Weapon X #24
Robert Struble
Recap
Sauron, Pyro (the original Pyro) and Hairbag (seriously?) are having a nice game of poker, discussing the return of Stryker when the aforementioned good reverend appears in his cyborg body and easily overpowers all three.
In some sort of jail cell, Weapon X is trying to figure out their next move. They now realize that Stryker has made a deal with a demon and when weapons drop from the ceiling. No guns, just swords, maces, crossbows, etc. Apparently, Weapon X is to be used for entertainment.
In the Colosseum (such as it is), the crowd, controlled by Mentallo, is clamoring for excitement. Suddenly, all of the mutants captive by Mentallo (including Sauron, Hairbag, and Pyro) attack Weapon X. Deadpool continues to kill the nameless mutants but the three we know gives Weapon X some problems, especially when Pyro ignites Deathstrike’s hands, destroying her way of injecting the others with nanobots, preventing her from freeing any others from Mentallo’s control.
Sabretooth comes up with a better solution then. Deathstrikes tosses the Nuke pills into the air and Domino shoots them perfectly (with a bit of luck), showering the captive audience, turning them into crazed psychopaths which overpowers Mentallo’s control and they turn on him. Once Mentallo is buried in the sea of bodies, his control over the mutants lapses, freeing Sauron and the others.
Sauron then attacks Stryker, tossing him into what looks like a video game death trap (several buzz saws and other blades in the floor). Sauron blasts a hole in the wall, allowing Weapon X and the captive mutants to regroup outside. But Sabretooth isn’t done yet. He’s going back inside to finish the job and kill Stryker.
Review
Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have been such inconsistent writers on this series, it’s getting very frustrating. because I rarely know what kind of book I’m going to pick up. The only thing this issue had going for it was Deadpool…and I loathe even being able to joke about that.
While usually, the departure of Cinar from art means a severe drop in the quality, Pizzari is a reasonable replacement. His faces are distinct, show emotion, and the action is well drawn. Occasionally we get a loss of detail in the scenes but for the most part, they’re exciting to look at.
But that was about it. The rest of the issue was just a major disappointment. Pyro is back… but it’s not the new Pyro who debuted over in X-Men Gold– it’s the original Pyro… And Hairbag? Why are Pak and Van Lente pulling from the bottom of the barrel for such obscure mutants? I’m getting a little tired of seeing Pyro back without any explanation. It just seemed like they needed three random recognizable mutants (or 2 mutants and 1 mutate) and drew names from a hat.
And where in the world was Mystique? She got knocked out by Deadpool last issue and isn’t even around this issue. Did Pak and Van Lente just forget they had her on this team? It’s just poor storytelling and something I expected better from those two.
And of course, let’s not forget about the silliness of providing the mutants with weapons for their entertainment. Maybe it has something to do with the blood sacrifice to the demon mentioned, but it seems like a bad Bond villain’s plan. Would’ve been better to just drop them one at a time onto the blades on the floor (which were also kind of silly but I’m getting tired of complaining).
With this series wrapping up, I’m hoping for a little more consistency as we head into Weapon X-Force. Maybe this was just a dip in the road but it’s the first one in a long time that had good art but a really bad story.
Final Thoughts
With a good replacement for Cinar in the art department, I was hoping for more with this issue, but Pak and Van Lente fail to deliver in almost every part of this chapter.
Weapon X #24: A Boring Battle Royale
- Writing - 5/105/10
- Storyline - 3/103/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 7/107/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10