Can the X-Factor team survive another betrayal? And even if they do, will Havok want to stick around? Your Major Spoilers review of X-Factor #6 from Marvel Comics awaits!
X-FACTOR #6
Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Bob Quinn
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 1, 2025
Previously in X-Factor: X-Factor has survived their most grueling trial yet… Who can they turn to?
And can they endure another betrayal?
THE BEHEADINGS WILL CONTINUE…
X-Factor #6 picks up where the last issue #5 left off, with General Mills having stopped the X-Term problem that she was actually mostly responsible for. In a fit of rage, she confronts Frenzy, whose actions actually led to the X-Factor team surviving the last issue’s battle in the first place. The General wants to have her brought up on charges, but after their social media reports, they can’t admit to the truth. Instead, Frenzy is fired from the team, while Pyro and Dr. Reyes try to come to terms with the death of the doctor’s boyfriend, Oskar, last time around. (It’s actually kind of a sweet moment for the Aussie mutant.) Of course, the General’s biggest problem is her team leader, who is MIA after following his ex-fiancee Polaris, who showed up as an X-Term-inator last time around. After explaining how she got there, Polaris apologizes that they can’t be together anymore, leading Havok to return to X-Factor headquarters…
…so he can quit.
…UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES
With his angular, clean style, Bob Quinn feels like the perfect choice for a book about “heroes” whose social media profile and popularity are more important than their ideals. And I mean that as a compliment, especially when it comes to the variant uniform designs rocked by Frenzy, Pyro, and company. This issue, though, feels slightly stiff, especially in the sequence where Alex and Lorna talk things out. Add in the cartoony face of featured mutants Bruin and the pointy-eared Jovius, and it’s a visual mixed bag. The plotting is a bit labyrinthine and circular, especially when it comes to explaining the events of the last issue. Even after reading both books multiple times, back to back, I can’t really figure out the exact series of events that led us here. Add in the fact that Mills spends the whole issue screaming and fuming, abusing her authority, and outright admitting that the team’s purpose is to kill off as many mutants as possible, and it’s a rough issue.
BOTTOM LINE: SCATTERSHOT AND MESSY
All in all, X-Factor #6 is a confusing issue that features very unpleasant characters, with the only respite being a sweet moment for Pyro and a joke about corn dogs, wrapping up to a disappointing 2 out of 5 stars overall. Even with the next issue promising the return of the first team leader, The Angel, it’s a book that I’m not sure I want to come back for more of.
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X-FACTOR #6
The archness and cynicism of the tone, combined with oddly stiff, cartoonish art, makes for a less successful issue than the previous five.
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Writing2
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Art5
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Coloring6
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.