cahubble09

December 8, 2011 12:36 pm @NodNolan: It is unfortunate that you took that impression from my post. I don't recall ever suggesting that new readers MUST read "copious amounts of back-matter". In fact, I was being slightly tongue-in-cheek about it, to which I would have thought the emoticon near the top of my post would have tipped off most readers. And I'm pretty sure I narrowed my suggested reading list down to the bare minimum back story. And I certainly wasn't critical of the "get them on board" strategy. With that said, the original point is cogent, I believe. Get on board, but read backward as well. You won't be disappointed.

December 7, 2011 8:03 pm that was cool ... X-Factor, shades of Supernatural ... definitely 5/5 ...

December 7, 2011 7:53 pm reading now ...

December 7, 2011 7:52 pm @NodNolan: huh? What wasn't helpful about folks' comments up until now? No ... wait ... don't answer that ... go flame elsewhere please.

December 7, 2011 7:48 pm word

December 6, 2011 7:55 pm I like the guided view too. Sometimes it is nice to see the high res art close-up ...

December 6, 2011 7:52 pm Wow ... I mean ... wow ... how ... underwhelming ... like ... YAWN!!! Please, Marvel, PLEASE just keep hands off my lone favorite Marvel book ... LEAVE X-FACTOR ALONE on this!!! Looks like the brain juice at Marvel has seriously run dry. It took five writers plus an editorial staff to dream up this idea? Wow ...

December 6, 2011 12:28 pm It seems to me that DC's plan of going day/date with hard copy price point and incrementally dropping the price each following month is a way to figure out what digital price points the market will bear. I still think most folks' conception of digital is fundamentally flawed. When we talk about LCS retail and digital markets, IMO, we are talking about two distinct, discrete audiences. There is some overlap of course (I read both digital and hard copies and I'm sure I'm not alone in that), but who knows precisely how much? There are bound to be lots of readers who prefer only one delivery method. If we think of the two markets as unique then we can start to think of pricing for digital in a way that doesn't conceptually threaten the LCS market. It seems to me that this is the massive road block in most peoples' minds: the idea that digital will somehow displace and undermine the LCS market. But the problems that ail the LCS retail market have more to do with the Diamond distribution monopoly scheme, the fact that LCSs aren't always the smartest retailers, and the inability of the entire industry to attract new, young customers.

December 6, 2011 12:14 pm I agree with JoeCom. This is a tough series to read without reading from the very beginning. I would suggest that you just get them all if you really want to appreciate PD's work on X-Factor. There's the downside of being a fan of a relatively obscure book, eh? You gotta go back to the beginning to really enjoy what is happening now. Well, I recognize that may not be practical ... ;) So here are some other suggestions ... In single issues, I would back up to 224.1, 225, 226, and 227. TPB Volume 3 contains the issue MOST relevant to this current arc: the analysis session each team member had with Doc Samson. I won't offer any spoilers beyond that. So if you buy only one TPB, I would start there: http://www.amazon.com/X-Factor-Vol-Lives-Madrox-X-Men/dp/0785123598/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c These next three volumes might be fun but aren't absolutely necessary. They are the most recent in the series: 9. Volume 9 shows the team's return to NYC. I'm not sure the arc in this volume is exactly relevant to the current events being developed, but I thought it was a fun story and set the stage following the first year-long arc (I think): http://www.amazon.com/X-Factor-Invisible-Woman-Vanished-Numbered/dp/0785146563/ref=pd_sim_b_9 10. I don't recall Volume 10 being anything spectacular. I think this was a crossover volume, but X-Factor was ancillary to the story so it just ended up muddling the longer narrative: http://www.amazon.com/X-Factor-Second-Coming-Peter-David/dp/0785143696/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323191513&sr=8-1 11. The fact that Volume 11 is the most recent TPB I can find (vol 12 is set for release in February) is the only reason I can think of to suggest it. I thought it was also a fun story, but it won't win an Eisner -- http://www.amazon.com/X-Factor-11-Happenings-Peter-David/dp/0785146555/ref=pd_sim_b_10 To reiterate, I suggest beginning with: single issues 224.1, 225, 226, and 227; and TPB volume 3.

December 6, 2011 11:42 am Wolverine is coming to X-Factor? ugh ...