As Serval Industries’ personal pack of superheroes gets cut from the listings we take a look at the last issue of “All-New X-Factor” and try to figure out exactly what prompted Marvel to pull the plug.
Written by Peter David
Illustrated by Carmine Di GiandomenicoAt last! The revelation behind the secret of Harrison Snow! Guest starring Spider-Man 2099. Final issue!
“All-New X-Factor” is only just hitting the one year mark, but Peter David And Carmine Di Giandomenico’s latest incarnation of this ever-shifting title is already being cancelled, due to low sales.
Now while, on the surface, this may seem to be a pretty cut and dry issue – if a book isn’t selling well then it deserves to get cancelled, right? – the loss of this particular superteam seems to be being met with a lot of sadness on the part of readers. Lots of comic-book fans, myself included, found David and Giandomenico’s slower, more character-driven take on this fresh new version of a superteam to be a really engaging read. I’d argue that while there may have been fewer explosions and life-or-death brawls than you might expect in a AAA title, Marvel has produced next to no books under the ‘All-New’ umbrella (barring perhaps “Moon Knight” and “Avengers’ Arena”) that manage to breathe new life into existing-but-largely-ignored characters like this series did.
As far as reviewing this individual issue goes, there isn’t much that bucks the trend that the creative team has displayed throughout their run. Following almost immediately from the domination of an unexpected, soul-devouring Egyptian goddess, the team are flying back to base. All the while, Danger is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her lack of a soul was the only thing that helped the squad defeat their opponent.
David’s subtle, understated ability to script tension means that the journey to and from this super-brawl is as interesting as the fight itself, with the personal issues of the team – currently focusing on Cypher’s perceived betrayal of Self-Friend Warlock’s trust – boiling over in the wake of their adrenaline-fuelled battle. Throughout this series David has taken care to draw out the space between the fights, allowing the reader a rare insight into the humanity – or should that be mutantity? – of these demigod-like beings.
Giandomenico’s clean and clear panels have been invaluable in getting across the delicate narrative balance that David brings to the story. His ability to convey complex and relatable emotions through close-up facial expressions has meant that characters are able to say so much without the use of heavy, melodramatic dialogue. His decision to use these tight panels during conversation, often relegating backgrounds to simple colours, further reinforces the close-quarters style of storytelling that this creative team has been angling for since the outset. This book has never been about world-shattering villains and larger than life, cinematic heroes; it’s about real, vulnerable people overcoming their differences to become better than the sum of their parts.
As a whole, the series may have suffered slightly from the lack of an overarching villain, with most of the team’s opponents not lasting more than a couple of issues. But, the conflicts feel genuine and the bombastic Memento Mori has proven more than capable of assaulting Serval Industries both on a physical and managerial level. David’s ability to balance melodramatic with believable helped create a menacing foe who was at the same time a loving father and prominent businessman.
What’s more, as this final issue reveals, the creative team always had plans for a more long-form villain to emerge, and from a very unlikely source as well. While this book started off slowly, sitting as a decidedly second string title to more mainstream books like X-Men and Avengers, it has the potential to rival both in terms of sheer scope of story. Furthermore, Harrison Snow is a fantastic creation. He’s an amoral puppeteer with a shadowy agenda that I was happy to try and piece together, and the fact that his vision for a super-team is being canned before his machinations can reach fruition is truly lamentable.
Since the cancellation of the book was announced, writer Peter David has been fairly vocal with his thoughts as to why. He remarked in an interview that, while comic-book readers claim to enjoy character-driven stories, “their purchasing habits are the exact opposite.” When asked if there was anything he wished he could have done differently with regards to “All-New X-Factor” his response was simply, “I would’ve had Wolverine guest star every other issue. Our sales would be through the roof.”
Continued belowThis book has been consistently one of my favourite sleeper titles, ever since I saw Giandomenico and Anka’s slick costume re-designs. Everything about the premise – a privately owned super-team, a more morally ambiguous mission statement, and a world beyond the black and white ‘good vs evil’ battles that delves into the idea of super-powered business sabotage – is exactly the kind of craziness that the Big Two need to start looking towards in order to diversify their portfolios. While other publishers like Image and Boom are increasingly putting out comics with fresh, relevant, and experimental storylines, Marvel and DC are still pouring most of their time and effort into the capes and tights brigade. And, while I love an all-out ‘big budget’ comic book, it’s sad to think that, even with funding that far outweighs their more indie competitors, they still don’t see any value in taking a chance on a slower growing book with potential.
Final Verdict. – 8.2: This last issue manages to round up a great run while bringing up questions that I didn’t even know I had. Sad to see it go.
