DOMINO #1 Discussion/Spoiler Thread: We're All Strays Here

[CraigTheCylon]

Pretty sure I cracked a rib on Monday evening and haven't gotten it seen to yet. Still made a point of walking several hours to get to the LCS just for this. Now I can't so much as stand up without hissing in agony.

Not to get hyperbolic but Domino #1 is worth that and more.

Summary:
spoilers:

Open to: a patch-eyed pug making a gormless face. Domino, in a swanky San Francisco penthouse, exposits about the dangers of getting to know her, like she's attempting to talk herself out of caring for the dog, but relents. It pees on her. Cut to: earlier that day, forest zone in the Pacific northwest. Dom's on a job, along with Inez 'Outlaw' Temple, investigating timber theft which is apparently a thing. When they find their marks - a bunch of Russian gangster types with a hostage - Dom chooses to go in solo, confident in her skills and power. The confidence lasts until the hostage delivers her a 'present' in the form of a broken domino, then suddenly shifts into a Nosferatu-looking monster form and swats her into the path of a speeding cargo truck. As Dom internally notes how her power keeps her alive but rarely unscathed, she tries to run, slips, falls, and conveniently winds up in the gap between the truck's tyres. Outlaw then joins the fray, and fastballs Dom into the gangsters (she tucks up and rebounds off several of them a la Sonic the Hedgehog) before the monster guy tries to make something of it. Two laser sights aimed at his testicles compel him to change back to his non-threatening human self, and he says he was put up to it by someone named 'Topaz' before the 3rd musketeer of Dom's crew, Diamondback, shows up with transport. Back to San Fran, Dom has decided to keep monster guy - actual name: Adelbert - around, much to Diamondback's consternation. She also wants a quiet, early night, since it's actually her birthday and she doesn't handle those well...but Outlaw already arranged a surprise party, featuring more cameo players than I'd care to mention. Suffice to say it includes the 'ex-boyfriend club'. Deadpool arranged the music, meaning he somehow convinced Dazzler to turn up. Dom gets a little emotional, and is almost instantly struck by a killer migraine and the dredged-up memories of the crappier parts of her life. She covers for this by drinking too much and hurting Colossus' feelings. Diamondback pulls her outside for the fireworks show, but relents when she notices Dom's discomfort, and instead introduces her to the aforementioned pug. Rachel leaves Dom alone but runs into Wade and Agent X, who warn her that 'Topaz' has a mark put out on Dom and her associates. Speaking of which, Dom's rest is interrupted by an extremely old man and his super-stern nurse. The man hands her a gift box containing another broken domino, and the nurse - Topaz, of course - attacks, throwing Dom around with obviously enhanced strength. While the old man gloats, Dom inwardly realizes she can't 'feel' her powers functioning...just in time for Topaz to throw her bodily out the window and leave her plummeting 30-odd stories to the street.

end of spoilers

Initial Thoughts:
- It's likely no shock to say I dug this mightily, but I'll try to explain why without just making googly happy noises.
- First off, Gail Simone absolutely gets how Neena should sound and behave. She's got a quick wit and lackadaisical attitude, but she hates it when things feel beyond her control, or when she winds up as the butt of the joke. Plus, by merc standards, she wears her heart on her sleeve, though she'd sooner die than admit it in most cases. Simone also acknowledges that her life hasn't all been sunshine and scrapes, that the ghosts of the bad old days still rear their heads, and that Dom doesn't handle their echoes gracefully. Short version: she's a hot mess and I love it.
- Also something I appreciate Simone giving us is some actual female friends for Domino. I've been beating this particular drum for years: Dom's always felt a little too distanced from the other women of the X-Men, the core of which form a solid superhero sorority going back decades. Dom may work with them when the time comes but she's never really felt like she's in their circle, and Boom Boom is the only one I'd call a solid pal of hers. Granted, I don't remember much (if any) on-panel history connecting Dom with Outlaw and Diamondback but their interactions feel genuine and sweet enough that I find myself not caring.
- Of course I'm shipping them already.
- We don't deserve David Baldéon. Really. It's hard to point out a single thing he does well because I'd be ignoring several other things, but for a list: his action beats are clear-cut yet have a sense of real motion, his expressions are exaggerated but not to the point of grotesquery*, he puts way more detail into his backgrounds than just about anyone...oooh, and the clothes! There's a lot of supertypes in non-spandex kit in this issue, and it really feels like Baldéon put serious thought into what everybody would wear (I'm particularly keen on Storm's look - not going to pretend I know what it is, but it's a far more casual choice than usual which still adheres to her overall style).
- Props also to colourist Jesus 'Christ Superstar' Aburtov. I'm not great at pointing out the exact specifics of what makes good colouring - otherwise I'd be trying to get paid for my opinions - but I will point to how the evening sun in the forest sequence not only fills in the background but also frames the characters with an amber edge. It's the kind of detail most would miss.
- Dazzler is 'the Thin White Duchess' now and I never want her to change back.
- As for New Mystery Villain: I'm refusing to speculate too much until I get more info. Suffice to say that there's a personal grudge there, and there's only so many places someone with that level of mad-on for our girl could grow out of.
- They had better not harm one hair of Pip the pug's fur or I swear to you people will die.

Over to you, kiddies.

[cc008]

I can't wait to get my hands on this.

[Harpsikord]

Question, was Agent X dead before this issue?

[CraigTheCylon]

Question, was Agent X dead before this issue?

...not sure? I remember him being morbidly obese in Cable & Deadpool - and that is acknowledged here - but nobody says anything about him being dead.

[DDM]

Happy to see Outlaw and Diamondback. I loled at the Colossus panel, literally no one wants this marriage.

[Harpsikord]

...not sure? I remember him being morbidly obese in Cable & Deadpool - and that is acknowledged here - but nobody says anything about him being dead.

I just know he's been out of the books for a while and my thought was that maybe this was the character who Simone brought back.

[cc008]

I just know he's been out of the books for a while and my thought was that maybe this was the character who Simone brought back.

Yeah he was never killed or anything. Just really large and in charge (of Agency X) until he made Deadpool in charge. Then we was just really large.

[Nyssane]

Anaconda cameo. <3

I'm not sure how I feel about Diamondback's characterization. She was down in the dumps not too long ago, but now she's haughty and evidently well-off? Strange.

[PopCulturePooka]

This was amazing. On par with Rogue & Gambit for really good X-books. Much better than what we've seen in recent years. If this is the standard we can start expecting with CB at the helm, I'll be a happy X-fan again.

[BroHomo]

Sooo it IS a tattoo!!!??!

[Anduinel]

SonuvaBITCH, I forgot this was out today! I'll have to read it when I get home.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Well Domino did have Siryn over to help her get ready for a date with Cable once...as Cable had Sam there for him...

[akiresu_]

I didn't really have expectations for this, as the mercenary side (Domino, Deadpool, Agent X, Cable) of X-Stuff has never really been my haunt, but, wow, this honestly blew me away. Really compelling stuff.

It also made me realise how sad I am the Domino/Colossus relationship was thrown out for a retread of Kitty/Piotr. That was such a good pairing.

[Angrel-San]

Fun issue.

Didn't expected Diamondback at all. That was a surprise.

And if Domino is a comic to boost up Dazzler's resume for her ongoing mainstays then I'm all for it.

Next issue is Domino + Dazzler kicking ass.

[MarvelMaster616]

Really enjoyed this first issue. Had a lot of fun moments that really maximized Domino's strengths. She got to shoot things. She got to catch up with old boyfriends. She got to make friends with an adorable dog. There was just so much fun to be had. I really like how Simone has approached this series and I hope it continues to evolve.