Deathlok Appreciation Page: All versions welcome

[Nomads1]

My only contact with the Truman Deathlok was the introduction of it in the X-Men crossover, which I found very weak (having been such a huge Michael Collins fan, I might have been biased). What is it that you guys think so great about him? What made that version stand out from the previous? I've been thinking about purchasing the TPB, but it's kind of expensive.
As for the great run of artists, after Cowan and Manely left, no big names took over for them.

Peace

[Captain Craig]

IST has what appears to be the whole Truman/Deathlok TPB, Rage Against the Machine. It collects 19 issues, the other 8 are crossovers in the X-titles, 11 of which are his solo series. I didn't realize he had that many appearances. At some point I may need to get that as my exposure is only a few issues on his incarnation.

[FanboyStranger]

My only contact with the Truman Deathlok was the introduction of it in the X-Men crossover, which I found very weak (having been such a huge Michael Collins fan, I might have been biased). What is it that you guys think so great about him? What made that version stand out from the previous? I've been thinking about purchasing the TPB, but it's kind of expensive.
As for the great run of artists, after Cowan and Manely left, no big names took over for them.

Peace

That X-crossover that launched the M-Tech line is terrible. Just terrible art, terrible story, terrible everything. I kinda wished that they didn't include it in the Rage Against the Machine tpb as it is so inferior to the material surrounding it. Don't let Alan Davis' name on the byline fool you-- he's only credited as "plotter", and Terry Kavanaugh wrote the damn thing. It may be the nadir of lazy '90s X-Men stories.

I think what really set the series apart from the previous incarnations (besides the Manco art) was that Casey was playing around with a lot of different ideas that made the book almost impossible to classify. If it resembles any other comic, it's Miller/Sienkiewicz' Elektra: Assassin. The first three issues are the most action oriented, but there was quite a bit of body horror there as Truman has his mind swapped with a seven year old mutant boy who is bullied at school. From there, it gets more espionage as Truman goes undercover, something that eventually culiminates in Nick Fury being lost within a cover identity, and Truman trying to pull him out. Also, there's The Ringmaster turning in his top hat and running for President while his former associate The Clown goes on a mayhem spree trying to track him down. There's so many crazy plots being juggled around, but they all fit into one another in clever ways that I didn't see coming.

If the Buckler/Moench run was an attempt at some radical political sci-fi and the McDuffie/Wright run was more of a conventional superhero book, Casey's run was somewhere in between the two, but not quite in the vein of either. It's a crazy, paranoid espionage book that fit well in an era obsessed with conspiracies and black ops. I'd also argue that it's where Casey finally found his voice as an author, and you can start to see the writer who would have a brilliant, genre-smashing run on Wildcats a few years later.

And, of course, Leo Manco art, plus fill-ins by Eric Canete and some of John Buscema's last work.

[FanboyStranger]

IST has what appears to be the whole Truman/Deathlok TPB, Rage Against the Machine. It collects 19 issues, the other 8 are crossovers in the X-titles, 11 of which are his solo series. I didn't realize he had that many appearances. At some point I may need to get that as my exposure is only a few issues on his incarnation.

Actually, the first few stories are from Casey's Cable run with Ladronn. Agent Truman is not Deathlok yet. It is the events in these stories that have Truman end up in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Extechop Division.

Those are actually really good issues, like most of Casey's Cable run.

[Marvell2100]

That X-crossover that launched the M-Tech line is terrible. Just terrible art, terrible story, terrible everything. I kinda wished that they didn't include it in the Rage Against the Machine tpb as it is so inferior to the material surrounding it. Don't let Alan Davis' name on the byline fool you-- he's only credited as "plotter", and Terry Kavanaugh wrote the damn thing. It may be the nadir of lazy '90s X-Men stories.

I think what really set the series apart from the previous incarnations (besides the Manco art) was that Casey was playing around with a lot of different ideas that made the book almost impossible to classify. If it resembles any other comic, it's Miller/Sienkiewicz' Elektra: Assassin. The first three issues are the most action oriented, but there was quite a bit of body horror there as Truman has his mind swapped with a seven year old mutant boy who is bullied at school. From there, it gets more espionage as Truman goes undercover, something that eventually culiminates in Nick Fury being lost within a cover identity, and Truman trying to pull him out. Also, there's The Ringmaster turning in his top hat and running for President while his former associate The Clown goes on a mayhem spree trying to track him down. There's so many crazy plots being juggled around, but they all fit into one another in clever ways that I didn't see coming.

If the Buckler/Moench run was an attempt at some radical political sci-fi and the McDuffie/Wright run was more of a conventional superhero book, Casey's run was somewhere in between the two, but not quite in the vein of either. It's a crazy, paranoid espionage book that fit well in an era obsessed with conspiracies and black ops. I'd also argue that it's where Casey finally found his voice as an author, and you can start to see the writer who would have a brilliant, genre-smashing run on Wildcats a few years later.

And, of course, Leo Manco art, plus fill-ins by Eric Canete and some of John Buscema's last work.

I enjoyed that series. I liked Manco's art which gave the book a dark tone. It was the right feel for that book. And I agree about Casey writing for the series. Loved his Cable too.

[mace11]

Michael Collins came out in 1990.


Deathlok (Marvel)(01 - Luther Manning)(Earth-7484) - Chronological Listing
http://comicbookdb.com/character_chron.php?ID=683



Deathlok (Marvel)(05 - Luther Manning) - Chronological Listing
http://comicbookdb.com/character_chron.php?ID=16436



Deathlok (Marvel)(04 - Michael Collins) - Chronological Listing
http://comicbookdb.com/character_chron.php?ID=684


Deathlok (Marvel)(08 - Henry Hayes) - Chronological Listing
http://comicbookdb.com/character_chron.php?ID=77085



For others see below.
Deathlok - Marvel Comics Database
http://marvel.wikia.com/Deathlok

and
http://comicbookdb.com/search.php?fo...type=Character

[Greg]

I was only familiar with the Michael Collins Deathlok written by Dwayne McDuffie. Reading that mini was what made me a McDuffie fan. Was the first thing I've ever read by him and I was excited when he brought Collins back with the Beyond! and Fantastic 4 run he wrote.

[Greg]

I actually really like some of the experimenting that Cowan and Manley were doing around the end of the first year of the McDuffie/Wright Deathlok series. It was definitely channelling Mignola, but there was still enough of Denys' style to create an interesting combination and dense atmosphere. I don't know how much was Denys and how much was Mike Manley as everything else I've seen by Manley tends to look very "cartoon-y". But I'm also a big Denys Cowan fan in general, and I tend to be a little blind to his faults, which become more apparent with different inkers. Still, possibly the best fight choreographer in the business as far as hand to hand stuff.

Can you please post scans of this? I love Denys' art and love when artists like him experiment on books, etc.

[Nomads1]

That X-crossover that launched the M-Tech line is terrible. Just terrible art, terrible story, terrible everything. I kinda wished that they didn't include it in the Rage Against the Machine tpb as it is so inferior to the material surrounding it. Don't let Alan Davis' name on the byline fool you-- he's only credited as "plotter", and Terry Kavanaugh wrote the damn thing. It may be the nadir of lazy '90s X-Men stories.

I think what really set the series apart from the previous incarnations (besides the Manco art) was that Casey was playing around with a lot of different ideas that made the book almost impossible to classify. If it resembles any other comic, it's Miller/Sienkiewicz' Elektra: Assassin. The first three issues are the most action oriented, but there was quite a bit of body horror there as Truman has his mind swapped with a seven year old mutant boy who is bullied at school. From there, it gets more espionage as Truman goes undercover, something that eventually culiminates in Nick Fury being lost within a cover identity, and Truman trying to pull him out. Also, there's The Ringmaster turning in his top hat and running for President while his former associate The Clown goes on a mayhem spree trying to track him down. There's so many crazy plots being juggled around, but they all fit into one another in clever ways that I didn't see coming.

If the Buckler/Moench run was an attempt at some radical political sci-fi and the McDuffie/Wright run was more of a conventional superhero book, Casey's run was somewhere in between the two, but not quite in the vein of either. It's a crazy, paranoid espionage book that fit well in an era obsessed with conspiracies and black ops. I'd also argue that it's where Casey finally found his voice as an author, and you can start to see the writer who would have a brilliant, genre-smashing run on Wildcats a few years later.

And, of course, Leo Manco art, plus fill-ins by Eric Canete and some of John Buscema's last work.

Thanks. If a get any extra cash anytim soon, I think i may try it out. I normaly like a lot Casey,

I enjoyed that series. I liked Manco's art which gave the book a dark tone. It was the right feel for that book. And I agree about Casey writing for the series. Loved his Cable too.

Always a good reference.

Peace

[j9ac9k]

I first got into Deathlok from those issues of Captain America. (loved that Zeck art!) But Collins was a great modern Deathlok. I loved the mini and Guice's art was phenomenal! Like others, I didn't think Cowen fit the book. (and I loved him on "The Question.")

I was psyched that they took time to develop him on "Agents of SHIELD" and he's pretty good there, though I'm not happy with either of the looks they've given him. Maybe they'll get it right the third time around.

[Captain Wessex]

My first encounter with Deathlok was in the pages of Marvel UK's 'Havoc', an anthology title that reprinted the first issue of Mike Collins' story, the Danny Blaze Ghost Rider, Starjammers #1, Robocop and some Conan the Barbarian story. Because of that, the stories lasted across 5 issues. Havoc ran to about 6 or 7 before being cancelled. I liked Deathlok.

I'm reading the current series and enjoying it. I also like Mike in Agents of SHIELD.

[FanboyStranger]

Can you please post scans of this? I love Denys' art and love when artists like him experiment on books, etc.

There's not a lot of scans online, and unfortunately, there's not a lot of action in these panels. But they do show off the Mignola and Sienkiewicz influence. (I kinda hestitate on calling it a "Sienkiewicz influence" as Denys and Bill used to share a studio when Bill's new style blew up and are still very good friends. That studio, by the way, was right down the hall from where Simonson, Miller, and Chaykin's Upstart Studio. The amount of artistic talent in that one building was staggering, especially when you consider that Jim Starlin also worked there for a time, and the interns were guys like Peter Kuper, Dean Haspiel, and Michael Davis.)

deathlok (1).jpg deathlok (3).jpg

[ed2962]

That X-crossover that launched the M-Tech line is terrible. Just terrible art, terrible story, terrible everything. I kinda wished that they didn't include it in the Rage Against the Machine tpb as it is so inferior to the material surrounding it. Don't let Alan Davis' name on the byline fool you-- he's only credited as "plotter", and Terry Kavanaugh wrote the damn thing. It may be the nadir of lazy '90s X-Men stories.

I think what really set the series apart from the previous incarnations (besides the Manco art) was that Casey was playing around with a lot of different ideas that made the book almost impossible to classify. If it resembles any other comic, it's Miller/Sienkiewicz' Elektra: Assassin. The first three issues are the most action oriented, but there was quite a bit of body horror there as Truman has his mind swapped with a seven year old mutant boy who is bullied at school. From there, it gets more espionage as Truman goes undercover, something that eventually culiminates in Nick Fury being lost within a cover identity, and Truman trying to pull him out. Also, there's The Ringmaster turning in his top hat and running for President while his former associate The Clown goes on a mayhem spree trying to track him down. There's so many crazy plots being juggled around, but they all fit into one another in clever ways that I didn't see coming.

If the Buckler/Moench run was an attempt at some radical political sci-fi and the McDuffie/Wright run was more of a conventional superhero book, Casey's run was somewhere in between the two, but not quite in the vein of either. It's a crazy, paranoid espionage book that fit well in an era obsessed with conspiracies and black ops. I'd also argue that it's where Casey finally found his voice as an author, and you can start to see the writer who would have a brilliant, genre-smashing run on Wildcats a few years later.

And, of course, Leo Manco art, plus fill-ins by Eric Canete and some of John Buscema's last work.

Now, that's got me curious. I think Electra Assassin is probably one of the great overlooked classics of the mid/late 80's

[Marvell2100]

Now, that's got me curious. I think Electra Assassin is probably one of the great overlooked classics of the mid/late 80's

You've given me a great idea for a thread.

[Greg]

Now, that's got me curious. I think Electra Assassin is probably one of the great overlooked classics of the mid/late 80's

That's one of my all time favorite books due to the art alone.