VERY FINE/NEAR MINT
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by GLENN FABRY
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN PART 2 (of 5)
How can X-Factor be the defenders of Mutant Town when their little piece of the world is hemorrhaging its population? Combine that with Rahne already being gone and Rictor having one foot out the door, and Madrox's team finds itself at its lowest point. Unfortunately, since they're the last mutant team standing and the only game in town, that puts them squarely in the crosshairs of one of the X-Men's oldest and deadliest foes.
REVIEW by BRIAN FISHER
Still going incredibly strong (which is surprising especially for a book written by Peter David), this issue delves deeper into the fallout from Messiah Complex. Rahne has gone off to fight evil (or is that "slaughter" evil) with X-Force, and Jamie's feeling a little disillusioned. Which leads, of course to some misunderstandings within the group, which leads, inevitably to hilarity. This is X-Factor, after all and there's no better book out there that balances sidesplitting humor with intense human drama as elegantly. Oh, and the drama? After Rahne's departure Rictor's hitting the bricks, too. And not very amicably. And, also, weird stuff starts happening around the old brownstone, leading up to a villain reveal that'll make you say... "Really? I thought he was dead." The art by filler-inner Valentine DeLandro teeters between absolutely GORGEOUS and just kinda okay but the writing is still some of the best coming out of the Marvel stable these days.
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I give it 8 out of 10 Grahams
