Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Make Your Mark
Written by: Daniel Way
Art by: Steve Dillon
Colored by: Avalon Studios’ Dan Kemp
Lettered by: VC’s Randy Gentile
Editor: Axel Alonso
Publisher: Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights
So I have reviewed every issue of this mini since it started. As a result, I have a bit of paranoia about them all sounding the same. So, let me just get the basics out of the way first and then we’ll try something a bit different. Basics: Dillon is still just drawing the heck out of this book, especially the facial expressions. His Bullseye in costume though is oddly disappointing, can’t place my finger on why. Way writes a great sociopathic Bullseye, both past and present. Way makes Poindexter so grounded that his twisted outlook becomes more frightening. He is not (except for one moment) a giggling madman that can simply be discounted as “crazy.” Instead, his insanity is masked by the utter ease with which he speaks of it.
Okay, now to get to the new stuff. There are three specific things that stood out in this issue to me, so I am just going to riff on them.
First, I love the way that Way deals with the Bullseye/Daredevil/Elektra relationship. It is so offhand and casual. For comic fans, it is the most recognizable era in Bullseye’s career. It would be easy pickin’s to dive right in and submerge the story fully in that mythology, but Way sidesteps it. From a storytelling aspect it is a good choice because that story has already been told the best it could be. However, what really gets me is that it makes sense character-wise. Bullseye may be proud of his killing of Elektra, but it was immediately followed by his biggest defeat, at the hands of Daredevil. High paid mercenary or not, Bullseye has always taken his beatings at DD’s hands personal and he wouldn’t want to open the lid on that particular Pandora’s Box, so he glosses over it.
The second moment that stood out to me was Baldry’s realization that he has been strung along by Bullseye for who knows how long. If any complaint could be leveled at the premise of this miniseries it is that Bullseye would talk so freely about his past. Yes, he is a bit of an egomaniac, but he is also smart in a ruthless sort of way. To just “level” with the agents would not fit that mold. For one thing, it opens him up, makes him vulnerable. For another, he just isn’t that helpful a guy. This moment offers an answer to that complaint. Plus, the way it unfolds, artistically and dialogue wise is quietly powerful, impressively subtle, (if you will). There is no shouting match or weeping. Just a pair of downturned eyes signaling that Baldry knows he’s been beat.
Third and finally is that What the?! moment of the book. Hoskins convinces the warden to…wait for it…open up the door and let him take a crack at physically breaking Bullseye. On the scale of good ideas that ranks somewhere near attempting to “jump” the Grand Canyon in a Vespa. Let’s just ignore the fact that it was Hoskins who screwed up the interrogation mere moments before by going all nutty and the exact moment when it looked like Baldry had Bullseye on the ropes. Let’s just pretend for a moment that he wouldn’t have been asked to leave the prison after that little meltdown.
Even not considering those factors, why would you ever put any man up against one of the most dangerous people on earth in a straight up fight? If breaking him physically is really the way you want to handle it, why not sic a dozen guys on him? I think that’s dumb too, but at least you’d have a numbers advantage.
I mean, just look at the situation. Bullseye hands are bound by a set of heavy steel full handcuffs and he can make anything into a weapon. I’m pretty sure I could break Hoskins’ nose with those if I got a clear shot, so what’s Bullseye gonna be able to do with them? Sure, projectiles are his specialty, but he has proven himself a pretty excellent hand-to-hand combatant in the past as well. The other alternative is that they take the cuffs off him. If they do that though, then that’s something to throw and I’m pretty sure we all know where that ends up when we are talking about this prisoner.
The rest of the issue is good stuff, but this idea is more than a little mind boggling. I know Bullseye has to escape somehow, but I was hoping for a little less nakedly bad choice than this to bring about that getaway.
