Review: X-Factor #258

The End of X-Factor is upon us. Last month’s issue caught up with Layla and Demon Madrox. This month’s focus character is Rahne Sinclair, aka Wolfsbane. But the issue doesn’t start with her; rather, it begins with Reverend John Maddox – Jamie’s wayward dupe who went into the ministry, got married, and had a son. The Reverend is in the middle of a sermon when two disgruntled community members begin shooting up the church. Luckily, Rahne is in the area, and makes short work of the shooters, leaving John to clean up and lie to the police.

Eventually, Rahne returns to talk to John, and she tells him about the Hell on Earth War and the events that followed. After Tier died, she was transported to the Arctic, had some hallucinations, and was ultimately saved by none other than Guido. He explains that he became Lord of Hell to save Monet. Unfortunately, certain rules prevent him from bringing Tier back to life, and he finds Rahne too annoying to risk killing her and sending her to hell. So, he sent her to Maddox just in time to save him, leaving her a chance to become a deacon, live in a quiet town, and generally heal.

After last month’s ambiguous ending to Jamie and Layla’s story, it was easy to assume all the characters would get a similar treatment. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to see Rahne get a pretty tidy ending. As far as X-Men characters go, few have been through quite as much hardship as Rahne, and she seemed to be perpetually on the brink of nervous breakdown. It was also nice to see Maddox again, who has always been a voice of reason and compassion in a series of hotheads. Honestly, Rahne settling down to work in a church with him seems like the best possible outcome for her.

The art on this issue is also beautiful. Neil Edwards and Carmen Carnero share duties to great effect. There’s a truly spectacular full-page spread of Wolfsbane crashing through a window. The action scenes were visceral, and even the talking head scenes were well-done and emotional. Special mention goes to colorist Matt Milla – especially for the scenes in the Arctic. The colors were vibrant and fun, and really added to the issue.

Next issue looks to focus on Longshot and Shatterstar – two characters from Mojoworld, who have long been speculated to be related in some way. These two characters are both fun, swashbuckling types, and the issue should be a joy to read. Hopefully they get the same excellent sendoff Rahne received this week.