X-Factor #36 (Marvel – David / Stroman)
X-Factor manages to track down Darwin, but will they be able to rescue him before the mysterious Karma organization completes their experiments? And with it’s forces stretched so thin, can our mutant heroes stand up to the U.S. government when it decides to place Siryn and her unborn child in “protective custody”?
Apparently Marvel Comics would like to sink this book. Although if that were the case bringing in Jon Sibal to do inks wouldn’t make sense. However, there is no excuse for continuing to use Larry Stroman on this book. The art is absolutely horrible, anatomically incorrect, slap dash, confusing graphic story telling, if there were a grade lower than an “F” I would assign it to this book’s art. I could do better art for this book, and that is not an exaggeration. I would understand if Marvel was in a pinch and need Stroman to fill in for an issue, but that should have been it. This isn’t even an F, this not bothering to show up for school. It is irredeemable, and inexcusable.
The problem is that the writing in this book has been so good. The characters fresh, the ideas new, but reminiscent of tradition X/mutant themes. This book had everything going for it, and since the beginning Marvel has hamstrung this book with inconsistent and now illegible art. They have a good thing going here, an A list book that they are killing. The art is so bad; you can’t even concentrate on the story. They would have been better off printing out a plot synopsis, hell even Xeroxing thumbnails and publishing that. A little flyer on colored paper that said, “please check back in 3 or so months, until then this is what has been going on…”
Maybe Marvel would like Peter David on other projects, but the writing on this book is ten times better than She-Hulk (another book haunted by bad art) so what’s going on? Does Marvel not like Peter David? Except for this book I was never a big Peter David fan, but come on, where’s his support from this company?
And now they’ve hired a ridiculously bad cover artist in Boo Cook, you cannot be a cover artist unless you know your anatomy and proportions. Only the best of the best should be doing covers. Boo, though he has a cool name, would be an awesome colorist. Let’s keep him there.
Overall grade: D. FFFF for the art and Marvels crappy decision on this book. Who’s making the decisions for this book and why isn’t anyone advocating for it? A for the writing, but I’ll tell ya what it’s not going to matter if the art stays crappy.
