tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post6709097431301989689..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining X-Factor #56Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-57905149776935156132015-06-16T10:14:39.303-05:002015-06-16T10:14:39.303-05:00@Jonathan: That's something that's been a ...@Jonathan: <i>That's something that's been a big component missing from this book: a decent villain.</i><br /><br />Definitely. Caliban and Sabretooth were fine as vehicles for requisite action against the backdrop of characterization and subplot development in issues #51-53, and I loved the return of the Locust (and Mesmero in #55, to a lesser extent) as a one-off villain in #53, but that's about it for notable villains during this run, and none of them are particularly strong, unique to X-Factor (Caliban, I guess, but he doesn't really fight the whole team or anything) and/or meant to be taken too seriously. It's telling that arguably the book's best post-"Inferno" story involves Apocalypse (and even then, it's a bit of a mess) in #65-68. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-51570178736031481912015-06-16T00:36:27.231-05:002015-06-16T00:36:27.231-05:00That's something that's been a big compone...That's something that's been a big component missing from this book: a decent villain. The key antagonists of this book so far (Apocalypse and Cameron Hodge) have been effectively sidelined at this moment. And trying to get a good plot going without a decent foe to fight against is an uphill battle. I think having some (kinda) decent primary antagonists helped New Mutants some (at the very least, it gave that book some sense of direction and resonant themes) The rather lame and generic villains contribute to the sense of this book being rather rudderless. A good foe would have gone a long way to make this books feel like it has a sense of direction and a lot less aimless.Jon Dubyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-9323177065388494952015-06-15T13:17:45.757-05:002015-06-15T13:17:45.757-05:00@Blam: Now I know why the group’s intro at the sta...@Blam: <i>Now I know why the group’s intro at the start of this issue felt to me like they we were supposed to be familiar with them. Sorry.</i><br /><br />No worries. Like I said, we're not exactly dealing with monumental and memorable additions to the rogues gallery, here. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-26343091377639850242015-06-09T21:20:22.044-05:002015-06-09T21:20:22.044-05:00Hah, Blam, we both seem to have been hit by some s...Hah, Blam, we both seem to have been hit by some sort of collective short-term amnesia. Next week we be like "Huh, who's this claw guy, have we seen him before? What are those stupid flaps in his mask, is that where he hids his hair-do?"Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-4877200279101418162015-06-09T20:43:04.394-05:002015-06-09T20:43:04.394-05:00@Teebore: // Crimson appeared in issue #54 for the...<br>@Teebore: <i>// Crimson appeared in issue #54 for the first time, and showed off the Ravens' whole "feed on the psychic pain of their victims" thing //</i><br /><br />Huh. I plumb forgot about that. And I even quoted Jonathan’s comment on Crimson in my own comment on that post. Now I know why the group’s intro at the start of this issue felt to me like they we were supposed to be familiar with them. Sorry.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-82370072854036892782015-06-09T08:39:28.790-05:002015-06-09T08:39:28.790-05:00Teebore: Despite the name, it wasn't nearly as...Teebore: <i>Despite the name, it wasn't nearly as hardcore as what he's doing here as Archangel; it mainly involved flying around fighting crooks with a gas pellet gun, in that classic Silver Age style. </i><br /><br />Ah. I was lured into thinking things because of the (mis-)translation then, and the one story in MARVEL SAGA where Avenging Angel is a bit berserk because of inhaling some nerve gas. Good think then, it would be stupid plot development if one of the X-Men started regressing into his more violent pre-X-Men self.Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-34343642054123942722015-06-09T08:15:44.242-05:002015-06-09T08:15:44.242-05:00@Teemu: Didn't Warren have this "Angel of...@Teemu: <i>Didn't Warren have this "Angel of Retribution" vigilante thing going before joining the X-Men?</i><br /><br />Kinda. He had a brief career as a vigilante (the Avenging Angel) prior to joining the X-Men. Despite the name, it wasn't nearly as hardcore as what he's doing here as Archangel; it mainly involved flying around fighting crooks with a gas pellet gun, in that classic Silver Age style. <br /><br />@Branden: <i>Wow...Jean doesnt know Hank too well.</i><br /><br />I guess her defense is that she was out of the picture for most of his time as an Avenger/Defender, when the whole "I joke around to mask my anxieties" schtick came about? <br /><br />@Blam: <i>Don’t all the Ravens appear here for the first time? </i><br /><br />Crimson appeared in issue #54 for the first time, and showed off the Ravens' whole "feed on the psychic pain of their victims" thing, but this is otherwise the first appearance of the rest of the Ravens and their backstory and whatnot. <br /><br />I probably could have made that more clear. <br /><br /><i>And yet he crossed paths by chance with all the supporting characters. </i><br /><br />Yeah, I have some things to say about that (well, keeping Archangel off on his own, to ridiculous lengths, in general) that I typed up for this post, but decided to hold for next issue's discussion. <br /><br /><i>Are telepaths, like, naturally bad at reading behavioral clues and general human nature because they rely on telepathy?</i><br /><br />Or she's just been too caught up in her own drama with Scott, more or less since she's returned, that she's only now bothering to think of it? <br /><br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-54979231930978328942015-06-08T22:36:39.128-05:002015-06-08T22:36:39.128-05:00Don’t all the Ravens appear here for the first tim...<br>Don’t all the Ravens appear here for the first time? <br /><br />I’m so weak on ‘90s Marvel that I can’t be sure. While the end of the post seems to corroborate this assumption, your earlier mentions of “new Ravens” and the group’s backstory makes them sound like existing characters getting fleshed out. <br /><br /><i>// the rest of X-Factor returns to Ship after another fruitless night of searching for Archangel //</i><br /><br />And yet he crossed paths by chance with all the supporting characters. He’s right outside the diner where Trish’s crew and Officer Jones are hanging out, then within earshot of that hospital room where Azure’s taking out Mr. Wall Street (near enough in fact to crash through the window right after the guy calls for help) — Crimson even flies him right over Jones’ beat at the end of the story.<br /><br /><i>// Beast runs into Trish, and absconds with her to the roof //</i><br /><br />I really like the shot of the window from inside with just their feet, especially the grace note of Beast’s toe grasping the window frame as he Kongs her up there.<br /><br /><i>// Art this issue comes from Steven Carr, someone whose work I'm not familiar with at all outside this issue. //</i><br /><br />Me neither. The GCD has this issue as his only credit. I’m really impressed with his art on the whole, though, and if this was indeed his only job rather than it being pseudonymous work by another creator (whose style I can’t obviously place, despite it resembling some other folks’ to a degree) that’s a real shame. <br /><br />Faces in particular are uneven, and panel composition too, but there’s a lot to like in the stronger shots and most of his figure work. That panel I called out is nicely designed, as is the one on the next page of Marvel Girl and the cameraman looking out the window up at where Beast and Trish have gone. The way he draws Archangel’s blades as shooting from <i>inside</i> his wings’ “feathers” makes practical sense, too, in addition to being a satisfying visual. However one feels about Milgrom, or even Carr, I think it’s apparent that Milgrom did a good job of letting Carr’s style show through on the whole, so for me at least it's kudos to them both.<br /><br /><i>// we get yet another comment on how it's apparently risque //</i><br /><br />Good thing she gets right back into the equally skintight X-Factor uniform! <br /><br /><i>// Jean finally gloms onto the fact that Beast's avuncular nature could be a cover for his issues dealing with life as an obvious mutant. //</i><br /><br />Are telepaths, like, naturally bad at reading behavioral clues and general human nature because they rely on telepathy? I know she’s not really a telepath at the moment, just No-Prizing away a bit of an eye-roller.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-39781895655541004002015-06-07T01:44:56.948-05:002015-06-07T01:44:56.948-05:00Wow...Jean doesnt know Hank too well.Wow...Jean doesnt know Hank too well.brandenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18098413670016263499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-18095933941845003912015-06-05T12:27:49.112-05:002015-06-05T12:27:49.112-05:00Archangel is continuing to hallucinate while "...<i>Archangel is continuing to hallucinate while "terrorizing" the city by attacking muggers and drug dealers</i><br /><br />Didn't Warren have this "Angel of Retribution" vigilante thing going before joining the X-Men?Teemunoreply@blogger.com