Domino, Vol. 1: Killer Instinct

Domino by Gail Simone

by Gail Simone (Writer), David Baldeón (Illustrations), Michael Shelfer (Illustrations)

Impossible targets call for impossible shots - and no one can make them like Domino! Marvel's #1 soldier of fortune is back in an explosive new series! The product of a failed super-soldier program, Neena Thurman always made her own luck as the sharpshooting mercenary known as Domino...but what happens when her own powers betray her? The hunter becomes the hunted as every merc in the game smells blood in the water, and Domino's formerly charmed life is turned upside down! Plus: A pair of beloved Marvel characters return! Amadeus Cho lends a hand! And who is Domino's evil counterpart?
COLLECTING: DOMINO 1-6

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, X Men, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

136 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2018

About the author

Gail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

To quote a documentary film title from a few years ago -- What happened, Miss Simone?

I've liked Gail Simone's work on Wonder Woman, but primarily it was her Batgirl and/or the Birds of Prey titles that I find to be exemplary. I am an unabashed diehard devotee of her stories for those legendary DC ladies. Simone can craft plots, action sequences, and dialogue like nobody's business.

So I was surprised to have a cool reception for the premiere volume for Domino. Is there something in the water over at Marvel? (And I like DC and Marvel equally, if that is possible.) Now, don't get me wrong - Killer Instinct was good, but in a lukewarm version of the Birds of Prey kind of way. Domino is partnered with Outlaw (a.k.a Crazy Inez) and Diamondback as a 'have gun - will travel' type of a security team; there are a few cameos from some of Marvel's heavy hitters; and there were sporadic amusing moments. But the main storyline did not always seem compelling, a rarity for Simone.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a ☆☆☆-☆☆☆1/2 read, but this comic book was in the end a funny friendship themed storyline with good artworks filled with hilarious great moments, well made painful flashbacks of Neena's past, and the Domino/Shang-Chi flirty scenes reminded me some of the best episodes from the Lupin III anime series.




Such a shame Wade had not much screen- time but every Deadpool's cameo here was just a blast.



And that awesome joke about Marvel's superheroines being Disney princesses now just made my day.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gail Simone does some good things with Domino. She gives Domino some history which she hasn't ever had much of, even though she was initially established as being an old friend of Cable's. Simone also gives her two best friends to team up with and play off of in Outlaw and Diamondback. They have a nice dynamic. Simone also makes Domino explore her luck powers for the first time giving her a foil that can dial up or turn down her powers. Even though the book hasn't fully connected with me the way Birds of Prey or Secret Six did, the book is fun and action packed.

David Baldeon's art gave off major Humberto Ramos vibes, particularly the kinetic action sequences.

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was awesome for a graphic novel/comic! I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of comics but if this is the norm where the plot is considered I think I've been investing my time in the wrong ones. Everything was concise and to the point without being rushed. The art style is amazingly well detailed and drawn. I wish I had half the talent these illustrators have!

I'm still a noobie when it comes to comics, so I didn't even know a character like Domino existed in Marvel comics. I have no idea how I found out about these but I'm so glad I did! The idea of someone being a hero for having the "power" of luck is fantasticly strange in the best way.

There were a lot of cameos of other Marvel characters in the beginning of this and is it bad that I knew only one or two? I want to get into more of these in the future. I'll definitely be looking into Volume 2 of the series in the near future!

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soon as I opened the first page and saw Gail Simone was writing this... I knew it would be fab. The third series and first ongoing of Domino. Domino has finally made real female friends in Diamondback and Outlaw and as she fights people from her past, will her friendships make her weaker or stronger? And does she really understand her luck power?

Simone smashes this ..it's a great piece of work and already the best and most interesting portrayal of Domino ever. I'd like to see more of Outlaw and Diamondback as people as opposed to props. The story is a bombshell, so well plotted and completely in line with Domino-lore, no re-imagining here. Can't wait to read the next volume -- best X-Book of 2018? 8 out of 12.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite fun to read!

Gail does a great job of giving Domino a much required back history and she brings two enw enemies from the past in Prototype/Desmond and this Topaz girl and I love the latter's fights with Domino and it really gives her something to play off of and setting her up as the arch-nemesis was cool and also showing the way their powers affect eahc other. Also two new friends in Inez and Diamondback and its awesome and I love the friendship between them and it may seem cheesy but it gives Domino to bounce off of someone and also loved the way she had Shang-chi here and showing some cool moments with him until the end and showing Domino's true nature and the volume has everything from enemies to friends to heart break and joy, probably one of the best X-Men solo titles I have read!

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! So I have never read much of Domino before, I knew of her but with her starring in Deadpool 2 and Gail Simone hopping on to do a series, I thought now would be as good of a time as any. And thankfully I was not disappointed! So the story has Domino as she faces off against two villains, one of which has the ability to turn off mutant powers, meaning she can negate Domino's luck powers. So with no powers, Domino has to figure out a way out of this one!

To start with what I liked, I really enjoyed the story and writing! Gail Simone has been killing it lately with Catwoman/Tweety Bird & Sylvester special, Wonder Woman/Conan and now this! The issues are a lot of fun, the comedy is almost spoof like, but not as over the top as a Deadpool comic would be, which I liked that balance. The villains as well were very well done, having close ties to Domino's origin made them interesting antagonists, and I mean what do you do when a character's super power is luck? Gail Simone was able to take that and make an interesting story, where Domino can't rely on her powers to save her! The artwork as well was fantastic, being a nice blend of cartoony looking art, but still flashy and a joy to look at!

Overall If you have not picked up this series, I highly recommend it!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa, went in with zero expectations and came out really enjoying this one.

Simone does a great job of setting Domino up to be a likable character even though she's done a lot of horrible shit. She isn't a good person, but she sure tries to be. And that's kind of anyone on the X-Force team's life style now days. And while Domino is throwing a party she is attacked by some crazy psycho lady and old guy who try to kill her. She then goes into training and her friends try to back her up.

This is all pretty fun. I mean the plot itself isn't mind-blowing but the characterization is great and the art is solid. I really enjoyed all the relationships and this is one of the rare books I didn't find Deadpool highly annoying. Gail obviously loves writing Domino and I hope she gets more chances in the future to do so. A 4 out of 5.

[Des Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is funny, with some pretty quotable lines of dialogue. it shines a light on a minor character who doesn't usually get it. Plus Gail Simone is working on it, and we all know, when she's on, she's ON. But at the end of the day, this fun, entertaining read, simply doesn't do anything exemplary to make it worthy of a whole-hearted recommendation. Really, it reads like dozens of stories before it. Though well researched and well structured, it's just superhero books to a tee, and I want something more these days. Not to mention, the art is that same, 2000s era Marvel style, which looks fine, but really echoes the notion of indifference I had for this arc.

[johnny ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute friendship, great domino backstory.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Gail Simone works will probably always be Batgirl and Birds of Prey, but I've come to enjoy almost all of her writing and the current Domino is no exception. The situations aren't always as engaging here as I might like (and I still don't care for Deadpool), but her dialog is nonpareil and the plotting is sharp, fast, and witty. "I'm not a superhero. I'm a DISNEY PRINCESS!!!" The art is a little above average for current Marvel, I believe. In short, good book, recommended.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. This was dope!!! It’s Domino’s Birthday and her “Posse” threw her a surprise party. But these two characters show up and Dominos powers won’t work and she is thrown out the window of a high rise. She later learns who these people are and we as the reader get their background also which is pretty dark. The rest of the book is Neena trying to figure out a way to stop them. This is my first time reading anything from Gail Simone. Man can she write a damn comic. Makes me excited to read her Red Sonja omnibus and Her Wonder Woman I got. Gail does a wonderful job with the villains background and shining a light on Dominos as well. She also does a wonderful job of making you care/worry for our heroes. Amazing artwork, cool cameos and some great action. Highly recommend checking this one out!!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues. This is FUN! My first introduction to Domino was the Deadpool 2 movie. After that I had the opportunity to sit down and start reading this run. The first arc gave me a bit more backstory for the character and introduced a fun posse for her to pal around with. Simone's dialogue is ON POINT and had me snorting and laughing. Definitely worth a read if you want more of this character.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun enough, sassy lines, plenty of ass-kicking and a feeling like our anti-hero has people who care about her. Excellent.

But (a) when did this Inez become a character, (b) did Amadeus Cho ever know Domino before this (and why do I care?) and (b) when did Amadeus get a sister?

Have I just been paying so little attention to the B-level players?

[Paz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Maybe I'm no fun at all cause everyone and their mom loved this title and I'm here like... ya know, it was really cool when they sing Domino's name in the Cherrybomb melody.
D-D-D-D-D-D-D- DOMINO.
That's it.
No, wait, I also liked Shang-chi. Mainly cause he looked fiiiiine. I'm aware it was a drawing, but hey, dude looked super hot. I'm suddenly super excited for the upcoming movie and casting.
I, also... liked the flashbacks!
And the designs of pretty much all of the characters. Especially Shang-chi, did I mention that?
That's pretty much it.

I think I finally realized that Gail Simone and I do not get along. Except for Batgirl new 52, I just don't like her stuff. I don't find her funny and I feel zero connection with her characters. Soooo, I think I'm the boring one here because pretty much all reviews here praise her comedic moments and overall writing.

I just found the story super boring. I still don't have a grasp on who Domino really is and her best friends are a bit generic for me, so I really never cared about them. I still don't, so I have no desire to continue reading this.
(However, I'd love to read her origin story because the flashbacks, which were all dramatic scenes, were the best moments for me.)

[ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

was domino even in this?
by which i mean, this character was nothing like the domino i know. where is her recklessness? why is the writing so shallow? why does she need a hot dude to remind her that she is in control of her powers? there were good, serious moments that could have been perfect for domino, but simone just didn't take the leap.

no, i didn't like this rebranded dom for less mature audiences. the art was nice, though.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
This is classic Marvel fun from start to finish.

Gail Simone continues to be a treasure; Even when the action is careening from one explosion to the next, she finds time for character building and comic relief. I could've done without the cheesecake lingerie shots, though.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this character and her two friends Diamondback and Outlaw. The story arc was clear and interesting enough. Overall I love the trio and can't wait to see what they do next. Great writing by Simone. Hope to see a more light-hearted story next.

[bri 🧸 · Rating 3 out of 5]

omg shang-chi and domino supremacy me thinks!

[Nicole Westen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I like how Domino is kind of like Deadpool's female counterpart. She has a lot of the stuff that makes Deadpool fun, but she's still her own character and not just a female carbon copy.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I read Domino: Hotshots, before reading this book. But D:HS actually happens AFTER this book, not before. Because every time you pick up a superhero graphic novel that looks like Volume One, you're actually playing Comics Continuity Roulette (™).

That said, I enjoyed this book much more than Hotshots. It has an actual story, for one thing, as opposed to the generic McGuffin chase in Hotshots. Domino encounters a deadly foe from a barely remembered past, someone with the ability to shut down her luck powers. And they don't just want to defeat her. They want her to suffer, which means killing the people she loves …

I especially love the character moments that Gail Simone brings to this book. The friendship between Domino and Outlaw and Diamondback feels genuine. I also enjoyed her reaction upon meeting Shang-Chi.

This is a decent quality superhero book, with a pleasing blend of action and humor. Recommended!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and generic, Killer Instinct offers plenty of flash and a nice introduction to Domino's portion of the Marvel universe, but it's hampered by excessive narration and a penchant for meaningless detours. Half the plot seems to be "Domino goes to find XXX because that'll be a neat sequence!" Hey, I don't mind meeting Shang Chi - that whole plotline was fun! But it didn't quite feel earned. The villains too are oddly underdeveloped for how key a role they seem to have played in Domino's life. Like I said, though: the visuals are bright, the action is near-constant, the characters are adequate. Not the best Marvel comic, not the worst.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly varied quality, probably not helped by having three artists over six issues. When it's good, it's really good: great action, some funny lines, great relationships between the characters, a villain with a motivation that makes sense, and some real drama in the back story. But sometimes it feels a little try-hard. Also, I could do without Land's boring, oversexed covers with characters who look exactly like every other character he's ever drawn. Domino is Generic Pretty Woman, and Topaz is Generic Bitchy Woman. Yawn.

[Lenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one! Domino has everything going for her in this six-issue arc, which I recommend not only for fans of Deadpool 2, but anyone who likes a kickass woman with a dark past and awesome power, a solid mutant (but non-X-Men) story, heaps of witty humor, and bug eyed pugs.


No offense to all dog lovers everywhere (I’m one myself), but if Domino’s gone all the time and needs an animal with innate luck…. maybe Outlaw should have given her a cat?

Domino’s luck powers just might have been at work here, because who better to write her than Gail Simone! I mean, there are lots of awesome female writers, but Domino (aka Neena Thurman) is such a natural character for Simone, you could probably convince someone that she created Domino herself. The elements of Domino’s abusive past and her dark character; her all-female team and relationships with Outlaw and Diamondback; the sarcastic and witty humor – it all felt like the best of Secret Six, Birds of Prey, and Deadpool, and by the way, does anything feel more right than Gail Simone writing Deadpool again?

Maybe Simone writing Outlaw. Simone is a master of memorable secondary or minor characters with big doses of personality - King Shark and Ragdoll from Secret Six, Misfit and Barda from Birds, Alysia from Batgirl, and Maizy in Crosswind. Outlaw is one of Simone's best original characters, whom she created in her Deadpool series. Outlaw's a mercenary who leans hard into the cowgirl routine, but it absolutely works for her, as does her fierce BFF love of Domino. Diamondback had a little less of a strong personality but she was still great, and I have no doubt we'll see more of them in the second volume.

minor spoilers. At least twice in the book, we are led to believe that one or both of Domino’s best friends have died, and I not only believed it each time, (Simone isn’t afraid to kill off a character she made you fall in love with), but I was surprisingly emotional about it – for characters I had only met in this book! That speaks volumes for her writing…and maybe also my emotions.


Cherrybomb is the perfect theme song for Domino, end of sentence.

The Domino of the comics is very different than her film adaptation, so have that expectation going in. But you don’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of her history: Simone highlights Domino’s backstory without spending too much time in exposition, and also establishes her team with Outlaw and Diamondback, who are just so, so much fun together.

The story grounds itself in Domino better understanding and controlling her abilities – which she describes as a mouse walking along her spine, cringingly perfect. The power of luck translated very well onto the big screen, but it also made Domino seem invincible. Not so here – we see Domino’s powers taken away from her, and even on contagious overdrive (not great in a casino), often threatening her and her friend’s lives. Connecting her abilities to her focus and emotions allowed for a lot of great character growth without relying too much on her powers for a perfect ending. Domino’s villains are also connected to her powers and her awful childhood, and Simone does an excellent job of pacing with flashbacks, the Topaz reveal, and their violent, very satisfying final confrontation.

minor spoilers. I only wish Domino was also able to interact with Desmond, especially with their connection – which seems pretty unique along the spectrum of mutant powers. How often is one mutant’s powers directly affected by another? It was a little disappointing that Domino only learned about Desmond through Topaz, but at the same time, it also heightens the tragedy that they never met each other but had a huge impact on the other’s life. It also makes perfect sense that, had she met Desmond, Domino might have been emotionally crippled by the guilt of it and walked away from her life entirely.



Baldeón’s fantastic art is cartoony and very expressive – very often it allowed for scenes full of movement, action and comedy that worked well alongside Simone’s writing (see some great examples of this above). Other times it felt like a little much, especially with some of the darker material. I was also sort of disappointed that Domino is attacked and pushed through a window while in her underwear, and Simone/Baldeón chose to do a full spread page of…Neena fully spread…with an angle that I thought we had firmly left behind in comics. Shefler was a guest artist for issue #5 and it was my least favorite art in the book – he lacked the movement and creative angles that made a big fight scene feel slower and less climactic.



Speaking of which, I was pleasantly surprised that there was also a romantic element to Domino’s story, and I 100% wanted more of it. I won’t spoil who the lucky person is – somehow I’d completely missed him in comics but apparently he’s been around since the 70’s and is getting his own MCU movie too! However, the romance moved too quickly for me to be completely convinced (not necessarily from Domino’s side, but the guy’s feelings seemed rather fast) – and only afterwards do they suddenly become more comfortable with “master” and “pupil” titles, which is…weird? Maybe it was all meant in a Simone-y bantering tone and I just read it wrong. Regardless, it was giving me serious Catman/Huntress feels (damn you Simone with your amazing but ill fated couple pairings!!) and I hope we see those two cross paths again.



I am thrilled that Domino has received all the praise it deserves, and that luck strikes again for her and all of us – not only is volume 2 of Domino being released this month, but Simone and Baldeón are also beginning an all-new Hotshots series, an all-female featuring Domino, Outlaw, Diamondback and others.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me understand the depth of the character more while putting her in some situations that I really did not expect.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

My only exposure to Domino is from Deadpool 2 and I must say the mutant ability from that film isn't the same here. I won't let that impact my review as they are two different mediums and the comics are the true source for the material. The character is quite fun and I would love to learn more about the creation of the powers down the road. From a first exposure I was a little underwhelmed with the book, but not turned away. It is not a bad book.

Why the 3.5?

The storyline was a little all over the place and while I like Marvel's interconnected universe, sometimes the story beats are forced to allow these character introductions. I will read the next book, but this wasn't a favourite of mine and I continue to find Marvel a little mixed for my liking, I'm definitely lean to DC. Domino is an interesting character though and I feel the powers offer a chance to create some interesting panel work.

[Owen Townend · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Simone at her best and I doubt it's an outstanding tale for Domino either.

Domino is yet another lesser-known Marvel character I've recently taken an interest in. More specifically, I wanted to read how Gail Simone, one of my favourite superhero comic writers in the industry, told the story of a bounty hunter whose mutant power is luck.

Unfortunately the tone of Domino, Volume 1: Killer Instinct was all over the place. The main story of Domino being pursued by Topaz and her mystery partner for a life-long vendetta our hero didn't even realise, was intriguing and showed us the harrowing childhood in captivity that Domino suffered. However this was off-set by cleavage-bearing splash pages that were at odds with the sombrethemes. Similarly I would have been more interested in Domino's friendship with Outlaw and Diamondback if they weren't out on dangerous missions in impractical outfits. It just felt like pure titillation for teenage boys and undercut any feminist message for me.

Then came the Shang-Chi romance. This seemed gratuitous in a completely different way, with Domino drooling over her 'master' (martial arts, though it might as well be the other thing too) and his raw spiritual power. I was surprised to find this predated the MCU debut of Shang-Chi, considering how much he and his legacy dominate the final quarter of the story.

Add to this the nebulous, last-minute revelation of the 'traitor' who allowed Domino to be hounded by her enemies, and that leaves a particularly unbalanced tale that obscures any true character development for our hero.

On the positive side, I did enjoy Baldeón, Shelfer and Piper's dynamic artwork, even if the eyes became a bit too cartoony for my tastes. Also I enjoyed the description of how Domino's powers work as well as the great cost they invoke.

I suppose I'm just disappointed that my return to Simone's writing was so muddled and, dare I say, inauspicious. Nevertheless I recommend Domino, Volume 1: Killer Instinct to those intrigued by the character that Zazie Beetz plays in Deadpool 2. Also fans of Simone who can forgive a misfire.

Better luck next time.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I am familiar with the characters, I have never read a Domino-focused comic before. With that being said, I really liked Vol. 1 of Simone's run with the character.

As Domino tries to open up to the idea of friendship and find some stability in her life, she finds her powers (and with them her identity) threatened by an enemy that seems to know her more than she knows them. Plus there's just a chance that the friends she's welcomed into her life are not quite who she believed they were. With everything on the line, Domino and her posse have to fight to uncover the mystery of Domino's past--and hopefully survive the investigation.

With a variety of great cameos, really strong art from Baldeon, Shelfer, Piper and company, and a high-spirited energy that carries the story from start to finish, Simone's turn with the character is off to a good start. Consistently funny, the story also delves into internal struggles and moral gray areas. In doing this, it finds a good balance between the humor and the heavy moments that ground the story and make it more than just an action-packed adventure. These might be the good guys. But they are not the Avengers fighting for peace and justice to win the day. These enemies are coming for the people Domino loves most. She's not going to take that sitting down.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Gail Simone. Like, sidetrack here, but I wish someone would give some info on why her damn signed omnibus of Red Sonja that came out in December is still not being sent out. *crickets*

Anyway. Gail. Great writer, seems like a fun person. This translates pretty well to this volume 1 title. Getting some background on Domino's past, I'm not sure it really aligns with her "classic" story but that might be my mistake. It's a good concept.

End review, love this. Love the writing and the art, and how it ended.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

the covers for these issues were so good! so many marvel characters are people who've escaped out of creepy scientist lab cages. i thought the death of the guy whose life force seemed linked to domino's would affect her more??