Review: All-New X-Factor #1

Marvel has, once again, relaunched a recently canceled title with a new #1. Is the first issue of All-New X-Factor worth a look? Find out after the jump.

I did not read the previous volume of X-Factor which came to a close in September...not a single issue. Since the new series was announced, among a slew of other All-New Marvel NOW! titles, I have gone back and forth on whether or not to subscribe to it so, yesterday, I picked up copy of the new #1 from  Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor.

The book, written by Peter David, who was the writer of previous volume of X-Factor , picks up, as I understand it, right where the previous volume left off. Say what you will about Marvel's recent practice of renumbering titles, but, in this case, it seems that fans of X-Factor are probably not going to be upset by the new #1 as the new volume is following a new team into a new adventure: becoming the world's first super-team sponsored by a company, Serval Industires, led by Harrison Snow.

This volume picks up with the origins of the new team, led by Polaris ,who has her sights set on fan-favorite Gambit to join the team. By the end of the issue, Gambit, along with Polaris' half-brother Quicksilver, have joined the team and given us just enough exposition of what's to come to whet the appetite. David takes the opportunity to play with some big, mutant personalities in this issue and has fun doing so. While Polaris is the de facto leader of the team, it seems that David is going to be doing a great character study of Gambit, who may just take center stage. Of course there are other characters yet to join the team, but for one issue the interactions among the three mutants and Snow, who is a very interesting character, were perfect.


The artwork of All-New X-Factor, done by Carmine Di Giandomenico, is absolutely outstanding and brings exactly the right vibe to the issue. Each of the characters is given the right amount of attention and stand out, but each panel is full of more than just characters. This is one of the best drawn issues I have read recently and it's Di Giandomenico's completely different approach to drawing some long-time characters that I enjoyed the most. While it's clear we are looking at Wolverine, Gambit and Quicksilver, it's also clear that Di Giandomenico made each of them his own for this issue.

Not having read the previous volume, I can't say whether this issue does a great job of picking up where the last issue left off, but I can say that it makes it very easy for a first-time reader to jump on board. This was the best book I read this week and it wasn't even close. Another book or two like this and I'll absolutely be sold and pick up the series!