All-New X-Factor vol. 1: Not Brand X

After writing over a hundred generally solid issues of “X-Factor” what does Peter David do for an encore?  Why, keep writing “X-Factor.”  Only now the team’s deal is that they’re on the payroll for Serval Industries, a megacorporation with their hands in just about every kind of industry and some very powerful enemies.  The other thing is that we’ve got a mostly all-new cast here, so the “all new” part of the title isn’t simply gratuitous promotion this time.  Polaris is the sole holdover from David’s previous run, and she leads a team that consists of Gambit, Quicksilver, and later Danger and Doug Ramsey.  Gambit serves as our point-of-view character as the team gets involved in crisis ranging from a rogue A.I.M. cell experimenting on mutants, finds out that his Thieves Guild is hacking into Serval’s mainframe, and taking on an old, fairly obscure X-villain.

The good news is that this new iteration of “X-Factor” takes after its predecessor in a stylistic way more than anything else.  If you liked David’s sense of humor, style of characterization, and fondness for bringing in old bits of continuity in a new way, then you’ll feel right at home with this title.  It also feels fresh with the dynamic completely removed from Jamie Madrox’s private investigation shtick as we now have a more action-oriented “corporate superheroes” angle this time.  Gambit does make a suitable point-of-view character for this even if he’s never struck me as the kind of guy who would be down for working with a big corporation like this.  Maybe we’ll see him as the team learns more about Serval’s “shades of grey” agenda and means.  Even so, what’s here are some good, solid superhero stories — with art from Carmine Di Giandomenico that I found to be stylish — that are likely going to satisfy fans of David’s brand of storytelling more than anyone else.  If you’re not a fan, go check out one of his “X-Factor Complete Collections” to see if his style works for you.