Multiplying with a Vengeance

Okay, so Marvel seems to want to flood the market with pure shit, on the hopes that idiot fanboyswill buy anything X-related. We all know they will. However, occasionally there is a good comic for all the crap they put out. This is one of them.

Madrox #1 $2.99 (Marvel Comics)

Creative Team: Peter David, Pablo Raimondi, with inks by Drew Hennessy, colors by Brian Reber, and letters by Cory Petit

What's it about? Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, has started a P.I. firm in Mutant Town, and it turns out he's also being targeted by a killer. We get to see Guido, a.k.a Strong Guy, and Rahne, and the death of yet another dupe.

Whay you should be reading it: Well, that little intro may not sound like much, but it was still a pretty good read. David has a better handle on these three characters than anyone who's ever written them. I briefly followed his X-Factor run, and it was always well written entertainment. This is along the same lines. The dialogue is pretty good, and David comes up with some pretty good uses for Jamies multiplicity, and adds some layers to the character that were much needed, IMO. We don't get much backstory on Guido or Rahne, but I didn't really think that was important. I can see where new readers might not be able to understand who they are though. But, this doesn't strike me as a book people would just randomly pick up without prior knowledge. Still, it would have been nice to be able to recommend it without giving a history lesson. The art is pretty good, sometimes it feels too dark, making it seen like they're running the noir tone of the book into the ground. Guido's glasses bothered the hell out of me, not sure why. The book does have it's cliched moments, and it does have its retreads. how many times do we have to go through Jamies dupes getting killed? Seems like this is the fourth or fifth time at least. Still, it was an interesting enough start to a mini and shows a ton of promise. Well worht the three bucks for most people.

-L