X-Factor Vol. 0: Madrox - Multiple Choice (X-Men) [Paperback]

Peter David (Author), Pablo Raimondi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2005

Jamie Madrox, stabbed, staggering off a bus. Jamie Madrox, setting up a detective agency in the heart of Mutant Town. Jamie Madrox, a peaceful Shaolin priest. Which is the real Jamie Madrox? In this noir-esque thriller of a limited series, it's possible that even Madrox doesn't know anymore. Peter David, acclaimed for his run on X-Factor, reunites several of that title's most popular and whimsical characters - Jamie Madrox, Wolfsbane, and the aptly named Strong Guy - and sends them on an adventure of light and darkness. Featuring the incredibly moody pencils of Pablo Raimondi.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (April 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785115005
• ISBN-13: 978-0785115007
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Multiplicity, June 18, 2005

By 

Rodney Meek (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: X-Factor Vol. 0: Madrox - Multiple Choice (X-Men) (Paperback)

I gotta admit, back in the day when I still followed the X-Men characters during their really classic first Claremont period (before they scattered amongst an explosive proliferation of X-titles), Madrox the Mutliple Man was one of my favorites. Hey, anyone can be struck by lightning or gamma rays or a magical spell and become super-strong, ultra-fast, or irradiated with the power cosmic. But how many people can Xerox themselves endlessly? True, at the interstellar levels at which the X-Men typically fight, it's not a terribly awesome power. "Oh, no--that guy over there just spawned five copies of himself! And now he threatens us with...fisticuffs! Hmm, better put the discombobulator beam on full auto."

But fanboy fave Peter David gave this guy some thought. Sure, he'd have a hell of a time giving even a C-grade villain any cause for worry. But if Madrox can make infinite copies of himself, and then absorb them and their memories later, what's to stop him from swarming across the world and learning how to do...everything? Thus our Madrox is now a man of myriad talents, which he puts to use as...a private eye. Personally, I might've gone into consultancy, but that provides fewer chances to impress women, engage in witty banter with sidekicks, and bandy about noir dialogue.

The plot is nothing earth-shattering and doesn't involve any horrific scheme by an uber-creep to destroy the Earth. It's much more suitable to the low-key and amiable scale of Madrox's world. But it's reasonably absorbing nonetheless. The big draw is the snappy wit and snarky attitude that Madrox displays. If you've read any of Peter David's novels, you should know what to expect here. (Except there are many fewer creaky and laboriously deployed puns.) What's also good here is that the author plays around a bit with the notion of having your own copies. What if some of them don't care for you? Or turn out cowardly or lazy or dimwitted? Sometimes, Madrox's copies are his own worst enemy.

The mini-series was definitely good enough that I would be very interested in seeing Madrox either in a David-written monthly title or further additional minis. I think there's still a lot to explore here, and taking a look at the street level of the Marvel Universe is something that's still rarely done. I look forward to more Madrox in the future.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terribly underrated noir-ish comic with the Multiple Man, April 8, 2005

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: X-Factor Vol. 0: Madrox - Multiple Choice (X-Men) (Paperback)

The great Peter David may have made a name for himself with his unheralded run on the Incredible Hulk, but his all too brief run on X-Factor showcased some of his best work. The character he wrote the best in that series, Jamie "Multiple Man" Madrox, gets his own mini-series here, and David manages to greatly utilize all the promising aspects of the character for the most part. Madrox is a private investigator these days, who after witnessing the death of one of his "dupes", investigates to find out just what happened and why. What he uncovers is a little conspiracy filled with mayhem and mutants, and the noir-ish presentation will pull the reader in. While some of it is a bit predictable, Madrox is a surprisingly great read with some witty storytelling by David, and great supporting roles from Jamie's former X-Factor teammates Strong Guy and Wolfsbane. The moody art by Pablo Raimondi is reason enough to check this TPB out alone, and the conclusion leaves the door open for David to work some more Madrox magic. All in all, older X-Men readers who dug the character of Madrox (and you all know who you are) would do well to give this a look.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Well Done, August 4, 2006

By 

CaffineFreeJAVA "Where ever you go, there you... (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X-Factor Vol. 0: Madrox - Multiple Choice (X-Men) (Paperback)

I bought this book because i heard it was played as a noir kind of crime story. I EXPECTED that to be false advertising and to be sorely disappointed by "just another superhero" storyline. Like the title for this review implies, i was seriously surprised. The story is solid, the characters retained their quirky characteristics but still showed somewhat new faces as well. The noir/crime aspect is true to the advertiser's words. I love the mystery they're opening the door for and can't wait for the new XFactor series which is supposed to follow...