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X-Factor

Omnibussin: Mapping The Next X-Men Omnibus (Vol. 5)

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Mapping Next X-Men Omnibus Feature Image Trial of Magneto Uncanny X-Men 200

As an omnibus collector (and as someone with a bit of an obsessive streak, but let’s ignore that for now), there are few things more frustrating than a conspicuous gap between volumes of a collected line of comics. This is particularly vexing when it’s a matter of “orphaned” issues; that is, stories that were missed between existing compilations, which means they’ll likely never be collected in this oversized hardcover format. Other times, it’s just a matter of a line that’s yet to be finished, which isn’t so bad if one is patient. Unfortunately, “one” —that’s me— isn’t patient (see aforementioned “obsessive streak”), so I decided to inaugurate this column about mapping hypothetical omnibus volumes with The Big One: the next Uncanny X-Men omnibus… which I wouldn’t title Uncanny X-Men Vol. 5, for reasons that will soon become clear.

Uncanny X-Men Vol. 4 was released in 2021, taking us up to Uncanny X-Men #193 in the middle of Chris Claremont’s excellent run with John Romita Jr. This was, for me, when it became clear Claremont’s long run was something truly special: Rachel Summers; the Morlocks; Rogue; Selene and the Hellfire Club; and much more. This numbered volume almost took the X-Men from the Bronze Age to the first Dark Age self-titled collection in the line: X-Men: Mutant Massacre, which kicks off with Uncanny X-Men #210. There is, however, a gap to bridge between these two eras. [Read more…] about Omnibussin: Mapping The Next X-Men Omnibus (Vol. 5)

Room for Outsiders | X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1

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Peter David’s work on X-Force is one of those rare books where it’s easier to explain the plot than it is why the book exists in the first place. Where Claremont and Davis’ Excalibur is something of a superhero and fantasy farce, David’s X-Force is a satire of the X-Books themselves. This omnibus is focused right at the 90s era mutant craze while being published right alongside the books it was subtly commenting on.

It debuted the same year as Deadpool and Weapon-X and within months of Lobo, Deathstroke the Terminator, and Shade the Changing Man getting solo titles. Yet X-Factor adds nothing to the Dark Era or its complexities.

These collected issues also existed near the very height of the speculator boom, and yet it doesn’t fall in line much with the Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Ann Nocenti money train. In fact, David would quit the series two times in three decades with one of them being over event books.

X-Statix, the media-ready successor to David’s X-Factor

By rights, this should be the least impactful X-Book since The X-Terminators (no one remembers that book. And if you do, for god’s sake stop.) And yet, David’s work paved the way for everything from Peter Milligan and Mike Allred’s fantastically subversive X-Force/X-Statix series to Jonathan Hickman’s HoX/PoX. And furthermore, I’d say that the future of the X-Men will learn more from this series than Fatal Attractions.

Let’s dig through X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus vol. 1 to find out more. [Read more…] about Room for Outsiders | X-Factor by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1

Gambit Reading Order Part 5: Mid-2000s to the Present Day

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It all began when a reader wrote in asking for a chronology of the X-Man called Gambit.  What followed took me from the Claremont era through the Rogue romance of the ‘90s, with Gambit’s secret ties to Sinister revealed in Uncanny X-Men #350.  In the years that followed, he redeemed himself and even led an X-team on occasion.

And then everything changed. [Read more…] about Gambit Reading Order Part 5: Mid-2000s to the Present Day