WEAPON X: THE DRAFT - AGENT ZERO #1
"Initiation"
Neutral (3/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Frank Tieri
Pencils: Kilian Plunkett
Inks: Terry Austin
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Paul Tutrone
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
And so, the Weapon X: The Draft event launching a new regular series comes to an end. Though one certainly gets to know the players in the upcoming Weapon X series well through these five one-shots, not much in the way of stories have been told, really. Here, Tieri plants the seed for a story, but that's all. Ultimately, instead of drawing me into a new series, these one-shots have fostered indifference, not unlike what seems to have happened with a similar stunt on DC's part involving Kurt Busiek and Tom Grummett's The Power Company earlier this year.
Weapon X is an odd organization. Its goals are scattered, from those beneficial to darker purposes, like killing for profit. The mysterious Director, though, has his own personal goal; his mind is focused on revenge on the mutant known as Logan, also known as Wolverine. But the object of his hatred is so resilient and resourceful, he has to develop an entirely new kind of Weapon X agent to deal with him. That man is Agent Zero, someone from Logan's past who's become an reluctant pawn in the Director's game.
Plunkett and Austin's artwork tells the story clearly, but that's about it. I didn't really get a sense of menace or power from any of the characters. The Director's hidden disfigurement seems too exaggerated, as though the artists overcompensated for the obscuring of his scars. It also occurs to me that the characters -- from Zero to Sabretooth to Agent Jackson -- really aren't all that visually interesting.
I know the point is to target Wolverine, but Agent Zero is outfitted so perfectly for the task that it's just too much for the reader to swallow. Skill and resourcefulness are cast aside. Obviously, part of the Director's revenge is the corruption of one of Logan's friends, but there's no subtlety to it. At the same time, though, there's little explanation. What messed Zero up? If he's as tough as he's made out to be, why's he afraid of death? I appreciate the mystery, but Zero's too much of a blank slate given how prominent his narrative voice is in the book.
Despite my problems with this book -- and the event as a whole -- I have to admit, Tieri succeeded in piquing my curiosity. I really have little interest in Wolverine in the action/espionage-oriented world in which he finds himself, yet Tieri still managed to suck me into the mystery of Agent Zero's true identity. I even have a theory (well, I have a guess, really). Tieri plays that mystery up extremely well, and it should serve as a nice hook to get Wolverine fans on board for the Weapon X series.
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