Sunday, May 12, 2024

Sunday Splash Page #322

 
"Schizophrenic Conversations," in Madrox #3, by Peter David (writer), Pablo Raimondi (penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Brian Reber (colorist), Cory Petit (letterer)

A precursor to David's second X-Factor run, which places Jamie Madrox front and center as a private detective, in this case, investigating his own murder.

David had already started the idea of Madrox's "dupes" as beings of their own, with thoughts and desires that might not match the "prime" Madrox in that first X-Factor run. Here he expands on that theme. On the one hand, Madrox has been sending duplicates out to learn different things, or even just to go out and have a fun night at the bar if Jamie can't decide whether he wants to or not.

(Which also ties into an issue being decisive David really hammered on in the first couple years of X-Factor, that Jamie's ability to pursue any option via his duplicates left him unable to actually make a decision when he needed to.)

But Madrox ends up in Chicago after a duplicate he sent there to have fun, ended up stabbed to death. So Jamie has to investigate his own murder. It involves a beautiful woman, of course, and her husband, who is a major crime boss. And there's a hired gun with powers like Jamie's, who Jamie still manages to generally outflank in the best noir tradition of tough-talking, soft-chinned goons.

Pablo Raimondi's work is stronger on the facial expressions and body language than the action sequences, though he has a tendency to use photo-references for characters. A reporter friend of Madrox's, for example, is very obviously Steve Buscemi. Raimondi also has this tic of drawing characters with their heads tilted down, but looking up at you. Usually with a raised eyebrow, which just makes it feel like someone trying too hard for an effect. What effect, I'm not sure. To look cool?

I could see it with Madrox, who is trying really hard to give off the "private eye" aura, but it's usually characters like Bishop (who was in his District X, cop of Mutant Town, era). No man that wore a mullet is concerned about looking cool. Point is, it makes Raimondi's art seem like a stiffer Kevin Maguire at times. He does a nice job, when Madrox absorbs a homicidal dupe from a distance, of making the act look freaky. The dupe being stretched out into noodles colored like a person or their clothes, a brief panel of a big, frightened eye.

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