Of the five 2099 one-shots being released this week, this was the one I was most interested in because it's the only one that wasn't based on an already established Marvel character. Unfortunately, the result is a thoroughly generic super-hero story that's so bright and light in tone, I can't imagine why anyone thought it would make a fitting tribute to "five" years (it's actually six) of Marvel's dark, mature super-hero imprint, Marvel Knights. The storytelling is capable, but lacking in any kind of inventive thinking. The art is frenetic, meant to appeal to the manga crowd and the traditional American super-hero art fan at the same time, but it fails to hit either mark.
Almost 100 years into the future, the world is a radically different place. There are hardly any costumed heroes running around anymore, and many feel they're not needed, as Sentinel robots enforce law and order with incredible efficiency. High school student Chad Channing is a registered mutant, taking prescribed medications designed to suppress his powers and make him a regular member of society. Of course, with the help of a forgotten hero, he's embraced his powers and donned a costume to help protect lives. But in the process, he's sacrificed a sense of normalcy, and he's not sure it's worth it.
We've seen Khary Randolph's work on Marvel characters before, notably on the Mangaverse version of Spider-Man. Randolph's angular and energetic style suits the title character's powers nicely, but it's so exaggerated, the human aspect of the storytelling is lost. The protagonist is portrayed inconsistently, and the registration tattoo on his arm isn't emphasized for the reader nearly as much. Hell, this is the one title in this event in which "2099" doesn't refer directly to the year in which it is set.
Connecting the character to the Marvel Universe with an established character as a mentor was a smart move, but this vision of the classic Marvel hero is too far removed from the one most readers would recognize. And it's not just a matter of appearance. Even the hero in question acknowledges that his personality and methods are completely different... or in other words, completely out of character.
Take Spider-Man's origin, a dash of Batman's and elements from the world of the X-Men, and you've got Mutant 2099. Or to really simplify things, this is Speedball 2099. Yes, Speedball. The character is visually and conceptually a lot like that Ditko-drawn character of the 1990s. And that's about the most remarkable thing one can say about this new creation. Kirkman has created a thoroughly generic super-hero here. Of course, it makes sense that only conventional, cookie-cutter ideas went into this story. It's highly unlikely we'll see the character and Kirkman's take on Marvel's future again.
