Daken’s plans have finally come to
fruition. For the past few issues Daken has conspired against the (now former)
ruler of Madripoor, Tyger Tiger,
and with a few well-placed moves he has managed to take full control, and
placed Tiger as his figurehead so that he may continue to play puppet master
from the shadows. All while conducting secretive experiments involving a
healing factor, and a yet unrevealed chess piece. This issue also starts off
the Daken/X-23 crossover that “we have all been waiting for” (nb. sarcasm). Lots
of good stuff, full of suspense, now lets hope they don’t screw it up.
It is refreshing to see that the writers at
Marvel have decided to keep the characterization of Daken that had made him so
popular during Dark Reign, because to be honest I wouldn’t have been able to stand
another Wolverine wanabe running around the 616 (*cough* X-23). I was, as I think
most people were, sceptical of the practicality of extending the Wolverine
family to include a rebellious, and psychopathic, son, but I grew to enjoy the
personality traits that separate Daken from the rest of his “family”. He
embodies all the traits we know Wolverine has, but rarely get to see, like intellectual
prowess, tactical skills, and the ability to manipulate anyone to his advantage.
The fact that we see Daken being more calculative and cerebral in his actions
makes for a more enjoyable read, than simply assuming that he gets the upper
hand on his adversaries because he is “the best there is at what he does”.
The issue itself wasn’t all that impressive,
compared to what we have come to expect from Dark Wolverine. It lacked the subtext
filled sharp dialogue, which is characteristic of Daken, and it did not have as
much excitement or suspense as the last few issues. Granted, that this was an
end to a story-arc (Empire), and may not have allowed for the story to grow as
such, but it did make for a good read, as well as providing an adequate
conclusion to Daken’s plans of controlling Madripoor. (I also quite enjoyed the
scene where Tiger pronounce her full control of Madripoor, and we see Daken
walk away with a great big smirk, providing a little dramatic irony for the
reader.)
My primary reason for reviewing this X-book
is that I consider there is great potential for this character, and I wanted to
provide future readers with a good issue to start with if they are interested
in the exploits of Wolverine’s, more accomplished progeny (although I highly
suggest reading Dark Reign and Seige to get a proper feel for the character).
As I see it, this is a make-or-break moment
for this particular character. The writers have two options available for
Daken’s future in the 616. Option one: they isolate the character, keeping him
out of the main storylines that Marvel is working on, and allow him to grow as
an individual, unrestrained by all the politics that would be involved about
who he could beat-up, outsmart, or kill if he went mainstream (a good example
of this is Daredevil; well, that is until the Shadowland arc). Option two:
Daken slowly becomes a prominent figure in the Marvel bad guy roster, edging
his way up to the ranks of Norman Osborn, or maybe more appropriately, Wilson
Fisk. At the moment I just hope that the
writers don’t plan on doing a 180 and having Daken sacrifice himself in the
future in a cliche, heroic redemption plot. Either way, the character has great
potential, Daken: Dark Wolverine is turning out to be a good addition to the
X-books family (although not yet at the level of X-factor or Uncanny X-men),
and he seems to be collecting a nice and ever-growing fanbase.
