TASKMASTER #2
"Patched Wounds"
Recommended (7/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Ken Siu-Chong
Artists: David Ahn, Omar Dogan, Alan Tam, Rob Ross & Shane Law
Letters: Jon Babcock
Editor: Brian Smith
Price: $2.99 US/$4.75 CAN |
You know what this limited series is? It's a caper book. The title character is playing two enemies against one another, and it makes for an action-packed, entertaining read. This is far from the most cutting-edge book. It's not the next Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns. But it is a lot of fun and a fine example of a different kind of collaborative effort in comics.
After escaping from the trap laid for him by Sunset Bain, Taskmaster has two new missions in life: (a) to get even, and (b) to get paid his $1 million anyway. The answer to both lies with setting Bain and her men against their bitter rivals: the Triad gangs. In order to get the Triads to wage a bloody and expensive urban war with Bain, Taskmaster infiltrates their ranks and simply gives the order.
The Udon crew's art isn't inspired by the Japanese manga style, per se, but anime. There's definitely a cinematic, animated look at play here. Though I usually don't go for much in the way of Japanese-inspired comic art, this stuff really works for me. Udon not only captures the action feel of a Hong Kong flick, but they comunicate the cockiness of the title character nicely.
The most novel thing about this series is how Siu-Chong has done something exciting and new with the title character. In the past, Taskmaster was really nothing more than a guy who could fight well, but the character has been tweaked -- and logically so -- to incorporate an espionage angle that's a lot of fun. His schtick now reminds me of that from the Sam Raimi movie Darkman, only without the tragic elements or, you know, heroism.
Usually, having four artists working on a single book could translate into inconsistent art and even jarring shifts. But the studio approach to comic storytelling -- both in writing and illutration -- seems to work well for the Udon crew. Though the credit divide responsibilities up, I get the feeling there was plenty of input going back and forth among these comics pros in order to arrive at this entertaining final product.
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