Fit to Be Tied In: A History of Marvel Crossovers and Events Part 2- Mutant Massacre to Muir Island Saga- The Crossovers of Chris Claremont

These days, a month that goes by without more than a dozen X-books weaving stories into each other is an anomaly. But 30 years ago, in that strange time known as the 1980s, such a thing was a novel idea.

Back then, Chris Claremont was in charge of nearly all the mutants and two ongoing series: Uncanny X-Men and the New Mutants. The original five X-Men, however – Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman and Angel – were under the purview of Louise Simonson in the earliest incarnation of X-Factor.

What brought these three teams (and also Thor and Power Pack) back together in 1986? Genocide. A new group called the Marauders was slaughtering the Morlocks, a community of mutants that lived in the sewers below New York. The Mutant Massacre was one of Claremont’s darkest, most violent stories to date, and had some of the most lasting effects on the X-books. Angel’s wings were broken and later amputated, leading him to become Apocalypse’s Horseman Death. Nightcrawler and Shadowcat were injured and left the team to recuperate on Muir Island, which led to them co-founding a new team, Excalibur. In their place would come Psylocke and, later, Dazzler and Longshot. Sabretooth – a Claremont creation ported over from his run on Iron Fist – would stake a claim as a major X-villain and specifically an arch-nemesis of Wolverine. The Marauders’ employer would later be revealed as Mr. Sinister, the mad geneticist obsessed with the Summers bloodline. The Massacre would also later be tied in to the backstory of Gambit, who would not appear in the comics for another four years.

Next, in 1988, came Fall of the Mutants, which wasn’t so much a crossover as a label that appeared on the three main X-books but was considered a major event nonetheless, not the least so because the X-Men died … for about a minute.

The X-Men and Madelyne Pryor sacrificed themselves fighting the Adversary, a Native American demon god linked to Forge, during a battle in Dallas. Upon vanquishing their foe, Roma, the daughter of Merlin, resurrected them, made them invisible to technology (a plot thread that, near as I can tell, just sort of disappeared) and gave them access to the Siege Perilous, a one-time transporter that, once a person passes through it, basically gives them a new life somewhere else with no memories of their previous one until such time as a writer finds that inconvenient. Meanwhile, in X-Factor, the team fights Death, aka Archangel, and breaks him of Apocalypse’s control, and in New Mutants, Doug Ramsey, aka Cypher, is shot and killed by The Right, an anti-mutant group led by Cameron Hodge, whose name will pop up a few more times in this post.

The following year brought an Inferno to the streets of New York in a convoluted plot involving, in no particular order, the demons of Limbo, inanimate objects coming to life, Pryor becoming the underboob-exposing Goblin Queen, Colossus’ sister Illyana being reverted from a magic-wielding sorceress back to a child, Hodge making a deal with demons for immortality, a number of babies – including the baby that would grow up to be Cable – being stolen to complete a spell, Pryor being revealed as a clone of Jean Grey created by Mr. Sinister, the Spider-Man villain Hobgoblin becoming a demon, another demon getting infected with Warlock’s Transmode Virus, the X-Men and X-Factor fighting each other, and the X-Mansion being destroyed again. Inferno cast a wide net, stretching from the X-books to Spider-Man and Daredevil to, quite sensibly, Damage Control, the Marvel Universe’s post-event cleanup crew. And Power Pack. Those kids got a lot of hangtime in the ’80s.

Hodge surfaces again in 1990 as a creepy spider-robot with a human face pulling the strings on the mutant-enslaving island of Genosha in The X-Tinction Agenda. By this point, Jim Lee was drawing Uncanny X-Men and Rob Liefeld had come aboard New Mutants, so we’re starting to see some of the deck-clearing exercises that will pave the way for X-Men #1 and X-Force #1 a few months down the line. Some of the X-Men who went through the Siege Perilous are reunited. Cable has taken over the New Mutants. Storm is restored from her de-aged self back to an adult weather goddess, and she introduces everyone to the creepy Cajun friend she made while evading the Shadow King. Havok is revealed to have been working as a Genoshan magistrate. Wolfsbane of the New Mutants is turned into a Genoshan mutate, or slave. Warlock is killed. A bunch of people see former British woman Psylocke as an Asian ninja for the first time. And the Genoshan government is toppled – literally; Rictor destroys their Citadel.

The Claremont age ends in summer 1991 with a mini-crossover called the Muir Island Saga that straddles Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor. The Saga served a few goals: It wrapped up a long-running (there’s no other kind with Claremont) arc involving the Shadow King; it re-crippled Xavier; it reunited the X-Men with their original members to form an all-killer, no-filler superteam that would need two books to hold them; and it transitioned X-Factor from a book about the original five X-Men to a book about a government-sponsored mutant team written by Peter David. If you have any affection for Jamie Madrox, Strong Guy or Polaris, it starts in X-Factor #70.

Next week, Matt takes us into space for some cosmic crossovers, so bring your favorite Infinity Gem and prepare to get Annihilated.

Dan Grote’s new novel, Magic Pier, is available however you get your books online. He has been writing for The Matt Signal since 2014. He and Matt have been friends since the days when making it to issue 25 guaranteed you a foil cover.

The Matt Signal Advent Calendar 2014 Day 23: X-Factor #87

X-Factor #87, February 1993

The X-Men had the heavy hitters, your Wolverines and Storms and Rogues. X-Force were the hip new extreme strike force led by a white-haired commando from the future who carried big guns and wore even bigger metal shoulder pads.

X-Factor had Cyclops‘s brother, Magneto’s son, and guys named Strong Guy and Multiple Man.

But that’s the magic of Peter David, who has spent the better part of 23 years collecting misfit mutants under the X-Factor banner and making people care about them. And perhaps the best early example of this is X-Factor #87, the “X-aminations” issue in which the team is checked out by Doc Samson, personal gamma-powered, green-ponytailed shrink to the Incredible Hulk, who was also written by David at the time.

It is in this issue we learn that Wolfsbane yearns for a kindly authority figure, Quicksilver sees everyone as slow and aggravating due to his super-speed, Polaris has body-image issues, Strong Guy is in constant pain due to his mutant power but doesn’t want anyone to see it, Jamie Madrox can’t stand to be alone, and Havok is constantly afraid he won’t measure up as a team leader, especially to his brother. Also, Val Cooper, their government handler, is completely oblivious to all of it.

Also, dig that crazy opening splash page, in which Wolfsbane and X-Force’s Feral are drawn as then-Nickelodeon sensations Ren and Stimpy. The penciler of this issue was some kid named Joe Quesada, whom I’m sure was never heard from again.

Rise, My Pets: Peter David

Some comics writers have characters they keep coming back to, over and over again, whether they had a hand in creating them or not. Sometimes they even pluck a character from obscurity and make them matter.

With that in mind, I give you, the pets of Peter David. I won’t promise they’re not all from X-Factor.

Aquaman: (Aquaman #1-46, Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4, Atlantis Chronicles 1-7) Though David is a writer who jokes often, he made the king of Atlantis no joke. I mean, come on, he gave the dude a hook for a hand! David turned Aquaman into a Thor of the seas, helped give Atlantis itself a rich history and boosted the quality of his supporting cast. During David’s run, artist Jim Calafiore gave the character perhaps his second most-famous look: shirtless, long hair, beard, hook hand. Your move, Flash.

Doc Samson: While Hulk and X-Factor are largely two different books, they both featured memorable appearances from resident Marvel headshrinker Leonard “Doc” Samson, the man with the long, green hair and the Ph.D. Samson helped David’s Hulk work through his mental issues, and he also analyzed X-Factor in the “X-Aminations” stories, two of David’s best standalone works (the first one is perhaps most memorable both for Quicksilver’s speech about how slowly the world moves to him and a dated, but still funny to people in their 30s, Ren and Stimpy reference).

Hulk: (Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 #328-467, Vol. 2 #67-77, various mini-series & specials including Future Imperfect) David is to Hulk what Chris Claremont is to the X-Men, spending 12 years giving the character depth and breadth, control over his personality, intelligence, gray skin, green skin and a beard. David gave us such memorable Hulk concepts as Joe Fixit, the gray Hulk-as-Vegas bouncer, and the Maestro, the Hulk that ruled a dystopian future. He picked up and fleshed out Banner’s childhood of abuse at the hands of his father, a holdover from the Bill Mantlo years. And he synthesized the many shades of Hulk into one intelligent, green smashing machine. He also worked with a series of well-known artists, from Todd McFarlane to Dale Keown to Gary Frank. David wrote a great little essay on his time with the Jade Giant – including getting canned for refusing to re-savage the Hullk – for Entertainment Weekly, which you can read here.

Jamie Madrox: (X-Factor Vol. 1 #70-90, MadroX #1-5, X-Factor Vol. 3 #1-50, 200-262) Madrox the Multiple Man began his membership in X-Factor as one-half of the team’s comic relief, alongside Guido “Strong Guy” Carosella. A subsequent writer, J.M. DeMatteis, killed off Madrox via Legacy Virus, but like any character worth his dupes, he got better. David wrote a 2004 Madrox mini that saw Jamie send his dupes out into the world to accrue knowledge and then be reabsorbed, or join the priesthood or S.H.I.E.L.D. or become a future assassin or any number of things. This formed the basis for a new X-Factor series, in which Madrox, Guido, Wolfsbane and a whole bunch of other second-string free agents formed a mutant detective agency occasionally dedicated to solving the mystery of M-Day.

Polaris: (X-Factor Vol. 1 #70-90, X-Factor Vol. 3 #230-262, All-New X-Factor #1-present) The first time Peter David spent with Polaris was in an epilogue issue of X-Factor, before David’s all-new, all-different team. In it, Strong Guy talks her into striking sexy poses for his enjoyment. You’ve come a long way, baby, despite Chuck Austen’s best efforts to turn you into a jilted crazy witch woman. Polaris returned to David’s X-Factor fold late in his second round with the book and took on the painstaking task of decluttering her origin, which saw her go from Magneto’s third kid to not and back again. Polaris is now leading her own, corporate-sponsored X-Factor team in the book’s third iteration, a team that includes the next person on this list.

Quicksilver: (X-Factor Vol. 1 #70-90, X-Factor Vol. 3 various issues, All-New X-Factor #1-present) If “X-aminations” (X-Factor Vol. 1 #87) and “Re-X-aminations” (X-Factor Vol. 3 #13) are two of David’s best standalone issues, Quicksilver was one of the best parts of both those issues. In the first X-am, Quicksilver complains about how slowly the world moves relative to his superspeed. In the second X-am, Quicky is a Terrigen Mist drug pusher on the cusp of igniting a Silent War with the Inhumans, who wanted their supply back. Essentially, post House of M, Pietro had become Chang from Community, mentally unbalanced and ready to doublecross at a moment’s notice. In the current X-Factor series, Quicksilver spies on teammate Polaris on behalf of her ex, Havok, who leads the Avengers’ Unity Squad.

Rick Jones: David loved the Hulk’s human buddy Jones – arguably the Marvel Universe’s answer to Sherman of Mr. Peabody and Sherman – so much that he took him into space with him, making him part of the cast during his Captain Marvel runs in the late ’90s and early 2000s, during which Mar-Vell’s son Genis-Vell carried the mantle Marvel and DC shared/fought over for decades.

Spider-Man 1962: (Spectacular Spider-Man #103-136) David’s first work for Marvel, who had originally hired him to work in sales. David wrote what is often considered one of the best Spider-Man stories, "The Death of Jean DeWolff." Spider-Man is, in many ways, the perfect character for David, who can do funny without letting it overwhelm an entire book. Spider-Man quips, but he also experiences heart-wrenching tragedies. That’s prime David wheelhouse.

Spider-Man 2099: If you’re looking for a sign that the wave of 90s nostalgia is on and knows no bounds, look no further. Miguel O’Hara is likely the most memorable relic of the 2099 universe (quick: name one X-Man 2099!). Writer Dan Slott gave David the alley-oop by bringing future Spidey into the present and setting up David’s current series.

Strong Guy: Just kidding. Seriously though, X-Factor is awesome.

Dan Grote has been a Matt Signal contributor since 2014 and friends with Matt since there were four Supermen and two Psylockes. His two novels, My Evil Twin and I and Of Robots, God and Government, are available on Amazon.

Apocalypse Wow: The Life and Times of En Sabah Nur

I don't know why, but something has me thinking about Apocalypse. It's like a little voice in my head chanting "EN SABAH NUR! EN SABAH NUR!" So weird.

In all spoiler-free fairness, it's already been reported that the next X-Men sequel has been subtitled "Apocalypse." Bryan Singer announced it earlier this year in a tweet that launched a thousand nerd boners.

I loved Apocalypse as a young reader. A big, blue, robot-looking dude who espoused survival of the fittest and turned Angel into a badass? What's not to love?

If you're not familiar with the immortal mutant, here's some homework for you.

1. First appearance: X-Factor #5, (June 1985): Apocalypse is revealed as the string-puller behind the Alliance of Evil, a cadre of mostly forgettable villains (one member of the alliance, Frenzy, went on to become one of Magneto’s Acolytes in the ’90s and later became a player in X-Men: Legacy) that plagues the original five X-Men in their first outings as X-Factor. Oddly enough, as Brian Cronin writes in Comic Book Legends Revealed, said string-puller was not originally intended to be a new character but the Owl. The change was made to accommodate incoming writer Louise Simonson. Available in Essential X-Factor Vol. 1.

2. Turns Angel into Archangel: X-Factor 17-23, (1987): Under Simonson, Apocalypse becomes a regular thorn in X-Factor’s side and develops facets of his personality such as his survival of the fittest mantra and his penchant for turning mutants into horsemen. Chief among his first batch of Horsemen was Warren Worthington III, who was injured during the Mutant Massacre, lost his wings and his fortune due to the meddling of his ersatz friend, Cameron Hodge, and was driven suicidal. Apocalypse took the blonde, blue-eyed sad sack and turned him into an angel of Death, later to be called Archangel. Available in Essential X-Factor Vol. 2.

3. The taking of Baby Nathan: X-Factor 68, (July 1991): This arc includes the first appearance of the Dark Riders, whom I always liked better than the Horsemen, as henches go, although the Horsemen certainly have satisfied a narrative trope of turning X-Men eeeeeeeeevil for a brief period. Chris Claremont, Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio created the riders – Inhumans, not mutants, it should be noted – during a time when it seemed every major X-villian had to have his own running crew. Magneto had the Acolytes, Stryfe had the Mutant Liberation Front, and Mr. Sinister had the Nasty Boys, which of course made no sense because Sinister had a perfectly good batch of henches in the Marauders, but that’s a head-scratcher for another time. In this storyline, Apoc infects Baby Nathan with the techno-organic virus that makes the grown up Cable look so early ’90s-tastic. Cyclops and Jean give the baby over willingly to a woman they just met claiming to be from the future, then go on to their next adventure, helping the X-Men fight the Shadow King on Muir Isle, leading to a reshuffling of the X-teams. Available in Essential X-Factor Vol. 5.

4. X-Cutioner's Song: Uncanny X-Men 294-296, X-Men 14-16, X-Force 16-18 and X-Factor 84-86, (fall 1992): A weakened Apocalypse, still smarting from his last encounter with Cyclops & Co., teams up with the X-Men to save Xavier, who was mortally wounded by Stryfe, posing as Cable. Like the Summers clan, Apoc is on Stryfe’s hitlist for slights against him, though said slights would not be performed for centuries. Stryfe assaults Apocalypse and even steals the Dark Riders from him, down to the last tiny Tusk. Things get so bad for him that he asks Archangel for a mercy killing, which Warren refuses.

5. X-Men the Animated Series (1992-97): My first exposure to the character. In his first two-part appearance, he transforms Warren into Archangel and fights the X-Men at Stonehenge and says cool things like "I am as far beyond mutant as they are beyond you." Later on in the series, he gets a four-part arc in which he kidnaps all the psis in a bid to increase his power but is stopped by Bishop and his friend Immortus the Cosmic Janitor.

6. Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix (1994): The one in which Apocalypse dies in the future. Scott and Jean get pulled through time on their honeymoon to raise Baby Nathan and help a ragtag group of Askani defeat the villain, only for his cause to be taken up by a young Stryfe. Damn that Stryfe. He's so hot right now 20 years ago!

7. Age of Apocalypse (All X-books, winter 1995): America's favorite alternate timeline (besides that one from the last season of Lost) was borne of Legion going back in time and accidentally killing his father. As a result, Apocalypse takes over North America, Cyclops loses an eye, Mr. Sinister gains a goatee, Wolverine loses a hand and the 616 gains a Sugar Man.

8. Rise of Apocalypse (1996): Writer Terry Kavanagh and Penciller Adam Pollina reveal the origins of Apocalypse at last. Finally we get to see En Sabah Nur as a weird-looking baby and the first goth teenager, survival of the fittest-ing in the sands of ancient Egypt, enslaving Ozymandias, and mucking about with Kang the Conqueror in his Rama-Tut identity.

9. Blood of Apocalypse: X-Men 182-187, (2006): In Peter Milligan’s storyline, Apoc returns from the dead – again – in the wake of House of M to discover there are a heck of a lot fewer mutants than their used to be. He offers himself as savior of mutantkind, demanding humanity Decimation itself in the process. It is during this period that Apocalypse counts the greatest number of X-Men among his Horsemen, including Gambit, Polaris and Sunfire. Also, the Celestials come calling for repayment for letting him play with their toys all these years.

10. The Apocalypse Solution: Uncanny X-Force 1-4, (2011): Wolverine’s band of X-killers tries to get the jump on a newly reborn Apocalypse only to find him as a young boy. Writer Rick Remender begins a great run with the age-old question of “Would you kill Hitler as a baby?” and spends much of this series and his next, Uncanny Avengers, revealing its consequences, both in the 616 and the Age of Apocalypse.

Happy reading! One day, maybe Matt and I will share with you the fanfic trilogy we wrote in which Apocalypse and his posse wiped out most of the X-Men. It was pretty flippin' sweet. At least we thought it was 15 years ago. In truth it probably had more Pete Wisdom and Deadpool than was necessary. 

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/16 Part 2

Daredevil #22
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Chris Samnee

The hero fighting the hero in a misunderstanding is probably the oldest chestnut in the superhero writers toolkit. So when that story is done well, or done with a nice twist, it makes the story all the more interesting. This new issue of Daredevil features what seems a normal hero vs. hero brawl, in this case Daredevil and Spider-Man. Of course, if you've been reading Amazing or Superior Spider-Man, or been anywhere near the internet, you know that Spider-Man isn't exactly himself lately. This confrontation is my first real exposure to this new Spider-Man, and I like how Waid handles him, and how Daredevil recognizes something wrong with him. The hero battle is interrupted by the c-list villain, Stilt Man, who Waid has used before as a non-threat, and while Stilt Man has upgraded here, he's still not exactly a threat. his use of Doctor Octopus tech is mostly to draw the reaction of Spider-Man who is really *SPOILER IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN IN A CAVE* Dr. Octopus. Spider-Man's reaction to Daredevil making comments about Octopus is classic, and his arrogance coming off as Spider-Man's trademark humor is amusing. Framing the action are scenes of Matt Murdock living his life. I enjoy how Waid deals with Matt Murdock's blindness, addressing it in real world terms. And the ending, with a reconciliation between Matt and his best friend/partner Foggy Nelson, and the revelation of what is going on with Foggy, continues proving that for every good thing that happens to Matt, something has to go wrong in his world. It will be interesting to see how Matt is going to take this particular curveball.

Demon Knights #16
Story: Robert Venditti
Art: Bernard Chang

New writer Robert Venditti comes on board as the series jumps thirty years ahead of where the last issue ended. A new scourge is invading the lands, this one the scourge of vampirism. Cain, the first vampire and one of the main antagonists of I, Vampire is preparing an army of vampires, slaughtering his way across Europe. The Demon Knights, who have not worked together as a full group in all these years, are called together by al Jabr, former Knight and now ruler of Al-Wadi, a city of science, to help combat the coming onslaught. Al Jabr shares insight with the Knights he has been able to gather about the details of Cain's plan, and at the end of the issue we see exactly where a couple of the other Knights are, ones who will have to join the rest before this is done. Venditti has the voices of all these characters down pat, and their relationships perfectly as well. It's interesting to see how al Jabr, the only one of the Knights who ages normally, reacts to seeing his former comrades who have not aged a day in thirty years. The thirty year gap has left all sorts of questions about what happened, such as what caused the falling out between many of our Knights, and it will be a matter of time to see if they can put all this aside to stop another catastrophe from ripping apart the medieval world. Demon Knights has been a book that has balanced action, comedy, and character, and it seems Venditti has all the notes lined up.

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #16
Story: Matt Kindt
Art: Alberto Ponticelli

The final issue of Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is not part of a world shattering crossover, or a story that will change the DC Universe forever. It is, however, a great little story about Frankenstein and his Creature Commandos fighting a terrorist cell with a plague bomb that turns people into monsters. While the issue doesn't tie up all the threads from the series, it places the Creature Commandos in a place to appear around the DC Universe. The story gives readers an insight into Frankenstein, what he is and what he can do. The philosophy and quotes he  spouts, and his willingness to sacrifice himself are on display. I enjoy a good one off story, and this is one of those; frankly, it would have made as good a first issue as it does a final one. It was an interesting choice to use this as the final issue, since the previous ones were part of the "Rotworld" crossover between Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and Frankenstein, but since the event isn't over, I understand that it would be impossible to address the ramifications of it here. Still, the series ends on a high note, and I hope to keep seeing Frankenstein in Justice League Dark, and I hope the rest of his team will join him there for a story or two.

Saga #9
Story: Brian K. Vaughan
Art: Fiona Staples

 Brian K Vaughan has had to do a lot of world building in Saga. Building a whole sci-fi/fantasy world takes a lot of time, and doing it while having to make a well rounded cast isn't easy. It's a testament to his skill as a writer that it's all come off so well. This issue focuses on the freelance bounty hunter known as The Will. I really like The Will; he's the classic, "Bad guy with his own code of ethics," which is a favorite archetype of mine. Still depressed over the death of his fellow bounty hunter and lover, The Stalk, The Will is confronted by Gwendolyn, jilted fiancee of Marko, one of our protagonists, who The Will has been hired to capture. With Gwendolyn's help, The Will is able to save the young slave girl he encountered on the pleasure planet of Sextillion, and sets off again after Marko and Alana with the surprising aid of Slave Girl (they really need to find a name for her...). The issue is a good example of how to tell a story that does a lot to forward or introduce character. Gwendolyn was only a name before this issue, but I feel like Vaughan now has given us a good view into who she is, and has made the character of The Will even better defined. And while he can't really reference Earth culture, there's a line that is a clearly a sort of reference to one of the greatest hitman movies of all time, Leon the Professional. If you know the movie, you can see where the reference comes from, and if you haven't, well go watch the movie! Fiona Staples's art is some of the best in comics right now, and the thing I find fascinating is the way she can make monsters look either horrible or beautiful. The Stalk is a half-woman/half-spider, and should be repugnant, but Staples draws her in a way that makes her alluring. With the hunt for Marko, Alana, and baby Hazel now in full swing, I look forward to seeing what happens when all the parties inevitably come crashing together.

X-Factor #250
Story: Peter David
Art: Leonard Kirk

The Hell on Earth War has begun! A story that has been building in X-Factor for years now, and even with hints of events from his run on Incredible Hulk. This is not the first time Peter David has dealt with the age old quandary of, "If you could kill Hitler before he was HITLER, would you do it?" but the extra wrinkle of the child being the child of one of our protagonists, in this case Wolfsbane's son, Tier, adds emotional resonance. The opening sequence, of Jezebel the demoness sitting and asking God to intercede to stop what is about to happen, and getting no response, is also one of Peter David's recurring themes, especially in his work on Fallen Angel. The issue is fast paced, narrated by Tier who is being hunted by Darwin, his mother's former teammate, and does a good job of fleshing out Tier, a character who we haven't spent much time with since his birth. The high concepts of the issue lead to a good old fashioned superhero slugfest, which shows off one of Peter David's strengths: balancing talk with action. A great issue, which seems to be setting up a strong storytelling, I am left with one question: As the lords of the various Underworlds come together, I admit to not recognizing them all. I know Hela, Pluto, and Mephisto, but the others have me at something of a loss. Any help out there in Internet land?


BONUS NON-COMIC REVIEW!

Chu's Day
Story: Neil Gaiman
Art: Adam Rex

Most people know Neil Gaiman for his work in comics on Sandman or his novels like American Gods and Stardust. A growing legion of kids and young adult readers know him for his work for that age group, including Coraline and the Newberry Medal-winning The Graveyard Book. But Gaiman also has written more than a few picture books for very young readers, often with his comic collaborators Dave McKean and Charles Vess. The Wolves in the Walls, one of these, was a favorite of mine to read to kids the few times I had to do storytime while working at Borders. His newest picture book, released at comic shops this past Wednesday, is Chu's Day, the story of a little panda named Chu with a powerful sneeze. The story is a simple one, simpler than Gaiman's earlier forays into this genre, but is no less endearing for its simplicity. The age group this seems to be targeted for is the crowd that still needs to be read to or those just starting to read. The art by Adam Rex is beautiful and highly detailed, with well presented  anthropomorphic animals, with a favorite scene of mine being in the library; his work seems reminiscent of legendary children's author/artist Graham Base in the best possible ways.  So, if you have a little one who likes stories of little pandas, or just a quick, amusing story, you should try out Chu's Day.

Recommended Reading for 1/18: X-Factor by Peter David

Comic creators don't stay with books like they did in the old days. With very few exceptions (Brian Michael Bendis on the Avengers franchise, Geoff Johns on Green Lantern. Ed Brubaker on Captain America, and Grant Morrison on the Batman titles), writers are usually on a title for one, maybe two years and then are off to different pastures. And most of those runs are big, high profile runs. But flying under the radar, in comparison anyway, is the longest run on any Marvel title right now, and possibly one of the longest in mainstream comics: Peter David's 100+ issues on X-Factor. I'll be discussing just the current run on X-Factor, by the by, not the early 90s run, not to say that wasn't a good run, but I want to stay focused, or as focused as I can be on such a sprawling series.

Peter David is one of the first comic book writers I remember recognizing by name. His over ten year run on the Incredible Hulk is one of the seminal runs of the 90s, and still the defining run on that character. His Supergirl and Young Justice were great runs, and his creator owned Fallen Angel is a title I miss. I've read most of his novels, and despite not being a huge Star Trek person, I really enjoy his New Frontier series. This is a way of saying I have a predisposition to Peter David as a writer. I will say that, with the exception of the Hulk run, X-Factor is my favorite comic series Peter David has written.

X-Factor is a team of mutants that people who aren't big X-Men fans might not know. You're not getting Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm on the team. What this means is that these are characters who aren't necessarily safe, characters who can change, and who can die (or die as much as anyone in comics can). One of the themes I realize I touch on often is character, and how comics I really love are ones that are character driven. X-Factor is the poster child for the character driven superhero book.

While many other characters have come and gone over the course of the series, the constant has been Jaime Madrox, the Multiple Man, who mutant power is to create doubles of himself. A character Peter David wrote in his original run on X-Factor, the series that served as a prequel to this volume of X-Factor was a Madrox mini-series. In that miniseries, we see that Madrox has set himself up as a private detective, and has also sent out his dupes to learn skills and return to him, where he absorbs them and picks up these new skills and the knowledge these dupes have picked up. As a man who can create countless duplicates of himself, Madrox is a person who can be in more than one place at a time and see things from multiple points of view, both literally and figuratively. And there's where Madrox's problem is: he is so torn by all those points of view that he is often moved to complete inaction. Madrox's journey to become a bit more decisive is one of the key themes that is explored in X-Factor.

The roster of X-Factor Investigations has fluctuated between as few as six and as many as twelve members over the course of the series. The initial cast included Strong Guy and Wolfsbane, Madrox's old friends and teammates from the original X-Factor team; M, Monet St. Croix, the beautiful and conceited young mutant; Siryn, one of Madrox's exes and former member of X-Force; and Rictor, who lost his powers on M-Day, the day most mutants were depowered by Scarlet Witch,, and who starts the series off preparing to jump off a roof and kill himself. Over the years, additional people have come and gone, including Longshot, the extradimensional freedom fighter from Mojoworld; Shatterstar, another native of Mojoworld, warrior, and Rictor's lover; Darwin, the mutant who can evolve to protect himself from any situation; and briefly Havok and Polaris, two classic X-Men and members of the old X-Factor who returned from a long trip in space to be asked to ride herd on the team by Wolverine. And one other member...

The character who has proven absolutely fascinating to me is Layla Miller. Created as a sort of Mcguffin during the House of M crossover, Peter David has taken a mysterious little girl with no personality and made her an interesting woman with real pathos. Layla starts out as the girl who, "knows stuff," seemingly a precognitive ability. but when Layla is displaced into the future, and eventually calls Madrox there to help her, we learn what the nature of her knowledge and what her real power is: she knows stuff because future Layla has told past Layla all of the things that she has learned. And her power is that she can raise the dead. However, in monkey's paw fashion, there is a catch: those resurrected are brought back with no souls. Layla knows what this means, knows that people she resurrects aren't who they were before their resurrection, and must struggle with the decision of what to do with this ability when someone she cares about is lost. Her stories also play with the idea of the butterfly effect (hence her eventual codename of Butterfly), that every time she changes something she knows was destined to happen it changes the flow of events. Issue #240, "Run, Layla, Run," is a phenomenal issue that shows Layla trying to make sure the future flows as she knows it should, despite the changes that have occurred, and gives great insight into the way Layla sees every day.

While Madrox and Layla are the two characters who I find the most compelling, it's the sign of a great comic that I enjoy issues that focus on the others as well. Since this is a long term series, where these characters have had plenty of time to grow, plot threads are laid down that take long periods of time to bear fruit. And with those kind of long, character based arcs, you get a lot of time to build on the interplay between characters and see how they come together and break apart. The relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar is hilarious, as Shatterstar does not always get the way things work on Earth, but is also very real; they're not a "gay couple," they're a couple period; they go through what a lot of couples do and interact is a true manner.

Wolfsbane left the group briefly to be a member of X-Force, and came back broken by the deeds she had done and pregnant. She is shown going through a whole cycle of grief and acceptance, in a heartbreaking series of stories. When Siryn also gets pregnant after a drunken night with Madrox, well I don't want to give away the twist if you've not read the issues, and I know Peter David wouldn't want me to either, but the result is something that leaves you with your jaw on the floor and your heart broken for this fictional character.

I mention those two story arcs together not just because of the obvious similar pregnancy content, but because their resolutions involved a favorite occasional X-Factor supporting character: the Reverend John Maddox. Maddox is one of Madrox's wayward dupes, one who was sent to learn about faith and religion. But Maddox met a woman, fell in love with her and with his role as an Episcopal minister, and decided to not return. When Madrox went to reclaim him, the two fought and eventually Madrox let him go to live his life. He meets with both Siryn and Wolfsbane at their darkest hours, as well as Madrox when he is near the end of his own rope, and serves as the voice of a higher power, a voice of reason and compassion. Peter David never preaches through Maddox, but he speaks with a faith and a belief in the good of humanity, and a worldwise knowledge that makes him both confessor and confidant.

X-Factor is also a great example of a series that makes lemonade out of the lemons of major crossovers. The series was originally pitched as a crime/detective story set in the New York neighborhood of Mutant Town, where the city's mutant population was moving, but right before the series was supposed to launch, those mutants lost their powers. OK, instead the team will work to help depowered mutants in Mutant Town. "Civil War" comes along and the series uses it to make Madrox a hero of the people. "Messiah Complex" tosses all the mutant teams together and Layla Miller disappears for a while into the future to come back as an adult. "Secret Invasion" introduces Longshot and Darwin to the team. While many comics take those crossovers and does the crossover as a story removed from the daily flow of the book, Peter David uses them to help forward his own plans and get some more exposure for the comic, all while not losing the fact that this is an X-Factor story.

While X-Factor has moved through various arcs and eras, it always seems like Peter David is moving towards something that he has had planned all along. Characters who haven't appeared in dozens of issues pop back up and it seems perfectly logical. Damian Tryp, a time traveling mutant with a variety of powers, was the team's initial nemesis; he returns and it fits the story perfectly. Agamemnon, a supporting character from the Hulk, enters into the hunt for Wolsbane's baby and it doesn't seem out of left field. Pip the Troll, a cosmic character, former member of the Infinity Watch and supporting character to Adam Warlock, becomes the team's receptionist and you don't blink. Peter David is a writer who knows what he's doing, knows how to craft a story, and that craftsmanship shows. Not every arc is world shattering, and there are plenty of simple fun one off stories, but every issue counts and advances a plot. The new story that just began, "Hell on Earth War," is something that all these disparate elements have seemingly been building towards for years, and it all fits together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle.

I usually spend a little time at the end of these recommendations talking about art, which is not my strong suit I admit, and it's much harder to do with this title. X-Factor has had a lot of artists over the course of the years, and few have stuck around for a long time. Currently, Leonard Kirk, Peter David's collaborator from Supergirl, is the mostly regular penciler, and I'm a big fan of his work. Other artists have included Ryan Sook, Larry Stroman, Pablo Raimondi, Valentine de Landro, and Paul Davidson. All are good artists, some are great, and you'll be happy to see any of those names on the artist's credits.

Now two final notes. First, the thing I think I haven't really mentioned is just how funny X-Factor is. Peter David is a master of the pun that's so bad it's good, the pop culture zinger in the same style as Joss Whedon, and the situation comedy joke in the superhero world.There's always a bit of tongue planted in cheek, and the tension is often broken by one member or another of the team cracking wise.

On a far more serious not, I mentioned once earlier that Peter David recently suffered a stroke. He is recovering well, according to updates on his website from his wife, Kathleen, but as I'm sure any American knows, health care ain't cheap. If you want to help him out, check out this post on peterdavid.net to see what you can do. As I said, I've read a lot of Peter David's novels, both Star Trek and his fantasy and sci-fi ones, and they're great. I bought the whole slew of e-books available to help out. It only cost me about seventeen bucks, and having skimmed the first one that grabbed my eye, trust me it was money well spent, and it's for a good cause. Let's help out a writer who has brought a lot of great comics and books out by doing what we'd do anyway: reading More of his work.

There are a whopping seventeen X-Factor trades out there now, with two more already solicited. There are also issues collected in the trade of the X-title crossover Messiah Complex. The Madrox mini-series is also available in trade. The issues from Peter David's original run on X-Factor were collected in four trades under the banner X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David, but are currently out of print. Issue #250, the first part of The Hell on Earth War, was released this past Wednesday.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 10/31 & 11/7

Angel & Faith #15
Story: Christos Gage
Art: Lee Garbett/ David Lapham

"The Hero of His Own Story," is actually two stories, but each takes one of the series villains and gives us something from their point of view. The worlds of Joss Whedon are known for their fully formed characters, and writer Christos Gage does a great job of giving his villains a lot less hand wringing evil and more, for want of a better word, humanity. The first half of the issue, drawn be Lee Garbett, gives us a meeting in a diner between Angel and Whistler, his once guide through the world, now enemy. We get more details of Whistler's past, and see that he's doing what he believes will save the world from the destruction of magic. It's a very, "the ends justify the means," plan, and one Angel can't get behind. So the die is cast, so to speak, for there will be no peace between these friends. The second half of the issue, drawn by David Lapham, is the origin of Pearl and Nash, the half-demon twins. While understanding where they come from might give the reader a bit of sympathy for them, Gage doesn't go as far as to make them like Whistler, a character who is looking to save the world and is just going about it in a way that isn't right. Pearl and Nash are still monsters, scary and more than a little evil. But maybe evil isn't all bad. In the end, these two stories leave the reader questioning exactly what they would do when put in the situation of the villains, and remembering that, after all, the villain is the hero of his own story.

Aquaman #13
Story: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis

The second arc on the new Aquaman series, "The Others," comes to an end, and Aquaman makes some important choices about his life. Over the course of this arc, while hunting Black Manta, Aquaman has been dedicated to finally getting the revenge he wants by killing Manta. This issue sees Aquaman really come to understand exactly what revenge does to a person. It's an interesting step forward, as Geoff Johns has portrayed Aquaman as a warrior throughout the course of the run, and to see him try to make peace, and to hold back is an interesting development. We also got a good view of some Atlanteans this issue, setting up Aquaman's eventual return home, and introducing Aquaman's other archnemesis, his brother Orm, the Ocean Master. Johns gives some good material to Mera as well, keeping her as Aquaman's anchor (pardon the pun) that keeps him from going too far. I'm hoping that rest of The Others don't just fade away, as they are an interesting group of new characters who would make an excellent supporting cast. The new purpose given to the Prisoner-Of-War, going to the families of the ghost soldiers he sees and relaying messages,  is somewhat sentimental, but there's potential there for stories other than just a lot of hugs and tears. The idea of him as avenger as well as counselor could make for good stories. Two arcs in, Johns has done what he wanted, elevating Aquaman to the A-list of the DC Universe, and I think it's where he deserves to be.

The CBLDF Presents: Libert Annual 2012
Story & Art: Various

Every year, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) releases an anthology comic, benefiting the Fund's first amendment cause, and I always pick it up, not just because it's always a high quality book but because I like to support the CBLDF. This year's anthology is no exception, with some stories specifically about the CBLDF's mission of freedom of speech, and others that are just fun. On the freedom of speech front, there is "Barren Ground," by Andy Diggle & Ben Templesmith, shows exactly the power a demon has in a society where freedom reigns and shame has no place, and "Just as Real as Yours," by Jim McCann & Janet Lee is a sweet vignette of people leading very different lives meeting in a laundromat.Other highlights include an amusing Sasquatch one page strip with script by Chris Roberson and art by Matt Signal favorite Roger Langridge and a slice of a conversation from comic conventions from Chris Giarrusso. James Robinson and J. Bone present "Hunters," a preview of their new creator owned book, "Saviors," and Chynna Clugston Flores and Joe Keatinge tell a beautiful slice of life tale about a mother and daughter in, "Lumiere." The marquee story is a new tale of The Governor from The Walking Dead, from series creators Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. It's a great anthology, with something for everyone, and it's for a good cause. What are you waiting for?

Detective Comics #14
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok/Andy Clarke

John Layman's second issue of Detective Comics is as strong as his first. There's less of the Penguin in this issue, and more Batman, and I again am pleased to see that Layman writes a clever Batman, one who is at home in a Detective themed book. He also writes an excellent, and interesting, Poison Ivy. Ivy is a character who has, over her history, lived two distinct lives. Early on, she was just a criminal with powers to control men and had a thing for Batman, but thanks mostly to her excellent portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series, Ivy has been portrayed as an ecoterrorist more in recent years. Layman works to find a balance between the two portrayals, and follows up on her time in Birds of Prey, with an Ivy who is concerned with ecology but really seems to enjoy playing with men on her puppet strings, as seen in not just the main story but the Ivy-centric back up. We also get another classic Bat villain making a status quo changing appearance, but I don't want to spoil the twist the end of the issue. "Emperor Penguin," has gotten off to a great start, and with the Joker popping in next issue, things are only going to get better from here.

Ghosts #1
Story & Art: Various

The second anthology I'll be talking about today, Ghosts is the newest anthology from Vertigo, and is a nice balance between the dark and horrific and the amusing. While all the stories are excellent, here are my favorites. "The Night I Took the Data Entry Job I Was Visited By My Own Ghost," by Al Ewing & Rufus Dayglo is a funny story about a man who, as the title tells you, is harassed by the ghost of his rocking self when he sells out and takes a day job. "A Bowl of Red," by Neil Kleid & John McCrea, is a creepy tale in the EC school, about a group of chili snobs who go to find the ultimate bowl of chili and the horror that follows. "Ghost for Hire" marks the first Vertigo work of Geoff Johns, and has art by Jeff Lemire. It's another lighter story, about a man and his brother the ghost, who run a service where they scare people out of houses for a living. It's fun, and if there was a non-Vertigo anthology of these kind of stories, it would have worked nicely there, as it isn't necessarily a mature readers story. The story that really makes this anthology a must buy, though, is "The Old Man and the Boy." The final work penciled by Joe Kubert, it is presented just as Kubert left it, in sketchy pencils with lettering in place. It's a good horror story set in Mesoamerica, and to see the last work of one of comics' true legends takes the story to a whole new level.

Masters of the Universe: The Origins of Skeletor
Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art: Frazier Irving

From my love of Star Wars comics, it's pretty clear I don't hold any snobbery about liscensed properties. And while yes, I was the perfect age to love He-Man when he debuted in the 80s, it is a property that has not aged well; the original cartoon is really just a half hour toy ad, and the 2002 reboot was excellent but suffered from poor ratings. DC's new reboot has also had its problems, with creator shifts and delays. This issue, though, is a great comics. The story takes elements of the various origins of Skeletor, and creates a cohesive origin, which is all well and good, and writer Joshua Hale Fialov does a good job presenting Keldor's point of view. But the star of this issue is Frazier Irving. His art, rife with shadows, adds an air of horror to what could have been nothing more than an origin story; Keldor's slowly melting face, going from scarred to completely mangled, and finally into Skeletor makes your skin crawl. The look on Keldor's face as a young man, as he realizes exactly how his life is destined to go is heart breaking, and makes you understand why he became the archvillain.

X-Factor #246
Story: Peter David
Art: Paul Davidson

OK, I admit that I'm the perfect audience for an issue of X-Factor centered around Pip the Troll. I've written about my love of Warlock, and Peter David handles the degenerate Pip with a deft hand. The story opens with Pip breaking up a faked mugging so he can pick up the victim, all the while saying he's Peter Dinklage. Pip is kind of sleazy in a Barney Stinson sort of way, which is perfectly in character and worth a chuckle or two. But the whole issue is from Pip's first person point of view, so as the story progresses, we begin to see that Pip really does love his job at X-Factor Investigations, and see the team as his family. Not exactly redeeming himself for being a lech, but at least you see that he has layers. I've written before that I think Peter David is one of the best character writers in comics, and this issue is a great single issue character piece. Peter David's usual comedy flair is shown through Pip's defense of X-Factor against the Friends of Humanity by using some alien tech to suck them into wormholes and quipping all the time. The end of the issue was a shock, and the perfect tonal switch, leaving the future of Pip, and by extension the family he has defended, in question. It's never easy for X-Factor.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 10/17

Star Wars: Agent of the Empre- Hard Targets #1
Story: John Ostrander
Art: Davide Fabbri

John Ostrander returns to the Star Wars universe with another tale of Jahan Cross, Agent of the Empire. The first Agent of the Empire mini-series was a great spy romp, following Cross as he got involved in a plot to use droids across the galaxy to conquer civilization. This time, the story seems more personal, as he will be working in some backstage political intrigue that will make him cross paths with his estranged father. But that's in the future of the series. This issue was an action packed romp that got readers who might not know Cross up to speed on who he is: the Empire's answer to James Bond. Set prior to the events of A New Hope, Cross attends a party on Alderaan, where he meets movie characters like Bail Organa and Princess Leia, and classic EU characters like Leia's best friend, Winter. With the appearance of the current Count Dooku, the nephew of the Prequel Trilogy villain, intrigue kicks into high gear. By the end of the issue, an assassination has occurred, and Cross has returned to Coruscant, where conversations with Armand Isard, head of Imperial Intelligence, and his daughter (and major villain of the Rogue Squadron comics and novels) Ysanne, begin to shake some of Cross's confidence in the Empire's beneficence. I've always said that the noble Imperial is a favorite Star Wars archetype of mine, and I feel Jahan Cross is a good addition to the ranks. Oh, and did I forget to mention the opening scene is a flashforward of Cross fighting Boba Fett? Yeah, you know that's not going to end well for someone.

X-Factor #245
Story: Peter David
Art: Leonard Kirk

With the final chapter of "Breaking Points," long time X-Factor writer Peter David sets the book off on its new course. Now, what exactly the new course is, I'm not sure yet, but hey, Peter David hasn't steered me wrong yet. "Breaking Points" has seen the rather large cast of X-Factor paired down slightly, and some characters, both those left behind and those not on the scene, changed. This issue really focuses on Havok, and gets him from the point he has been at in this series, as the soemwhat flustered co-leader of the team, to the point where he is in joining the Uncanny Avengers team. Much of the issue is a conversation between first Havok and Madrox, and then Havok and Polaris. Havok is confronted with a lot of the baggage he carries, especially in regards to his brother, Cyclops, and all that has happened with Cyclops over the course of Avengers Vs. X-Men. There is a poignant scene, where Havok and Polaris finally come to terms with their somewhat strained relationship, and although Madrox is clearly one of Peter David's babies, and Havok is a character that he might not have the same attachment to, he gives him a great sendoff with some dignity. Of course, that dignity is then somewhat undermined with the comedy stylings of Pip the Troll and a going away... present from many of his teammates. Aside from Havok, there is a major change ins status quo for Madrox and Layla, a new costume for Polaris, and Madrox actually putting his foot down versus his usual indecisive personality. Character is where Peter David's writing has always shined, and this issue is another great example of why X-Factor is one of the best books on the racks.

Young Justice #21
Story: Greg Wesiman
Art: Christopher Jones

With the animated series unfortunately on hiatus, it seems that I'll have to get my Young Justice fix in the comics. And fortunately, the comic series is as good as the show, with the stories intertwined as untold tales, and written by showrunner, series writer, and Gargoyles creator Greg Wesiman. This is the second part of a six part arc, taking place mostly about a month before the beginning of the season two "Invasion" storyline, but flashing back to five years earlier, about a month before the end of season one. In the present, many heroes and villains have been teleported off Earth by Brainiac, making his Young Justice debut, while much of the team is divided on separate missions: Nightwing and Wonder Girl are recruiting Blue Beetle, while most of the rest of the team is protecting the new leader of Qurac from possible attacks from Queen Bee. The issue does a great job of juggling all the plotlines, and still allowing the characters room to breathe. This doesn't feel like a Superboy trapped in space comic with a Miss Martian subplot, or a Nightwing recruiting a hero with a Batgirl subplot; it feels like a comic featuring the whole team. If you're going through Young Justice withdrawal like I am, you should check out the comic. Hopefully it will get us through to January...