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If you ask me, Domino is one of the most underused characters in the Marvel universe. Just look at how awesome she was in Deadpool 2 and you can see luck-based powers are quite a cool thing. Mix those powers into a team and you have winning success. In the new series Hotshots, Marvel is mixing her powers with an eclectic bunch of badasses.
So what’s it about?
Read the preview.
Why does this matter?
Gail Simone and David Baldeon are back after we all thought Domino was canceled for good. What fools we are. This new series packs a whole new kind of punch with even more badass Marvel ladies.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Dude, I think you need an ointment.
Credit: Marvel Comics
This issue sets up a mission that has caper written all over it. It opens with a mysterious McGuffin that lands on Earth then cuts to a scene that gets this new team off on the right foot with Black Widow. As the story progresses Domino’s captions permeate the pages, giving you a taste of her matter-of-fact personality. She’s definitely the lead, but the supporting team members are colorful in various ways (like clear grudges between two for instance). The cliffhanger, which I won’t give away, is going to add a whole lot of comedic chemistry to this no-nonsense bunch. This issue is table setting one to be sure, but it’s got all the right pieces for quite a fun adventure.
The villain of this adventure, introduced in the first few pages, has a delectable Kirby look. Baldeon draws a mean energy beam, let me tell you. There is a Frankenstein’s monster thing going on which makes the baddie unpredictable, but also empathetic. The colors by Jim Charalampidis certainly make the bad guy pop too. A standout page has a closeup panel on the monster utilizing white and black to create depth, but also detailed damage. It’s wild.
Don’t say her name!
Credit: Marvel Comics
It can’t be perfect, can it?
Much is made of a feud between Black Widow and another character (no spoilers) but this takes time away from the other characters on the team. They get about a page or two of banter and not much more. The team aspect is lost, or at the very least waiting to kick in for future issues. Much of the issue is setup too, opening with a grabber of a scene then cutting to a quiet and somewhat slow dialogue between Domino and Black Widow. Things don’t really ramp up until 14 pages in.
Is it good?
A strong internal narrative for Domino keeps the book focused and razor sharp while the plot gets set up. I can’t get over how creative the villain is and also how royally screwed this misfit team is going to be going forward.
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