X-Factor #142 - "Give Me Shelter"

Writer: Bill Roseman    Pencils: Leo Fernandez    Inks: Dan Green

   I like X-Factor. Really I do. Mystique alone would give me reason to pick up the book but throw in Havok, Polaris and Val and you've got a great cast. I even like Shard and Wildchild, not to mention Val's ex (who I might add improves every issue) and Forge has his moments. So why, you might ask, do you detect an undercurrent of scorn? When you read X-Men or X-Force I can almost garauntee that most, if not all, of the team will appear in the book. However X-Factor #142 is the fourth issue in a row that focuses on only a few characters. Do we learn how the recovering teammates are doing? No. Are we given any explication as to why Wildchild has gone solo? Sorry. Do we get a Mystique update? Nope. Something on Shard? Nada. The X.U.E.? Not hardly. Forge's spirit dream? Of course not. I don't mind seeing an issue developing a character but when that issue doesn't even touch on anyone else then I get a little frustrated. Especially when its been going on for the last four issues! Now that I've gotten this reveiw off to a negative start, I've got to admit that this issue is pretty good (when viewed as a single issue).

   Once again Wildchild's oh-so-drastic mutation is taking place. Suprisingly enough it appears to have really occured this time. Into what he's mutating I haven't the faintest but apparently that something has long nails. Before this mutation takes place, we learn some fairly interesting stuff. First off that mysterious connection between Val and Wildchild is revealed through flashbacks. Apparently a young, and very naive, Valerie Cooper worked with an even younger Kyle Gibney to help him control his powers. Unknown to her, an agency called... dramatic pause ..."the Secret Empire" was turning Kyle into a killer. As the lie goes, Kyle got taken from Val and she never saw him again. Ed seems to fall for this until of course Sabretooth shows up. Now I'm of the firm opinion that Sabretooth is overated. Since when did he become all knowledgable about everyone's past? Well maybe that Stone guy told him. Regardless, I'm getting sick of Sabertooth showing up but not killing anyone. This villian must have gone back to college after the Mutant Masacre. Anyway Sabertooth reveals that Val knew about what happened to Kyle after she never saw him again. Trapped in a cage, Kyle was eating homeless folk while pumped full of drugs! Val knew and didn't do anything to about it. Oh no! The humanity! How could she?!? Sabertooth intended this information to drive Kyle into a berzerker (probably bum eating) rage but thankfully all he did was save Val and dash outta the apartement. Then the government officials bust in, are stopped by a thrown table, and fail to apprehend Sabretooth, again. Oh there's also something about Kyle leaving Val a comforting note.

   Ok, now that we've got the basics down I'd like to commend Mr. Roseman on some excellent dialogue. Everyone actually sounds real, and I didn't catch any of the classic comic phrases like "not hardly", "no quarter given, nor asked", or "I know that voice!". Instead we got diverse vocab including "little scrapper", "freakin'", "tracheotomy" and "pragmatists". I'll also give Roseman credit for some of the best opening/closing narration that I've seen in a while. Fernandez too was surprisingly good for a fill-in artist, especially one who had to draw so many 'quiet' scenes. These two make a nice team.

   This issue was all around a good read, its just that after three issues in much the same format I wasn't as enthusiastic as I might have been. Despite that initial gut reaction, I'd recommend you buy it.

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