When you’re a fast-healing mutant on the run from a clandestine government organization, you have to find solace in the little victories. In Weapon X #2, at least the robots smell now. Is it good?
The Skinny
Hey, there’s another former X-Forcer alone in the woods. But why does one of the strongest mutants (who can fly, too!) need knives to take down a helicopter? It’s like a gorilla using an olive fork.
After decades of experience, Old Man Logan is no dummy. You’re gonna have to help, Creed, or they’ll get you, too! Looks like the bad guys are going for the clean sweep, ’cause the one promised team member we haven’t seen yet just showed up on their radar. Clean out another tube!
The Lowdown
If you read the debut issue (just out a couple weeks ago), then you’ll know what to expect from Weapon X #2. Writer Greg Pak, artist Greg Land and colorist Frank D’Armata are nothing if not consistent. Pak capably advances the plot while slightly heightening the tension as more mutants are captured and their adversaries become more formidable. There’s nuance to some of the villain characters, too, who just want to clock out and get on with their lives.
Lands robots are very nice, and his action scenes, while still not being stellar, haven’t lost a step from the previous issue. D’Armata’s colors are there to enhance the action, not to steal the show.
Sadly, consistency also means the creative team’s missteps carry over, too. There’s a lot of redundant dialogue, and the veiled exposition misses as often as it hits. We don’t need you to tell us Warpath heals and flies, Mr. Scary Man, it’s right there on the page. And why the hell does Sabretooth STILL not seem like he’s inverted? Do I need to go read the end of Cullen Bunn’s Uncanny X-Men?
Land still struggles with faces, as Warpath looks like a mannequin in some shots. The panel layouts are very ordinary, too, leaving the whole presentation rather bland.
The Upshot
Weapon X #2 is more of the same from the creative team of Pak and Land. These guys are professional enough, and have been around long enough, that you can set your watch to their performance and know exactly what you’re going to get. Of course, that can be either good or bad. If you’ve gotten a taste and want more, you don’t have to fear about things going sideways in a hurry. If it’s not your cup of tea, best to cut out now, as nothing is likely to change in the near future.
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