X-Factor (2020 comic book)

X-Factor is an American superhero comic book written by Leah Williams and published by Marvel Comics. The title was launched in July 2020 as part of Dawn of X, a relaunch of Marvel's X-Men related titles.

X-Factor
Cover to X-Factor (vol. 4) #1 by David Baldeón.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
GenreSuperhero
Publication dateJuly 2020 – present
No. of issues5 (as of December 2020)
Main character(s)
Creative team
Written byLeah Williams

The series focuses on the titular X-Factor team—led by Northstar, and consisting of Polaris, Rachel Summers, Prodigy, Daken, and Eye-Boy—as they investigate into the disappearances of mutants and confirm whether they are dead or not so they can be resurrected.

X-Factor has received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Upon feeling the death of his twin sister, Northstar flies to the mutand island Krakoa and demands she be resurrected. Lacking proof of death and not wanting a duplicate of a mutant existing alongside the original, the Five ask Northstar to prove Aurora's death. To do this, Northstar forms a new X-Factor team alongside Polaris' help, being also aided by Rachel Summers, Daken, David Alleyne, and Eye-Boy. Finding Aurora's body and proof of death, albeit under mysterious circumstances, the Fire resurrects her. Following her revival, X-Factor and the Five agree to work with each other, as the latter is overburdened with requests to resurrect mutants. X-Factor agrees to help investigate reports of missing mutants, and Northstar is chosen to lead the team.

Publication and development

X-Factor was first announced by Marvel in January 2020, to be written by Leah Williams and start publication in April.[1] The initial core cast was announced to consist of Jean-Paul Beaubier / Northstar, Lorna Dane / Polaris, Rachel Summers / Prestige, Akihiro / Daken, David Alleyne / Prodigy, and Trevor Hawkins / Eye-Boy.[2] In February, it was revealed that Northstar's twin sisters Jeanne-Marie / Aurora would also be joining the team.[3] In March, Marvel released a trailer to promote the title.[4]

Characters

In the comic, the X-Factor team reports to the Five; a group of five mutants who combine their powers to resurrect dead mutants. According to Williams, the comic was initially "pitched as a missing persons mystery book", but decided to place more emphasis on the Five and the resurrection process after noticing fan interest in the subject.[5] She worked with X-Men writer Jonathan Hickman and editor Jordan D. White to establish the cast of the series.[5]

Northstar was chosen because Williams had become attached to the character while writing the Age of X-Man: X-Tremists miniseries.[5] Moreover, Northstar's marriage to his human husband Kyle would allow her to depict a mutant–human relationship.[5] The decision to include Polaris in the cast was hard for Williams, as she was unfamiliar with the character. However, she included her on the team because of her history with being a member of X-Factor and having "character work that desperately needs doing".[1]

The remaining members of the team were all chosen based on their investigative skills and capability.[5] Rachel due to her telepathy and "incredible lore and untapped potential",[1] having chosen Prodigy for similar reasons.[1] Eye-Boy was chosen because of his x-ray vision and acting as the team's youngest member,[1] while Daken inclusion was because Williams felt the team needed a "fucky thot enforcer".[5]

Williams stated that Aurora was initially supposed to only assist the team from their headquarters as—similarly to Polaris—viewed the character as one that required independent work "without Northstar overshadowing her".[3]

Reception

At the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup, the series received an average score of 8.1 out of 10 based on 58 reviews.[6] Even before the title's start, Scoot Allan of Comic Book Resources listed the roster as his 7th favorite X-Factor roster, stating that its use of established characters and inclusion of former members "has the potential to be an exciting and powerful roster".[7]

The series received a nomination for Outstanding Comic Book at the 32nd GLAAD Media Awards in 2021.https://deadline.com/2021/01/glaad-media-awards-32nd-annual-deadlines-new-hollywood-podcast-representation-inclusion-diversity-lgtbq-1234681899/

References
  1. "This April, 'X-Factor' Returns". Marvel Entertainment. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  2. Grunenwald, Joe (January 13, 2020). "Williams and Baldeón's new X-FACTOR series to explore mutant immortality in the Marvel U". ComicsBeat. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  3. Blackwood, Anthony (February 12, 2020). "Here's Your First Look at the New 'X-Factor' Costumes". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  4. Lovett, Jamie (March 23, 2020). "Marvel Releases X-Factor Trailer". ComicBook. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  5. Polo, Susana (January 13, 2020). "Exclusive: Marvel to launch new X-Factor series". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  6. "X-Factor (2020) Comic Series Reviews". Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  7. Allan, Scott (June 2, 2020). "Every X-Factor Roster, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.