Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
X-Factor #25
Marvel Comics
David & Eaton
The Messiah Complex Chapter Three finds less action and more layers to a complicated plot. More players and their roles are revealed. We see some developments from the Purifiers while the Marauders are absent. In short, this issue may have been the best of the three in terms of pace and advancing the arc on multiple fronts. I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe more than the previous two.
We open with a setup of the Purifiers. A She-Wolf named Wolfsbane runs amuck through one of the Purifiers meeting places. In the fray a stranger seemingly shoots Wolfsbane critically. This brings the stranger in the good graces of the Purifiers. Joaquin Murrieta is the mystery man. You know him as Rictor, the de-powered mutant. Without the X gene the Purifiers don’t know he used to be a mutant. They should have checked wikipedia.
Cyclops, while orchestrating the infiltration is confronted by Rockslide and X-23 and other New X-Men. They are whining that they aren’t in the war. Cyclops quickly shows them who the boss is. Being that the next title in the series is New X-Men, I think we will see them involved in about a week.
Meanwhile, Layla and Madrox visit Forge and his time machine. With the new mutant birth two new future timelines opened up. Forge wants someone, or two of the same person in this case, to go in the machine and follow the future paths. Madrox splits himself into three and two are sent through the time machine. A twist comes from this as Layla jumps on one of the split off guys and heads to the future. At which point, Forge reveals that the dupes aren’t coming back because they were subliminally told to kill themselves after they report the future information. Oops.
As you can see this comic is complex. But wait, there's more. Wolverine and team find the old nurse who used to care for Xavier - Amelia Voght. They want information about where to find the Marauders. Amelia tells them. But not us cause it’s a cliffhanger.
Sound like a lot? Well it is and I raced through this thing like it was a "silent issue". It was really excellently written. Back and forth from storyline to storyline inching us forward bit by bit. I found no lulls and yet, I didn’t have to go back and re-read anything to get a clear picture of what was happening.
Complaints? Only minor ones. No Beast, Marauders, Xavier, or Predator X. I've come to like seeing each issue end with blood smeared on the face of Predator X while he rampages through the woods. He's kind of cuddly in a grizzly sort of way.
The art is as solid as the writing. I enjoyed it all very much. Despite the limited action, the art brings out the emotions when necessary. Especially Cyclops and his suppressed anger he feels about the kid mutants begging to be involved in the war. What dopes.
Overall this was a great read. It wasn’t so focused on the X-Factor characters that I felt put out on an Island and it wasn’t forcing them into the main plot for the sake of involving their title. This, and many of the main X characters were active. I'm in. Give me more.
4 out of 5 geek goggles.
