X-FACTOR #1 Spoilers & Review

[Nyssane]

Aurora's dead. Northstar can feel it. Too bad the Five don't go on "feelings." There's a sequence of recruits starting with Lorna, then Daken, then Rachel, then Prodigy, then Eyeboy (accidentally). They track down Aurora's last known whereabouts and find her body. They deduce that she was in a car with the brakes cut that drove off a bridge, leading to her drowning. An anti-mutant human murderer? Maybe. Anyway, the Quiet Council appoint the group as the new X-Factor, and although Mags thinks Lorna should lead, she suggests Northstar. They're then tasked with finding all the missing mutants of the world.

I have to say, as excited as I was for this... I didn't love it. It felt very coincidental, with the group constantly getting bigger for no real reason. I guess it was nice seeing how each one offered something different for investigation?

Northstar was great, as I assumed he would be. Leah Williams has a fun time with the character and his quick-to-anger/snark personality, especially after the loss of his sister. I can see that being explored throughout the series, and I especially look forward to his interactions with Daken, who he immediately wrote off. (NO sexual chemistry, though, please. I will be so irritated if Northstar and Kyle don't stay in their healthy, monogamous relationship.) I also really, really dug JP's reationship with Lorna. I think they make for a good pair bouncing off each other.

The other characters? Meh. The team doesn't have the flair that, say, Hellions or Marauders has. But we'll see.

I'm in the book for the long haul, at least until Northstar isn't in it anymore, but I do hope we get more than just chit-chat between the characters (seriously, there was a LOT of dialogue in this issue, and a good portion of it felt like fluff that could've been cut for anything else).

What'd y'all think?

[Glio]

I liked it. Good use of characters, interesting premise ...

But Leah needs the characters to talk less. It is strenuous. It is like reading something written by someone who has just taken amphetamines. If she relaxes a bit here there may be a spectacular comic.

[Soulsword323]

I liked it. I'll be honest, about halfway through I wasn't sure about it, but the Lorna bits sold me. LOVED that moment when Polaris asks Krakoa if it remembered how they met. Her exchange with Magneto was pretty on point as well. Lorna is an ill defined character and that was a very meta moment from Leah. All the other characters shined, but it's clear Leah does the best with JP.

[misty101]

Yes, the Lorna bits were the best.

I thought the writer gave an interview months ago that Prodigy didn't regain his powers through the resurrection process?

Rachel was very oddly written. Her dialogue, the skimming thing, that dog. Didn't enjoy her at all.

[MechaJeanix]

I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked Leah's stuff in Age of X-man, but I'm not always a fan of a lot of humor and snark in the x-books. I thoroughly enjoyed this issue and felt her humor and writing style worked well with the characters in the book. I didn't mind all the dialogue. I was happy to see Rachel written well and the use of her original powers was great. I also loved how Polaris was used. The characters did seem to have distinct personalities. There was a lot packed into this issue with the large team, the Five, Sage and Forge, and the Quiet Council. A lot going on but it held my interest and at the end I wanted to continue the adventure.

I like Northstar as the leader. This book as the potential to be a lot of fun. We also have a lot of lgbt representation with Northstar, Kyle, Prodigy, and Daken (and not to mention the sometimes ambiguous Rachel Grey).

[MYCMTSC]

Prefacing this that I don't really *get* half the cast (Daken and Prodigy are the two I was looking forward to coming in), but I really really liked this issue.

I don't mind that the team formation was coincidental (better than not explaining it at all or making it convoluted). It allowed the story to move quite swiftly and only really felt bogged down with narration when Rachel explained her powers. We got a lot of heart, snark, and humor while we got to see a team formed that had an immediate, practical purpose.

This first issue combats a lot of X-Series problems right off the bat by knowing its identity, finding a space where it is needed in the larger narrative, and gives us ample reason to either care about or be intrigued by the characters involved.

I don't really care about the Amazing Baby gags tbh. I feel like I should've thought it was adorable, but I found it tedious.

[Veitha]

Best issue of the week imo. I liked everyone and she got the voices right for most of the cast (I don't love good Daken). I liked how they all used their powers in a smart way.

[Fokken]

Best issue of the week imo.

100% same.
This book, in one issue -- the OPENER no less -- is already ascended into top 3 Dawn of X titles: Marauders, X-Factor & Hellions.

The connection between writer and artist is SO strong and evident throughout the book. They clearly vibe. Start to finish, I was hooked -- which was completely stunning considering I've very little attachment to a majority of the cast -- much like Peter David's previous X-Factor run. I didn't anticipate caring about Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar etc. in that run, and the same applies here to Rachel and Polaris. I'm just GIDDY to fall in love with them.

The balance of character beats is terrific -- allowing readers enough insight to get us curious -- and the META commentary (Like how most writers just don't seem to know what Polaris' personality is -- or that Rachel's chrono skimming power went completely forgotten till now hahaha) and HORNINESS of this book is just outstanding! hahaha. This is some AMAZING world building stuff Leah is doing.

Love love love.
Can't wait for more.
The only disappointment for me is that other people didn't enjoy this as much as I did.

[Husk]

I found myself surprised by really enjoying the issue. I’d prefer another artist but it was less jarring as I read through the issue. I quite liked most of the cast before this issue, and I think Northstar had a good rapport with Polaris. Rachel seemed a bit off for me and I’m already over the warwolf but that’s only a tiny complaint. I assume we’ll get more information from Aurora once she’s been resurrected, and I’m glad we didn’t have to wait four issues before her case was solved and she could join the team. Family seemed to be a threat in this issue: both with Polaris/Magneto and Northstar/Aurora. Polaris flat out said that Magneto barely knew her (and that she wasn’t certain of her own identity) then Northstar had both Sage (regarding the drinking) and Prodigy (regarding the social media) imply that he doesn’t know Aurora as well as he thinks.

Overall, it was good.

[Kingdom X]

100% same.
This book, in one issue -- the OPENER no less -- is already ascended into top 3 Dawn of X titles: Marauders, X-Factor & Hellions.

The connection between writer and artist is SO strong and evident throughout the book. They clearly vibe. Start to finish, I was hooked -- which was completely stunning considering I've very little attachment to a majority of the cast -- much like Peter David's previous X-Factor run. I didn't anticipate caring about Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar etc. in that run, and the same applies here to Rachel and Polaris. I'm just GIDDY to fall in love with them.

The balance of character beats is terrific -- allowing readers enough insight to get us curious -- and the META commentary and HORNINESS of this book is just outstanding! hahaha. This is some AMAZING world building stuff Leah is doing.

Love love love.
Can't wait for more.
The only disappointment for me is that other people didn't enjoy this as much as I did.

I totally agree. After one issue I’m more emotionally invested in this cast than any other DoX title. Ignoring a bit of cringe dialogue, I felt like they were actual people with quirks and flaws.

[RachelGrey]

100% same.
This book, in one issue -- the OPENER no less -- is already ascended into top 3 Dawn of X titles: Marauders, X-Factor & Hellions.

The connection between writer and artist is SO strong and evident throughout the book. They clearly vibe. Start to finish, I was hooked -- which was completely stunning considering I've very little attachment to a majority of the cast -- much like Peter David's previous X-Factor run. I didn't anticipate caring about Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar etc. in that run, and the same applies here to Rachel and Polaris. I'm just GIDDY to fall in love with them.

The balance of character beats is terrific -- allowing readers enough insight to get us curious -- and the META commentary (Like how most writers just don't seem to know what Polaris' personality is -- or that Rachel's chrono skimming power went completely forgotten till now hahaha) and HORNINESS of this book is just outstanding! hahaha. This is some AMAZING world building stuff Leah is doing.

Love love love.
Can't wait for more.
The only disappointment for me is that other people didn't enjoy this as much as I did.

I noticed on twitter that David is very engaged with Leah! Actually he is really engaged with Leah, Tini, and Vita!

I think some of the other artists aren't quite as social as David is, he is very active on twitter and engages with his Spanish and English followers in both languages!

[ericng]

100% same.

The only disappointment for me is that other people didn't enjoy this as much as I did.

Most of us enjoyed this. It's much better than the boring stuff being written by Brisson in New Mutants.

They all complement each other with their powers and worked well as a team.

[Glio]

To be fair, Rachel's powers are quite complicated in and of themselves. That explanation is necessary.

I know it is not in the comic but the idea of Apocalypse having to endure the explanation of the car accident is very funny to me. I imagine him looking at the phone thinking "Why the hell do I have to listen to this?".

[misty101]

I know it is not in the comic but the idea of Apocalypse having to endure the explanation of the car accident is very funny to me. I imagine him looking at the phone thinking "Why the hell do I have to listen to this?".

I wonder what he thinks looking at Lorna, his ex-horseman.

[Glio]

I wonder what he thinks looking at Lorna, his ex-horseman.

Half of the island has been his ex-horseman at this point. From the way the narration is expressed in Sinister Secrets and Incoming!, I think Apocalypse only cares about his original horseman, he only sees the rest as poor temporary substitutes.