Though this may be a prelude issue, if it’s any indication, Greg Pak is planning to bring some awesome military style action to the “Weapons of Mutant Destruction” series. Teaming up with Greg Land, they aim to setup a covert ops team to take on scientists who are cloning mutants (and Amadeus Cho!) to make weapons not even the heroes could beat!
So what’s it about?
Why does this book matter?
If you’re at all interested in the upcoming crossover event you’ll want to read this. It not only gives you a taste of the story, but sets up where the heroes go from here.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
This is balls to the wall action from beginning to end. It’s also a nice intro to the event if you haven’t read Totally Awesome Hulk #19. Pak opens the issue with the characters going over the enemy they’re about to take down, then thrusts us into a team breakdown and a killer full page spread of Logan holding up a giant gun, Sabretooth grinning with pleasure, and Domino calm and ready. It’s a cool setup in the first two pages and it does a good job filling the reader in for the all out action that’s about to take place.
Logan: He’s little, but mean.
The action in this issue is big and dynamic and Pak utilizes all of the heroes’ powers to their fullest. That includes Hulk’s ability to take massive amounts of damage. It’s interesting to see how Hulk is probably the least tactical–maybe due to his powers–and ends up being more of a distraction for the others. That includes Sabretooth laughing maniacally when it comes to breaking apart robots and Logan doing what he does best. Overall this is an action heavy issue that harkens back to 90’s Marvel when violence and sharp art was key to every issue.
Land does a bang-up job–not a single panel looks off or boring. Lady Deathstrike is a highlight; she’s vicious and her adamantium hands look rather cool. There are also some cool panels that highlight Domino firing off a gun in hyper realistic fashion and a rather awesome moment between Sabertooth and Hulk that gets Cho’s rage up.
I kinda dig those wings.
It can’t be perfect can it?
Though the mutants accomplish something, this issue doesn’t progress the plot all that much from what we learned from Totally Awesome Hulk #19. There is a reveal on the last page which is new, though not much of a surprise given who is behind it all–but for the most part this issue is all-out action and not a lot more. That includes character work, which is pretty light this go-around as it delivers fast paced action and not a lot else.
Is It Good?
Though light on story progression, this is a really good time with plenty of action and exciting art. It may be a prelude, but it by no means holds back when it comes to delightfully violent 90’s style action.
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