X-Factor...the love...

[JohnBoman]

Been thinking about picking up the first X-Factor trade after seeing so much love over the net but still debating whether to or not. Who out there reads the book (and has read it from the beginning)? Why is it so good and what are the standout trades? Haven't picked up an X Book since the nineties so very hesitant...

[Farrell]

I hear that if you buy X-factor, Peter David will come over and give you a big, sloppy kiss   

Seriously, I haven't read it myself, but supposedly it's been really good lately.  Others can tell you why, I'm sure 

[JohnBoman]

Peter David sharing the love...tempting... 

[Tom Morris]

The original lineup is great, but real darkness that came with X-factor started at issue 10 when the Simonsons took over the title and introduced Apocalypse.  The second trade is much better.  If you plan to read these trades i suggest that you pick up the Uncanny trades that occured around the same and New Mutants.  Several arc were being built on in each book that came to ahead in Inferno and X-tinction Agenda.

[Jeffrey P.]

the current X-factor series or the original?

I started the current series at Messiah Complex and have been really enjoying it lately, I have yet to go back and start from before that

[JohnBoman]

No the Peter David current series is what I'm interested in...

the current X-factor series or the original?

I started the current series at Messiah Complex and have been really enjoying it lately, I have yet to go back and start from before that

[synch]

xfactor simply put is an amusing book & you should enjoy it no matter what as long as you have a sense of humor  how ever I think its more of a stand alone series  does not really seem to me to really be a 'part" of the rest of the marvel verse...

basically it does its own thing...

ooo some of those ones  around all the skrull stuff happening Irecall to be pretty awful now that I think of it though :S

[S. Earl]

If I wasn't already in love, this would have sealed the deal.

[valance_the_hunter]

There are so many things that are good about X-factor.  One being the consistency of the product, the second, being how personal it feels, third, being how it feels like the X-men comics of old, that they are a family unit and that you can relate.  One of my favorite things that Peter David did was concerning Rictor after the depowering, he just ran with the concept and made it very realistic and very poignant.

Like everyone else on the forum I buy a lot of comics each month and sometimes I jump from ship to ship, but X-factor is that one comic that I have bought month after month, year after year, and that is saying a lot.

[Kenney]

I really need to catch up with this series. I read, and adored the first 20 or so issues. It reminded me a lot of Angel the tv show. The characters in X-Factor were some of my favorites when I was reading the series. However, the event tie-ins really put me off the book, and I became less interested in what was going on. I came back for some of the "shocking" issues that David hyped, and while they were shocking, I wasn't as invested because I wasn't a regular reader.

One of these days I'll get back on the horse.

[boshuda]

Read this title.  It's always at the top of my list to read first.  The character interactions and development are of paramount concern to David, and every issue is humorous.  One of the best things about this book is it manages to remain largely independent.  You don't need to read every other x-book to figure out all the players, and the only time it's not as good is when it's forced to join in the 'events'.  But it's usually one of the best of the event tie-in titles.  It's one of the few books where it being written for the trades doesn't bother me.  He still manages to keep various threads running that continue from story line to story line.  It was also one of the few titles where the point-one issue was properly implemented.  It was a great jumping on point, and the story in it lead right in to the next story arc. 

I also recommend the classic Peter David/Larry Stroman run of X-Factor from the 90's.  That is still one of my favorite comic runs ever.  I don't know if they've reprinted that yet, but the singles should be available pretty cheap (maybe even less than a graphic novel reprinting them would be).  It was also pretty standalone from the rest of the nonsense going on at the time, with humor and great characters.  And the best part - learn why Strong Guy chose his name .

[elemental]

I've enjoyed x-factor for a long time it has its ups and downs like any book but it works as a x-book for people who dont read x-books. Very rarley does the actions fo X-factor play into events and every now and again they are called in by Scott but other than that Peter David is left alone to play around with these characters.

My only problems with it of late are that I don't care if Peter Davids kids won the softball game, i'm sure its fun for him to share but I believe thats what social networking is for and please, please, please kill off Pip. I get that creators sometimes get annoyed at some fans but Peter your better than this
.

[S. Earl]

I've enjoyed x-factor for a long time it has its ups and downs like any book but it works as a x-book for people who dont read x-books. Very rarley does the actions fo X-factor play into events and every now and again they are called in by Scott but other than that Peter David is left alone to play around with these characters.

My only problems with it of late are that I don't care if Peter Davids kids won the softball game, i'm sure its fun for him to share but I believe thats what social networking is for and please, please, please kill off Pip. I get that creators sometimes get annoyed at some fans but Peter your better than this
.

I love the humor in the recap page and the stories of his family life, and I think it may be the easiest thing to skip if it isn't working for you. It's about as intrusive as the legal fine print right below it.

[Felt Martin]

If I wasn't already in love, this would have sealed the deal.

Great cover but surely an opportunity missed for a homage to Alpha Flight 12?   

[Kenney]

I love the humor in the recap page and the stories of his family life, and I think it may be the easiest thing to skip if it isn't working for you. It's about as intrusive as the legal fine print right below it.

Yeah, I've always liked the recap page. It struck me as "sweet", and added a bit of personality to the book like letters pages used to for me.

[LoadofBS]

Start with Peter David's return to the X-Force world - the Madrox mini, then all of X-Factor vol. 3.

[PozrDu]

Great cover but surely an opportunity missed for a homage to Alpha Flight 12?   

That's brilliant!  Karma to you!
   ... but now I wish they had really done that.

[PozrDu]

I started in around Time & a Half. Which is Vol. 7 in trades.
I didn't feel lost, & it had some great & shocking moments.

[APD]

  X-Factor is consistently one of my favorite reads.  Month in and month out David does a very good job with what people consider a very low level x-cast.  There are a lot of places in the current run that you could pick up from and not feel lost, but if your going to jump in to David's run I would start from the first volume.  It is well worth reading from the beginning.   

[Christopher Stark]

I loved X-Factor until they did Secret Invasion crap.  Then I dropped it.  And thankfully I did so I didn't get dragged into another X-Men mega event.  But up until that point, pure gold