Comic Info
Comic Name: Original Sins/Deathlok (Volume 3)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Artist: Mike Perkins
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2015
Deathlok #1 Hasbro Variant
Reprints Original Sins #1 and Deathlok (3) #1-5 (August 2014-April 2015). Henry Hays is a recovering war vet who now serves as a member of Doctors Without Borders…or so he thinks. Henry actually has been mentally hijacked and is an agent of a shadowy company called Biotek who uses Henry as Deathlok. As S. H. I. E. L. D. tries to track down Deathlok, Domino has also been sent out to stop Deathlok…and Henry Hays thinks he’s just struggling to raise his teenage daughter Aria
Written by Nathan Edmondson, Deathlok Volume 1: Control. Alt. Delete is a Marvel Comics superhero title released under the Marvel Now! imprint. The collection reprints Henry Hays first appearance in Original Sins #1 (August 2014) and the first five issues of third volume of Deathlok with art by art by Mike Perkins.
I always wanted to like Deathlok more than I liked Deathlok. The original Deathlok from the ’70s had great art, but the stories were often either too heavy or just so-so. The ’90s Deathlok suffered from the problem of being “too ’90s” and diving deep into techno-garble revolving around the internet (which generally is a turn off for me in stories). I hoped that the newest revival of Deathlok might fix these issues, and to some extent, it does.
Like the ’90s Deathlok, Henry Hays is a reluctant “hero”…in fact, he doesn’t even know that he is Deathlok. The owners of the system have hijacked Henry’s mind and are using him against his will. This is a bit of the same set-up as the ’90s Deathlok in the limited series where Deathlok had to regain control over himself. Here, Edmondson plays up the action and espionage side more than the technical side and that is a plus.
Deathlok #2 Variant
Unfortunately, Deathlok faces the threat facing all new comic books today. The character really has to grab the audience immediately, or it runs the risk of cancellation. Deathlok feels very cancellation prone with a story that doesn’t really bring in enough of the Marvel Universe to make Deathlok important in the “big picture”. It has Domino, but I often feel that some of the fringe characters need a better planned launch with the challenges of comic book sales today.
The art for the comic ranges from good to fair. I think some of Perkins’ action layout are strong, but some of his character illustrations are a bit weak. Worse than anything, it is inconsistent, and consistency is another aspect that sells comics.
Deathlok 1: Control. Alt. Delete. is an interesting first step for a character that has been relaunched time and time again. It is the fact that he’s been relaunched so many times that is a bit frustrating, but fortunately, Michael Collins is part of the storyline so that should ease the pain of people who liked his Deathlok. Deathlok is fighting and uphill battle, and in dangerous comic book times, it could be fatal. Deathlok 1: Control. Alt. Delete. is followed by Deathlok 2: Man versus Machine.
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