Uncanny X-Periment # 103: "The Hunted"

Wolverine # 162-166, Deadpool: Agent of Weapon X # 1-4

There’s a lot going on here, so I’m going to summarize it rather shortly.

Wolverine finds himself dreaming of people dying – people who he later finds out are connected somehow. When he discovers that one of his dreams has come true and he is blamed for the death of a Senator, he and Beast go on the run. With the help of Nicky Fury, a mystical bounty hunter called the Shiver Man, and Maverick, Logan tries to unravel the mystery.

Unfortunately, SHIELD agent Brent Jackson tricks Logan and Beast and captures them. They end up in a prison called the Cage, where the pair are harassed by the various gangs and the guards themselves. Eventually, a French vampire-guy called Mauvis comes to kill Wolverine, but after eating Logan’s eye, he moves on. Then, Wolverine is freed by Sabretooth (who has his Adamantium back) and some soldiers. They take Wolverine and Beast to a facility, where Logan discovers that a new Weapon X project has begun. Led by a man who Logan scarred badly years ago, the new Weapon X project is quite different that the previous version. It’s so far separated from the old project that Wolverine was used as a sleeper agent to kill all those associated with the old project.

This Weapon X project gives Mutants the option to either serve them or die. If they serve, then they can get their powers augmented. If they don’t, they’re killed. John Wraith and Maverick are both approached due to their involvement with Team X all those years ago. Sabretooth kills Maverick for refusing and then kills Wraith for the helluva it.

Logan is just about to be given new implants with the Shiver Man shows up and helps free both Logan and Beast. Sabretooth tussles with Wolverine but loses and Wolverine and Beast return home.

In the meantime, Weapon X looks to recruit Deadpool. Deadpool agrees and spends a crapload of cash celebrating when they’re able to restore his face. However, when a Mutant kid is killed by Kane, Deadpool is fool of doubts. The Director then gives Deadpool a new mission – to kill his shape-shifting ex-girlfriend, Copycat. Deadpool instead tries to get her to safety, but fails as when he fights Kane, she is killed by Sabretooth. Deadpool then decides to go after Weapon X. He takes out a bunch of soldiers, crashes into their facility and almost gets away with killing them all, but is pretty much just wiped out. He dies giving the Director the finger. His hand (his only remaining body part, and bare in mind his middle finger is missing) is sent to Wolverine as a gift from Weapon X.

. . . er, he comes back later.

As a whole, this is an enjoyable bunch of issues. Tieri gets a little off course when he brings in the Shiver Man and Mauvis, but for the most part, it’s readable. The Wolverine issues are the stronger of the set, simply because Deadpool comes off as more annoying than funny. The art in both books is rather good, with Sean Chen being the better.

My major critism is that the characters spend too much time explaining to themselves what is happening. Sometimes it’s out loud, sometimes it’s in a thought boxes. It’s nothing new to comics, but it’s something that’s getting outdated fast. It makes this series feel like it’s coming from the mid-to-late 90s. Not that that’s a bad thing.

The really like the Weapon X concept here. Actually, what I like about is that while it’s somewhat based on the old Weapon X project, it’s pretty much become something new. It may have a tie or two to the old project, but it can stand on its own. Expect to see the Weapon X series to show up here on the X-Periment.

~W~