Review: X-Factor #146 - "Fairie Light"

Writer: Howard Mackie    Pencils: Lee Moder    Inks: Scott Koblish

Review by Silver the Black Bishop

   This is one of those issues that you buy just to have a full set and proceed to read over the next few days in sparatic sections when you're bored. That's a bad thing. Bascially all I really like about this issue is the cover, which I really, really do think is great. Jamie Madrox always has such great potential for being drawn, and whoever drew it (the darn bar code is obscuring the name!) pulled off a great assortment of Jamies. The issue goes downhill from there...

   It would be hard to say what my main problem with this issue is, but I'd have to guess that it's the plot... closely followed by the art. If Mr. Moder is the new penciler, as I've heard several places, I don't know what I'll do! Whatever happened to Tom Raney!?! I had such high hopes... hopefully Moder is only around until Raney arrives. Okay now onto the plot. In short its just a ludicrous story about Archer and Greystone exploring the lives of their host bodies and dealing with issues of abuse; both being an abuser and being abused. Heavy stuff if you ask me. Howard Mackie just doesn't seem to pull it off right though. Archer, as Judd Black, arrives at Rachel's (his ex-wife) house and confronts her and his son. What I don't like is how easily they accept him into their house. I mean the kid even says "Daddy? You're not going to hurt us again? Are you?" and they let him in the house!?! What!!! I can buy that maybe she still has some sort of old love for him, but you don't just let someone back in after they've physically and emotionally abused not only you but your son for multiple years. It just seems to minimalize the evils of it all, at least in my opinion. Fortunetly the Greystone situation is slightly more realistic, with the kid finnaly gaining power and standing up to his parents for his sister's sake. Its also an interesting parallel with Greystone having a quite loving mother while his host body has an abusive one. Interesting concept, just badly executed.

   Thankfully that wasn't all the issue focused on. There was a brief scene with Havok, Multiple Man and Polaris tucked away in there too. Unfortunetly about all that happened was Jamie and Alex talked about MM rejoining X-Factor, Jamie refusing, Polaris walking in, and Havok leaving after resolving nothing! Lets all hope that next issue we'll get some real Havok vs. Polaris action. Heck, I wanted to see that "knockdown, drag-out, mutant powers confrontation", or at least another fist to the jaw! The only morcel of intrest in here was Havok taking a stand and saying he had no "intention of crawling back" to Lorna. Guess it really might be over... wonder if he knows Maddie is back on the prowl?

  Oh and there's a fight with some Genoshian, possibly mutant, enforcers in there somewhere near the end. I'm not up with the latest Genoshian news but wasn't it a now peaceful country? Maybe the People's Army of Genoshan Mutates is just a fringe element. I dunno, it just seems odd to see Genoshan mutants operating on US soil again.

   The only other thing I like about this issue, besides the cover, is the foreshadowing of the new team lineup. Greystone and Archer could start living their normal lives leaving us with: Havok, Shard, and Fixx with the possible additions of Random, Multiple Man, Polaris or Mystique. This issue is not recommended, unless you really want a great cover!!!

                             Silver the Black Bishop

"We've got a couple of choices here as to how this could end. Personally, I'm hoping we go a little five on three. I've had a tough year." - Shard, X-Factor #146

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page