Taskmaster: The Rubicon Trigger

Taskmaster (Collected Editions)

by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Vitti (Illustrator), Jed MacKay (Writer)

Taskmaster has murdered S.H.I.E.L.D. bigwig Maria Hill! Or at least that's what the whole world thinks, as an elaborate frame-job places the Taskmaster square in the crosshairs. Now the greatest spies in the business are hunting him down, and they won't stop until the Taskmaster is dead - or manages to clear his own name! But with a laundry list of enemies longer than his arm, will anyone stop to listen to Taskmaster's side of the story? Join the Marvel Universe's deadliest hand-to-hand mercenary on a globe-spanning adventure that will send ripples through every corner of the Marvel Universe's espionage community! COLLECTING: TASKMASTER (2020) 1-5

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2021

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fingered for a murder he didn’t commit - the death of Maria Hill, another comic book character who “dies” with the regularity that most people get seasonal colds - Taskmaster sets out to clear his name by saving the world from a doomsday machine called The Rubicon Trigger. Except the device can only be disarmed by three specific individuals in the same room at the same time: Phil Coulson, Okoye and Ami Han. But how to gather them? Unless you steal their biometric signatures and one person replicates all three. Enter: Marvel Skeletor!

Taskmaster: The Rubicon Trigger is the most contrived book I’ve read in years. I understand that most books are contrived to some degree but it’s too nakedly obvious in this one - like you’re basically reading Jed MacKay’s outline and notes rather than the finished product.

It’s too neatly set up: here’s the problem, and here’s the solution that only Taskmaster can do. Why does this doomsday machine exist so that only three very specific people can disarm it - were those three involved in its creation? It’s not mentioned that they were so why them? And it’s just the right number of people too for a five issue miniseries: issue one introduces the dilemma/character, issues two to four deals with each of the three individuals, and issue five wraps it all up.

Watching him work through each character is predictable enough - whatever the obstacle, we know Tony is going to get through it, because that’s the way this miniseries is constructed, so it’s never exciting to read - but it’s also not clear how his powers work. He can imitate people’s gait and body language, but can he do that just by watching someone from afar, rather than being in close proximity to them? If the latter, how long does he need?

Because in the first issue, he says he was watching champion golfers to prepare for his golf tournament - so could he have just looked at footage of Coulson, Okoye and Han rather than actually meet (and inevitably fight) them in person? I doubt many readers of this one will know the character well enough to know this so some further information would’ve been better to include.

Also, those three characters are “good” guys, right - couldn’t Fury just ask all three to gather to shut down this device and save the world (again), which is what they do anyway? Is it even necessary to involve Taskmaster - and why does he act exactly like Deadpool?!

Beyond-contrived setup, unentertaining story, and an inconsequential, convoluted ending, Taskmaster: The Rubicon Trigger is pointless, forgettable crap through and through.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect palate cleanser for that awful live action adaptation of Taskmaster, another fun and entertaining story by Jed MacKay. I really like his style, he's really good at writing villains, and this book made me like Taskmaster even more, even though I saw that ending coming from a mile away.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread: 30/03/2024

Rereading it atm and I kind of liked this around and after having read so much of Mackay's work this was kinda like his early work and you can see the influences with this one and yeah it was less serious and I kinda like the hero or in this case the villain on the run and how he gets into weird situations and I like his encounter with Hyperion and Taegukgi and it led to some really funny moments and yeah its cheesy dialogues, but I have accepted it now as part of Mackay's writing.

The stuff with BW chasing her is still unclear and then the whole adventure in Wakanda which could have been better written but then again its the end story which sees him and all coming to a head and we get the explanation of why Hill framed and yeah its another doomsday scenario type device explanation but its fine and makes for some really funny moments LOL!

But yeah overall it has some flaws like I mentioned very first time I read it, 3 years ago now, but having read so many of Mackay's work I kinda like it in hindsight now, and yeah there is something about Fury and Taskmaster working together which is kinda funny and their interactions are hilarious, the art was fine and does the job.
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This series started alright but then lost its steam by the end. It starts with him being framed as the killer of Maria Hill and so Widow is after him and Nick is assisting him in some mission to find the Rubicon trigger, a doomsday weapon of sorts and this trips then leads him to encounter Hyperion and Coulson, then White Fox in Korea and in Wakanda he has some face off until Nick to the rescue and then a final face off with Natasha and the secrets are revealed. Will he save the world and what is the fate of Maria Hill? Its not bad just alright, some dialogues are cheesy in parts and the climax so boring and obvious like nothing happens and there is no proper resolution too. Its Cliche. The art was meh.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a lot of fun. Old-fashioned superhero (well, supervillain in this case) adventures with a big ol' sense of humour and really nice art. I'm not usually a fan of books with a bad guy as the protagonist but I'd happily make an exception for Taskmaster if Marvel wanted to give him an ongoing... with this creative team, natch.

Taskmaster has always been one of my favourite villains and I so often feel like he is massively under-rated as a threat in favour of making him comic relief. I mean, this is a guy who can go toe-to-toe with guys like Iron Fist and Shang-Chi. What always lets him down, of course, is his cowardice (which he, obviously, sees as an asset) and the fact that he's not the brightest bulb in the box. Despite these weaknesses, I still think he should be an opponent most heroes would dread facing off with... and Jed Mackay gets this, based on this miniseries. Great stuff!

My next book: Mr. Forgetful

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taskmaster is framed for Maria Hill's murder and must work with Nick Fury to clear his name. In order to figure out who did it, they need to uncover the doomsday weapon Hill was researching. To do that, Taskmaster needs to copy the kinesic patterns of 3 individuals sending Taskmaster around the world to get them. Meanwhile Black Widow's on his trail to avenge Maria Hill. It's a fun, mindless read.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun tale of a piece of shit working for another piece of shit while doing piece of shit things.

So Taskmaster is just trying to live his best life being a jackass. However, when Maria Hill is found dead, Black Widow goes and hunts down Taskmaster. This guy might be able to mimic almost any fighter but he really does NOT want to fuck with Black Widow. So he works with Nick Fury to try to clear his name.

Jed Mackay has humor down well. After this and Black Cat I have no doubt about that. Taskmaster is a joke of a character in this but he does it well. A lot of great funny moments and actually some badass moments. I will say I think the first two issues are great, while issues 3-5 are good but don't reach the same level. I feel the story structure is too similar to most of these mini-series out there instead of something fresh. But overall, if want a fun story, this works.

A 3 out of 5.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Read the singles as they were coming out. Awesome mini series. Great action, fast paced, funny and some really dope fights. See the single issues for more of my thoughts.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I wasn't expecting much from this mini-series about this relatively unknown C-list character, and I was pleasantly surprised.

No big surprises in terms of the plot – spy games 101 in five parts – but the presentation of a likeable bastard, honest with himself and far from stupid. Well done to MacKay, it was no easy task to win the reader's sympathy for such a character and he does it it with just enough of humour too.

As for the artwork, Vitti does a great job.

It's by no means a great read, but it's undoubtedly an enjoyable and entertaining one.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had an unreasonable love of mid-list villain Taskmaster. (As I write this, I am staring at a beautifully detailed little figure of the character on my desk, made of all things, lead....Why?) I've loved this character since his first appearance, and that love has endured many appearances where Marvel has not treated him well. FINALLY, the man gets his due, thanks to writer Jed MacKay and artist Alessandro Vitti. I had a blast reading this book. After a day of eating plate after plate of shit at work, and very nearly stroking out numerous times at my desk today, this was exactly what I needed to unwind. Highfalootin' literature it isn't, but there are some solid laughs, some spectacular action and fight scenes, and the art is a cut above what Marvel is putting on display in most of their books these days. I need a regular series from these guys, please.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't know who Taskmaster was, now I know. This was a pretty good story.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taskmaster is a fun character. This is a fun book. He is framed for Maria Hill’s murder and the entire spy world is after him.

[bri 🧸 · Rating 3 out of 5]

when nat showed up and taskmaster literally just said im dead 😭

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In regards to character development this slides in between prior two Taskmaster mini-series. I like the second better, even if I had some issues with Taskmaster's origin, because of the slight anti-hero turn it gave the character.

In this third mini Taskmaster slides more towards the villain blackmailed into working for the good guys trope. While he chases around the world trying to find out why he was framed for Maria Hill's murder, he is 1) being chased by the Black Widow who intends to kill him for the crime and 2) accumulating skills and knowledge to stay alive while working to prove he didn't do the deed.

This is a good solid action story. Kind of like an 1980s action movie.

Which IMO means, grab some popcorn a drink, turn off your logical mind and enjoy .

(disclaimer read as digital floppies)

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come ON. That was one of the most fun, seat-of-poopy-pants thrill ride I’ve read in ages.

Tony Masters here? Selfish asshole sure. Arrogant loner. No good for anyone but himself.

Funny as hell? Yep. Any way I could get to have a few beers with him, sign. me. up. I’d be going to my death, cause no one walks away clean from this world-class turd. But what a blast.

[Alex Sarll]

One of the many annoyances of the Black Widow film was the way it used Taskmaster as a generic faceless, unstoppable killer. The charm of the 616 character being precisely that despite having what should be an incredibly dangerous power – the ability to reproduce any skill or attack that he's seen – the guy remains, inescapably, a B-list schmuck. As perfectly captured in the opening scene here, where the latest contract for which he's been hired is a celebrity doubles Maggia golf tournament. Though to be fair, Bullseye is in the same boat ("Hey, Lester! Maybe go back to killing Daredevil's girlfriends and leave this to the pros, huh?"). Inevitably bodies start dropping, and soon Taskmaster is himself on the run from a killer bent on vengeance for a crime which, for once, Taskmaster didn't actually do. The only person who believes him? Nick Fury, Jr, who absolutely delights in always calling his reluctant partner not Taskmaster, but Tony. As the story progresses – a quest for plot tokens which has been shamelessly contrived such that Taskmaster is the only person who can possibly undertake it – things do occasionally take a more serious tack, not least by throwing him up against genuinely superhuman opponents such as Superman analogue Hyperion – because being able to match your opponent's moves is fuck-all use if those moves rely on abilities a purely human body simply doesn't have. And out of this, MacKay and Vitti do sometimes manage to scrape a certain fool's dignity for a character who can easily come across as a snivelling creep (I'm not sure if this comic is the first time his correspondences with Skeletor have been noted in-world, but certainly it's played well here). But, crucially, they never altogether stop playing him for laughs. Or saddle him with Ray Winstone and the MCU's cheapest CGI, for that matter.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taskmaster has been accused of killing Maria Hill, a former agent of SHIELD. With Black Widow after him, he teams up with Nick Fury to help clear his name. The mystery? The Rubicon Trigger, a device with unknown origins. The only way to activate the device is for 3 leaders (Phil Coulson, Ami Han, and Okoye) to use their biometric signatures to turn it on. So... off Taskmaster goes, to copy their moves (his power) so he can in effect be all of them.
The adventure is short and funny, giving Taskmaster more of a funny Deadpool vibe and less of a bumbling idiot Skeletor vibe. And the end (Maria Hill alive, and just using Taskmaster to unlock the weapon so she can destroy it since the leaders won't get together to help a disgraced SHIELD officer) just cements home the absurdity of the whole story. Still fun and wacky enough to be entertaining, but with no real value to the MU overall.
Recommend with reservations.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had skipped this one, lacking much interest in the Black Widow film's primary villain, but then noticed Jed MacKay was the author, so I snatched it right up. Definitely a smart choice: The Rubicon Trigger is pure dumb fun.

Taskmaster has been accused of Maria Hill's murder and is being hunted by Black Widow (who he truly fears). Unexpectedly, Nick Fury is on Taskmaster's side, helping him piece together clues from the case Maria Hill was working on. Will this case matter one bit? No, not at all. Will it be a hoot seeing Taskmaster tangle with a wide variety of Marvel heroes? Absolutely.

MacKay writes Taskmaster as a grumpy, not-so-awful supervillain, capable of great feats for good, if only he felt like it. The Rubicon Trigger had me chuckling more than once, which is a rarity for Marvel comics. All in all, it's silly and stupid and forgettable, but sometimes that's exactly what you desire.

[David Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say. It was a pretty fun series. Nothing too special just an all around cool story.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all of MARVEL's gargantuan, multi-universe cast of hero and criminal geniuses, the tendency to label this or that character as "underrated" is admittedly frequent and often attributed to the genuinely unremarkable. Indeed, there is a sea of B-level and C-level villainy that constitutes the bulk of the publisher's history yet sees so few published pages. Many have contested it's only a matter of assembling the right creative team to bring forgotten criminal talent to life (on this, Brubaker's comments on Batroc the Leaper are prescient). All of which brings readers to TASKMASTER, an extraordinarily entertaining comic with clear and precise writing and a specific, polished visual aesthetic. Indeed, though relegated to B-level or C-level familiarity, Taskmaster deserves this treatment.

Taskmaster is brilliant, stubborn, and exceedingly content to give in to pragmatism. If he's trapped in the ventilation system and a hero plans to use his laser eyes to fry him, Taskmaster will scream madly and run like hell. If he gets into a scrum with the general of the Dora Milaje, Taskmaster dutifully acknowledges the woman's military expertise and takes as much as he gives. He's not above tactical counter-planning and he's not above manifesting an escape route on the most common of missions. In short, the guy does his homework. Every time.

Which is probably why he hates Nick Fury for pulling him into a black SUV for the sole purpose of snaring the biometrics of three amazingly well-trained or exceedingly well-guarded individuals. TASKMASTER is a cat-and-mouse comic. The book sends Taskmaster not unironically on a series of very specific tasks (kinesics; that is, to study three high-profile people) just as he flees a death sentence courtesy of the world's deadliest assassin (who believes Taskmaster guilty of killing Maria Hill). The broader tale of a criminal needing to clear his name from a crime he didn't commit is neither new nor fascinating. And the same can be said of the criminal-as-hero secondary theme. However, both narrative tapestries are torn asunder when the man of the hour is a psychotic fiend in a skull mask who thinks nothing of revealing a hero's secret identity or of slicing someone's throat in the middle of a street in broad daylight.

TASKMASTER is very sharply written. Taskmaster himself is chummy but frank. It's not that he doesn't take himself seriously; it's the opposite; he takes himself too seriously. The result is a clever and purposeful combination of sinister humor and villainous glee. For example, when Taskmaster fights off White Fox, he earns his fair share of scrapes and cuts. But when it's clear an easy exit isn't in the cards, he straps in for some real fun ("Okay! We could've done it nice… So now we do it nasty.").

The book's art relishes the dirty close-ups warranted by the bloody fists of super-powered street fights, the disjointed limbs of a vibranium-infused melee, and the headaches induced by facing off with the famed Black Widow. Taskmaster's skull mask is cool, but so are the harsh, angular shadows and wayward trickles of blood that make this comic book come alive. Vitti's art is ideal for this type of comic. There no exaggerated movements. There is no glamorous posing. And every character who brawls legitimately looks the part.

An argument can be made for an anti-climactic ending or a tautological narrative that merely sends the characters back to where they were at the beginning, but TASKMASTER is only four issues long. And what this title accomplishes in only four issues is admirable. The characters are engaging, the art is engaging, and the story reinforces the protagonist at a granular level without going overboard. Reading this collection, one cannot help but agree: Yes, Taskmaster is underrated.

[Brian Rosenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bastard needed

Confession time. I’m a long time Taskmaster fan, going back to his debut in The Avengers in the 1980’s.
Maria Hill, one time Director of SHIELD, has been murdered. The primary suspect – Taskmaster.
Story begins at a criminal charity golf tournament (proceeds going to the widows and orphans). Taskmaster and Bullseye have words when the shooting starts. Nick Fury shows up (not the original Fury, his son) who saves TM in his golf cart getaway from the shooter, the shooter revealed as the Black Widow.
From there, it’s a tour of the Marvel universe. TM encounters Phil Coulson (SHIELD), Ami Han aka White Fox, and Okoye, “Wakanda’s toughest warrior, this side of the King (T'Challa) himself.
One of my favorite sequences is where TM, squares of with Hyperion, Marvel’s Superman.
More secrets are revealed as the mystery unwinds.
Fun read overall.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Taskmaster is hugely fun as a slightly comedic villain, and Mackay writes an excellent comedic villain and/or antihero. The last few pages really brought everything together, giving Taskmaster an opportunity to show in one very smart move that he's neither good nor dumb.

[Terrance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, but since when do we need to make every Marvel villain a quipping Deadpool clone? Taskmaster has been formidable for a long time. Why the personality transplant?

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completely serviceable super-hero story. Not sure why I read it.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the sacrilegious portrayal of Taskmaster in the Black Widow movie, Taskmaster: The Rubicon Trigger felt like the perfect, much-needed comeback for the character. This series is a masterclass in what makes Taskmaster so compelling.
From start to finish, the art is simply beautiful, excelling particularly in the dynamic fight scenes where Taskmaster steals and uses every other heroes' famous moves, a hallmark of the character. Complementing the stunning visuals is equally great dialogue, which feels grounded and realistic, perfectly capturing Taskmaster’s unique voice.
The narrative itself is a joy to follow: clear, concise, and progressing seamlessly from one issue to the next. What's even better for readers is that despite being cleverly interwoven with other major Marvel Comics events, the story never requires you to have read those external series. Everything essential is smoothly integrated and explained, allowing you to focus solely on Tony's journey.
And what a journey it is! Taskmaster is at his absolute best here, delivering his signature comedic quips and fantastic fourth-wall breaks that solidify his status as one of Marvel’s most entertaining anti-heroes (and a better version of Deadpool. Fight me on that). The plot builds to a satisfying conclusion, with an ending that is truly on-brand with Taskmaster's villainous, yet charming, nature.
While I've enjoyed every Taskmaster series I've picked up so far, The Rubicon Trigger truly saved the best for last. This is a must-read for any fan of the character or anyone looking for a brilliantly executed, self-contained comic book adventure.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taskmaster isn't necessarily the first character you'd think should get a mini-series as in recent years he has been presented as more of a supporting character. But I have a bit of a soft spot for him and there's nothing like a new MCU movie to bring some renewed interest in a character like him.

This book tries to mix in some Nick Fury espionage but framed within an elaborate series of international "heists" that require Taskmaster's unique skills. It was largely mindless fun for most of the issues but I'll concede that they manage to sort of elevate the whole "mystery" of the book by the end of things.

I'm still happy that we got a new Taskmaster story because he's can be quite the fun character. And this book had a good measure of his unique sensibilities and the odd humor that works with him. I especially loved bits like how he never knows what to call the different moves he copies, he just knows how to copy them - which TOTALLY makes sense. Photographic reflexes don't include instant knowledge of how to term a move or maneuver.

So still fun, but nothing amazing or overly notable.

[Isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of Taskmaster, I was excited for the new series as I had enjoyed the character's previous miniseries and outings. While the new series started off great, by the end, it left me just feeling bleh. Unlike other miniseries, this story added nothing to the character of Taskmaster. No emotional connection or revelations, just a generic "I've been framed" plot with a villain trying to figure out who done it. By issue five, when the plot point is brought up again, I felt like I was questioning whether it mattered or not. Now, the action of the series is fine and I really enjoyed seeing Taskmaster's thought processes while he determines his next fighting style but the movement didn't really stand out. He's supposed to be fighter but the fights feel like a martial arts informational diagram. But, yeah, it fizzles out in the end and feels like it is setting up an event and this was the catalyst but will it be picked up again down the line? Probably not.

[Niche · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone frames Taskmaster for killing Maria Hill and now Black Widow is after him. With the help of Nick Fury, he needs to get close in person to some of the top Marvel government security/espionage figures to be able to mimic their body language to unlock access to a secret weapon that Maria was investigating.

It's a lot of Taskmaster's sardonic/semi-humorous hard-luck monologue complaining about how hard the task is. There's not much in the way of "ripples". This doesn't reveal new information that suddenly makes heroes into villains or re-contextualize anyone or the status quo. Contains some references to past Events, mostly Secret Empire.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent little story set in Marvel's espionage community, as Taskmaster is framed for the murder of Maria Hill and must track down the kinetic signatures of a bunch of different characters--Hyperion, Okoye, and a member of the South Korean Tiger Squad--so he can access the MacGuffin that is "The Rubicon Trigger," something left over from the bad days when Norman Osborn ran H.A.M.M.E.R. The story is fun and the artwork is much better than you might expect for such a trifle. Further evidence that Mackay is one of Marvel's rising stars among their writers.

[Derek DeMars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taskmaster is typically a pretty minor character in Marvel comics stories, but he's always entertaining when does show up. So while the plot for this one-off miniseries was very contrived and nonsensical, it's made fun by giving us a glimpse into Tasky's snarky, calculating, self-serving mind. He treats superhero antics like they're all a big game, making an otherwise generic action story feel fresh and darkly humorous. I'd definitely be interested to read more stories centered around this hilarious bastard (and I'll continue to bewail the horrible waste of the character in the MCU films...)

[Matt Sautman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comedy book that satirizes Marvel from Taskmaster’s point of view with ambiguous continuity with the mainline 616 universe—as anyone who has read the conclusion can likely understand—the Rubicon Trigger takes place in a landscape that those who have not read Jason Aaron’s run of the Avengers leading into Heroes Reborn may find themselves somewhat lost in. I do think some of the criticisms about the contrive nature of the plot is somewhat disingenuous as the actual plot addresses all those elements via dialogue. Only the conclusion makes this book feel ambiguous.