Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Deadpool: Suicide Kings #2
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mike Benson
Drawn by: Carlo Barberi
For those of you who have been sitting under a rock, Mike Benson is the hottest writer to be added to the Marvel Bullpen in the last few years. He’s completely turned around Moon Knight, making him the bad-a** we always knew he was capable of being. To clarify, Mike Benson is that guy who used to write “Entourage”, you know, that show on HBO that earned an Emmy award under Mike’s pen? Anyway, hot off the heels of last month’s “Deadpool: Games of Death” (also by Benson) one shot is “Suicide Kings”. In his own book, Deadpool has had his own problems lately. He pretty much singlehandedly ended the Skrull Invasion (sort of), and Norman Osborne took credit for it. Now he’s sent the Thunderbolts to kill him (yipes). I’m guessing that isn’t going to work out and a few of them will probably end up dead or severely fu**ed up. Anyway, in “Suicide Kings”, Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool in case you didn’t know) there are no Thunderbolts or Norman Osborne, Wade’s just picking up some side work. Side work that get’s him a sh** ton of trouble of course…
“Suicide Kings” starts out like a normal day for Deadpool, he tries to pick up some work, kills all the other mercenaries competing for the job, and lands a gig that could pay him a cool million. Instead he gets set up as a terrorist and finds himself in the middle of some sh** with Tombstone (that albino mob boss from Spider-Man) and the Punisher hot on his a**. In issue two Deadpool goes round and round with Frank, and ends up getting shot in the eye. For comfort, he seeks his old comrade in arms Outlaw (aka Inez Temple, you may remember her as one of the Mercs in Agency X, and her early appearances in “Agent X”) who takes pity on him and puts him up. Things seem like they may calm down for Wade until Frank catches up with him, only to have Daredevil pull Wade’s fat out of the fire…
“Suicide Kings” is awesome. Mike Benson gets the ball rolling right away by throwing Deadpool in the sh** like no other writer has before. Mike Benson is to Deadpool like peanut butter is to chocolate, no question. Carlo Barberi is top notch as well, his manga style suits this book perfectly. “Suicide Kings” is a welcome addition to the Deadpool cannon, and I’m down for it until the end. My pick of the week easily.
Dark Reign Hawkeye #2
Marvel Comics
Written by: Andy Diggle
Drawn by: Tom Raney
Cover by: Clint Langley
Andy Diggle has been on the comics scene for a minute now, and has recently just became Marvel Exclusive with “Thunderbolts”, and was just announced as taking over “Daredevil” was Ed Brubaker leaves. Diggle wrote one of my favourite comic series of the last five years, “The Losers” (update of the old DC war book) and it currently in development as a major motion picture. He also retconned Green Arrow in the recent “Green Arrow” year one, making him that little bi** with the booties into a total bad a** (at least in my opinion). Before he gets rolling on “Daredevil”, Marvel has him wetting his feet with “Hawkeye”. No, not Cline Barton, in case you missed it as of “Dark Avengers” issue one Hawkeye is now Bullseye, the psychopathic assassin who we last saw with the Thunderbolts. Yeah, Norman Osborne is in charge of the Marvel U, and sh** is being fu**ed up to say the least, and Bullseye as one of the Marvel U’s most classic, beloved (and should I say noble) heroes? Yeah, only Andy Diggle could pull this off…
Hawkeye starts out with the Dark Avengers (the ex-Thunderbolts) taking out a rogue hulkbuster. Hawkeye kills the man wearing the suit, and Norman Osborne lectures him on how they’re heroes now and have to be better than that. The irony of that statement is not lost on Bullseye, and he ignores Osborne and goes on the hunt to satiate his need to kill. I mean seriously, the guys a sociopath. He ends up doing something sort of heroic, but then lets all that nobility go and, well sticks a pen in an innocent women’s eye. Things get worse in issue two when he takes out the entire news crew that caught it on film, most awesomely I should add. Norman Osborne realizes that maybe putting pearls on an assassin wasn’t the best idea, so he decides to utilize Bullseye in the best way possible. Yes, he sends him out to kills people which seems like a great idea until Bullseye finds himself having an existential crisis and is suddenly standing next to himself (seriously)…
This is not a heroe’s tale. I’m doubting there is going to be any type of redemption here either. It’s really not even humorous. Bullseye is a villain, moreso than just a normal villan he’s a psychotic and a killer and doesn’t care. Andy Diggle paints that picture very well and I think anything less wouldn’t be doing the character justice. I’m down with everything he does, and having Tom Raney with him, one of the most underrated artists of all time, well. Needless to say, I’m sold on this book. Pick it up, word.
Dawg’s Review
Wolverine #73
Marvel Comics
Written by: Jason Aaron/Daniel Way
Drawn by: Adam Kubert/ Tommy Lee Edwards
So let’s get a couple of things out of the way early in this review. This is issue #73 and it is released chronologically out of order. #72 has not come out yet and due to the Wolverine movie hitting the theaters and scheduling, Marvel felt it would be better to release this issue, which is in current continuity, rather than the next chapter in the “Old Man Logan” storyline.
I have all but dropped the Wolverine title in favor of the New Weapon X series that Marv el has released under the helm of the best Wolverine writer in the game right now: Jason Aaron. So why did I pick up this issue of Wolverine? Jason Aaron’s name is on the cover credits. Not only that, but Adam Kubert’s name is also attached and he was awesome on Wolverine when he was the regular penciler back in the 90’s.
This book is part 1 of a two-part story and is split into two separate stories. The first of which is beyond excellent by Aaron and Kubert. The second story is penned by Daniel Way of current Wolverine Origins and Tommy Lee Edwards.
The first story is what most Wolverine fans have been dying to see. It is acknowledgement of Wolverine’s involvement in just about every corner of the Marvel Universe at what seems to be the same time. Aaron and Kubert take us through several weeks worth of Wolverine’s life one beautiful and clever panel at a time. From fighting with the Avengers, to the X-Men, X-Force, Japan and everyone else Logan has haunted in his storied history, until he settles in for a few panels with old flame and partner Yukio to bring the story home. She asked Logan why he punishes himself so much and has to try and be everywhere all the time… So much was said in this story without having that much dialogue and you see how deep the character truly is and that is something that 95% of all Wolverine stories lack these days. He is portrayed as a mere cartoon rendering of what he should be, but Jason Aaron has always written Wolvie better than that. He writes him as a hero, who is almost desperate to prove himself as a good man, not to everyone else, just himself.
I’m quite big on characterization in my books and so it is quite refreshing to see one of the best damn characters at Marvel being handled with some character, rather than just slashing his way from issue to issue growling.
The second story is also of great interest to me. Logan hooks up with his old buddy from 20 years back whom is a member of a biker gang. It was a story taken right out of an episode of the Sons of Anarchy almost as it involves rival biker gangs wasting each other over territory and drugs. It just so happens that Logans old buddy “Horror show” is up to his eyeballs in trouble as his junkie son is killing off people in Horror Show’s gang and his gang wants retaliation… blood for blood. Having taken the reigns of his motorcycle club and pushing them all straight and kicking their own drug habits, Horror Show is desperately trying to leave that life behind, but his junkie son feeling spurned and unwilling to kick his habit has placed Horror in a predicament that only a hairy Canadian mutant riding his own hog can settle.
Lots of Wolverine action this month and it feels good to be away from the Old Man Logan stuff that for me has just plain fizzled. Kudos to Aaron and Way this month for giving us back some of the good stuff… My pick of the week.
