Weapon X, Vol. 4: Russian Revolution

Weapon X (2017) (Collected Editions)

by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Yildiray Cinar (Illustrator)

After a shocking turn of events, Old Man Logan can't be the team's leader anymore! But taking charge of a deadly group like this isn't a popularity contest - it's about who's the biggest dog in the yard. And now Sabretooth is calling the shots! Warpath isn't too happy about it, but can Victor Creed succeed where Logan failed? The team's next target will make or break this new leadership experiment...but the merciless Omega Red doesn't plan to go down easily! COLLECTING: WEAPON X 17-21

Genres: Comics, Marvel, X Men, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2018

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Logan's failing Healing Factor means someone else needs to lead Weapon X; and you won't believe who he chooses!! The ensuing wildness may not be as insane as it looks? Guests Omega Red, the Winter Guard and the mysterious Foreigner. With both art and dialogue feeling like it's targeting a much younger audience than Weapon X historically has targeted, at times the series feels self parodying; but the new team leader in control does create an interesting take. 7 out of 12., Three Star Read

2019 read

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabretooth takes over as the field team leader due to Old Man Logan's injuries. His healing factor is failing (Probably because OG Wolverine is returning soon.). The team heads to Russia to take out Omega Red and somehow winds up as mercenaries with Omega Red joining them. This book is over the top bananas. Don't expect it all to make sense. Just take it as a guilty pleasure and embrace the insanity.

Yildiray Cinar's art is reliable. Unfortunately, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz comes in for the last two issues to make my eyes bleed. I'm not really sure how this guy made his way into comics. His art is awful. It's so chaotic with extremely distorted faces. Take all the worst parts of Manga and put them all together and you have Ricardo Lopez Ortiz.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yee Gods but that artwork in the last 2 issues is an eyesore! This continues to be largely a action-packed, guilty pleasure of a book, but new artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz should have his pencils immediately confiscated.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't lie and say how insane and crazy this volume was and how happy it made me, but there were some art issues for me personally.

First of Creed as a leader lead us to have a totally crazy and fun story, he should have been in-charge a while ago. Red as a new member of the series was a great addition, makes things more interesting and wild. There was interesting art throughout the volume, but at points, it got way to weird for the story and characters of this current series, did not fit too well. Overall if the series continues down this path I will only find more joy and pleasure in it.

[C. Varn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There has been a move to marginalize Old Man Logan in X-books of late, and Pak seems to operating under those directives. Weapon X's team leader becomes Sabretooth and the tensions emerge from that play out immediately. However, Omega Red being incorporated into the team seems slap-dash and Omega-Red also seems to acting out of character: the entire book seems like a teen's idea of an adult storyline. Greg Pak seems to be aware of it and also metatextually aware to overlap with X-force in a way that has been played for comedy in the past. However, I know Greg Pak is capable of more than this series is currently delivering, and that is frustrating. Furthermore, Omega Red isn't the only character acting out against prior characterization--even by characterization by Pak--and it feels like no only is a new direction being attempted in plot, but also in tone. The art is wildly inconsistent.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

We can get behind Sabretooth being all "good" and trying to do the nice thing, but Omega Red being all nice and shit is a bit too far. Even if he was striking a deal to "cure" him, he'd definitely not join a team to be nice after. Oh well..

Even so, this wasn't good, it was meh, and the artwork when it wasn't Yildiray Cinar's it was changing to a cartoony art that was horrible. This is Weapon X, not Animaniacs. Why would they do the style like we're reading looney tunes is beyond me but.. I didn't like it.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

Old Man Logan’s stuck on the sidelines after the injuries he endured in the previous volume, so Weapon X need a new leader – enter Sabretooth! The team’s next target? Omega Red! As Weapon X track the homicidal psycho across the frozen tundra, a deeper, darker plot involving the Russian government unfolds, and soon the team find themselves protecting the mutant they had been hunting! Plus, Omega Flight make the scene, and one Weapon X-er calls it quits!

That’s more like it! With Weapon H, and the Weapons Of Mutant Destruction, and William Stryker firmly in the rear view mirror, Weapon X finally manages to make a name for itself as a fun filled, totally bonkers X-Men book that shoves these characters into absurd situations and somehow makes them even worse.

The storytelling in these issues is so much better than before; each of the characters seems to have a stake in the proceedings rather than just going along with it for the sake of it, and that makes one character’s decision to leave feel far more organic and natural than it would have even four issues ago. Sabretooth is a surprisingly good team leader (sort of), and his reasoning for his decisions make a strangely skewed kind of sense too; I like that Pak and Van Lente are exploring his inverted status, since he’s probably the only character that’s still under the influence of that particular plot twist, and it makes him far more compelling than when he’s just trying to murder people.

I also like the re-focusing of the book on mutant problems – granted it’s as a result of Sabretooth’s ulterior motive, but Omega Red and the Russian government’s plot line is oddly compelling, and the relationship that he and Sabretooth strike up is peculiar, but feels right. If even a nutcase like Omega Red can find some kind of redemption with Weapon X, I’d like to see them recruiting and rehabilitating some more villains along the way.

Yildiray Cinar returns to the book for three of the five issues here with his dependable art style; I do always feel like the inker on his work gives everything an odd sheen to it, like we’re viewing the art through a weird lens. Then Ricardo Lopez Ortiz pencils the final two issues, with some insanely dynamic fight scenes and freaky-ass facial expressions that you’ll either love or hate.

It’s taken a while, but I think Weapon X has finally entered the sweet spot of its run. The characters are well-written, the plot lines are suitably bonkers, and there’s a surprising level of heart underneath it all as well. Despite a strange fill-in artist, this is the strongest Weapon X has been since it launched (which probably means Marvel are going to cancel it soon).

[Ross Alon · Rating 3 out of 5]

What? Why are we in Russia, why did anyone think Omega Red should be used. Seriously, one of the worst villains coming out of the '90s. The book is almost like a parody of the previous volume, with the sole intent of reaching to the ending coming next week.

From an enjoyable book, it has become a generic book, with no much sense, and no direction.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Continuing the great x-read of 2017/18...

Ugh. This one just falls apart. First of all, I would say that I liked the mutant politics but they were buried under a lackluster story where in *no one* acted in line with their previous characterizations and you just can't care about what happens.

Oh and towards the end, the art becomes absolutely horrible.

There is just very little positive that I can say about this one...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. A nice step up from the previous volume. Logan it still busted up and his healing has slowed down so he has put Creed in charge. I’m still waiting for him to get his business cards. The team goes after Omega Red to shut him down. Due to an interesting turn of events, they join forces and become Weapon X-force! Now the team is going after Omega Reds brother who is the leader of S.I.C.K.L.E ( Russian version of SHIELD ) because he has been rounding up Russian mutants and jailing them. A lot of cool action and some nice story beats with a nice twist at the end.

[Tesutamento · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bir önceki cilde dair dediklerimi yineleyerek kendimi tekrara düşeceğim. Yıldıray Çınar'ın çizim tarzını epey seviyorum fakat Ricardo Lopez Ortiz'in çizdiği son iki bölüm korkunçtu. Son derece çirkin ve anlaşılmaz bir tarzı var. Hikaye de sanki öyle bir ayarlanmış ki çizerlerin sunumuyla eş kalitede ilerliyor. Yine de miadını çoktan doldurmuş bir seri olduğu gerçeği değişmiyor. Omega Red ve Mystique'in eklenmesi belki hayranları için güzel olmuştur fakat bir sonraki final cildi için bana umut vermiyor.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Domino provides the perfect amount of snark. Also, I still can't get over Sabretooth actually having a social media presence. Like serious, I'm expecting like Deadpool to pop out of a Sabretooth suit or something.
Extra star for the baby tiger. Because BABY TIGER!

[Aisling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate meme lord Sabretooth.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Weapon X team tangles with Omega Red in this volume. The whole "are they heroes or are they villains" deal is starting to wear thin, but this is still an interesting title. The art also really fell off a cliff on the final two issues, but there's only one volume left in the series so I'll be finishing it to see how things end up.

[47Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork turns to crap in the last two issues. The story isn't any better, so I think it's enough. I'd rather not waste any more time with the last volume.

Logan tries to rationalize why Sabretooth should be leader, but it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Anyway. Their next target is Omega Red who is being held in a superhuman prison. Sabretooth's not-plan doesn't go too well when it turns out that Omega Red is in control of the prison. He easily captures Sabretooth, but the latter will turn this to his advantage.

Sabretooth tries to manipulate a weakened Omega Red whose nanobots are controlled by his brother who is commander on a Russian carrier similar to SHIELD's. Sabretooth offers to heal him if he joins the team. First Omega Red must complete a mission for his brother. The goal is to kill general Zaslon - who is secretly a mutant - of the mutant-defense force in the Russian army.

The Weapon X team breaks up in Sabretooth's absence. Domino and Lady Deathstrike join Sabretooth to clean Omega Red's nanites, while Warpath opposes them vehemently. Sabretooth's hidden plan was to make his team public on the dark web with help from Mystique which will improve their paychecks, even though it will label them terrorists. Omega Red kills his own brother, allowing general Zaslon to assume command and declare that Sabretooth's team is friendly.

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I realized not to take this title serious about two trades ago. The wheels really come off now with Old Man Logan down it's up to Sabertooth to lead the team in his own image. The ham-handed use of Omega Red wouldn't have even been so bad if they didn't change art and tone direction on a dime to silly.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another typical action heavy Volume from Weapon X, but that's what makes the title work well. Logan, after his battle with Sabretooth at the end of the last Volume, is taking longer than usual to heal. So.... he turns over leadership of the team to Sabretooth. While most of the team is alright with it, Warpath has serious issues (probably assuming that he would be a better choice.... and he probably would).
First Mission? Investigate a Labor Camp for Mutants in Russia that was holding Omega Red before they lost communication. Upon arriving, they find that Omega Red has taken over and has all the other prisoners under his control. Fight... and Sabretooth ends up abducted. Red takes him out to the wilderness and they form a partnership, Victor seeing that Arkady just needs to be treated like a person instead of a weapon (sounds really sappy, but it's not).
The team divides. Sabretooth, Omega Red, Domino, and Deathstrike form a new team they call Weapon X-Force. Warpath and Logan do not. The rest of the tale revolves around the new team taking down the head of SICKLE (think Russian version of SHIELD) and becoming world famous mercenaries. Warpath and Sabretooth do go at it, but their differences can't be reconciled.
What's next for "Weapon X-Force"? (AND, can we go back to the regular artist? The art of the last two issues was horrible!!)
Recommend. Next Volume is the last for the title...

[Adam Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even before the art change, and the absolute nosedive in the quality of Pak's writing, this book was a bit of a chore to read.

I like when characters evolve but it has to be believable, and with Pak's stiff dialogue, there isn't a believable character in this book. Sabretooth's "road to redemption" and Omega Red's "I guess I need to redeem myself if I want to live" just don't resonate. The villains don't have the right amount of backstory to be complicated, so they're just cardboard cutouts of previous villains. And, as is often the case with lesser writers, Pak eventually seems to drop any pretense of plotting and mashes his action figures together going "Wraaaar wraaaar" with no regards for heroes or villains.

This is, plainly, a very bad book. Made worse by the massive tonal shift that happens in the last two issues when the art changes from Marvel-house-style to a sort of punk/manga/pop hybrid that might look really cool attached to a different project. Tank Girl, maybe? It doesn't work here, though.

I don't know who I'd recommend this, too, as, like the previous volume, it's completely inconsistent. It's not even a fun action book.

[Kyle Dinges · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume of Weapon X sees Sabretooth take the reins of the team from Logan, and as you can imagine hijinks ensue. It wasn't all that interesting. You get an Omega Red appearance that isn't particularly compelling and the predictable conflict between Sabretooth and the members of the team, due to his anarchistic leading style. It's really very generic and I didn't find myself caring much about what happened.

Art wise, I found Ortiz to be a strange fit for this book. That's not to detract from his work, I think it's kind of fun, but it's not a great fit for the more grim and gritty material that Weapon X usually brings to mind. I can see him flourishing on something like Spider-Man or Deadpool, where a more cartoony style can be refreshing.

This series has kind of been all over the map and I didn't feel like this was a particularly strong entry. Maybe Pak will find more of a groove with the Weapon X-Force arc? But maybe not.

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun story. I really enjoyed the redemption of Omega Red, someone giving him a chance to be a non-villain, was creative and well written. The artwork varied. Cinar's artwork is great (issues #17-19), whereas Ortiz's (#20-21) was cheesy. Ortiz's artwork would be fun if it were Spidey or possibly Deadpool, but not a good fit for aggressive, 'serious' situations, it is too cartoony.
I didn't care for the departure of Warpath, nor that the Weapon X team was 'selling out' as it were, but the rest of the story was great. I really liked the tiger too!

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to see Omega Red join the Weapon X team to take down S.I.C.K.L.E. with Sabertooth as leader as Logan struggles to survive after his regular birthday fight with Sabertooth.

Good story more of Becoming Human kind of story for all of the Weapon X group. Helping others and not out there for money or for the fun of it.

That all changes with the character Foreigner who has been talking with Sabertooth. Who wants to hire them for a paid job as mercenaries.

[HapaDave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible, Distracting Art Ruins a Decent Story

The story throughout its good enough and interesting. However, the change in art for the last two issues is jarring and constantly distracting. I found myself pulled out of the story because the art was a ridiculous mashup of Liefield-esque proportions and some weird pseudo-anime drek that dragged enjoyment way down into being a slog.

[Sean · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, this was really really bad. Very good writers, Pak and Van Lente, pen a tale that's full of leaps in logic, little explanation, and a terrible plot. Domino's characterization is awful. Logan's actions or lack thereof is insane. Warpath is insanely overpowered here (flight?) and the direction the book has gone is regrettable. Sadly, art in the back half of the book is just as bad as the story. Overall, this has been a trainwreck.

[Adan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, Weapon X is still pretty terrible. And that art shift in the middle of the arc was jarring as hell. Not sure why Logan would put Creed in charge of the team, especially after he damn near killed him in the previous arc, and not sure why Omega Red of all people would join up. None of this makes any damn sense.

[José · Rating 1 out of 5]

10/100.

Flojo, flojo, flojísimo. Lo único que me ha gustado del volumen son las portadas.

Me bajo aquí de la serie. Y mira que el primer volumen me gustó *sigh*

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty straight forward hitting and punching action adventure.

Yes, Weapon X really just feels like X-Force so I am glad that gets discussed.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing amazing, but not bad either.

[Mark Clarkson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying it until the artist changed and I disliked his style