Daken: Dark Wolverine #23

Three reviews tonight, with the first one being the final issue of Daken: Dark Wolverine... There are A LOT of ways this issue could go, so instead of talking about it, how about I simply get to it?

Daken: Dark Wolverine #23(Final Issue):

Summary: The Avengers and FF chase Daken around Manhattan(after they save Mr. Fantastic of course), finally cornering him in Times Square. Wolverine arrives on the scene and approaches his wayward son, at which time Daken apologizes to Wolvie... Apologizes for lying about there not being one HUGE bomb still out there! Daken tells Wolvie that the final bomb was at the Jean Grey School. With that, a massive explosion rocks Times Square, scattering the heroes. When the smoke clears, Daken is nowhere to be found(maybe he was incinerated? Maybe he escaped? Maybe aliens abducted him, we don't know...), and Wolvie has Thor rush him to the School. Upon arriving, Wolvie charges through the building and heads to his room where he finds a Wolverine toy that Daken left for him, ending this issue and this series...

Thoughts: Uh-huh... This was... something. On the plus side, more than likely, Daken escaped since, as we all know, if you don't see the body, presume the character is still alive. I kind of liked the way Daken stuck it to Wolvie one final time here, but that Heat drug REALLY hurt the flow of this series, and, in my opinion, hurt this issue as well. I don't know, the Daken who became one of my favorite characters was a manipulative, sneaky, controlled bastard. The Daken we've gotten since Rob Williams took over as writer was needy, drug-addicted and easily used. While I do love the Daken character, I find him a magnificent yin to Wolverine's yang, I think this series needed to be canned. Have Daken disappear for a while, and then have him resurface in Wolverine, or hell, Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers. So while I'm sad that I won't be reading about Daken one to two times a month anymore, I do think the character needed a bit of a break, and look forward to seeing Daken come back strong sometime soon.

Score: 6 out of 10.

I did love Daken messing with Wolvie's head one final time here.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #22

Hmm, I was totally unsure what comic to read first tonight, so I decided I'd read a comic with a character that I really enjoyed. And although he's been written horribly as of late, I AM still a huge fan of Daken, and as such have decided to read the latest issue of Daken first tonight... Yeah, I'm surprised by this as well...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #22:

Summary: Last issue Daken set off bombs outside the Baxter Building, Avengers Mansion and the Sanctum Sanctorum. Daken figures that the people who were killed by the bombs would galvanize other regular people to rise up against the superheroes scattered throughout Manhattan. In the aftermath of the bombings, Mayor Jameson decides to lock Manhattan down(he does that an awful lot...) until Daken is captured. Meanwhile, Wolverine is a drugged up mess wandering around Manhattan thanks to Daken and the Heat drug. Mr. Fantastic and Iron Man pick up readings of several other bombs spread throughout the city and send the Avengers and FF out to track down and disarm the devices, with Reed heading towards the largest bomb, located at the top of the Empire State Building. Upon arriving Reed runs into Daken, who waxes poetic to him about families and how unnecessary they were, as well as telling Reed that the other bombs were actually fakes. After talking for a while, Daken attacks Reed and manages to slip him some Heat pills(damn does he have a lot of those pills...). Reed's form loses molecular stability due to the Heat and this issue ends with Daken tossing Reed off of the roof while preparing “to go out on a high”.

Thoughts: This was actually the closest Rob Williams has come to “sounding” like Daken. While I'm not sure I get Daken's plan(it's gonna take more than three bombs to get the people of Manhattan to turn against it's heroes... Ignoring that abomination that is Civil War of course), I did enjoy seeing Daken in all out asshole mode. Instead of getting lovesick Daken, or drugged up Daken, we got asshole Daken, which is a WAY better character to read about. Yeah, this issue wasn't perfect, but with only one more issue to go >:( I can honestly say I have no clue how this series will end, and that makes for an exciting read.

Score: 8 out of 10.

He's got a point there... Get it?

Daken: Dark Wolverine #21

First review of the night will be the comic I ALMOST chose as my Runt of the Litter, Daken. This series is limping towards it's finale, and I'm STILL hoping for some old Daken awesomeness before this series comes to a close...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #21:

Summary: After stopping by to see Reed Richards, Daken learns that due to his abuse of that Heat drug, his healing factor was attacking his healthy cells and that he was dying. Reed tells Daken that he probably had a few weeks left to live, and that Reed would be willing to offer any assistance he could. Daken laughs at that offer and declares that he'd live or die on his own accord, not being obligated to Reed or anybody else. From there he heads to X-Mansion(I can still call it that, right?) and sneaks in during the night, forcing Wolverine to drink a drop of Heat. Wolvie chases Daken off of the school grounds, at which point Daken hops into a helicopter(that was conveniently located outside the school fence...), and is followed by Wolvie, who hitches a ride. Wolvie begins to hallucinate due to the drugs in his system, and Daken pilots the helicopter to New York City. When Wolvie comes down off of his drugs, Daken sets off several bombs around the city. When asked why he'd do such a thing, Daken tells Wolvie it was because superheroes were stupid.

Thoughts: Um, okay... So now Daken is dying. Sure, why not. That right there is a surefire way to royally piss me off, but I'm not going to throw a hissy fit or anything, because I don't think Marvel would be shortsighted enough to kill Daken off... That seems like a huge waste. Besides the death angle, we had Daken tormenting Wolverine, which is always fun. I still don't like the way Rob Williams writes Daken(what the hell was up with the way he wrote that Human Torch/Daken scene?!), but what can I do? Here's hoping this series concludes with a bang.

Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.

I guess the bromance is over...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #20

Hey look, it's Daken! This is one of the last issues of this series, as we limp towards the finish line. I make no bones about the fact that I love the Daken character, but hate the direction this series has gone in since Dan Way left. Here's hoping Rob Williams was saving some of his best Daken work for last...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #20:

Summary: Daken finally figures out who the crimelord of Los Angeles was, Count Nefaria(!). Unfortunately, he is unable to shoot Nefaria with his sniper gun due to Nefaria being too protected. As such, Daken leaves to find FBI Agent Kiel, who he thinks he's in love with... Yeah. Kiel is still acting rather crazy due to her experiences with Roston(who I thought WAS the kingpin of LA, but whatever). The two make out before Kiel complains about Daken being evil and a cop-killer and all. Daken tells her that's because he's a psychopath, just like she is, only she hasn't come to terms with it yet. As such, Daken takes her to a home where he had tied up three amoral people and told Kiel to... I don't know, give in to her inner psychopath and kill them. Kiel balks and goes to shoot Daken instead, so he lops off her hand. Daken ties off the wound because he's still smitten with Kiel and goes off to kill Nefaria. This issue ends with Nefaria shrugging off Daken's bullets, leading to Daken facing Nefaria personally.

Thoughts: All I'll say is this... Here's hoping this was the last time we see FBI Agent Kiel. Period, the end. Other than that, I really don't have much else to add. This was another issue of this title that just didn't live up to the lofty standards Dan Way and Marjorie Liu set for this series when it began.

Score: 5 1/2 out of 10.

Here's hoping she's ambidextrous...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #19

One more review for tonight, and it's one of the last issues of the Daken: Dark Wolverine series. You'd think I'd be more upset about the impending cancellation of this one, seeing as that Daken is a favorite character of mine, but oddly enough, I'm not. Maybe it's because of this long, horrible storyline we've been stuck with for so long now, but in a strange way the cancellation of this series almost seems like a mercy killing to me... Huh, how's that for a downer of an intro paragraph! Before I get to this issue, I just wanted to let it be known that tomorrow's reviews(there will be three of them) will be up late again(probably around the same time this review went up).

Daken: Dark Wolverine #19:

What Happened: With the Runaways battling against the insane Marcus Roston, Daken is laying back, waiting for the perfect time to strike(there's the cold and calculating Daken I know and love!). However, Roston is able to hold his own against the Runaway kids, so Daken recklessly runs in to attack Roston himself(there's the impulsive Daken I know and loathe!). Unsurprisingly, Roston has his way with Daken(who is still sans a healing factor) and knocks him to the ground, preparing the deathblow. Before Roston can strike the final shot, Daken's inexplicable love interest, FBI Agent Kiel, crashes a helicopter into Roston, pinning him to the ground under the copter. Finally having Roston where he wanted him, Daken taunts Roston and... tells the Runaways Roston was their's to do whatever they wanted with, before leaving with Kiel...

The Good: This story with Roston is FINALLY over. It's always a good thing when the Runaways pop up somewhere, and this comic was no different. The fight scenes were big and explosive, which seems fitting for a storyline that was taking place in Los Angeles.

The Bad: I don't get Daken's attraction to Kiel. At all. Daken's whole thing has always been about using people(go back and read the awesome issue of Dark Wolverine where he basically tells Moonstone just that), not falling in love with them... Romulus would be ashamed! The Runaways were just drawn wrong... Molly and that annoying plant girl looked way too old, and Victor didn't look anything like Victor. That bugged me. I also would have preferred it had Daken killed Roston after all of the crap he had been put through.

The Verdict: Eh, at least this storyline is finally over. Unfortunately, both Roston AND Kiel are still alive. And you know we'll be getting more of Kiel and Daken next issue. It's weird, I've always had Daken pegged as somebody who uses other people. That's the character I fell for from Wolverine Origins, through Dark Wolverine and Dark Avengers, to Daken: Dark Wolverine. He used people to get his way. Be it his father, the Fantastic Four, Norman Osborn, whoever. Now all of a sudden, he's in love with Kiel because they're both psychopaths or something? Yeah, no. I think it's finally time for me to just come out and say that Rob Williams has nowhere NEAR the understanding of Daken that Dan Way and Marjorie Liu did...

Score: 6 out of 10.Oh good, it's Berserker Daken.........

Daken: Dark Wolverine #18

For the rest of the week, due to the sheer number of comic books I have to get through, as well as Christmas, I'll be reviewing all of my comics, Marvel, DC and otherwise, using the good/bad/verdict format. I'm sure most of you guys don't care, but I figured I'd put that out there. Anyway, next up for the night is the latest issue of Daken, a series that is slowly marching towards the end. I've got to say, this series really fell apart when Dan Way and Marjorie Liu left. Rob Williams started off well, but the drug storyline was just the wrong way to take the Daken character, in my humble opinion at least... Oh well, let's see how things shake out this issue.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #18:

What Happened: After an initial misfire, Daken manages to convince the Runaways that Marcus Roston was related to the Pride in some manner. After listening to Daken for a bit, Chase realizes that Roston was his “creepy Uncle Eli”, a guy the Pride wouldn't allow to join them since he was insane. Figuring Daken to be the good guy and Roston to be the bad guy, the kids agree to assist Daken... But after Daken leaves they decide to see what they could dig up on him... From there, Roston grows tired of being a movie star and wanders away from his movie set crying... Daken heads off and finds FBI agent Kiel, who was contemplating leaping off the LAPD administration building to stop her addiction to the Heat drug Roston concocted. Daken talks her off the ledge(the hell?!), saying that he saw a lot of himself in her(really now...). Roston floats over and uses his still unexplained powers to kill everybody in the LAPD building before turning his attention to Daken on the roof. Roston moves in to finally kill Daken, but is halted by the Runaways, who arrive on the scene to assist Daken in his hour of need.

The Good: Daken plus the Runaways is definitely a good thing. Williams explained away that whole idiotic, “Chase was run over by a car!” that ended the last Runaways series by simply saying that Chase had been in an automobile accident and got better... Now let us never speak of that last Runaways series again... Due to the impending cancellation, we're FINALLY going to get to the end of this Roston/drug storyline. Thankfully.

The Bad: Williams just never seemed to “get” Daken... Getting addicted to drugs, losing control of himself, his strange infatuation with Kiel, it all runs counter to what Way had done with Daken through Origins, Dark Wolverine and this series... It may be a little thing, but Victor was drawn wrong(what was with his hair?) and didn't have enough lines.

The Verdict: Eh. Daken may be one of my favorite Marvel characters(I was PSYCHED to finally get his card in UMvC3 earlier today!!), but there's a part of me that's actually happy about the impending cancellation of this series... As much as I love the guy, I think Daken needs to go off, lick his wounds and come back a few months from now, giving us the time to forget these last several issues ever happened.

Score: 6 out of 10.How about a Daken and the Runaways series, Marvel?

Daken: Dark Wolverine #17

Last review of the night is an interesting one... I mean I've been really down on this series for a while now, but with it's impending cancellation, as well as a guest appearance by the Runaways(!!), I'm hoping we get some great Daken stories before the end closes in.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #17:

Summary: Daken manages to escape from Roston and certain death when the LAPD arrive on the scene and begin shooting at the two of them. Roston simply turns invisible and intangible to avoid the spray of bullets while Daken gets tagged in the leg and falls into the waters below. Daken surfaces after the LAPD had called off their search of the water and heads to the home of a former SHIELD chemist with some Heat pills, hoping to unlock what makes the drug so powerful. While waiting for the results from the chemist, Daken researches the LA crime scene prior to his arrival and learns of the Pride, figuring whoever Roston was, he must have had some sort of connection to the Pride, which would explain how Roston took control of the LA drug trade with such ease. The chemist reveals to Daken that there was human blood in the heat pills, which confirms something Daken had suspected, that a member of the Pride was still alive(huh?). To that end Daken sneaks into a home and is attacked by the Runaways, who want to know what he was doing breaking into their place.

Thoughts: This issue was fast paced and pretty good. Naturally, I loved seeing the Runaways pop up here, as I was always a fan of that series and those characters. Roston possibly being an extended family member of one of the Pride is interesting, although it still doesn't explain his powers(which include invisibility, intangibility, shapeshifting, telepathy, and probably more)... I guess he could be related to Nico in some way, because a powerful sorcerer could probably manifest all of those powers, but other than that, I'm stymied as to who/what Roston is... However, for the first time in several issues, I'm actually looking forward to the next issue of this series, so that's definitely a huge positive.

Score: 8 out of 10.Sweet, Chase is alive!

Daken: Dark Wolverine #16

It's time for another issue of Daken... Now don't get me wrong, I love Daken and feel he's one of the more complicated/interesting characters in all of comic books... When written properly. Unfortunately, since Rob Williams has taken over the writing duties for this book, Daken really hasn't been true to the character that was set forth by Dan Way and Marjorie Liu. With that said I'm hopeful that Williams will eventually find his feet in this series and we'll get the old, awesome Daken that I became such a fan of...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #16:

Summary: Ugh, Daken is still suffering from the effects of the Heat drug and due to either the drug or the withdrawal from it, his healing factor is on the fritz. Marcus Roston, who is the supplier of Heat, uses FBI agent Kiel(who he got addicted to Heat) to set the LAPD on Daken, leading them to the home Daken was laying low in. The cops attack Daken's house with a jet(?! Really?!?), but Daken manages to escape... From the LAPD AND their jet. Without a fully functional healing factor. In his underwear... Roston is fine with that, since it allows him to toy with Daken some more. To that end he sends Kiel to talk Moon Knight out of hunting for Daken, leaves a dummy in his office with a mess of Heat pills for Daken(which Daken thankfully doesn't take) and uses his thus far unexplained powers to shape-shift into Daken and kills all of the LA mobsters Daken had managed to get working for him. By this time Daken has caught up to Roston(with an automatic rifle, in his underwear, suffering from withdrawal, with the entire LAPD searching for him), but Roston flies(?!?) up to the rooftop Daken was watching Roston from and tells Daken that he was now going to kill him just for the hell of it.

Thoughts: If I wasn't such a big fan of Daken... This issue was just plain bizarre. There's not really much else I can say about it. I mean if you've either read this issue or read my review of it, I can't see how you can come to a conclusion other than the fact that this entire issue was indeed bizarre. What are Roston's powers exactly? I mean originally I figured he was a telepath, but now it seems he's a shapeshifter, a telepath, can fly, and is presumably a genius since he claims to have created the Heat drug... And then there's the case of Daken, who spent this entire issue in his underwear, toting an automatic rifle, and yet, with no disguise to speak of, has managed to walk around LA hunting down Roston, all while avoiding the LAPD, who used a jet to try to kill him!! Like I said, if I wasn't such a big fan of Daken......

Score: 6 out of 10.Yep, it's safe to say that Daken has seen better days.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #15

Now, I'm as big a fan of Daken as you'll ever find, but I've got to say, I am SO tired of this “Daken on drugs!!!” storyline it's not even funny. Fingers crossed the drug storyline ends here and we move on to bigger and better things going forward.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #15:

Summary: So Daken was shot in the head last issue by FBI Agent Kiel, who thought he was the Claws Killer. It turns out that Daken was battling Moon Knight while Kiel was stalking the Claws Killer(who looked like Daken for some reason), and mistook Daken for the Killer. Thanks to the Heat drug in Daken's system his healing factor is on the fritz and the damage to his brain isn't healing, although it's keeping him alive... Barely. While Moon Knight and Agent Kiel investigate who the real Claws Killer was, Daken has some hallucinations involving Johnny Storm, Wolverine and the people he killed. Eventually Daken manages to fight off the effect of the drug and his healing factor fires up, repairing the damage done. Now awake, Daken storms off to find and kill the man manipulating and impersonating him, the Claws Killer. As for Kiel, she decides to confront Hollywood celebrity Marcus Roston, who first introduced Daken to the Heat drug. Moon Knight tries to get in touch with Kiel to warn her that his investigation has led him to believe that Roston himself was the Claws Killer. This issue ends with a beaten, bloodied and drugged Kiel sitting next Roston on his couch while he holds a handful of Heat pills out to her.

Thoughts: You know, I liked this comic... Maybe it's the fact that we seem to be getting towards the end of the Heat storyline, or maybe it's due to the fact that we finally know who the Claws Killer was(although it doesn't make all that much sense). I didn't mind Daken's odd hallucinations, and thought it was a nice callback that Johnny Storm was a major part of them. As for the Roston reveal, all I can muster for that is a meh. I honestly thought Roston had been killed issues ago, and as such had discounted him as a possibility for the Killer. I have NO idea how he knew what Kiel was thinking or why he looked like Daken when Kiel was chasing him(low level telepathy perhaps?), but I'm sure that'll all be explained next issue. Since the story moved in the direction I've wanted it to move for issues now, I really can't find all that much to gripe about for a change!

Score: 8 out of 10.Eh, I've had weirder dreams than this.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #14

Hey, it's time for me to take a look at what used to be my favorite X-family book, Daken: Dark Wolverine. Unfortunately, after a good first issue helming this series, Rob Williams just hasn't been able to write Daken in the same way Marjorie Liu and Dan Way could... I'm still hopeful that Williams CAN turn this sinking ship around(just get Daken off those damned drugs!!!), but I tend to lose a bit more hope with each passing issue...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #14:

Summary: This issue gets underway with Daken and Moon Knight battling it out. It seems that Moon Knight believes that he's Wolverine(ooooookay then), while Daken is still high on the Heat drug. The Heat causes Daken to act and fight irrationally, which leads to him and Moon Knight falling out of a window several stories up. While Moon Knight and Daken are falling, FBI agent Donna Kiel is tracking the Claws Killer through the building Moon Knight and Daken had fallen out of. Eventually Kiel finds the Claws Killer, a figure who appears to be a telepathic version of Daken(!). Kiel chases the Killer outside, where Moon Knight and Daken have gotten up and continued their battle. Daken, now in a full-on berserker rage, begins slashing Moon Knight with his claws until Moon Knight gets a pep talk from an imaginary Captain America, who tells Moon Knight to use control and technique to counter Daken's wild fighting. Imaginary Cap's advice works(is there anything Cap CAN'T do?!) and Moon Knight manages to put Daken down. Daken, still whacked out of his mind thanks to the Heat, tells Moon Knight that he was having a heart attack(wha?) before getting up and running into an alley. Upon getting into the alley, Daken runs towards Kiel, who was still tracking the Claws Killer, and mistaking Daken for the Daken she saw inside, shoots Daken in the head... Man did I use the word “Daken” a lot in that last sentence... Anyway, Moon Knight rushes over and this issue closes with Moon Knight and Kiel stand over Daken, while the Claws Killer(who still looks like Daken) watches from a nearby rooftop.

Thoughts: Ugh... This goddamn Heat storyline just won't end... I wish Rob Williams would just kill it already... Daken taking drugs and acting out of control and crazed is just counter to all of the work Dan Way put into Daken since Daken's first appearance. As for the Claws Killer looking exactly like Daken, I'm going to chalk that up to the Claws Killer being a telepath... I mean how else would he have known about aspects of Kiel's childhood and her private thoughts. Personally, I wish the Claws Killer was the real Daken and the Daken that got shot in the head was a defective clone, but somehow I doubt that's gonna happen...

Score: 6 out of 10.Hopefully that bullet will knock some sense into Daken's damned head!

A little something for everyone!

Hey there X-Maniacs, I figured I'd check in with a quick little post since I skipped yesterday. I've already finished typing up most of tomorrow's New Comic Day post, I should be getting between 13 and 14 comics depending on how much money I feel like spending. The opening paragraph is completely done, I just have to finish up th second paragraph when I get my books tomorrow. So that's what's on tap for tomorrow. As for today, I figure I'd post 4 scans featuring four Internet favorite characters. As you can see, when in doubt as to what to post, I always go back to the old standby of posting scans... You'd think with logic like that my scan blog with be flourishing, but alas, that's not the case. So anyway, here are those previously mentioned scans. Enjoy! Or don't. As for me, it's X out time, at least until tomorrow afternoon.

Daken: Dark WolverineThat Daken is a smooth one...


Nightwing and StarfireSo wait, if I'm reading this correctly, Dick could get some threesome action going here if he played his cards right?


Steve Rogers: Super-SoldierSee, even a super-soldier can have a bad day.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #13

The last storyline wasn't exactly what I'd call a stellar work for this title, let's see if a new storyline brings some better results...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #13:

Summary: We get started with Steve Rogers telling Moon Knight(who seems to be a Hollywood producer now) to look into the Daken sightings in Los Angeles. As for Daken, he's arraigned a meeting with FBI Agent Kiel to discuss the “Claws Killer”. Daken isn't sure if he's the Claws Killer(while under the influence of the Heat drugs), and wants to get to the bottom of the killings, thus an alliance with Kiel. Kiel decides to trust Daken(who only killed like 6 cops last issue...) and takes him to the most recent Claws Killer crime scene. After a quick look around, Daken doesn't recognize the area, but still can't be sure he isn't the Claws Killer. Next Daken decides to take Kiel to some Hollywood party, since it had been all low-level Hollywood pseudo-celebrities who were being offed by the Claws Killer. While the two are looking around, Daken gets a whiff of a Heat drug deal going down, and as much as he tries to fight the urge, heads into the bathroom to buy some Heat. Daken takes half the pill(which is progress in his mind), but winds up losing a few minutes(or hours) of time before emerging from the bathroom. When he finally does come down from the Heat, Daken realizes that the party had broken up, and that Kiel was gone. Daken runs around looking for her, while Kiel herself is hunting the Claws Killer in some darkened room. This issue ends with Daken running into Moon Knight, who believes Daken to be the Claws Killer.

Thoughts: And the good comic reading streak continues! This issue was much better than the last issue, as Daken is FINALLY trying to fight his inexplicable addiction to the Heat drugs. Daken finally realizes that the drug was doing him more harm than good(such as screwing up his healing factor), and tried to avoid taking it this issue... He does wind up taking a hit of the Heat, but a lesser hit than usual. If I had a gripe, it would be that Agent Kiel decided to work with Daken here... I mean he DID kill several LA police officers last issue... You'd think that would be a deal breaker for an FBI agent, but apparently not. Next issue we get Moon Knight vs Daken, which should be a fun. While a non-drugged-up Daken should take Moon Knight out with no trouble, a drug addled Daken vs Moon Knight should make for a much closer contest.

Score: 8 out of 10.Yes, it does appear to be on now.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #12 & X-Men #15.1

Back to Marvel, and back to the X-Men series again, as Victor Gischler takes over the writing duties again. I'm not really sure what to expect out of these two comic books, as they could range anywhere between awful and awesome... Well, let's give 'em a read and find out.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #12:

Summary: This issue gets started with Daken, still under the effect of the Heat drug, taking on Taskmaster, who had been hired to protect an armored car carrying millions and millions of dollars. Daken(who is hiding his identity and thus isn't using the claws) gets knocked around before Daken's allies open fire on Taskmaster, distracting him. Awesomely, Taskmaster deflects the bullets away with his shield before decapitating a bunch of the goons since he was sick of being shot at... HA! Daken fires a rocket at Taskmaster, but once again, Taskmaster manages to deflect the blast away with his shield before angrily slaughtering the rest of Daken's gang. By this point, the LAPD, as well as some media helicopters have arrived on the scene and Daken is outnumbered and outgunned... Which is exactly what Daken wanted. Daken makes a run for an assault rifle, dodging police bullets, but running smack-dab into Taskmaster, who impales Daken with his sword. With that, Daken collapses to the ground, and the game is over... Or is it?!? With the robbery “foiled”, Daken climbs out of one of the body bags he was put in, kills some cops and steals a police uniform, gaining access to the armored car and it's millions. Daken begins to fill his body bag with the money(HA! again) when he realizes that the wound Taskmaster inflicted on him earlier wasn't healing properly, almost definitely due to the Heat. Before he can figure out what to do about that mess, FBI Agent Kiel climbs into the armored car, gun drawn. It turns out Kiel came to the crime scene and checked the body bags, at which point she realized the numbers didn't add up, leading her to believe somebody with a healing factor must have been involved in the mayhem, in other words, Daken. Kiel demands to know why Daken was cutting people into little pieces all over LA, which surprises Daken, at least until it dawns on him that maybe he WAS responsible for the gruesome murders while under the influence of the Heat. Realizing something was wrong with him, Daken lashes out at Kiel, surprising her and knocking her out cold before retreating back to his home, where he takes another Heat pill, ending this one.

Thoughts: Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. Taskmaster MADE this issue!! Absolutely, positively, 100% made it. He was hilarious, awesome, homicidal, everything Taskmaster SHOULD be. After reading this issue, I'd be all for a Rob Williams penned Taskmaster series, because Williams obviously knows that character well... Unlike Daken... I'm STILL not sold on the whole, “Daken is addicted to drugs” storyline, because it just seems to go so counter to Daken's whole “always in control” characterization. From his beginnings, through Dark Avengers, to Dark Wolverine, Daken has always prided himself on being the guy in control, even if he wasn't. By remaining in control of his actions, he was proving himself better than his father, Wolverine, who was always flying off the handle, going into berserker style rages. I just don't like Daken's obsession with the Heat drugs... Overlooking that though, I did enjoy this comic, and loved the battle between Daken(and his goons) and Taskmaster. I don't think I could ever tire of Daken as a character, I like him that much, but this drug storyline is beginning to try my patience...

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.In answer to that age old question, yes, Taskmaster IS awesome.


X-Men #15.1:

Summary: Moonstar, Lord Summers, Gambit, Storm and Pixie(That line-up and Pixie!? Really?!?) head to a town where they learn an old woman who had taken a bunch of demons into her soul to save her town many years ago was dying. The old woman's husband(a friend of Moonstar's grandfather) hands the X-Men a spell book, and is planning on sealing his soon-to-be dead wife in a small crypt, before placing a protective spell on the crypt, locking the demons inside. Before the team can decide on whether sealing the old woman away was the right move, the new BAD-ASS Ghost Rider arrives on the scene, claiming that there was sin in the town and that it had to be cleansed. While the X-Men are trying to figure out why the hell Ghost Rider was there and why Ghost Rider was now a woman(I'm STILL trying to figure that out...), the old woman dies and the demons emerge from the crypt. The X-Men attack the demons, but are unable to do them much harm, at which point Lord Summers blasts open a hole in the ground to(hopefully) contain the demons. BAD-ASS Ghost Rider tells Moonstar to get on the bike, at which point BAD-ASS Ghost Rider uses her chain to snag the demons, before driving into the hole to take them back to Hell. I'm not really sure why poor Moonstar had to get on the bike, but whatever I guess. After BAD-ASS Ghost Rider and Moonstar emerge from the hole, Lord Summers blasts it closed and Pixie seals it up with a magic spell. With all that taken care of, BAD-ASS Ghost Rider goes after the dead woman's husband and explains that it was his sin that drew her to the town, since he was the one who originally summoned the demons. The old man is sorry for his youthful mistakes, so BAD-ASS Ghost Rider allows him to go, provided he makes amends for his stupid acts. With that, BAD-ASS Ghost Rider drives off, leaving the X-Men to wonder what the HELL happened to Ghost Rider!!!

Thoughts: This was actually a fun little one and done story, even with that damn BAD-ASS Ghost Rider in it... I've got to admit, if BAD-ASS Ghost Rider wasn't in this one, I'd have probably enjoyed it way more, but even with her unwarranted involvement, we still got a pretty good story. Besides a good little story, the characterizations were good as well, as Lord Summers was written like he used to be, before he became the dictatorial asshole he is today. As a matter of fact, all of the X-characters were written well, something that has been sorely lacking in the X-books for the better part of 5 years now. With Victor Gischler back on board with this series, and that useless Chris Yost gone, I expect to be putting this series back onto my pull list. Here's hoping BAD-ASS Ghost Rider(and Yost...) stays far away from this series, and Gischler continues to bring good characterizations and strong stories.

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.Take Pixie out of that group and you have THE X-Men line-up from the 90's!

Daken: Dark Wolverine #11 & Captain America #1

I've got two comics I'm expecting some really big things out of to go over now, Daken and the new Captain America series... I'm especially curious to see how the subject of Steve Rogers becoming Captain America is broached in the new Cap series, so that should be something... I hope!

Daken: Dark Wolverine #11:

Summary: Having gotten himself addicted to the new designer drug that can actually beat his healing factor(the drug is called Heat), Daken decides to work his way up the Heat drug pusher ladder until he discovers where Los Angeles' crime bosses were holding a secret meeting to discuss who was killing their men(it's Daken!). Upon arriving at the secret meeting place, Daken(now in his Dark Wolverine guise), offers to help the crime families stay safe from this new threat(him), as well as help them pull off the largest heist in US history, attacking a convoy carrying $26 million dollars. Prior to barging in on the meeting, Daken had used the drug to force the head of the company carrying the money to give up all sorts of details on the way the money was transported. Obviously, the crime bosses are intrigued by Daken's offer, and agree to send some of their most senior men to assist him. The day of the robbery, Daken gets high(again...), and leads the charge against the convoy, making his way to the van carrying the money. Upon opening it he comes face to face with the company's secret weapon to prevent robberies, Taskmaster(!!). Oh, and there was a back story detailing an FBI agent named Donna Kiel, who I figure will become Daken's major foe while he stays in LA.

Thoughts: Uh huh... I've got to say, I am NOT enjoying this “Daken on drugs!” storyline in the least. Yes, I get that he likes the drugs because they are able to beat his healing factor, offering him a challenge of sorts, but the Daken I became such a fan of doesn't seem likely to take something that causes him to lose control. Some of his earliest appearances dealt with Daken fighting his natural impulse to cut loose like his father and remain in control of his actions. I don't get it, and I don't like it. I do like the prospect of a Daken/Taskmaster showdown, because Taskmaster is, for lack of a better word, badass, but I get the feeling that fight is going to be marred by the fact that Daken is high... A normal Daken vs Taskmaster throwdown is one of those comic book battles I'd happily pay $5 to read about. Junkie Daken vs Taskmaster? Not as great a draw...

Score: 6 out of 10.Yes Taskmaster, he is high...


Captain America #1:

Summary: While attending the funeral of Sharon Carter's aunt Peggy, Steve Rogers(or Captain America again... I guess...), Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury and Sharon are targeted by a gunman off in the distance. After saving Dum Dum from the sniper's bullet, Steve charges after the sniper, but is unable to catch up... Although he DOES recognize the gunman as an old ally from WWII. Upon telling Fury this, they all talk about how this gunman, Codename: Bravo, must have waken up... We then get a WWII flashback showing that Peggy Carter dumped Bravo for Steve, possibly explaining the lingering animosity... I guess. Back in the present, Steve, Fury and Sharon visit some old man in a secret nursing facility and bemoan the fact that they weren't informed that he had waken up, since he seemed somehow linked to Bravo. While leaving the nursing home, the trio are attacked by what seems to be a Hydra cell, being commanded from afar by Bravo. The attack on Steve and company appears to be a misdirection, as the Hydra agents manage to kidnap the old man from earlier from the nursing home. This issue ends with Bravo chatting with Baron Zemo about how they hated Captain America or some such clichéd super-villain vehicle...

Thoughts: Yup, I didn't enjoy this comic AT ALL. There were just plot holes EVERYWHERE, which is something I'd NEVER expect from an Ed Brubaker written comic book! I hated the fact that Steve is magically Cap again, I hate the fact that ANOTHER unknown ally of Cap's from WWII has returned to torment him, and I hate the fact that Ed Brubaker seems obsessed with undoing all of the good work Fabian Nicieza did with Baron Zemo by turning him back into a regular, run of the mill super-villain. So yeah, I didn't enjoy this. And that's coming from somebody who routinely sings the praises of Brubaker! I don't know, maybe after a couple of months, after the whole mess with Bucky has settled down a bit, I'll be ready to read about Steve as Cap again... But right now? Seeing Steve in that Cap uniform again, with NO thought given to Bucky only serves to piss me off... Royally...

Score: 5 out of 10.Bucky? What the hell is a Bucky??

Daken!

Hey X-Maniacs, it's the original Comic Book Malefactor here to give the people what they want! You see, it looks like I'll be picking up a lot of comics tomorrow... No wait, let me rephrase that... It looks like I'll be picking up A LOT of comics tomorrow. Seriously, wait until I post the New Comic Day post tomorrow! It's insane! Anyway, the next week should be chock full of comic reviews, but alas, I have no new books to review today... I've been spending my free time reading Witchblade(which is REALLY good, and makes me want to buy more trades), the SHIELD mini-series from last year(it has Leonardo da Vinci in it, of course it's good!), as well as rereading the Young Avengers series for the first time since 2006, and yes, it's still as fantastic as I remember it being! But I really don't feel like doing a trade, mini-series or back issue type of review... So then, what kind of post should I do? Well, why not do a post on one of my favorite Marvel characters, the Dark Wolverine himself, Daken! So yes, this post will be full of Daken goodness! I mean, there's lots to like about Daken...


He has a way with women...


He has a way with men...


He has a way with words...


And he's funny to boot!


Agreed!

Invincible #80 & Daken: Dark Wolverine #10

We kick this week off with the two comics I'm most looking forward to reading, Invincible and Daken: Dark Wolverine! What more is there to say except let's kick off the awesomeness!

Invincible #80:

Summary: This issue gets started with Invincible and Atom Eve moving into Invincible's parents home since his folks were going to head off into space to see alien planets and visit with Oliver and stuff. From there Invincible goes around meeting with various people after his one year absence in space. He picks up his comics, meets with William(and learns William is gay), stuff like that. Eve gets a call that Las Vegas was under attack by Dinosaurus, so Invincible rushes off to Vegas to take care of it. Dinosaurus tells Invincible that he was trying to evacuate the city since he was planning on blowing it up for the good of nature. Upon learning Dinosaurus planned on “blowing up” the city, Invincible rushes off and returns with a bomb, figuring the problem was solved... Instead, Dinosaurus reveals that he had placed over 50 bombs around Vegas, and before Invincible could try to find them, they all go off. This issue ends with Invincible waking up surrounded by the nothingness that had been Las Vegas.

Thoughts: Um, okay... I guess... So Dinosaurus destroyed Las Vegas... I really don't know what to think of that. I kind of like that Robert Kirkman is trying to give Invincible a new foe, and Dinosaurus does have a pretty cool look, but destroying Las Vegas? It seems a bit far fetched to me... I mean, didn't the people hanging out in Vegas notice a giant, 9 foot tall, red dinosaur walking around hiding bombs? The first half of this issue was a lot of talking, and for once, I didn't thoroughly enjoy it... I don't know, for whatever reason, this issue just didn't click for me...

Score: 8 out of 10.Nudity!!!!


Daken: Dark Wolverine #10:

Summary: This comic starts off hopping back and forth in time, so I'll just start at the beginning of Daken's story here. Figuring the Los Angeles crime scene would be easy pickings with the Pride(yes, the same Pride from the Runaways!) out of the way, Daken tries to move in, but in his time spent on the Left Coast, Daken hasn't been able to figure out WHO took over the Pride's old holdings, meaning he had no idea who he had to kill... With no real clues, Daken gets himself invited to Hollywood parties, and winds up being given “heat pills”, some kind of new drug. Daken swallows three of them and goes to see if he could get into the room with the a-list celebrities. The burly bodyguards tell him to stay with the nobodies, so Daken smashes one of the guards in the face, breaking the guy's nose. Before he could make a move on the second guard, the heat pills kick in and leave Daken with a high his healing factor couldn't overcome. Needless to say, Daken soon passes out babbling about his healing factor. That night, another member of the party who also took the drugs wound up seeing disturbing visions and was torn apart by something with claws of some kind. As for Daken, he wakes up at the movie star's house, since the star had to make sure Daken wouldn't OD(since that would make bad headlines... HA!). Now down from his high, Daken destroys the two bodyguards and uses his pheromones to convince the movie star to sleep with him. With the deed done, and the star well under Daken's thumb(as well as other areas I'd imagine...), Daken orders the star to tell him everything there is to know about the LA crime scene, who controls it, and where he could get more of those drugs from the prior night. This issue ends with an FBI agent investigating the dead body of the guy who died when he was leaving the party. This agent, Donna Kiel, seems obsessed with Daken, and seems to have convinced herself he was the responsible party in the death.

Thoughts: Not bad. Not bad at all! While it is still kind of jarring not to see the name Way or Liu on the cover of a Daken comic, I can see myself getting used to seeing Rob Williams name there. In the first two issues Williams has written, he's shown a great understanding of Daken, and the way Daken uses his powers, ALL of his powers, to get what he wanted. The drug angle is still a bit of a mystery, but I can definitely see Daken getting quickly addicted, since, thanks to his healing factor, he can't become addicted to any other narcotic. There are a LOT of ways this series can go, WAY too many for me to start guessing yet... Instead, I'll simply sit back and enjoy the ride!

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.I guess I should have put this on the picture blog...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #9.1 & Deadpool #37

We're still in the midst of my Marvel books, as I take care of two comics from the X-family of books. It's Deadpool and Daken, so you KNOW it's going to be good!

Daken: Dark Wolverine #9.1:

Summary: This issue gets started with Daken confronting an older mobster in Madripoor. You see, Daken has pretty much taken control of all of the crime in Madripoor, but there were still a few hold outs, such as the older mobster. Daken slices his way through the mobster's security and enters the mobster's office, where the ballsy mobster tells Daken that he only did business with other businessmen, not someone like Daken. The mobster then goes on a bit of a tirade, telling Daken that he was only capable of destroying things, not creating, and that the only reason Daken wanted to conquer Madripoor was because his father had done it before him... Oh tag! Having heard enough of the mobster's insults, Daken shoots the mobster in the head, before leaving to contemplate the mobster's words. Wanting to prove that he was better than his father, and COULD do more than simply destroy, Daken heads to Avengers Tower to tell his father that he wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon since he wanted to live his own life. From there, Daken heads to Los Angeles to carve(literally?) his own path in life.

Thoughts: This was the first issue of Daken that wasn't written by Daken's creator, Daniel Way... Needless to say, I opened this comic with GREAT trepidation... I mean Way(as well as Marjorie Liu these past few years) has guided Daken since the beginning. To me, he's synonymous with Daken! I don't think of one without the other! Stepping into Way's HUGE shadow is Rob Williams, a writer who I know very little about. I think he wrote a Shadowland mini-series(or one-shot) about Ghost Rider that I hated, but other then that, I knew nothing about his work. So like I said, I was pretty worried... However, if Williams can keep up the kind of work he showed here, I see I have nothing to fret about! This issue was really good. As a matter of fact, it was Daniel Way good! And that's about as high a compliment I can possibly give Williams. Now we'll see if he can continue the great start and continue making this one of my favorite monthly books. If this issue is any indication, it looks like he will.

Score: 9 out of 10.I'll definitely be using this as my new Window's background!


Deadpool #37:

Summary: So Deadpool wants to die... Now for a normal person, there are plenty of ways to off oneself. But for Deadpool, a guy with a super-charged healing factor which can fix him up from practically any injury(including decapitation at one point!), suicide isn't really a possibility... Or is it?! After some thought, and an angry visit with Wolverine, Deadpool figures out that if ANYBODY can kill him, it's the Hulk. To that end, Deadpool decides to torment Bruce Banner, forcing him to transform into his angry, green counterpart. Unfortunately for Deadpool(but fortunately for Marvel's coffers), Hulk isn't interested with putting up with Deadpool and refuses to take the bait. Try as he might, Deadpool simply can't anger the Hulk enough to force the Green Goliath into a deadly assault. Instead, the Hulk simply swats Deadpool away like a bothersome fly and continues on his way. After landing a few miles away, Deadpool sets off a radioactive bomb in Hulk's face, with a note attached to it telling Hulk there was plenty more where that came from... Now good and pissed, Hulk charges towards Deadpool's location, ready to shut Pool up... For good!

Thoughts: What can I say here? This was a good, fast, fun read. In other words, it was everything you'd ask for from a Deadpool comic book. Was it perfect? No, but it was a hell of a fun read that has me looking forward to next month... What more could you want?

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.I'd bet a lot of people would love to do that to Deadpool...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #9 & X-Men: Prelude to Schism #1

Daken: Dark Wolverine #9:

Summary: This is the final issue of the Daken/X-23 x-over, as well as the last issue of Daken written by character creator Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu(NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!). X-23 and Daken manage to fight their way through the monstrosities Malcolm Colcord has placed in their path, and continue on his trail, killing anything in their way. As for Colcord, he's trying to escape the facility since he had rigged a bomb to blow up, destroying all traces of his work. Unfortunately for Colcord, Daken and X-23 catch up to him and know all about his bomb. Daken demands to be taken to the bomb, which Colcord, with no real choice, does. The trio arrive at the bomb with 2 minutes to spare, and Colcord tells Daken and X-23 how to disarm the device. Daken and X-23 are in no hurry to disarm the bomb though, since they were content in the knowledge that they'd survive the blast thanks to their healing factors. The two discuss their differences, with Daken wondering why X-23 cares about others and doesn't act as the killer she was created to be, and X-23 wonders why Daken wouldn't allow himself to care about others. Ultimately, the bomb explodes just as Tyger and Gambit arrive on the scene. Daken and X-23 heal up(as planned), and with Colcord(apparently) blown up, X-23 and Gambit decide to leave Madripoor, bidding Daken an uneasy farewell. This issue ends with Daken revealing that Colcord had survived the explosion since Colcord had been injecting himself with healing factor serums. However, Colcord's healing is nowhere near as pure or strong as Daken's and X-23's, meaning he was still terribly deformed and handcuffed to a radiator in an apartment Daken had rented for him. With X-23 out of the country and the traitorous Colcord his prisoner, Daken happily walks through the streets of Madripoor, proud of all he accomplished.

Thoughts: This comic was ALL about action, as you can probably see from the scan I posted. It basically dealt with Daken and X-23 slicing and dicing various obstacles that got in their way. I enjoyed Daken and X-23's little conversation and was fine with their truce, even though it's obvious the two still don't(and probably never will) trust each other. The ending, with Daken walking through the streets of Madripoor triumphantly was a very nice way for Way to end his multi-year run with the Daken character. There's no way Rob Williams(the incoming writer for this series) is going to be able to match the amazing work Liu and Way put into Daken, but here's hoping he can at least come close.

Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.There was a lot of this in this issue!


X-Men: Prelude to Schism #1(of 4):

Summary: This issue gets started with the X-Men revealing that some unknown(and never revealed) threat was on it's way to Crazy Mutie Island(Utopia). All of Lord Summers brain trust, seem to think that whatever was coming to Crazy Mutie Island was unstoppable, and that their only chances were to either order a mass evacuation(which would probably fail since the unknown threat was so near) or attempt a last stand, which would only delay the inevitable deaths of the inhabitants of Crazy Mutie Island. As for Lord Summers, he's staring out the window, puzzling over what move he should make. Prof. Xavier approaches Lord Summers and the two reminisce about their long past from back before everything went upside-down and Lord Summers, known adulterer and bastard, became the King of Mutantkind. In the end, Prof. X offers Lord Summers a vote of confidence and tells him that he was proud of him and that he'd always be there for him.

Thoughts: I REALLY enjoyed this issue a lot! I have NO idea what Schism is, what it's about, etc, but Paul Jenkins did something that I would have thought was impossible... He got me interested in an X-Men storyline! Jenkins did a magnificent job giving us a look back at the Lord Summers/Xavier relationship, back before Lord Summers became a monumental jackass. As a matter of fact, this was actually the first time since Grant Morrison's New X-Men run that I actually found myself not hating Lord Summers! So kudos to Jenkins for reminding me of what I used to love so much about the X-Men, even if it's only for one issue.

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.Ahhhh the good old days...

Amazing Spider-Man #658 & Daken: Dark Wolverine #8

Two more Marvel reviews for you guys today, as I SLOWLY make my way through my comic pile... It's just endless this week! I mean I've done 11 reviews these past 3 days, and that comic pile just WON'T go away!!! *sigh* Oh well, I'll just keep cranking out these reviews until I either finish them all or die trying!

Amazing Spider-Man #658:

Summary: Peter Parker is about to get busy with his girlfriend, Carlie Cooper, when the FF symbol appears in the night sky. Peter tries to think up a way to weasel his way away from Carlie, but luckily for him, she gets called away on police business. Peter heads to the Baxter Building dressed in the classic blue FF costume, which pisses pretty much everybody at the building off. Thing demands that Peter changes into the FF's new white costume, which he does. From there the FF head to a few locations and do some heroic-type things, because that's what they do. The foursome eventually end up in the distant future, and Peter winds up getting some ideas for new designs to use for his day job at Horizon Labs. Reed puts the kibosh on that idea, telling Peter that whatever he sees in the future he can't bring back to the past because that would mess humanity up since they wouldn't be developing at the rate they were supposed to... What a crock THAT is! So if Peter sees something that could cure some terrible disease he SHOULDN'T take it with him?! Anyway, while Peter is hanging out in the future, Carlie goes looking for him at Horizon, since that's where Peter told her he'd be at. Needless to say, Peter isn't there, and Carlie is very suspicious.

Thoughts: Meh. This comic just didn't have the same greatness to it that the past several issues had... I mean it wasn't bad or anything, it just didn't do anything for me. It was more like a forced attempt to show that Spidey was a member of the FF. That's fine and all, but after last issue, I think we all realize that Spidey is an FFer now. We don't need it to be continuously drilled into our heads. I mean I like the FF, but I'd rather Spidey's interactions with them were kept to a minimum in this series, with the exception of a rare x-over. But that's just me.

Score: 7 out of 10.What a jerk...


Daken: Dark Wolverine #8:

Summary: X-23 and Daken slowly get up off the pavement after their fight from X-23 #8. Daken decides he doesn't want to fight anymore, and offers his hand in friendship. X-23 doesn't trust Daken for an instant and walks off. Tyger Tiger, who was apparently watching the fight from the shadows for some reason, approaches Daken and begins to tell him about a few of the problems that were raging throughout Madripoor. Daken pretty much blows her off and tells her to deal with it since he was more intrigued by X-23. Later on, Daken heads to meet with Malcolm Colcord and complains that Colcord wasn't honoring his end of their bargain. While the two men are talking, Gambit and X-23 attack, with Daken telling X-23 to do whatever she wanted with Colcord... Ah Daken... He sure does love his double-crosses... X-23 begins to torture Colcord for information about... her past I guess? While Gambit watches Daken. Daken begins to do his awesome Daken double-talk/flirtation thing with Gambit, but Gambit turns him down flat and eventually attacks Daken. The two fight, and needless to say, Daken handily takes care of the Cajun. While they were fighting, it turns out that Colcord was able to drug X-23 with needle Daken passed to him, which would mark Daken's double double-cross for this issue. With that, Colcord and Daken load X-23 into the trunk of a car, since Colcord's experiments would be able to progress much more quickly since he had a mutant with a healing factor(X-23) to work on.

Thoughts: I liked this issue a lot. It was classic Daken at his best... Betraying people, DOUBLE betraying people, messing with minds, getting beat up, beating people up, in other words, it was a Daken tour-de-force! I still have NO idea what the deal with Daken and Colcord is(I guess Daken wants Colcord to do the adamantium bonding thing to him?), why they're working together, how they met, etc. I'm sure we'll learn what the deal is there... Eventually. Um, that's about all I can think to say here...

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.No, Daken! You don't know WHERE Gambit has been...

Quick Hits: 3/28/11

All right, we have an all-Marvel Quick Hits to get through tonight. With how lackluster just about EVERYTHING coming out of DC has been these past several months, I'm definitely glad to get a few Marvel books in a row, which I know should at least be mediocre. But I'm expecting better than mediocre out of this batch of comics. We have Daken, THREE Captain America comics and this year's Uncanny X-Men annual. Basically this SHOULD be good... Let's find out though...

Daken: Dark Wolverine #7:

Summary: We get started by learning that Malcolm Colcord(of the Weapon X Program) has set up in Madripoor. Who else is in Madripoor? Why that would be Daken, who has managed to force Tiger Tyger into serving as the lieutenant in his burgeoning crime empire. Tyger isn't pleased with having to serve Daken, but she realizes that the only shot she'll ever have at throwing Daken out of Madripoor is to stay close to him. Daken realizes that's the only reason Tyger is sticking with him as well, but since he does need a public face for his criminal empire, he knows he's stuck with her... For now. With Tyger under his thumb, Daken manages to take control of the Madripoor police force by kidnapping the daughter of its commissioner, while taking over the few remaining gang leaders. In other words, Daken's well orchestrated conquest of Madripoor is complete. This issue ends with us learning that Daken was working WITH Colcord(Wha?!) as X-23 and Gambit arrive in Madripoor for some reason.

Thoughts: Um, what? When the hell did Daken hook up with Colcord? And for what reason? Weird... I can appreciate what Daken accomplished over the course of this storyline(consolidating all of the crime in Madripoor), but I still can't say I care much about Madripoor... Anyway, the end events of this issue are setting up the upcoming Daken/X-23 crossover, which should be interesting, to say the least.

Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.I don't! Or at least not yet...


Captain America: Man Out of Time #5(of 5):

Summary: Having been sent back to his proper time period by Kang, Captain America(Steve Rogers) decides to try to settle back down in the mid-1940's, but soon realizes that the “good old days” weren't exactly as idyllic as he remembered. After seeing just how ugly the 40's were(for everybody who wasn't a middle class white male), Cap decides he has to get back to the present to save his Avengers teammates from Kang. To this end, Cap places his Avengers card in a picture that he knows he'll find in the future, writes a note and sets off the emergency alert. Back in the present, Rick Jones hears the alert coming from Cap's room in Avengers mansion, finds the picture and discovers the card and the letter telling Rick to have Reed Richards pick him up. Reed does just that, and Cap returns to the present, breaks his teammates out of captivity and helps them topple Kang. The Avengers are appreciative, and Cap finally realizes that his place is with them, not in the 1940's.

Thoughts: This was one fantastic mini-series. Mark Waid did a wonderful job of capturing the inner turmoil of somebody like Steve Rogers, who was trying to decide where he belonged. Over the course of this mini, Cap went from being impressed by the future/present, being disgusted by it, longing to get back to his proper time period/the past, getting back to the past and then realizing that things weren't as great as he remembered back in the day. The only gripe I had with this issue is that the Kang battle was basically a foregone conclusion, and was pretty much treated as such. We all KNEW that Kang was going to lose, and this story never bothered to give us the illusion that MAYBE Kang would pull it off. So yeah, the battle was inconsequential, but the psychological stuff with Cap was top notch.

Score: 9 1/2 out of 10.Poor, poor Kang... Will he ever learn?


Captain America #615.1:

Summary: With Bucky no longer serving as Captain America(there's a reason to read this series!), and Steve Rogers being the commander of SHIELD(and the Avengers), there isn't a Captain America anymore. To rectify that, a former US soldier meets up with Dr. Malus and the Power Broker, and is given enhanced strength and speed so he could become the new Captain America. Fake Cap manages to publicly halt a crime, and gives an interview stating that America needs a Captain America, and he was going to take up the mantle. Needless to say, this angers Steve, who doesn't want to see another untrained person die while wearing his former uniform. Steve begins to track Fake Cap and discovers some AIM goons kidnapping Fake Cap and loading him onto a airplane. Steve sneaks onto the ship and learns that the AIM agents were trying to turn Fake Cap into a new MODOK. Steve manages to halt the process and brings down the AIM ship. SHIELD swings by to mop up the mess, and Steve tells Fake Cap that his short career as Captain America was finished. Fake Cap tells Steve that he'll stop, but that America needed a Captain America to look up to, and that somebody had to take up the mantle... From there we head to one of Nick Fury's hideouts where we find Sharon Carter waiting for him. Sharon reveals that she knew Nick was posing as the Power Broker(!), and that she knew that Nick tipped off the AIM agents to kidnap Fake Cap. Needless to say, Sharon wants to know why Nick did these things, at which point Nick tells Sharon that he was trying to manipulate Steve into taking up the Captain America mantle again. Sharon asks Nick what makes him think that she wouldn't tell Steve what Nick was up to, and Nick plainly states that Sharon wants Steve back as Captain America as much as he does. This issue ends with Steve standing in Avengers Tower staring at the shield of Captain America, pondering the future.

Thoughts: You know, this was a strange comic. The main story, with the Fake Cap was alright, but not great. However, the last few pages, especially the reveal that Nick Fury was trying to manipulate events, and Steve's actions in the Tower, pushed this comic from an okay issue to a really good/great issue. I've always been a sucker for Nick Fury's cloak and dagger dealings, so yeah, this issue definitely pleased me. Then again, whenever you have Ed Brubaker writing a Captain America comic, what's not to like?

Score: 9 out of 10.Damn that Nick Fury and his mind games!


Captain America and Batroc the Leaper #1:

Summary: Some mercenaries have hired Batroc to keep Captain America(in this case, Bucky) off their backs while they steal something. While meeting with the mercs, one of them taunts Batroc for having never beat Cap, to which Batroc tells the merc that nobody has ever beaten Cap, because if they did, there'd be no Cap(good point there...). Anyway, the mercs commit their crime, and Cap attempts to stop them, at which point Batroc... um, leaps into the fray. Batroc fights with Cap, and actually manages to trick Cap into a trap, which would have allowed Batroc the opportunity to escape. However, Batroc can't pass up the opportunity and instead of escaping, goes back after Cap, moving in for the kill. By this point Cap is back up, and slaps Batroc around, causing Batroc to go back into retreat mode. Batroc endangers some bystanders, which draws Cap's attention, allowing Batroc to make good his escape. Back in his hotel, Batroc learns that the mercs ended up being captured by Cap(which doesn't surprise him), while he revels in the fact that he escaped Cap, which he considers a draw.

Thoughts: I actually REALLY enjoyed this comic... I mean, I expected nothing going into it(it was about Batroc!!!), but Kieron Gillen turned this into a fun little romp. Batroc has always had a bit of a respectability streak, and Gillen really showcased that here. Yes, Batroc is a scuzzy mercenary, but he's a respectable scuzzy mercenary, which is what this one-shot hammered home. On top of that, there was also a reprint of a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Tales of Suspense issue featuring an early Cap/Batroc battle. As a fan of Captain America, what more could I ask for?

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.That middle panel REALLY needed a comical sound effect.


Uncanny X-Men Annual #3(2011):

Summary: Tired of being invaded by the denizens of Limbo, Lord Summers the First tells Madison Jeffries and Dr. Nemesis to build a gateway to Limbo. Somehow Jeffries miscalculates and the gateway explodes, sucking Nemesis, Lord Summers, Hope “Worship Me” Summers and Namor into the portal before it closes. Lord Summers immediately realizes that the four mutants weren't in Limbo, so he decides to split into two teams to try to figure out where they were/how to get out, with himself and Hope one one team and Namor and Nemesis on the other. Namor rapidly grows tired of Nemesis and ditches him, while Lord Summers and Hope get attacked and knocked out by strange aliens. Back on Crazy Mutie Island(Utopia), Emma Frost decides to head to New York to ask for assistance in finding the missing muties. This issue ends with Lord Summers and Hope waking up before Blastarr, who wants to know how the two mutants made it into the Negative Zone so he could use it to get out.

Thoughts: Hey, you know what? I really enjoyed this comic! Sure it had Lord Summers, his whore and Messiah Hope in it, but the story was really strong, strong enough to help me forget all about my blinding hatred of all things mutant. So kudos to writer James Asmus for that. The second part of this story takes place in the Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier Annual #1, which is sort of weird since there isn't a Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier ongoing series... I mean why would a mini-series that ended months ago need an annual? Marvel's odd title choices aside, this was a really good comic, that should only get better with the inclusion of Steve Rogers... Who knew?!

Score: 8 1/2 out of 10.You see, this is what we need more of, Cyclops laying bloodied on the ground.