Review: Madrox #5

Madrox #5
Marvel Comics
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Pablo Raimondi


In the past, I've read Peter David titles for a while, but then found that his intricate continuity got too complex and the humor got to be a bit silly. I felt this was certainly the case with some of his recent work, such as Young Justice and Captain Marvel. Initially I found both these series enjoyable but as they wore on, I started to get a bit tired of them. Recently, David has been back on the Hulk, and also has a critically acclaimed book in DC's Fallen Angel.

Madrox is a miniseries that reunites some of the characters from David's run on X-Factor. It's a pretty good concept in a comic universe of X-Clutter. It is set in District X, the mutant ghetto of Manhattan, which is a strong concept and has been featured in a number of books since its inception (including Uncanny X-Men). In fact, I'm surprised that nobody had thought of this before.

David writes a nice, smart noir story here and the Multiple Man is a great protagonist because it always allows him to do a switch-a-roo. The mystery is compelling and the characterization is strong. I don't recall having seen Raimondi's work before and he does a good job of capturing the dark, noir-like environment that the series is trying to create. This was a good miniseries, perhaps not as good as some online reviewers have said, but definitely a fresh look at existing characters. The ending implies there may be more adventures down the line, and I would certainly welcome them. When so many comics are heading in a direction I don't like, this one is doing the opposite.