Let me start of by saying that I've really enjoyed the "Point One" issue from Marvel this year. They did exactly what we were told they were going to do, gave easy jumping on points for new readers while also moving forward with the storyline for the veteran fans. Now of course some have been better then other, and for the most part the contained stories have been pretty weak, but they did their job and did it well! I particularly enjoyed the Uncanny X-men Point One issue where Magneto had his public unveiling as an X-man.
X-Factor's Point One installment was no different. Set to the framing story of Layla Miller and Madrox visiting his old farm, where he grew up "alone", and getting into a conversation with the family who resides there now. Meanwhile, the rest of X-Factor is out on a mission staking out an old woman who MAY be demon.Well of course she IS a demon and as Madrox is talking about his teammates to the mother and her child on the farm, we are getting flashes and highlights from the battle between them and the "old woman". Perfectly in synch with the whole Point One thing, this issue didn't give us experienced readers much but, for new readers, there was a wealth of knowledge as they one by one went through the member of X-Factor and gave the audience a run down of them and their powers (or in some cases lack of). It was a perfectly crafted stand alone story that served its purpose, was self contained, and MAY lead to future stories but doesn't necessarily have to. It even left us with a a murderous cliffhanger with everyone wondering, "Who's BB????" All in all a good issue.
But of course every good issue has its problems right? For one thing there is the aforementioned weak storyline. This is a small complaint and it was done almost one purpose, I think so that they could focus on the characters, fine. There are even stories this boring and its NOT done on purpose so that just fine. The really big gripe was that Layla and Jaime let that woman die! If you read the pages close enough you saw Jaime tell the mother and son that he used to live there, but no where on any page were we necessarily told that that was for sure his old farm so who's to say that it was even the same farm. There's also Layla's sly little comment, "you should have hid better." So unless there was a really large coincidence, they came there stalking whatever monster was inside the young boy, not for a friendly visit to his childhood home. Which means that Jaime and Layla knew that there was a dangerous monster there (maybe not killer dangerous but at least dangerous enough to be checked up on) and not only did Layla taunt it, but they left that poor woman there with no protection besides a business card. Now, there is always the chance that Layla knew and Jaime didn't (she's pulled that crap before so we already know that she's kinda shady) but I just don't get that impression plus that silence and sideways glances between them tell me that Jaime knows the score.
Overall, a good issue, just like most of the other Point One's, but it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth as far as Jaime and Layla are concerned, I somewhat expected better from at least him. I almost wonder if this storyline is a lead-in to whatever caused Jaime to be absent from the X-men: ReGenesis X-Factor promo (meanwhile Alex Summer is miraculously front and center in the picture.) However, new readers were treated to a continuity-lite story and explanations on all the major players on X-Factor so its a job well done and a thumbs up from me for this issue!
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