Comics on the Bubble: Deathlok (1999)

Joe Casey always loves mixing up the mad ideas with the nods to classic Marvel continuity. And his 1999 series Deathlok was a nice chance for him to play around with both of those regular concepts.

The series focused on Jack Truman, Agent 18 (a nod to Sharon Carter's numbered status). Casey had fetured Truman in a couple issues of Cable in the years before this, but after extensive damage, it was Truman's turn to get turned into Marvel's favorite killer cyborg.

Casey also spent quite a bit of time on this run dealing with the Clown from the Circus of Crime. Clown is a tough guy, no doubt about it. He definitely carries a lot more menace than in any of his other appearances.

Issues 1-3: The opening issues have Agent Truman inhabiting the body of a 7-year old boy as the SHIELD air-cav fights the Deathlok body in Las Vegas. Good. Keep

Issue 4: The Clown feature issue, where he fights off crowds of robots and shows what a competent hitman he is. Ok. Maybe Keep?

Issue 5: This issue has lots of stream of consciousness rambling as Jack Truman deals with his transformation into Deathlok. A bit too metaphysical for me. Sell

Issue 6: Kind of a generic done-in-one where Deathlok takes command of a bunch of SHIELD cyborgs. It's ok. Matt Smith does the art. Sell

Issue 7: Eric Canete handles the art for this one, so it's a bit blocky, but it does feature Puff Adder from the Serpent Society, so that's a plus. Sell

Issues 8 & 9: A two-parter hunting down an amnesiac Nick Fury. The Ringmaster's scheme is starting to come together nicely too, and Joe Casey is really getting into his long-running plot. Very cool. Keep

Issue 10: John Buscema comes in to draw the anticipated (by me) Clown/Deathlok fight. Gotta keep that. Keep

And that's all I have of this run.

Summary: A real mixed bag, I worry this might be one of those bubble reviews where I actually seek out the last five issues out of quarter bins next summer! KEEP