All-New X-Factor #1

   I haven't read X-Factor in quite a while, but as a comic reader I'm apparently required to buy every first issue, so I picked up this issue of the All-New X-Factor.

   (I should admit that I don't really buy every first issue - I'm just being snarky about the whole renumbering thing.)

   It's promising that the series is being written by Peter David, who's had a long run at the wheel of this title - and, needless to say, is a seasoned pro.

   The question is: what form is the team taking?

   The answer is: they're part of a corporation.

   The mutant members of the team are being hired by a (reportedly) philanthropic corporation to help those in need.

   It's a setup that doesn't smell right - and David makes the most of it.

    But like most first issues, this one suffers from the "get the team together" drag. It takes a while to sort out three of the members (presumably more are on the way) and explain the new organization of the team - their first adventure is barely underway when we run out of pages.

    The art is by Carmine Di Giandomenico, and I have to admit that it didn't quite click for me - I'm not crazy about the new uniforms, and the art feels busy and a bit jumbled. Your mileage may vary.

   So it's a surprisingly average start for this new version of the long-running series. But we'll have to reserve judgment until we get a little more mileage on the new vehicle.

Grade: B

-----------------