Snikts & Bones
Credits: Peter David (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Glynis Oliver (colors), Richard Starkings (letters)
Summary
Cable fights Bishop and Wolverine, until Wolverine is convinced that there’s a chance he didn’t assassinate Xavier. X-Factor, X-Force and the X-Men track the MLF to a small town in Arkansas, where Havok discovers their underground base. During the fight, Archangel accidentally decapitates MLF member Kamikaze with his metal wings. Meanwhile, the X-Patriots drug Madrox’s dupe and plan to escape the hospital. Back in Arkansas, Reaper cuts Quicksilver’s leg and prepares to kill him.
Gimmicks
This is part six of the X-Cutioner’s Song crossover. It comes polybagged with a Havok & Polaris trading card.
Continuity Note
Apocalypse explores one of Cable’s hideouts and recognizes that Cable’s technology is derived from his work. He speculates that Cable has a connection to the original X-Factor since they’re the only others with access to his Ship.
Approved By The Comics Code Authority
Kamikaze’s decapitated head bounces around for a few panels.
Review
So, this is an issue of X-Factor? Of the four titles participating in this crossover, X-Factor definitely gets the short end of the stick. The other titles needed the crossover to deliver some sort of direction and to tie up ongoing plotlines. X-Factor already had its own direction, mostly removed from the events of the other X-books. There’s only one page in this issue devoted to advancing a storyline that’s already been stalled for three months at this point. X-Factor has lost its identity at this point, just filling in the gaps for the next installment of this crossover. It’s not really fair to the creators and fans of this book. In terms of advancing the storyline, this issue doesn’t go very far at all. The issue is divided between two fight scenes; one is a lengthy, pointless fight between Wolverine, Bishop and Cable, and the other is a fight with the MLF that’s continued into the next chapter. Jae Lee is well suited for a fight scene with Wolverine, Bishop and Cable, but he skimps too much on the backgrounds in the MLF fight. As one part of a crossover, it's not that bad. As an issue of X-Factor, it's disappointing.
Jae Lee is notorious for his lack of backgrounds so I guess it helps that he makes his characters look so dynamic. Each of his pages has at least a couple interesting elements to draw you in, even if the issue is only a bunch of fight scenes. His depiction of a slowed down Quicksilver and the page of Cyclops fighting in the shadows, particularly the panel where he is only defined by the yellow parts of his costume, always stood out to me.
ReplyDeleteSince these were the first issues of X-Factor I had ever purchased the bit with the X-Patriots always seemed highly out of place in the overall scheme of things. I couldn't figure out how it related to the cross-over and the obvious answer now is that it didn't. I appreciate that David was trying to move his own plot-lines along, its too bad he didn't have one more issue to wrap things up before the cross-over started.