The Good
The second issue of DEATHLOK may have the cyborg on a mission early on, but this one really feels like it's all about giving us a better insight into the new Deathlok, Henry Hayes, while also teasing the overall narrative. We don't receive any significant developments, but there's just enough to keep things interested and it leaves me asking a number of questions. The material with Hayes and his daughter doesn't feel as emotional as it could, but the action he takes in an attempt to fix it is pretty meaningful, especially considering it means he'd no longer be able to take part in "medics without borders." Even though he thinks he's saving lives, it's respectable that he's trying to make things work with his daughter and that makes me like the character just a little more than I already did.
When it comes to the bigger picture, there isn't much progression with the shadowy group handling Deathlok or S.H.I.E.L.D.'s search, but Edmondson did surprise me by establishing connections to his work over in THE PUNISHER (which is pretty awesome). Totally honest, I would have loved if the cliffhanger was used to bring back the superhuman we saw in the last issue, but it is cool he's bringing A.I.M. and this character into the story. I just hope the person's unique ability doesn't make the eventual action scenes ridiculous and over-the-top instead of intense and exciting.
Artist Mike Perkin and colorist Andy Troy's work generates a nice atmosphere for a book that's heavy on mystery and explosive action. The character work is all solid and just gritty enough for the series' tone, but what I really like is strong emphasis on lighting, angles and transitions. Little things like the brightness of the sun being used at just the right angle to conceal the identity of a man or Henry looking through one door and then opening one in the very next scene are really appreciated and prevent these layouts and panels from feeling generic. Even though the action may not be as thrilling as the debut chapter, it's still handled well visually and there's a splash page that's a real attention-grabber. It feels like it would be perfect for a 3D comic.
The Bad
It looks like Edomndson is going for a slowburn approach with this mystery. Seeing as this is the second chapter, it's a little bit of a bummer there aren't any stronger clues about what's going on. Now, I'm not saying he needs to spell things out for us, but there wasn't really anything significant brought to the plot just yet and, as far as I can tell, there weren't any big hints. S.H.I.E.L.D. is still trying to figure out what's going on and we're still tying to figure out what's going on with the people controlling Deathlok. Now another organization is brought in. A little more development with the established mysteries would have been appreciated. And, as good as the action looked, it's a step back from what went down in the previous issue. Having Deathlok dismantle drones just wasn't that exciting to witness, especially compared to all of the jaw-dropping shooting we saw in the previous chapter.
Personal gripe (doesn't impact the score): No follow-up with Black Tarantula? That's really disappointing because I was hoping Edomndson would work him into the plot. Maybe he will and it just hasn't been revealed yet?
The Verdict
Totally honest, I was pretty torn between giving this chapter 3 or 4-stars. Not much was done to really expand my interest in the bigger picture and the action scene wasn't all that stunning, especially when compared to what happened in the first issue. That said, the artwork is consistently good and creative, so even if the narrative isn't taking big steps, the impressive visuals make sure my eyes are glued to these pages and it has my complete attention. Also, I like how Henry, not Deathlok, is receiving a little more insight. It isn't anything major just yet, but Edomndson is making me care more and more about this new Deathlok and that makes me want to see where this path will take him. There's a lot of potential here and, so far, I'm having a pretty good time with it.