUT he is definitely interesting a) when paired with Rictor & b) when written by you.
Really a top-notch issue as the craft goes. Can’t find a complaint if I try.
Random note, that you may find interesting and amusing:
My second son, recently born – it was my turn to pick the first name. One of my top choices (and the only one she approved):
MADROX
Woot!
We call him “Mad” for short. Yes, X-Factor is one of only 3 comics my wife will actually read (others: Fables, Runaways).
My big book for the week was KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #150. Yup, the Muncie roleplayers have made it a whole 150 issues — not bad for a book not published by any of the Big Three. This issue was a lot of fun; I was also surprised it was a stand-alone issue, not affecting any of the three ongoing storylines.
Just got to reading the new X-Factor, good as ever but I’m still not enjoying Longshot’s presence in the book, and it actually took me a while to even remember who ‘THAT GUY’ on the final page was. Apart from that and the slightly creepy Madrox/Layla stuff, I enjoyed it though.
One request though, could we please lose the anti-Internet bile in the recap page? Once was amusing enough I suppose, but two issues in a row feels a little too much like pushing your grudges on people who really don’t need or deserve to be slapped across the face with them.
I really don’t get it. There’s only so many times and so many ways and so many places that I can make it clear that when I’m saying, “Be sure to tell everyone on the Internet,” it’s not coming from any sort of hostility. That since people criticized me by supposedly being anal about spoilers, I’m displaying a sense of humor about it. Yet the Internet seems to be wearing a rather sizable chip on its shoulder, perceiving hostility when none is present.
.
PAD
Personally, I like the “future spoilers” bit — my mind starts trying to find ways that you might actually make them come to pass, just to mess with people’s heads. The more absurd the prediction, the more likely I think you’ll find a way to make it literally true — if in a completely misleading way.
.
But I’m still miffed over the Legion dig.
.
J.
As Peter said above:
.
“That honestly wasn’t intended as mocking the Legion; it was intended to mock Jamie. If nothing else, he’s not in the 30th century, so he’s an idiot for asking.”
.
So it wasn’t a dig at the Legion. However, you may choose to believe otherwise if you so wish.
So far, Secret Six is my favorite book of the week.
I thought the character all in white in the latest X-Factor was going to be Fantomex, from Morrison’s run on New X-Men.
So a bit dissapointed, but still an awesome reveal in the last page.
I don’t think it can be said enough–
X-Factor is the best written X-book on the shelves today.
I remember an interview a few years back in which PAD asserted that each and every issue of X-Factor would provide a major, mind-blowing twist or revelation. The book, since #39, has easily doubled that number. It’s again at the top of my reading pile.
Slightly late to the party I guess, but I just had to say earnestly that I enjoyed X-Factor once again. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m softening up as I get older but I’m digging the budding romance between Layla and Madrox. They have a yin/yang deal going on and she’s such a likable and unique character despite what age she’s wearings. For all the comments about it being slightly creepy, to me it fits so well, even if it needed one of those conveniently-rapid-aging-time-displacement tropes. It’s not like Cordelia minded too much when it was Connor… though she was possessed… Angel was a great show.
Anyway, Jamie deserves a break and it’s good to see him get one, albeit most likely temporarily. Such is comics.
I can’t believe *that person* turned up though. I’m not a fan of anything even related to said character but I have faith this should be interesting.
That’s all I’ve picked up this week.
Guess I’m a bit late. Anyway, I’m glad to see Layla regularily now as well as the long expected comeback (at least by me) of that massive luminous sphere of plasma broken in a million pieces. Thanks for another great issue.
Just picked this up because of the guest reveal at the end. I will now be buying this book again. AWESOME.
Hello, PAD, how are the x-factor numbers?
btw … I have subscribed x-factor, even that it comes one full month to this place in Europe.
(of course, before issue arrives, I have already pirated the next one … but what are you gonna do. that’s how much I like your writing.)
• 
I really can’t picture Siryn calling her teammates by the names of the Marx Brothers, but I am very excited to see who’s just turned up.
PAD, I’ve overlooked a LOT of things about you to maintain my fan status (especially your politics), but in the latest X-Factor you went too far:
YOU MOCKED THE LEGION.
Oh, and “Cortex?” I know you. It’s not that simple.
They’re actually saying “Gore-Tex,” the waterproof, breathable fabric. I dunno how you got Marvel to sign off on the use of a trademarked brand name, or how it all ties together, but I know it does…!
BTW, I was talking with a friend and we both decided that you would have been an ideal candidate for the novelization of the new Trek movie. You’ve done novelizations, you’re probably the most successful Trek author, and you’re a master of the little homages and tributes and throwaway references that the movie was littered with. Were you ever approached about it?
J.
Ha ha! The Legion panel was my favorite one in the whole book! HILARIOUS. “Don’t be an idiot.”
.
Are we doing the whole no spoiler thing again with this issue? I’ll wait for a few days or so, but this is good stuff and I want to discuss! For now I’ll just say that I KNEW Jamie would get stronger. And that has to be the coolest way to wield twin blades since… well… ever.
My particular concern about spoilers was because I was spending three issues setting up a particular status quo that I wanted to be a surprise. It’s all in place now, so I’m less concerned. Talk about whatever you want to talk about.
.
PAD
That honestly wasn’t intended as mocking the Legion; it was intended to mock Jamie. If nothing else, he’s not in the 30th century, so he’s an idiot for asking.
.
PAD
I didn’t interpret it as mocking the Legion, either. I saw it as a tribute. Jamie immediately soured on the future when he got his first impression that it wasn’t like the Legion’s 30th century. Of course the reason he an idiot is that he’d been in that future just a few years earlier and he knew how much it sucked. The sentinel should have been a solid clue that he was still going to hate it.
Went to the LCS shop today, where a friend said to me, “Hey, that Speed Racer movie was pretty good. I watched it 3 times.”
.
These days, I seldom care to recommend any comic, movie, book, or song to anybody. People (including friends) seldom listen or their tastes are different than mine. (I raved about Coraline and Juno, yet only one friend saw Coraline and none went to see Juno.) It often seems as if I am spitting into the wind.
.
Here are some of the books I bought this week:
Zorro
Action
House of Mystery
Fables
Secret Six
Trinity
Green Lantern Corps
.
Most of what I read are comics that are writer driven. 20 different comics about the latest Mega-Summer-Crossover? Nope, not for me.
Hm. I also got four of the same books.
“Cheese-stuffed manicotti”
On the subject of X-Factor: My hat’s off to whoever re-designed this issue’s surprise guest-star; they managed to make him look not stupid for the first time in his history.
I’m totally with you there. The ponytail was fine in the 90s but I’m glad it’s gone now.
Overall, I’m enjoying X-Factor, Peter, but I’m curious about your take on Jamie’s relationships. As you write it, was he really in love with Theresa when he accepted her marriage proposal? If so, it seems a bit jarring narratively, for him to just then fall in love with Layla. Yes, I know some amount of time has passed (enough for Jamie to have grown a beard, but for his finger to still be broken), but is he just on the rebound, or something, overjoyed that he’s found her, and thinking it’s love?
His accepting her proposal may have been a combination of his love for her and doing what he felt was the right thing to do. His love for Layla may be stronger/deeper though. It’s possible for normal people to love multiple people at once… things that deal with “multiple” desires can be little more complex for Jamie.
Also, some more of the revelations Sawyer/Juliet/Kate love triangle made me think of the Madrox/Siryn/Layla triangle that has sort of developed in X-Factor… especially the “true love” being lost in time and the protagonist “settling” for another that he loves.
(Also, just want to make clear I am definitely not saying PAD or Abrams copied either/or.)
Fables – Part four of the Great Fables Crossover was very entertaining, and a solid mix of the wacky Jack style and the more sober Fables style. This is turning out to be one of the better Fables tales in a while.
The Unwritten 1 – Can’t really go wrong with 40 pages for one dollar and solid Peter Gross art. But I am really not sure what I thing of this comic. I can’t say if I buy the premise or not. But it doesn’t grab me immediately, if nothing else. Will need to re-read this one to decide if I want to buy more.
Booster Gold – Booster in the 50s with a Suicide Squad. Eh. Sometimes you can tell it’s a guest writer and artist.
REBELS – Not nearly enough character development for the new team but great art and a very interesting space opera built around a revitalized Starro makes me want more.
House of Mystery–3 short stories and a one-page fun page.
.
Wish I’d known about the Lace Anniversary back in 1992; could have used the service offered. Lace Anniversary is the story drawn by Eric Powell of Goon fame. It starts on page 13.
And of course, Issue 13, with all of its stories revolving around the number 13 in some fashion, came out on the 13th of May…
Peter, I haven’t seen a “Cowboy Pete” review regarding “Lost” in a while, but if you haven’t seen the “Lost” finale, it was freaking awesome. I would say up there with the season one and three finales. Off the hook craziness. Now that BSG is gone, and “Lost” is over in one year, televison dramas will have some ridiculously high standards to live up to.
X-Factor was great! There’s so much going on, though, that I have to make sure I slow down as I read it!
Did no one else get “Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers”? Chris Eliapolous does a great job making a fun, sweet, funny book about the animals of the Marvel universe. Now if they could only have a meet-up with Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew…
Oh, and I also have to compliment whoever is doing the present day timeline portion of the art. I don’t know if it’s De Landro or Santucci, but whoever is doing that portion is obviously influenced by Alan Davis, and the art looks great. It’s some of the most solid art I’ve seen in one of your books, Peter.
Great issue. X-Factor day is the one day a month I pick up my comics. Always a good day.
This issue: very weird, Layla + Madrox which we knew was coming but it’s still….halfway ewwwwey. But I’m ok with that.
I love that the dupe is an actual character. I’d like to see him stick around, but I’m sure whatever you’ve got planned will be fun.
I have to say S.S. was probably the X-Man I least desired to ever see return BUT he is definitely interesting a) when paired with Rictor & b) when written by you.
Really a top-notch issue as the craft goes. Can’t find a complaint if I try.
Random note, that you may find interesting and amusing:
My second son, recently born – it was my turn to pick the first name. One of my top choices (and the only one she approved):
MADROX
Woot!
We call him “Mad” for short. Yes, X-Factor is one of only 3 comics my wife will actually read (others: Fables, Runaways).
My big book for the week was KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #150. Yup, the Muncie roleplayers have made it a whole 150 issues — not bad for a book not published by any of the Big Three. This issue was a lot of fun; I was also surprised it was a stand-alone issue, not affecting any of the three ongoing storylines.
Just got to reading the new X-Factor, good as ever but I’m still not enjoying Longshot’s presence in the book, and it actually took me a while to even remember who ‘THAT GUY’ on the final page was. Apart from that and the slightly creepy Madrox/Layla stuff, I enjoyed it though.
One request though, could we please lose the anti-Internet bile in the recap page? Once was amusing enough I suppose, but two issues in a row feels a little too much like pushing your grudges on people who really don’t need or deserve to be slapped across the face with them.
I really don’t get it. There’s only so many times and so many ways and so many places that I can make it clear that when I’m saying, “Be sure to tell everyone on the Internet,” it’s not coming from any sort of hostility. That since people criticized me by supposedly being anal about spoilers, I’m displaying a sense of humor about it. Yet the Internet seems to be wearing a rather sizable chip on its shoulder, perceiving hostility when none is present.
.
PAD
Personally, I like the “future spoilers” bit — my mind starts trying to find ways that you might actually make them come to pass, just to mess with people’s heads. The more absurd the prediction, the more likely I think you’ll find a way to make it literally true — if in a completely misleading way.
.
But I’m still miffed over the Legion dig.
.
J.
As Peter said above:
.
“That honestly wasn’t intended as mocking the Legion; it was intended to mock Jamie. If nothing else, he’s not in the 30th century, so he’s an idiot for asking.”
.
So it wasn’t a dig at the Legion. However, you may choose to believe otherwise if you so wish.
So far, Secret Six is my favorite book of the week.
I thought the character all in white in the latest X-Factor was going to be Fantomex, from Morrison’s run on New X-Men.
So a bit dissapointed, but still an awesome reveal in the last page.
I don’t think it can be said enough–
X-Factor is the best written X-book on the shelves today.
I remember an interview a few years back in which PAD asserted that each and every issue of X-Factor would provide a major, mind-blowing twist or revelation. The book, since #39, has easily doubled that number. It’s again at the top of my reading pile.
Slightly late to the party I guess, but I just had to say earnestly that I enjoyed X-Factor once again. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m softening up as I get older but I’m digging the budding romance between Layla and Madrox. They have a yin/yang deal going on and she’s such a likable and unique character despite what age she’s wearings. For all the comments about it being slightly creepy, to me it fits so well, even if it needed one of those conveniently-rapid-aging-time-displacement tropes. It’s not like Cordelia minded too much when it was Connor… though she was possessed… Angel was a great show.
Anyway, Jamie deserves a break and it’s good to see him get one, albeit most likely temporarily. Such is comics.
I can’t believe *that person* turned up though. I’m not a fan of anything even related to said character but I have faith this should be interesting.
That’s all I’ve picked up this week.
Guess I’m a bit late. Anyway, I’m glad to see Layla regularily now as well as the long expected comeback (at least by me) of that massive luminous sphere of plasma broken in a million pieces. Thanks for another great issue.
Just picked this up because of the guest reveal at the end. I will now be buying this book again. AWESOME.
Hello, PAD, how are the x-factor numbers?
btw … I have subscribed x-factor, even that it comes one full month to this place in Europe.
(of course, before issue arrives, I have already pirated the next one … but what are you gonna do. that’s how much I like your writing.)