Domino #2 - Review Thread

[Agatha's Ghost]

I was disheartened to see that no one had written a review thread of Domino #2. This is the only X-Book headlining a woman. Normally, I would not write a review of a story about a mutant, but I felt that this issue was written by a kindred spirit. It fed my certainty that mutants have sold themselves short by giving into science and the ideology of evolution.

When we last saw Domino, she had been hurled out of her highrise by a geriatric creep and his female bodyguard (womankind was not meant to live in such phallic structures). Interestingly, these bullies share a passing resemblance to Charles Xavier and Jean Grey, and I wondered was this intentional? Domino is falling to her death and can *feel* that her luck powers have abandoned her. Interestingly, she anthropomorphizes them, calling out to her powers as one would normally call out to one of the goddesses. Halfway to the ground, the Xavier figure commands his bodyguard to reignite Domino's powers. Immediately, Spider-Man swings by to catch Domino, which truly is lucky given that they are in San Francisco.

Deadpool and the assembled mercs and X-Men confront her attackers. For some reason, in this scene, Amadeus Cho calls Rachel Summers "Kitty" and Rachel tolerates the slight instead of frying his brain. The X-Men reveal their low moral character by threatening to murder Domino's attackers in cold blood. Real heroes would have arrested them. Deadpool proclaims that this is why none of them are Avengers-caliber.

The rest of the story delves into the real trauma one would feel in Domino's shoes. Spider-Man places her on the roof to her building. She refuses to face her friends downstairs. Diamondback and Outlaw break up the party. The only one who refused to leave was Deadpool, who remained to check on her new puppy. Just like a man to worry about a dog instead of the woman who nearly died. Man's best friend, indeed. More like the other way around.

The following morning, Domino goes jogging with Amadeus Cho. She begs him to develop nanites (ha!) that can protect her powers from any similar attempts to deactivate them. This is the height of irony. Domino is worshipping at the Golden Calf of Science. Her powers are based on chaos and unpredictability, yet she demands a scientific guarantee that they can be forced to protect her. Amadeus tells her that science is not magic. And truly it isn't. I would have been more forgiving of Neena if she had at least turned for help to a mistress of the mystical arts, one who might be attuned to another woman's relationship to chaos such as the Scarlet Witch, or Clea, or even Satana. Why not Agatha Harkness herself? At the very least, she could have paid a visit to Doctor Voodoo or Doctor Strange, though they would have surely disappointed her.

Her next mission at a riverboat casino stocked with gambling machines made to resemble Sentinels; they resemble her very sin against her powers, her decision to turn to machinery for help. Naturally, chaos erupts when she enters the casino. Her powers have "gone viral." The machines have become infected with good luck. Her attacker returns, more mobile and younger. We learn that his powers have been linked to Domino for years. Every time she experiences a turn of good luck, he experiences the bad. It reminded me of the old Excalibur tale -- the Soul Sword Trilogy -- in which we learn that the Sorceress Shrill is connected to the Soul Sword. Every time Illyana Rasputin used it in the service of mutant freedom or her own caprices, Shrill would suffer agonizing pain. Until mutants decide to shed their ignorance and research how they are mystically connected to others, innocent magic users will continue to suffer and continue to be forced to hunt them down. Domino's friends pay for her willful ignorance. To punish her for years of torture and to heal himself, her nemesis executes Domino's friends. Outlaw, Amadeus, and Diamondback all die in an explosion on the final page of the book.

10/10

[Filthy Mutie]

Diamondback, you say?

[Angrel-San]

This issue was amazing!!!

Totally worth the money. Great pacing, art, action and character moments.

So far, Domino is scoring home runs in these 2 issues.

[cc008]

Whoa. Heavy.

[Angrel-San]

Diamondback, you say?

Yeah, Steve Rogers' ex.

[Ambaryerno]

This is the only X-Book headlining a woman.

O_o

Last issue of ANW hasn't released, and it's only taking a month off before relaunching as X-23 in July.

Anyway, the book was definitely a fun read. But yeah, the X-Men (aside from Cable) being perfectly willing to strike down Topaz and his nurse in cold blood was a little...off.

[Agatha's Ghost]

O_o

Last issue of ANW hasn't released, and it's only taking a month off before relaunching as X-23 in July.

Anyway, the book was definitely a fun read. But yeah, the X-Men (aside from Cable) being perfectly willing to strike down Topaz and his nurse in cold blood was a little...off.

Woman. Not "soulless, unnatural abomination."

[Filthy Mutie]

Yeah, Steve Rogers' ex.

Which type of aerial vehicle best describes her physique in this latest appearance?

O_o

How old is X-23 supposed to be these days?

[Ambaryerno]

Woman. Not "soulless, unnatural abomination."

*YAWN* You'll have to troll better than that.

[Drakeon]

None of this reads like the Domino I have loved for 20 years.

This is not how her powers work. This has never been her personality. She's already been through this powerloss story before so seeing her do it all over again and feeling fear is disrespecting continuity since this wouldnt be new to her.

Cho comes out of nowhere just like Diamondback did. If she needed someone to trust there is many people she could go to before a random choice like Cho.

Plot was a bit boring for me and I really dont like the ironic humor.

[Angrel-San]

None of this reads like the Domino I have loved for 20 years.

This is not how her powers work. This has never been her personality. She's already been through this powerloss story before so seeing her do it all over again and feeling fear is disrespecting continuity since this wouldnt be new to her.

Cho comes out of nowhere just like Diamondback did. If she needed someone to trust there is many people she could go to before a random choice like Cho.

Plot was a bit boring for me and I really dont like the ironic humor.

Not really out of nowhere since Domino and Cho worked together in Weapon X to stop the Hulkverine and the scientists.

[Silver Fang]

None of this reads like the Domino I have loved for 20 years.

This is not how her powers work. This has never been her personality. She's already been through this powerloss story before so seeing her do it all over again and feeling fear is disrespecting continuity since this wouldnt be new to her.

Cho comes out of nowhere just like Diamondback did. If she needed someone to trust there is many people she could go to before a random choice like Cho.

Plot was a bit boring for me and I really dont like the ironic humor.

Hulk Cho? If it was him, yuck. Now we really know Gail is trying as much as possible to connect her Domino to Pak's story & characterization. I hope Creed doesn't show up in this anywhere. He's screwed up enough in Weapon X.

Sadly, our fears are happening. Any character Pak's been writing for over a year now will be the new go-to voices for new writers.

[Drakeon]

Not really out of nowhere since Domino and Cho worked together in Weapon X to stop the Hulkverine and the scientists.

Yes but there are a ton of others that she trusts more than Cho. Just cause she worked with him before doesnt mean he would be the one to go to. Cable, Warpath, any member of X-Force. Hell, even Deadpool. People shes known for years would be more trustworthy than Cho.

The only reason I can say she went to Cho for was cause he is smart and might be able to keep her powers from turning off. But then again she coukd go to Forge or Beast, people with experience in that field of study.

[Filthy Mutie]

None of this reads like the Domino I have loved for 20 years.

This is not how her powers work. This has never been her personality. She's already been through this powerloss story before so seeing her do it all over again and feeling fear is disrespecting continuity since this wouldnt be new to her.

Cho comes out of nowhere just like Diamondback did. If she needed someone to trust there is many people she could go to before a random choice like Cho.

Plot was a bit boring for me and I really dont like the ironic humor.

Counterpoint: Domino probably won't ever get another solo book, so maybe everything is good and fine?

[Digifiend]

Yes but there are a ton of others that she trusts more than Cho. Just cause she worked with him before doesnt mean he would be the one to go to. Cable, Warpath, any member of X-Force. Hell, even Deadpool. People shes known for years would be more trustworthy than Cho.

The only reason I can say she went to Cho for was cause he is smart and might be able to keep her powers from turning off. But then again she coukd go to Forge or Beast, people with experience in that field of study.

Spoilers for DP 300:spoilers:

Deadpool just forgot she exists. Wiped his memory.

end of spoilers

Warpath would've worked if she just wanted a friendly ear or extra muscle - isn't he basically her boyfriend now? Surely he'll turn up at some point. But yeah, she picked Ammy for his science knowledge.