tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post2596864207420382326..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining X-Factor #8Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-54028937184687806872013-10-18T11:34:49.831-05:002013-10-18T11:34:49.831-05:00When is there not "a temporal-spatial anomaly...<br>When is there <i>not</i> "a temporal-spatial anomaly" messing up Destiny's powers?<br /><br />On the other hand, No-Prize to me for deciding that Destiny was attempting to look into X-Factor's future at the precise moment that Nimrod, accidental visitor from the future, was searching for mutant bio-signs, which is what screwed up her precognition and thanks to some kind of feedback in turn caused Nimrod to think X-Factor was in Central Park before they actually were. 8^)<br /><br />(PS: Ha to the filename humor!)<br /><br /><i>// In the tunnels beneath the X-Factor headquarters, Scott and Jean clean-up the radiation left behind by Bulk and Glow Worm and discuss Scott's marriage to Madelyne. //</i><br /><br />Just how Marvel is that? Notwithstanding that the series isn't anything special, even if it's definitely improved, you can pretty much boil down what made Marvel Marvel to "consequences" and "personal issues".<br /><br /><i>// Rusty is eager to join them //</i><br /><br />Rusty's heart is in the right place, except for that part that's wandered down south, but it's really immature (to be charitable, laying the blame on the character rather than how he's written) for him to go from worried that people will find him and even more worried that he'll never be able to have a relationship to following X-Factor out into the field because it's the right thing to do and wanting to be protective of Jean and then Skids. I guess being chivalrous or just wanting to help fight battles that concern him could be a sign of maturity, but real maturity would be recognizing that since he doesn't have enough control over his powers yet he's only endangering himself and others including the people helping him.<br /><br /><i>// Warren acknowledges both the oddness of his returned attraction to Jean as well as the fact that he already has a girlfriend, even while Rusty continues to moon over Jean. //</i><br /><br />The relationship stuff would be totally Marvel too if it weren't quite so weird. <br /><br />Vera popping up isn't the strangest thing, especially since <i>X-Factor</i> is a revival of the original X-Men, but I feel like everybody reverted back to referring to her as Hank's girlfriend when if memory serves she was out of the picture for a while — he was certainly surprised to see her New Wave punk Valley Girl look. If we got scenes of them falling into familiar patterns, that would be one thing, but we don't see any moment where a spark is rekindled. It's just "They're back in touch and Vera's official role is Hank's Girlfriend." <br /><br />Making it even odder is the fact that Candy Southern hasn't moved out to NYC or even really been spoken of until this issue (which of course would've made the dialogue and thought balloons of Warren's in which his feelings for Jean apparently resurface even more awkward). Scott has him beat at Husband of the Year, but he and Candy were/are still basically married. I'm glad this is another one of the plot contrivances that Louise Simonson has picked up on.<br /><br /><i>// Marc Silvestri ... fills in on pencils, making this his first work within the X-Men franchise. Joe Rubinstein remains as the inker, so the end result doesn't look too dissimilar from the previous issues //</i><br /><br />There are scattered places in which the faces look like the work of Don Newton to me, which is jarring. Rubinstein only inked Newton a handful of times, so it's not like when I picture Newton's work I'm really thinking of Newton/Rubinstein; I don't recall ever finding Silvestri's work as reminiscent of Newton's, either.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-47683390725167395122013-10-10T11:55:42.769-05:002013-10-10T11:55:42.769-05:00Jason -- I actually like Rubenstein quite a bit, e...Jason -- I actually like Rubenstein quite a bit, especially on Dave Cockrum -- but here, to me at least, he seems to be doing a lot more "finishing" than on other jobs. Rubenstein over Cockrum or Byrne still look like Cockrum and Byrne to me, but this just doesn't look like Silvestri to my eye.<br /><br />However, I'm not all that familiar with Silvestri's style prior to becoming the regular penciler on <i>Uncanny X-Men</i>, so if you say this is what his work typically looked like at the time, I'll gladly believe you.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-12127517640753224442013-10-10T01:32:11.598-05:002013-10-10T01:32:11.598-05:00" I would never have guessed these pencils we..." I would never have guessed these pencils were by Silvestri if you hadn't said so. All I see in the faces and shadowing is Rubenstein."<br /><br />I disagree. I don't think this issue is too far off from other Silvestri comics of the time. I think this is just his early style. (He was still nine months from his first "Uncanny" job so this is a VERY early job from him.) <br /><br />Also, Rubinstein is usually pretty sympathetic, no? He's not really an overpowering inker, as a rule. I wonder if this is just a matter of Rubinstein taking liberties in the finishing because Silvestri had a very loose penciling style, at least back then. (I talked to Dan Green at a convention two years ago, and he told me that inking Silvestri was tricky at first, because as a penciller laid a lot of lines down on the page, not all of which looked like they were meant to be inked. So it required, Green said, a bit of interpretation.)Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-13516725468282479922013-10-04T17:17:31.940-05:002013-10-04T17:17:31.940-05:00@Matt: But didn't John Romita Jr. originate th...@Matt: <i>But didn't John Romita Jr. originate this helmet over in Uncanny? I always thought it showed up there first.</i><br /><br />You're absolutely right: he had it in <i>Uncanny</i> #206; I just completely glossed over it there. Probably because it's on the cover of this issue. Good catch. <br /><br />Also, totally agree that it's a dumb and unnecessary change. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-43901295919084906202013-10-04T15:51:02.634-05:002013-10-04T15:51:02.634-05:00I feel the term "overpowering inker" get...I feel the term "overpowering inker" gets tossed around a lot, but you don't really know it's meaning until you see an issue like this. I would never have guessed these pencils were by Silvestri if you hadn't said so. All I see in the faces and shadowing is Rubenstein.<br /><br />Anyway -- I've never read most of the original <i>X-Factor</i> run aside from the big crossovers, as I've noted before, which is especially odd because once Simonson takes over, it sounds like it's right up my alley. Not being a huge fan of the direction Chris Claremont was taking the X-Men at this time (I like the post "Mutant Massacre" execution, just not so much the cast), the more traditional superhero stuff with more of a classic cast as seen here is just the sort of thing I'd go for. I really need to check it all out someday.<br /><br />"<b>Avalanche is wearing a new helmet in this issue (seen on the cover).</b>"<br /><br />I hate this helmet. Talk about an unnecessarily ugly change. His old look was distinctive. Now he looks like he's dressed up as ROM.<br /><br />But didn't John Romita Jr. originate this helmet over in <i>Uncanny</i>? I always thought it showed up there first.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.com