Van Lente Is A Stern "Taskmaster"

[greenrage36]

d*mn this sounds like a good pickup...I'll be adding this to my pull-list asap!

 

[iloveclones]

I was looking through Tasky's first appearance (Avengers 196), and I noticed something......

Finally, the real reason behind all of Hank Pym's emotional problems........

He's secretly a woman!!!!!

 

[Dread]

No, he just has man-boobs. He does spend an AWFUL lot of time in the lab. And maybe "Pym Particles" had side effects.

At any rate, that's why it's good to tip your inker.

Hank Pym has a Bo-Flex Body now, anyway.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Or he's covering 'em up. Ever notice how his Wasp costume has an overcoat sort of thing?

 

[NDX]

Even if I didn't like Taskmaster, I'd get this for the art alone. Just looks too good to pass up. Hope this leads to a series of minis from this team.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

All over this

 

[Shockdingo]

How many people must I slaughter to make this into an everlasting ongoing?!....wait...I said that out loud didn't I?

 

[Colossal Spoons]

If you get Marvel to cave to your demands, can you get 'em to throw Agent X into every 3rd issue?

 

[Shockdingo]

Deal! t:

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Suh-weet!

 

[NightBeetle]

Advance Preview: Taskmaster #2

 

[TheCorpulent1]

What the? Who the hell is that? Taskzorro?

 

[NDX]

I have no idea what the hell is going, but I love the way it looks.

 

[Dread]

I believe the solicit calls him "the Don of the Dead". To the best of my knowledge he's an original villain, although it was the title of a PEPPER MARTIN MYSTERY novel.

TASKMASTER #1 was awesome, and worth reposting my review, with re-spoilers:

TASKMASTER #1: I may be alone on this, but I seriously, majorly enjoyed this. It was my BOOK OF THE WEEK over at Examiner and is the second Fred Van Lente book out this week. I enjoyed the "trailer" for it in AGE OF HEROES, but this exceeded all my expectations. Much like INCREDIBLE HERCULES, it handles a serious story without being too serious, and has a lot of comedy without being pure slapstick. In many ways, it is similar to the last four issue TASKMASTER mini series from 2002

Spoiler

; Taskmaster has a hit put out on him by another criminal network, and an unlucky civilian woman gets caught up in the action. This, however, is vastly superior even in one issue. It works as both a new mini for someone who hasn't read the character in a while or as a companion series to the end of AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE, the last major series where Taskmaster was a major player (especially during Christos Gage's solo run). After all, several villains tried to kill Taskmaster in issue #13 of that series due to a bounty being placed on his head due to working for the feds. This mini simply elaborates on that angle, and magnifies it.

The series' major retcon is that an underworld figure called "the Org", who outfits a lot of evil organizations with supplies or whatnot (much as the Tinkerer, or the Power Broker, or Dr. Malus, or Lucia Von Bardas used to so), although their main customers in their network aren't solo villains, but many of the organizations that create or hire them, such as HYDRA, AIM, the Secret Empire, Lords of the Living Lightening, and Ultimatum (and other new ones that crop up this issue). The Org has put a one billion dollar bounty on Taskmaster's head, fearing he's now a federal hero working undercover for Steve Rogers. That's actually far from the truth; Taskmaster ditched Oklahoma after SIEGE ended and Osborn's regime ended, and wants to get back into his old line of business. Unfortunately, the truth doesn't tend to matter with a pay out that big. Given that Taskmaster was working at Camp Hammond through two administrations and for about two years of real time, it's not an accusation that doesn't make sense.

There's more to the caper than the caper itself; Fred Van Lente is using the long held mystery angle to Taskmaster to his advantage, much as Brubaker & Fraction did with Iron Fist. Apparently, all of those absorbed skills and fighting styles in Taskmaster's head have clogged his brain, and unlike Wolverine, his brain doesn't literally regenerate. Thus, he's forgotten virtually all of his life since before he became Taskmaster, and may struggle with long term memory in general. He's eating at a diner when a jukebox song and a meal spark some memories, which helps connect him to the unluckiest waitress around.

That's not the real selling point of the issue, despite all that. The selling point is the sheer volume of evil organizations, both new and old, who show up all at once to try to kill Taskmaster. One group exist just to rip off a line from Mel Brooks' "HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART ONE", and do so excellently. AIM has now adopted the motto, "DEATH BY SCIENCE" so much that agents scream it before battles. And the main battle sequence is hilarious. It doesn't stop there, though. The end of the story offers a recap of all the baddies, both old and new, for those with short memories of their own. The artwork by Jefte Palo is appropriate; a bit gritty, but not so much so that it weighs the story down. I actually really like how he draws Taskmaster's skull mask - makes it look more like a Scourge mask under a hood, but at least that's unique.

This issue was what I wish more $4 mini's were; it stood on it's end, beat it's chest and proclaimed it's awesomeness. It wasn't good enough to be good, but great, and beyond. It blew away all expectations. It utilized continuity well, and is telling a character story without any angst and a huge scoop of action packed fun. Even Mercedes the hapless waitress can hold her own in banter than many innocent civilians along for the ride of an adventure. While it's easy to dismiss the Org retcon as yet another mysterious crime boss, it's really just a plot device to get the story moving, and something I can easily roll with. This issue was so good, I already hate that this isn't an ongoing series, and I've only read 25% of this. Maybe I have terrible taste, or maybe I leaped at a book many are too cash strapped to try. I'll be beating down the doors for this for the next three months.

If anything, this series will cement that Fred Van Lente is seriously ready for prime time, or at least a major book without Greg Pak.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I wonder if the Don of the Dead is one of the guys that trained a young Taskie. It would be cool if he were the inspiration for Taskie's skull mask, which I've always found rather puzzling. It's in no way related to anything about his powers or name.

 

[Shockdingo]

From the previews, I LOVE the way they depict his abilities, it's just awesome/

 

[Dread]

I wonder if the Don of the Dead is one of the guys that trained a young Taskie. It would be cool if he were the inspiration for Taskie's skull mask, which I've always found rather puzzling. It's in no way related to anything about his powers or name.

Possibly. I wouldn't have minded some more well known figures, though. But we'll see.

From the previews, I LOVE the way they depict his abilities, it's just awesome/

Yeah, it is pretty effective.

 

[Scourge2099]

I picked this up yesterday. It was pretty f****** good. Van Lente writes a good Taskmaster. I laughed pretty hard in class when I got to part with the HYDRA agent Morris.

 

[Dread]

"Pretty F****** good" is probably a solid way to describe this issue.

 

[SuperFerret]

I bought #1, and I liked it. Hate the art though.

 

[Dread]

I liked the art. I mean, it's no UDON Studios, but still appropriate. But art taste is subjective.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I've liked Jefte Palo since his ill-fated Doctor Voodoo series.

 

[Dread]

I never read that. Seriously, Marvel expected a $4 debut issue of a Brother Voodoo series to fly in 2009? Even when Bendis' usage of Luke Cage or Spider-Woman hasn't helped either gain ongoing series for long? Part of me honestly feels that if Marvel wants to encourage people to try out books starring lesser tier characters, the bare minimum is a cover price that won't scare them away. At least for an ongoing series.

 

[MightyAvenge]

I always wondered why Taskmaster has decided to wear a skull mask, I really hope we find out his motivations behind his mask.

 

[SuperFerret]

I liked the art. I mean, it's no UDON Studios, but still appropriate. But art taste is subjective.

It is appropriate, and it's probably going to grow on me (especially because I love really stylized art), but it wasn't what I was expecting.