Today true believers you get a super special awesome two reviews for one deal! Today we will discuss and muse about about Daken: DW #7 and X-23 #8 which are the Prelude and Chapter 1 of their crossover called "Collision". About two years ago during the X-Men/Dark Avengers we got a cover that teased that there would be a clash between Wolverine's long lost son Daken and his teenage female clone Laura. Needless to say their battle was pathetic and it ended up with Armor and Pixie coming in to help take Daken down. Flash forward to last year's C2E2 where it was announced that both of Wolverine's kids would be getting their own solo series, and with Marjorie Liu solo writing X-23 and co-writing Daken: DW with Daniel Way, most fans knew it would be only a matter of time before the two crossed claws. A little over a year later and the much anticipated battle between Wolverine's offspring is about to commence!
Let us first start off with Daken: DW #7 which not only serves as the conclusion of Act II of the "Empire" arc but also serves as "Collision's" prelude.
When we last left Daken, though some manipulating he managed to unleash chaos in Madripoor and then was about to rumble with Madripoor's de facto leader Tiger Tyger for control of the city. The issue does not open up with the fight but rather with Malcolm Colcord shooting his lead scientist Dr. Metzger with a 48 hr nano bite virus with an ultimatum to re-create the mutant healing factor...or die trying.
We then cut to Daken and Tiger. Daken offers Tiger the role as his figurehead leader in Madripoor because he wishes to rule from the shadows, just as Romulus taught him when he was a boy. Tiger agrees too work for Daken, but Daken quickly squashes her dreams of regaining her power by telling her he's got the Police Captain's daughter hostage and that Tiger's Lieutenants Max and Jaz are dead. He does how say that he will provide her new Lieutenants though.
We then flash forward to a warehouse where two members from the big three crime families/organizations are being held. Tiger then shows up in the rafters and tells them she's building a new regime and that they work for her now. But in a scene clearly inspired from The Dark Knight she tells them there's going to be try-outs. She then tosses down a bag full of swords and has them go at it.
One of the gangsters gets stabbed immediately in the back by his buddy. Now we get an interesting fight, on one hand we have a pair of brothers (Benjamin and Takeshi) and against them is a husband and wife combo(Param and Madhavi)....but one of the brothers has been having an affair with the wife for over a year! So much for bros before hoes. Madhavi goes after Takeshi so that she can be with Benjamin but then gets decapitated Higlander style by the gangster who stabbed his buddy in the back. Param then bashes Benny's head in with a pipe. Wanting revenge Takeshi goes after Param but is stopped by Daken, who whispers in Japanese to live for revenge to him. Daken then tells how Takeshi's mother was killed nine years ago by one Kobus Van Holten. He talks about how his vengeance must be the most calculated and brutal way imaginable, just like how Daken plans to get revenge against Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Solider aka Captain America for killing his mother.
The cops show up and Tiger tells them that they need men, ask Captain Gui. They're shocked to hear this and Tiger tells him that everyone works for her. Daken exits with a smug grin on his face.
We flash back to Colcord and Metzger talking on the phone to someone who turns out to be Daken. It seems he's got some sort of accord with these guys and he nearly guts Colcord when he learns that they recreated the healing factor. Colcord manages to lie his way out of getting clawed, but Daken thinks that Colcord is correct. Daken then asks Metzger when will they start the next phase of tests in which he says immediately just as soon as they get some new test subjects. Metzger's cell phone rings and he hears an unknown voice ask if its him. Daken quickly covers the receiver and asks where the test subjects are coming from. Metzger tells him the docks. We flash to a scene at the docks where X-23 and Gambit have just got off the boat and are about to bust some heads. Daken then narrates that his could be a problem.
A solid issue. Art and writing were good. My only knock was the whole "try-outs" scene. I give it 7 Gs out of 10.
"Collision" starts up proper with X-23 #8 and its starts up with a bang. The issue starts off with Laura on the hunt, thinking about the past and how she has come to Madripoor to stop Weapon X from reforming. She knows that Daken knows where to find Malcolm Colcord, who runs Weapon X.
Laura then continues the hunt with her traveling buddy Gambit tagging along. A couple of scumbags try to nab Laura for a good time, but her days as a street walker are over and she quickly deals with them and moves on. She gets withing reach of Daken, and comments that he has Logan's shoulders and that the two of them are blood...yet blood does not make family.
As Laura is about to make contact her gets distracted by a group of thugs trying to kidnap a kid off the street. Now there are about two things one should not do or suffer the wrath of X-23: 1) Threaten those precious to her (especially a certain telekinetic) 2) Harm innocent children. After dispatching the kidnappers Laura and Gambit take the kid and eventually meet up with Tiger Tyger.
Tiger, Daken's proxy figurehead, has been doing her best to restore order after the chaos in the wake of Daken's rise to power. She agrees to help Laura and Gambit out and tells them to come to her office the next day. The next day the three 'discuss" X-23's origins as well as Daken and Colcord. Tyger "says" she doesn't know anything and kicks them out. Daken appears out from behind a poster and tells Tyger he's intrigued.
What happens next is probably my favorite scene in the book. Laura orders a bowl of garlic and chili noodles and comments about how she likes it compared to the protein solution the Facility gave her and the fast food she ate with the New X-Men. Its a clear sign that Laura is becoming her own person.
Just as Laura is about to sit down to her noodles then Daken stops by for a little chat which of course turns into a showdown. And what a fight it its is! It has everything! Laura tackling Daken through a wall, Daken biting Laura in the next, each of then hacking each other into pieces! And then to top it all off both of them fall off a building and get up ready for more!
And that pretty much sums up Chapter 1.
Ryan Stegman art in Chapter 1 is so great that I hope he takes over for Will Conrad. The coloring could be a little less dark but other than that the art is fantasitc!
Chapter 1 of "Collision" has so much to offer: action, drama, character growth, humor that it deserves nothing less that 10Gs out of 10!
I apologize for the lateness in this review. So many things came up but shit happens. This weekend sometime count on having at least "Age of X" Chapter 5's review up and hopefully Chapter 2 of "Collision" as well!
Till Next Time-The Big G
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