Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1992-06-01 03:02:10 |
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Dark Angel #7-8
Issue(s): Dark Angel #7, Dark Angel #8
Cover Date: Jan-Apr 93
Title: "Model Soldiers"
Credits:
Gary Russell - Writer
Duke Mighten - Penciler
Duke Mighten / Duke Mighten & Duncan Oakley - Inker
Review/plot:
Oh god. What is happening?!
That is apparently Dark Angel and Psylocke out on the town together. Psylocke has stopped in to visit Dark Angel before visiting her brother Captain Britain.
The visit comes during an epidemic of random waves of violence in England, although it takes a while for these super-heroes to get around to looking into that.
The violence is caused by hormone experiments being done at a Mys-Tech facility in Manchester. Also looking into it are a group of female mercenaries that call themselves the Model Soldiers.
One of the Model Soldiers has a sister working for Mys-Tech, which is how they know about the hormones. The Model Soldiers want to steal the hormones to sell to the highest bidder. Psylocke and Dark Angel get into a fight with the Soldiers.
They're deliberately out of costume so that Dark Angel won't be recognized by Mys-Tech, but being out of costume is precisely why she's recognized.
However, as we saw last issue, Gudrun Tyburn seems to be helping Dark Angel. Earlier in this issue, we see her looking at Dark Angel's computer file and being reminded of something. And she helps Dark Angel with mental powers twice in this story.
This time, it lets Dark Angel try to talk her way out of it.
But the rest of Mys-Tech aren't convinced, and they still try to hold her and Psylocke prisoner. But they escape and Dark Angel gets into costume.
Never seen Psylocke's knife get depicted quite like that before.
Dark Angel and Psylocke catch up with the Model Soldiers. They seem to have the wrong idea about Solo.
Since the hormone project is compromised, Mys-Tech have it blown up.
These issues also show a Mr. and Mrs. Link keeping an eye on Dark Angel.
In the end, Dark Angel winds up with them.
Whoever they are.
I get that there is room in the world for indie artists that don't try to be realistic. But even if that's what's going on here, and i have my doubts, it's not a good fit when you deviate so far from existing character models, and kind of unfair when the covers are promising perfectly normal looking artwork by Bryan Hitch.
Quality Rating: D
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place after X-Men #12 but before Excalibur #55 for Psylocke.
References:
- Psylocke will visit Captain Britain in Excalibur #55.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Is this real??? Damn. What a slap in the face it would be to open a book and get hit with that first page. Spider-Woman Origin almost looks acceptable in comparison.
Yeah. I try being open-minded, but... wow. What is this art???
This artwork is horrid! It seems heavily influenced by the cartoon Aeon Flux, which I believe was currently on MTV at this time, if I recall correctly.
The editor should have sent the artwork back and insisted it be redone in a more traditional style.
I bought Dark Angel #6 because it guest-starred Excalibur. I found that I actually enjoyed it, so I then bought these next two issues... and was I in for a shock! Going from Gary Frank & Andy Lanning on art to this? Yeah, I was disappointed.
I do wonder if this story would have been better with, well, better art. After all, I've definitely enjoyed Gary Russell's writing on various Doctor Who novels and comic books over the years.
The Comic Book Database entry on Duke Mighten indicates that he had only been working in comic books for about a year and a half when he drew these two issues. That inexperience definitely shows. I took a look at his more recent art on his website. It's still weird as all hell, but it's definitely much better done than his early work on these issues.
Concur w/ you, Bill - Aeon Flux was the first thing that came to my mind, too.
...I read this entry wondering if "Duke Mighten" was a pseudonym for someone they picked up off the street. Well, they practically did pick him up off the street, but apparently it's not a pseudonym.
