Domino #1
Writer: Joe Pruett
Art: Brian Stelfreeze
Perfect Weapon: Part 1 of 4There were innumerable trials and tribulations in getting this book out. The original information said it was slated for release in 'fall of 2001.' Fall turned into November, then there was news that the editor had left for DC, and the book went into suspended hell. There was nothing but news of its continual delay. A year passed. Finally, news that it would be out 'early 2003.' Early became May, and after a few more promising interviews and sneak-peaks, it hit the shelves. Given all of the suspense, is it even possible for the book to live up to expectations?
Easily. But first, a note on the format. This enter book was originally conceived by Stelfreeze, who then got Pruett on the writing chores. The two of them were given, essentially, free reign with the book, and it shows. The whole thing is done in large, bright, clean panels with a movie-like flow to them. The covers are pained. The style takes a minute or two to get used to (especially with the subtle character redesign) but once you do, it's smooth sailing. Okay, so on to the story.
Day One: Hong Kong. Dom spends several lovely panels kicking the crap out of guys in suits, while someone on the other end of a headset gives her crap about her performance and generally appears to completely underestimate her abilities. Whee. I hate whoever it is already, but that's okay. Dom doesn't seem too fond of them either. She retrieves a sealed petri dish with some sort of what I assume to be biological substance on it, and hightails it out of there. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
Day Four: Atlanta. There's a computer geek doing computer things. We can assume from the dialogue he's found whatever it is he wanted to find.
Day Seven: San Francisco. We finally find out who was on the other end of that com set. Some guy named Jonathon, who's as annoying in person as he was as a disembodied voice. It's also confirmed that whatever's in that container is an infectious organism. Dom doesn't really give as crap what it is, she just wants her payment. Jonathan insists on spouting more of his Zen wisdom about how Dom should let all her enemies do the work for her, and at this point, I'm realizing two things: One, he fancies himself one of those 'handlers.' You know what I mean, people who think it's their job to mold and shape and guide the operatives who work for them. Two, he hasn't got clue one about Dom. Dom seems to think he's pretty much full of it, too. One quick note on the writing here, and it's just a minor one... Dom seems to come off a little younger than she is. This is probably because A) she got a hell of a face lift from a space lizard back in X-Force, and B) Stelfreeze was purposely toning down the usual 'superhero' proportions. She's not as tall, not as busty, but it's realistic. Even in the glory days of comic art, Domino was a little more boyishly built than, say, Jean Grey. It's nice to see it played upon. Frankly, it makes her seem all the more dangerous. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a short-ass person myself and have gotten sick of all the 5'8" heroines over the years. Anyway, I digress. Back to the plot. We find out the 'payment' consists of a plane ticket to Atlanta (guess who's got a date with the computer geek) a note, and a printout of what appears to be a mug shot of someone who looks a hell of a lot like Dom.
Day Eight: Place Unknown. Cue what look like some sort of ninja/monks running around, saying things like 'all is in readiness' and 'we have waited a lifetime for this opportunity.' You just *know* it's going to be bad news with lines like that. There's also a huge cross carved in a mountain face in the opening panel. Make of that what you will.
Day Ten: Atlanta. Dom (in a red wig that made me realize part of my problem with the art earlier in the issue is that I still hate the short haircut) meets up with the computer geek who has kept her waiting for too long. She's a bit annoyed with him. I'm glad they got her personality down so well after the cardboard cutout Domino that occupied most of the 80-90s issues of X-Force. It's here we find out that Dom's true 'payment' for the job in Hong Kong was getting information on her mother. Cue me going "Oh, crap. This isn't going to go well, I just know it..." What she learns, is, essentially that the woman doesn't exist. There are no records, aside from that printout Dom received earlier. But the computer geek *has* found something, and has it on a nice shiny disc for her. Which, of course, is promptly shattered by a gunshot.
I told you this wouldn't go well.
So Dom springs into action, pulls the computer geek to some cover, but the cover proves useless as the bad guys are firing bullets that manage to rip through two feet of solid stone. Cue the computer geek bleeding out all over the sidewalk. Damn. But Dom gets her hands on one of the bullets and pockets it, before dodging another shot, losing her cover, and getting a helicopter coming after her, up close and personal. So she makes a run for it, tosses her watch behind her, turns, tells the 'copter to stop (talk about guts), and looks highly amused when the helicopter goes 'boom' as her watch explodes. Where can *I* get a watch like that, I want to know. And that's the end of the issue. She's still got the bullet, and we've got a set up for what is bound to be an interesting ride.
I give this one a 4 1/2, as Jonathan and the computer geek kind of annoyed me, but everything else kicked large amounts of ass.