Emanuela Lupacchino is a true gift to X-Factor. I love her playful and sexy style, which compliments your script nicely. Here’s hoping she’ll be the regular artist with a long run that this book has needed a while. Champion work, you two. Bummed about the last page, though.
Her artwork is amateurish, and is characterized by uncertainty in her choice of line placement, and placement of blacks that is arbitrary and makes no sense. It looks like a watered down attempt to ape Terry Dodson’s style, and a bad attempt at that.
Could have done without the heavy-handed political message from J. Jonah Jameson, and the portrayal of the protestors as simpletons.
Frankly, anyone making that particular protest is a simpleton.
Actually, I jotted down the things the protestors said from coverage on Fox News. That was verbatim. So I don’t think your issue is really with me.
.
PAD
I had no idea that was a real arguement, but then, I don’t watch Fox ‘News’. The only thing they don’t slant is the weather, but I’m sure they’re working on that.
If you include their position on climate change, they actually do slant the weather.
Well, there ya go.
That is what is known as hanging them with the rope they’ve handed you.
Lenin said “The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”
Haven’t gotten #217 yet, but perhaps you will entertain some related X-Factor questions:
.
1) A new issue X-Factor has been arriving every 2-3 weeks so far in ’11; will that be a long-term trend or was it just a bonus to get us through the weary winter months? Either way, I’ve been enjoying it – I’m still absorbing issue #215 and already we’re up to #217!
.
2) The latest X-Factor collection (vol 11) stopped with issue 211…right in the middle of the fight with Hela. Can you share any insights on how collections are assembled, and do you have any input in the process?
1) I’m not sure how long the multiple shipping is going to be going for. I’m just writing as fast as I can.
.
2) The collections have a set number of issues. Lots of fans complained about writers planning issues in nice, convenient, trade paperback amounts. “Writing for the trade,” they called it. Me, I decided to write to the natural length of the story and not worry about secondary collections.
.
PAD
1) Fair enough; I’ll enjoy it for however long it lasts, then. Thanks for the speedy writing; now I just need to work on reading faster.
.
2) Ah, I had it somewhat backwards then. I assumed the story content informed how the collections were organized; it didn’t occur to me that some might do it other way ’round. In any event, I’m glad to hear they let you write in the way that makes most sense to you.
.
Thanks for the enlightenment!
thank you
I, for one, greatly appreciate the rapid release of new issues. It really helps keep the excitement going, and keeps the storyline prominent in the readers’ minds. As an added bonus, the people who craft the book (+Marvel) get paid more frequently, and everyone is happy.
I don’t mind when artists rotate with the storyline if it means less time between issues. It’s like the next best thing to having a second X-Factor spin-off title.
And here I thought I was just viciously behind picking up my comics.
Thank you for that WKRP reference. Nice to see Benny and the rest again.
This wound up being a major Benny arc. Particularly interesting is his speech in issue #4 in which he explains the real story behind his supposed tempting of Eve in the Garden.
.
PAD
Loved it. Admittinglty it took me a minute to remember who Balistique was… but it was a great issue. I loved the look on Longshots face when Shatterstar said there wasn’t a connection between them. I’m very sad at the ending.. but… i’m also excited to see Monet’s reaction. You sir… are amazing.
Grey
PS- I’ve never loved JJJ more than when you write him.
Grey, you seem to be under the impression that [Redacted by David Hunt] is dead. I’ll admit that they seem to be in dire straits, but I’m not sending flowers until the funeral announcements go out.
i remember reading the solicits for may and june.. and assuming it to be true.. then again i probably should hold off sending flowers.
Go brushtop! Every so often, we need reminders of how it is that the guy managed to keep a newspaper afloat in the New Media age, and managed to get elected mayor. When he really gets on a roll, it’s hard to stop him.
I am very impressed Monet was telling Guido to clam down. MONET.
I’ve been really enjoying your work on X-Factor since the first issue, and you have yet to disappoint. I’m especially happy that not only has my favorite childhood character, Shatterstar, returned to the limelight, but in my favorite comic book series no less!
Especially since you decided to give him an actual personality, which has been a refreshing change from past references. Loved the mind-blanking he pulled on Rictor in this issue! I guess it took so long for him to grow from a one-dimensional character because he was weighed down by all those pouches, which is weird, because he was extra-dimensional to start with…
Stellar issue, as usual. I actually really enjoyed Jameson’s speech, because it really can be easy to forget his better qualities when most people remember him (simplified) as “that grouchy boss that hates Spiderman”. And it’s pretty funny that you got the protesters from watching Fox News.
You really enjoy teasing fans with those longstanding mysteries they want answered, don’t you? First we got teased forever about Rictor (and his past with Shatterstar) and now the mystery of Longshot and Shatterstar seems to be next on the plate. I’m very curious to see where you go with this.
Nice touch with Monet, by the way. It was unexpected, but the logic was spot-on. Once I thought about it, it made sense and adds a new layer to her character. Was that something you came up with a while back and simply hadn’t used until now….or a spur-of-the-moment inspiration that just worked?
I honestly don’t recall how or when I came to the conclusion that Monet was most likely Muslim.
.
PAD
Have you given any other thought towards the other characters, and their religious backgrounds? I mean, you have three characters that are pretty clear in that regard — Rahne, Terry (who seems to be having a major crisis of faith), and Madrox (his faith seems to have migrated and is represented by John).
Awesome issue. You’ve made three characters I never really enjoyed some of my favorite comic book heroes. Rictor, Shatterstar and Longshot never once interested me but now I read every month for them and more. Thanks.
I literally went “ggrrrrRAAGHHNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” When Shatterstar was cut off as he was about to reveal The Big Secret. But then it looks like someone doesn’t want The Big Secret to be revealed.
Look, we pretty much all know what the logical conclusion to this is, but what exactly are Shatterstar and Longshot hiding and why? I bet this has Spiral written all over it!
Another wildly entertaining issue, thanks again PAD and Emanuella.
I do have to confess that, when Monet said “Here’s the face of your ‘enemy’,” my first thought wasn’t that she was making a rhetorical point about the enemy not being a faceless other somewhere else, but that she was saying “My face is up here, by the way.”
No reason she couldn’t have been saying both.
I am unsure if my first comment went through.
I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated this issue of X-Factor. It’s talking about topics that other X-books have seemingly forgotten about.
Thank you, Mr. David for making this book the way it is: brilliant.
Thank you for your support and the nice piece you wrote about it.
.
PAD
Congratulations – i see you won a GLAAD award for X-Factor
Peter, is there any chance of getting David Yardin to do the interiors? His artwork looks great, I’ve never seen any interior art from him, and I think it would be a vast improvement over the current art.
I haven’t bought a Spider-Man appearance in his own title at full price since before BND. However– if you wrote a JJJ miniseries I would buy it.
PAD,
Has Fallen Angel – The Return of the Sun #3 actually shipped? I’m typing on March 27 and my LCBS still does not have it. Are we missing something?
Cheers!
Gayle
It will be in the stores April 6.
.
PAD
Hi Peter,
I’ve started reading X-Factor ever since Rahne rejoined the team. She’s my favorite ‘B-List’ character and I just want to express my concerns regarding the pregnancy.
I guess it goes without saying that the baby is going to rapidly grow into an adult. Even if you don’t plan to do that right away, some author is going to come along and want to play with the character, and I would rather it be you.
That said, I am really concerned that you’re going to make the wolfbaby grow up to be a supervillain. Is seems that’s the only option for when a superheroine has a child – Donna Troy, that owl chick from Alpha Flight I can’t be bothered to remember the name of, and I think they even did that to Ms. Marvel too, I can’t recall.
My point is, it’s been done, it’s not very interesting, and Rahne’s life is depressing enough as it is. Poor girls can’t catch a break. I would just like to ask that when the time comes to make the baby grow up, make him a good guy. It would be ten times more interesting for Rahne to have to look after a superpowered man-child than fight her own child as a supervillain.
Thanks for your time.
Carry On,
J.Z. Belexes
This is an old thread, but seems to be the place to discuss Fallen Angel Return of the Son.
Really enjoyed this mini-series. Great writing and stunning art from J.K. Woodward as always.
Two questions:
1) Plans for future minis? Things have certainly taken an interesting turn. Hope it sold well enough. The title doesn’t get anywhere near the publicity or public notice that it deserves.
2) I found the sequence and content of the climax to be confusing – don’t know how to ask this without spoiling. So, SPOILERS: scroll down to read my questions.
I don’t really understand the significance of Terrance’s coin flip.
Seems to me it could dictate one of two things, though neither makes to me sense given the sequence:
1) The survival or end of the world, meaning either life or death wins in the upcoming battle. But that battle will only occur after the destruction of the balancing Bete Noire, and that destruction doesn’t happen until Liandra agrees to do this for God, which happens after the coin flip.
2) Simply the nasty hëll the world will go through in having to go through that battle of life vs. death, meaning the flip decides whether Liandra will or won’t agree to destroy Bete Noire and trigger that battle. This seems to be what Terrance expects in his final scene, that there is going to be a war and the world will be caught in the middle and messed up by it. So when he called the flip wrong, and that meant the world would “lose,” it would lose only in the sense that it will have to suffer through the battle between life and death, not that death would definitively win that battle (which would REALLY be the bigger, final loss). Still, the flip happens before the decision to destroy Bete Noire.
So either way, the flip happens before Liandra knows what God will want of her. Which is why I’m confused. Liandra doesn’t know that this is what God will ask her to decide before she asks Terrance to flip.
I can rationalize this by imagining that Liandra guessed what was coming and asked for the flip ahead of time to be prepared for her decision in case God asked this of her.
Well – obviously I don’t know what happened. Usually I find the writing of this title to be both sophisticated, and funny, yet crystal clear, heads and shoulders above most comics (which I admit I find to be mostly logically incomprehensible).
Hope you can illuminate, kay? Or maybe you planned to clarify this in the next series?
Thanks! Looking forward to more Fallen Angel.
Mr. David,
I was a little behind on my comics and just read 217 and I have to say, I didn’t think it was possible for you to surpass your own awesomeness but you definitely did that with Monet’s I’m Muslim and Mutant line. As a Muslim, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate having another face given to Muslims than the one represented by Dust. Dust is cool as a conversation starter but I think the complexity lies in people who don’t necessarily wear their religion on their face, as it were, but still identify with that part of themselves. I don’t know how big of a role this part of her identity will play into Monet’s character, if much at all, but I definitely loved the recognition given to that part of her. Thank you. You rock and I love you. 🙂
• 
Emanuela Lupacchino is a true gift to X-Factor. I love her playful and sexy style, which compliments your script nicely. Here’s hoping she’ll be the regular artist with a long run that this book has needed a while. Champion work, you two. Bummed about the last page, though.
Her artwork is amateurish, and is characterized by uncertainty in her choice of line placement, and placement of blacks that is arbitrary and makes no sense. It looks like a watered down attempt to ape Terry Dodson’s style, and a bad attempt at that.
Could have done without the heavy-handed political message from J. Jonah Jameson, and the portrayal of the protestors as simpletons.
Frankly, anyone making that particular protest is a simpleton.
Actually, I jotted down the things the protestors said from coverage on Fox News. That was verbatim. So I don’t think your issue is really with me.
.
PAD
I had no idea that was a real arguement, but then, I don’t watch Fox ‘News’. The only thing they don’t slant is the weather, but I’m sure they’re working on that.
If you include their position on climate change, they actually do slant the weather.
Well, there ya go.
That is what is known as hanging them with the rope they’ve handed you.
Lenin said “The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”
Haven’t gotten #217 yet, but perhaps you will entertain some related X-Factor questions:
.
1) A new issue X-Factor has been arriving every 2-3 weeks so far in ’11; will that be a long-term trend or was it just a bonus to get us through the weary winter months? Either way, I’ve been enjoying it – I’m still absorbing issue #215 and already we’re up to #217!
.
2) The latest X-Factor collection (vol 11) stopped with issue 211…right in the middle of the fight with Hela. Can you share any insights on how collections are assembled, and do you have any input in the process?
1) I’m not sure how long the multiple shipping is going to be going for. I’m just writing as fast as I can.
.
2) The collections have a set number of issues. Lots of fans complained about writers planning issues in nice, convenient, trade paperback amounts. “Writing for the trade,” they called it. Me, I decided to write to the natural length of the story and not worry about secondary collections.
.
PAD
1) Fair enough; I’ll enjoy it for however long it lasts, then. Thanks for the speedy writing; now I just need to work on reading faster.
.
2) Ah, I had it somewhat backwards then. I assumed the story content informed how the collections were organized; it didn’t occur to me that some might do it other way ’round. In any event, I’m glad to hear they let you write in the way that makes most sense to you.
.
Thanks for the enlightenment!
thank you
I, for one, greatly appreciate the rapid release of new issues. It really helps keep the excitement going, and keeps the storyline prominent in the readers’ minds. As an added bonus, the people who craft the book (+Marvel) get paid more frequently, and everyone is happy.
I don’t mind when artists rotate with the storyline if it means less time between issues. It’s like the next best thing to having a second X-Factor spin-off title.
And here I thought I was just viciously behind picking up my comics.
Thank you for that WKRP reference. Nice to see Benny and the rest again.
This wound up being a major Benny arc. Particularly interesting is his speech in issue #4 in which he explains the real story behind his supposed tempting of Eve in the Garden.
.
PAD
Loved it. Admittinglty it took me a minute to remember who Balistique was… but it was a great issue. I loved the look on Longshots face when Shatterstar said there wasn’t a connection between them. I’m very sad at the ending.. but… i’m also excited to see Monet’s reaction. You sir… are amazing.
Grey
PS- I’ve never loved JJJ more than when you write him.
Grey, you seem to be under the impression that [Redacted by David Hunt] is dead. I’ll admit that they seem to be in dire straits, but I’m not sending flowers until the funeral announcements go out.
i remember reading the solicits for may and june.. and assuming it to be true.. then again i probably should hold off sending flowers.
Go brushtop! Every so often, we need reminders of how it is that the guy managed to keep a newspaper afloat in the New Media age, and managed to get elected mayor. When he really gets on a roll, it’s hard to stop him.
I am very impressed Monet was telling Guido to clam down. MONET.
I’ve been really enjoying your work on X-Factor since the first issue, and you have yet to disappoint. I’m especially happy that not only has my favorite childhood character, Shatterstar, returned to the limelight, but in my favorite comic book series no less!
Especially since you decided to give him an actual personality, which has been a refreshing change from past references. Loved the mind-blanking he pulled on Rictor in this issue! I guess it took so long for him to grow from a one-dimensional character because he was weighed down by all those pouches, which is weird, because he was extra-dimensional to start with…
Stellar issue, as usual. I actually really enjoyed Jameson’s speech, because it really can be easy to forget his better qualities when most people remember him (simplified) as “that grouchy boss that hates Spiderman”. And it’s pretty funny that you got the protesters from watching Fox News.
You really enjoy teasing fans with those longstanding mysteries they want answered, don’t you? First we got teased forever about Rictor (and his past with Shatterstar) and now the mystery of Longshot and Shatterstar seems to be next on the plate. I’m very curious to see where you go with this.
Nice touch with Monet, by the way. It was unexpected, but the logic was spot-on. Once I thought about it, it made sense and adds a new layer to her character. Was that something you came up with a while back and simply hadn’t used until now….or a spur-of-the-moment inspiration that just worked?
I honestly don’t recall how or when I came to the conclusion that Monet was most likely Muslim.
.
PAD
Have you given any other thought towards the other characters, and their religious backgrounds? I mean, you have three characters that are pretty clear in that regard — Rahne, Terry (who seems to be having a major crisis of faith), and Madrox (his faith seems to have migrated and is represented by John).
Awesome issue. You’ve made three characters I never really enjoyed some of my favorite comic book heroes. Rictor, Shatterstar and Longshot never once interested me but now I read every month for them and more. Thanks.
I literally went “ggrrrrRAAGHHNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” When Shatterstar was cut off as he was about to reveal The Big Secret. But then it looks like someone doesn’t want The Big Secret to be revealed.
Look, we pretty much all know what the logical conclusion to this is, but what exactly are Shatterstar and Longshot hiding and why? I bet this has Spiral written all over it!
Another wildly entertaining issue, thanks again PAD and Emanuella.
I do have to confess that, when Monet said “Here’s the face of your ‘enemy’,” my first thought wasn’t that she was making a rhetorical point about the enemy not being a faceless other somewhere else, but that she was saying “My face is up here, by the way.”
No reason she couldn’t have been saying both.
I am unsure if my first comment went through.
I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated this issue of X-Factor. It’s talking about topics that other X-books have seemingly forgotten about.
http://uncannyderek.com/2011/03/18/x-factor-an-racism/
Thank you, Mr. David for making this book the way it is: brilliant.
Thank you for your support and the nice piece you wrote about it.
.
PAD
Congratulations – i see you won a GLAAD award for X-Factor
Peter, is there any chance of getting David Yardin to do the interiors? His artwork looks great, I’ve never seen any interior art from him, and I think it would be a vast improvement over the current art.
I haven’t bought a Spider-Man appearance in his own title at full price since before BND. However– if you wrote a JJJ miniseries I would buy it.
PAD,
Has Fallen Angel – The Return of the Sun #3 actually shipped? I’m typing on March 27 and my LCBS still does not have it. Are we missing something?
Cheers!
Gayle
It will be in the stores April 6.
.
PAD
Hi Peter,
I’ve started reading X-Factor ever since Rahne rejoined the team. She’s my favorite ‘B-List’ character and I just want to express my concerns regarding the pregnancy.
I guess it goes without saying that the baby is going to rapidly grow into an adult. Even if you don’t plan to do that right away, some author is going to come along and want to play with the character, and I would rather it be you.
That said, I am really concerned that you’re going to make the wolfbaby grow up to be a supervillain. Is seems that’s the only option for when a superheroine has a child – Donna Troy, that owl chick from Alpha Flight I can’t be bothered to remember the name of, and I think they even did that to Ms. Marvel too, I can’t recall.
My point is, it’s been done, it’s not very interesting, and Rahne’s life is depressing enough as it is. Poor girls can’t catch a break. I would just like to ask that when the time comes to make the baby grow up, make him a good guy. It would be ten times more interesting for Rahne to have to look after a superpowered man-child than fight her own child as a supervillain.
Thanks for your time.
Carry On,
J.Z. Belexes
This is an old thread, but seems to be the place to discuss Fallen Angel Return of the Son.
Really enjoyed this mini-series. Great writing and stunning art from J.K. Woodward as always.
Two questions:
1) Plans for future minis? Things have certainly taken an interesting turn. Hope it sold well enough. The title doesn’t get anywhere near the publicity or public notice that it deserves.
2) I found the sequence and content of the climax to be confusing – don’t know how to ask this without spoiling. So, SPOILERS: scroll down to read my questions.
I don’t really understand the significance of Terrance’s coin flip.
Seems to me it could dictate one of two things, though neither makes to me sense given the sequence:
1) The survival or end of the world, meaning either life or death wins in the upcoming battle. But that battle will only occur after the destruction of the balancing Bete Noire, and that destruction doesn’t happen until Liandra agrees to do this for God, which happens after the coin flip.
2) Simply the nasty hëll the world will go through in having to go through that battle of life vs. death, meaning the flip decides whether Liandra will or won’t agree to destroy Bete Noire and trigger that battle. This seems to be what Terrance expects in his final scene, that there is going to be a war and the world will be caught in the middle and messed up by it. So when he called the flip wrong, and that meant the world would “lose,” it would lose only in the sense that it will have to suffer through the battle between life and death, not that death would definitively win that battle (which would REALLY be the bigger, final loss). Still, the flip happens before the decision to destroy Bete Noire.
So either way, the flip happens before Liandra knows what God will want of her. Which is why I’m confused. Liandra doesn’t know that this is what God will ask her to decide before she asks Terrance to flip.
I can rationalize this by imagining that Liandra guessed what was coming and asked for the flip ahead of time to be prepared for her decision in case God asked this of her.
Well – obviously I don’t know what happened. Usually I find the writing of this title to be both sophisticated, and funny, yet crystal clear, heads and shoulders above most comics (which I admit I find to be mostly logically incomprehensible).
Hope you can illuminate, kay? Or maybe you planned to clarify this in the next series?
Thanks! Looking forward to more Fallen Angel.
Mr. David,
I was a little behind on my comics and just read 217 and I have to say, I didn’t think it was possible for you to surpass your own awesomeness but you definitely did that with Monet’s I’m Muslim and Mutant line. As a Muslim, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate having another face given to Muslims than the one represented by Dust. Dust is cool as a conversation starter but I think the complexity lies in people who don’t necessarily wear their religion on their face, as it were, but still identify with that part of themselves. I don’t know how big of a role this part of her identity will play into Monet’s character, if much at all, but I definitely loved the recognition given to that part of her. Thank you. You rock and I love you. 🙂
Fatima