A little too much like Wolverine's Weapon X story
Opening Remarks:
When I saw the teaser cover in some other comic whose title I can’t recall, I was instantly drawn to it so when I saw it again at my LCS today I immediately grabbed it as it’s even more gorgeous looking in person. I really wanted this series to draw me in with a good, original story, and, while there is still potential for that it smacks very much of Wolverine’s Weapon X experiences.
Plot Summary:
The main character’s (Ray’s) body is either riddled with or almost completely made of nanites that are able to do a number of things such as reconstruct matter on a subatomic level, and as a result, repair severe wounds, and even allow for brief shape shifting, amongst other things. The basic story is that Ray is recruited to rescue a friend/comrade named Apanewicz who’s been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan. He’s captured, escapes only to be captured again, escapes yet again, only to be subdued by the very people he initially trusted. It is during his second capture that we start to learn about the more sinister nature of his employer. As it turns out, the people who have captured him and are downloading unspecified information from him tell him that his memories have been engineered by said employer to motivate him to do the missions he’s assigned. In a fit of shock, he breaks free, only to be captured some time afterwards as previously mentioned.
The Good:
The story is well-written (despite one stereotypical military HQ overreaction panel) and the art is incredibly well-done and gorgeous. The violence does the story justice by really making you feel bad for Ray, who gets shot to s*** at least three times in the issue. In this respect, it reminds me of how the Punisher’s tragic past was framed. In addition, Ray is shown to be a dedicated family man, devoted soldier and patriot, and a little bit naïve. In short, Ray is a likeable character. The way he’s caught off guard before his capture is also well-worth reading.
The Bad: (Spoilers! Spoilers! Spoilers!)
We come to find out that he’s been designed to be the perfect weapon/soldier, complete with lots of false memories, even ones that involve him being involved with multiple families. When you couple this with his freak out and subsequent breakout of the Afghanistan facility, the story really feels like a Weapon X story. Honestly, that’s my biggest gripe with this issue/arc but I have hope that it will find a way to make itself stand out.
Overall Opinion:
I’d say grab this is you want an artistic treat, a solid military story, or just a really cool looking, bada$$ cover, you’re in luck. Enjoy the scan. I know I did.
