Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1990-12-01 00:11:32 |
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X-Factor #60
Issue(s): X-Factor #60
Cover Date: Nov 90
Title: "Brotherhood"
Credits:
Louise Simonson - Writer
Jon Bogdanove - Penciler
Al Milgrom - Inker
Bob Harras - Editor
Review/plot:
The president of Genosha has just finished giving a speech about the captured mutants (half of the New Mutants and Storm), saying that they will be tried as terrorists. She then goes to Cameron Hodge to see what he thought of the speech.
I really love the idea that, because he wants a human body, he's hung a cardboard cut-out of a suit over his robot body. But i feel like the look of it almost gets lost in the panels. Like, the emphasis is all wrong.
The Genoshan statement creates an international incident, with the United States breaking off diplomatic relations. And it's in that context that the combined X-Teams land in Washington to meet with "Valerie Cooper" (really Mystique). Cooper offers the X-Men unofficial sanction to invade Genosha, and also some data to help them (they ignore the demand that Forge remain behind).
While the adult X-Men are meeting with "Val", Cannonball and Sunspot see a news segment interviewing Boom Boom's father. It's our first glimpse of him.
The X-Team then drop baby Nathan off with Opal before leaving for Genosha.
Their incursion into Genosha starts off like it's going to be a long haul, guerrilla warfare kind of thing.
But the truth is that Hodge is aware that they're coming and they're attacked immediately, by a team of Magistrates led by the brainwashed Havok.
Cyclops and Havok's powers don't work on each other, which is Scott's first clue that something is up.
But Havok does not remember who he used to be, and Cyclops can't make him believe it.
Those are some HUGE calves.
I love Jon Bogdanove's art in the right circumstances, but sometimes when he's combined with Louise Simonson's scripting style it's the equivalent of chain drinking Red Bulls; i just feel all overstimulated. Shaky and agitated.
Havok eventually starts to wonder if what Cyclops is saying is true, and he has Pipeline teleport the magistrates away.
After a quick check in with the New Mutants and Storm that escaped from the Genoshans, we go back to see the rescue team planning their next move, all under Hodge's nose.
Obviously the "moment" in this issue is the battle between the two Summers brothers, which is a difficult moment to sell since the two characters' powers don't work on each other. Bogdanove solves that by making them super-beefy and getting up close and punchy; i would have rather seen them using powers in innovative ways (i.e. blowing away the ground, or causing cave-ins, etc..) so that it became more a test of skills and experience (and i'd therefore expect Cyclops to have the upper hand, which would serve the intended resolution for this issue fine). The idea that *i* like best in this issue (well, except for Cameron Hodge's "suit") is the government calling the X-Team and asking them to deal with the Genoshan situation. For so long now, Claremont has been trying to sell the idea of the X-Men as a kind of underground outlaw strike force, and here's a case where they're actually doing that, but for the government. Which makes sense; you wouldn't send in the Avengers or the FF for a mission like this. Too difficult to disavow. So i like that a lot, but of course i feel it's under-emphasized just like i do with the Apartheid metaphor.
Quality Rating: C+
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part three of the X-Tinction Agenda. Uncanny X-Men #271 is next.
References:
- The New Mutants were captured and Warlock died in New Mutants #95.
- The Genoshans are after the X-Men (and affiliated groups) due to their actions in Uncanny X-Men #235-238. Jean Grey is aware of the events from those issues, having absorbed the memories of Madelyne Pryor.
- The X-Men and X-Factor also helped the son of the Genegeneer and the escaped mutate Jenny Ransome in Uncanny X-Men #264.
- Trish Tilby is unavailable to report on the Genoshan story because her editor sent her to India in X-Factor #59. A footnote in this issue makes it clear that she didn't actually leave for India until after her appearance in Uncanny X-Men #270.
- The X-Teams meet Val Cooper in the same building where Cable was held prisoner in New Mutants #88.
- Banshee suggests that Warlock might not really be dead. After all, the X-Men were thought to have died in Uncanny X-Men #227 but didn't really. But Cannonball points out that the same wasn't true with Cypher. Cypher died in New Mutants #60.
Crossover: X-Tinction Agenda
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
| Previous: New Mutants #95 | Up: Main | Next: Uncanny X-Men #271 |
Comments
In the fourth panel, Cannonball almost looks like he's trying to suppress laughter at what Boom Boom's father has to say.
Plus so much for 'Slim' Summers! The 90s are truly here...
Note that Opal is present in X-Factor's headquarters despite not being a mutant.
I know that the X-groups are upset about Warlock's death but you'd think they'd try telling Val that Mystique kept the Inferno babies in case Val was unaware of what Mystique did and willing to help reunite them with their parents. Yes, WE know that it's not Val, it's Mystique but THEY don't know that.
I know it's supposed to be showing they're fighting really tooth and nail but those two brothers are really getting too stripy with their fight there.
You'll notice, Harry, that Cannonball has tears in his eyes. He's obviously upset while he's pointing out how ironic the situation is that Boom Boom is getting fame but in such a horrible way. A very darkly humorous moment.
Harry, yeah, I had the same feeling about that panel--the art really does not sell Cannonball's feelings well.
As for Scott "Slim" Summers, there's more weirdness than just his increased body size. Do Havok's plasma blasts have hair-stimulating power? Scott was smooth chested when he and Alex started fighting...and then after the fight is over he's trying to give Wolverine a run for his money in the chest hair department...
Why did Scott strike his attacker with his optic-blasts at full strength if he knew the Genoshans had brainwashing technology? If it hadn't been Alex but some poor brainwashed schmoe, he'd have been killed.
Yeah, I don't see why Liefeld gets so derided but Bogdanove mostly gets off the hook. His work is ghastly.
But, fnord, I do definitely agree with you on the government use of the team. That's part of what I liked so much about X-Men #1.
Because Bogdanove had drawn pages that actually worked. "Fantastic Four vs. The X-Men" being a good example. Wasn't great, but there were plenty of scenes that worked really well. He probably had similar pages on "Power Pack."
He'll never be one of my favorite artists, and yes, this artwork is horrible, but he had the actual potential that I've seen others ascribe to Liefeld. Maybe he's not right for superheroes, exceptions duly noted, but cute kids, or monsters or something. Liefeld, I don't see the potential and never have. Bogdanove's art is horrible here,that's not an argument for or against Liefeld.
And Bogdanove actually took pride in his craft, improved and did a great Superman run.
Portacio and Liefeld got lazy once they got money at Inage and their stuff only got worse.
I can't even imagine how he got the job. Such an important story in the mutant titles, and you want a third of it (including the final issue) drawn by Jon Bogdanove? This is what he draws and the editor deems it publishable? I assume Claremont and Weezie supported Bogdanove, I assume he did the best he could. This is where I would blame Bob Harras for the mess that the mutant titles would become. Lots of blame to go around, but really? Dude, what were you thinking?
