Domino: Strays

Domino: Strays is a must read for Marvel fans. The writing makes the narration feel personable and like the reader is talking to Domino as a friend. Flipping back and forth between the present and the past, the story skips around quite a bit but it all comes out in the wash until Domino feels real and a complex, likable character. Leading a little group of mercenaries now that includes Black Widow, Domino is up for hire for the tough cases. A cult and mother's plea for her children leaves Domino pursuing her own brand of justice. The case has her reliving the parts of the past she can remember and revealing an enthralling back story that will quickly move Domino to one of your favorite Marvel characters. The story has me crossing my fingers and wishing for a little of that patented luck that Domino will be back for a multi-book series. My voluntary, unbiased review is base upon a review copy of the book from Netgalley. #Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

This book had me riveted. I was kind of expecting a graphic novel and would have enjoyed illustration at times, but I loved the depth this was able to get into Dominos character and the story. I’ve always loved the world of Marvel in all of it’s multitudes of timelines and multiverses. I’ve always loved X-Force in particular but enjoy seeing Domino without the more attention grabbing Deadpool and Cable. I enjoyed the mix of past and present and getting to truly be inside Domino’s head. Really enjoyed this book and hope there are more.

I love reading Marvel stories. Domino has always been one of favorite characters. The story gave her a nice depiction. The story flowed well. I couldn’t put it down. I’ll be looking for more stories by this author!

Tristan Palmgren uses action-packed and clever prose to feature a unique Marvel character worthy of attention. Ideal for comics fans, and a totally enjoyable reading experience, complete with tart dialogue and enjoyable plot points. Now, I want to see Pagren take on other comics characters.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit to being a little disappointed when I realised this was an actual novel rather than a graphic novel. It had been filed as a graphic novel on netgalley and I was looking forward to my first reading of a Domino comic. However, once I started this disappointment evaporated. This is a wonderfully told and thrilling, charming book.
The story switches from different times through Domino's life so is very much an origin story. We have when Domino was growing up in a variation of Wolverine's Weapon X programme, as Project Armageddon sought to create the perfect soldier. Domino was one output from that programme, as she developed the mutant ability to have luck on her side. Then we have her time in an orphanage, having escaped the programme. Then her mission to track down the person who might have been responsible for her upbringing and finally her present mission, to rescue two adolescents who have been brainwashed by a cult leader. These different time periods are covered throughout the book, layering up her back story as we follow her on her current mission. This is superbly woven together, and we have almost parallel storylines near the end, her infiltrating Project Armageddon and her sneaking into the cult's base. A few times this got a little muddled in my head, but served to wonderfully draw a parallel between her upbringing and that of the non-mutant, more traditional cult.
Domino is accompanied on her later mission by Black Widow amongst others (the characters' real names are generally used, so it was fun to try and track down which Marvel characters they actually were), but she is very much the leader of her merc crew.
The storyline is good, combining plenty of backstory and exciting missions, with excellently narrated action sequences. I don't tend to like first person books as much as third person, but this angle gave Domino a much more likable personality, having a fair chunk of her friend Deadpool's humour, mixed with Rogue's childhood trauma and Wolverine's anger at experimentation.
As noted in Deadpool 2, having luck on your side isn't a superpower, and it isn't very cinematic. Domino's power is not overly laboured in the book, and it isn't used to make her seen completely invulnerable to injury. She uses it sparingly because luck going her way in a fight (bullets being deflected etc) can have adverse consequences for those around her. It was used when absolutely needed, but she has so many capabilities that she barely did.
This is a really great book that gives so much more backstory to a lesser-known Marvel character than could have been achieved in a graphic novel. A very strong female cast of role models.
The only downside was the overuse of footnotes which didn't tend to add much to the story, other than witty asides, and are quite frustrating on a kindle.

Domino, the beloved mutant, is getting her own full-length novel! You read that right, novel, not graphic novel. Written by Tristan Palmgren, Domino: Strays is about to dive into Domino's past and present to bring a whole new story to the forefront.

There are two sides to the infamous Domino. There's her present, where she has worked so hard at creating a team of mercenaries and heroes that she can count on. Together, they take on the big cases, as well as the overlooked cases. Such as the case where two siblings could very well use some help escaping from a cult...

Then there's Domino's past. Her history with imprisonment, abuse, and experimentation. It's a history that many a mutant carries with them, even if the details alter slightly from one to another. Yet that side of her story unfolds as well, on these pages.

“I had known, at the time, that it was a mistake. But because I'm an idiot, that hadn't stopped me.”

Warnings: Domino: Strays portrays child abuse, experimentation (non-consensual), cults, and other similar subjects and themes.

First of all, can I just say that I absolutely adore that they've been making Marvel comics into novels? I adore the comics (obviously) but sometimes it's nice to have a bit more to sink my teeth into. Especially when it covers my favorite characters, such as Domino.

Domino: Strays is perfect for old and new fans alike. It pulls in themes and events that have happened in her recent series (including Domino: Hotshots). But it also takes the time to explain Domino's character, her past, and her connection to her friends, so a new fan could easily jump in here, if they so desired.

This was a surprisingly intense read, though perhaps it shouldn't have been. I know Domino's history, and I know how dark it gets. Yet the raw emotion in this novel, and the events that come alongside those emotions, cannot be avoided. Nor should it be.

“To do what I do, always take the first marshmallow.”

Despite the heavy tones, Domino does have a way about her. As such, Domino: Strays is full of her sass and flair. Sometimes that means things blow up. Other times that means her besties come in and start breaking stuff. Either way, it's going to be a lot of fun.

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments to be found within these pages, lots of little references, sometimes even poking at the other characters involved. It's perfect, and really did read like a longer running Domino series. I would love more of this, if possible!

Comics are a great medium, they're designed to be easy to read and to be accessible to readers of all ages, and they've evolved over the years to become a storytelling medium that's hard to translate to other formats. You only need to look at how many comic book films have been less than good to see that. Whilst comic book movies have become big business, one of the mediums where comics rarely make the leap is in prose novels. I've seen some people argue that comic characters and their stories just wouldn't work as prose, and I've always disagreed with that; and now I'll be able to point to Domino: Strays as a perfect example of how these characters and their stories not only work in this format, but excel at it.

Domino: Strays follows the mutant mercenary Domino as she's hired to rescue a pair of twins from the clutches of a cult leader by their desperate mother. Initially unwilling to take on a mission that's not her normal kind of thing, Domino eventually agrees, and sets out to infiltrate the cult's facility in order to rescue them. Whilst this story alone is interesting enough, and it's very entertaining to see Domino and her team infiltrating this compound in the middle of Chicago, where the book really shines is the other stories that play into this.

The book is written from Domino's point of view, and she makes it clear to the reader early on that her writing style is a bit hectic, and will jump around the place a little. As such, we get two other narratives weaving into the story of her infiltrating the cult's compound. One is Domino's childhood being raised as a subject in part of some shady experiment, and her eventual escape to a Chicago orphanage; and the other is her travelling to the Florida Everglades to track down a woman who might be her mother.

Now, on the surface these three narratives don't really have very much in common, but as these stories unravel we learn that not only is Domino's mission to Florida deeply connected with her own traumatic past, and her time in the orphanage, but is also one of the reasons why she chooses to take on her current assignment in the first place. Over the course of the book we get to see her past, the way her mind works, and how she has a great deal of empathy for people trapped in a prison by authorities out to control them.

I have to admit, I've not read massive amounts of comics with Domino in them, so only have a basic understanding of the character (and also understand that this isn't the same continuity as the Marvel 616 universe) but I felt like this book taught me so much more about her than any comic could. This isn't just because it went deep into her history and showed the reader parts of Domino's past that most comics don't, but because the whole thing is narrated by her, and as such we get to understand these events through her eyes, and understand the impact it has upon her.

Tristan Palmgren seems to really know the character well, and they've put a lot of effort into humanising her in new and interesting ways. Domino isn't just a mercenary out to make money, spending her time between missions partying and living life to the extreme because she's a wild person, but because her actions are influenced by the trauma that she's lived through.

Palmgren also makes a point to make Domino's powers interesting in some new ways. Much like was made a joke of in Deadpool 2, luck isn't very cinematic, and Tristan seems to want to make this a point. They have Domino explain more than once that she doesn't control how her luck works, and whilst it can ultimately help her out of some sticky situations, it isn't perfect. She describes times where her luck powers have had her leap from a vehicle to safety, but crash into a wall and nearly knock herself out; how does that help her? Well, the person chasing her doesn't see her laying on the floor and runs past her. It got the job done, but it doesn't make her untouchable. There's lots of little moments like this peppered throughout the narrative, where Domino is able to use her luck to her advantage, but still comes out of her adventures battered and bruised.

Domino: Strays is a really inventive and engaging dive into the character, one that puts her personal journey and growth at the forefront of the narrative, and manages to weave three connected stories together in ways where the jumps in time not only feel natural, but play into each other well. I really hope that this won't be the only time that Tristan gets to write the character, as I'd love to see more of her explored in this way. If this is the last time Tristan writes a Domino book, I at least hope that they get to write more adventures set in the Marvel Universe.

Domino Strays
Domino: Strays is the first in the new Marvel Heroines series from Aconyte books, written by Tristan Palmgren.
Up until now, Aconyte has been putting out titles that are set in worlds that started out as board/card games, where the only previous story content has been similar tie-in fiction. Moving to an IP which is known to millions globally as a comic series stretching back to the middle of the last century and probably the most successful film franchise in the world is a bold move. Did it work? Let’s find out!

Strays is a dark tale from the life of Mutant mercenary Neena Thurman, aka Domino. The book explores Domino’s origins (often unknown to even her), as well as a present-day run-in with a sinister cult. Domino’s comic-book story lines have often been at the gritty and disturbing end of the spectrum (last time I saw was in X-Force 2019 where she had been captured by a sinister organisation who had flayed half of her skin to use for cloning), and Palmgren really leans in to the darkness in their story. Anyone expecting the action-comedy vibe of the MCU is in for a shock when they encounter a thriller with some deeply psychological elements and, aside from the various mentions of Mutants, the overall vibe would feel a lot more at home alongside the Netflix Punisher or Jessica Jones series. Without wanting to go too far into spoilers, anyone who has had traumatic experiences with abusive, controlling relationships might want to go a little bit carefully as they decide to read this, as there’s definitely potential for being triggered here.

In terms of the wider Marvel continuity, the Aconyte Marvel titles seem to exist in their own universe but, for Strays at any rate, the starting point seems to be fairly close to the main 616 Universe. A lot of the supporting cast and themes share a lot with the 2018 Domino series, and 2019’s Domino: Hotshots, whilst the encounters with Project Armageddon and Domino’s family hark bark to the 2003 Domino series. Despite starting with so much familiar ground, Palmgren has produced a story that stands well on its own, taking the best of both worlds: there’s certainly no need to read the comics in order to enjoy Strays.

The story in Strays is carefully woven through three strands: the first narrating Domino’s childhood, the second recalling a botched mission six years ago, and the last one detailing a present-day rescue operation. Domino speaks directly to the reader, which can feel a bit confused at first, but gradually settles into a rhythm that gives you a nice insight into her frame of mind as well as her actions.
The story kicks off with Domino talking about her mother – an imperfectly remembered figure, clearly someone who was absent for much of Domino’s life. Domino tells you right at the start that her mother was a woman of anger and rage: a fanatic and a killer. With an opening like this, it’s no big surprise when, a bare chapter or two into the novel, Domino casually mentions that she had to kill her own mother! However, whilst Palmgren shows you the ending of that one little strand of the plot early on, the book is far more about the journey than the destination.
Whilst the middle strand of the story focuses around Domino’s search for her mother, it is preceded and followed by accounts of other sections of her life: the story of a miserable childhood in a research facility, followed by a slightly-less-miserable time as a teenager in a Chicago orphanage, under the care of over-worked Priest Father Boschelli. The third, “present day” strand involves Domino’s attempt to rescue a client’s grown-up children from a cult who have convinced them to lock themselves away from family and all other outsiders in the compound set up by the ‘father’ of the church. It’s no accident that each of the 3 time-lines has a “mother” or “father” figure in a key role, and Strays has a lot to say on the subjects of family and friendship, forcing Domino to really consider who she can trust, who she can rely on, and who is going to be able to forgive her for doing the things that need to be done.

It’s also worth thinking about the unique mutant power that makes Domino who she is: in layman’s terms, she can manipulate “luck” and alter probability, which has historically been used in a fairly vague way to do whatever the plot requires at that moment. Palmgrem does a good job with the unenviable task of trying to define these slippery qualities into something a little less nebulous. The end result is not only understandable for the reader, but it also enables an engaging narrative that undercuts the “it’ll be fine, somehow” vibe that can often creep into a Domino story.
Domino direct address to the reader provides a running commentary on how her luck is – or isn’t - able to help her in any given situation. One point she makes multiple times is that her luck might generally save her – at least in a life-or-death situation - but it certainly doesn’t care about anyone who isn’t Domino, a responsibility that falls entirely on Domino herself.
Whilst the characterisation of Domino herself is very well done, the supporting cast are a bit more variable. Father Boschelli, head of the orphanage where she lived as a teenager, provides some insightful moments (and is a lot more developed than his comic-book counterpart who only ever featured on a single page of a 2003 comic), but Inez Temple (Outlaw) and Rachel Leighton (Diamondback) feel a little underused, reduced to little more than Muscle and Tech-Support for a major mission.
The main saving grace as far as the supporting cast go, is the lack of knowledge that you need to have of all things Marvel to make sense of the plot in Strays. There’s a brief Black Widow Cameo, and Wolverine, Cable, Deadpool, and the Avengers are all name-checked, but provided you can grasp the basic concepts of Mutants (they exist, they have all sorts of powers, lots of people fear and/or hate them), then you aren’t going to be feeling too lost just because you didn’t have time to memorise a hundred or so back-issues of X-Force. Domino is primarily telling her own story and, to a lesser-extent those of her sisters-in-arms, and she tells you all you need to know about who they are to her, without burdening you with their place in the overall Marvel canon.
As the three strands of Domino’s story weave together, the result is something that is interesting, often compelling, a story that carefully keeps you on the hook whilst it segues off to another time-period, forcing you to read on, but fully knowing that by the time you return you’ll be just as reluctant to leave that plot-thread as you were in this.
My biggest relief when reading Strays, was that we get a satisfying ending. Domino is not Captain America, she is not here to be a paragon of selflessness and virtue, she is a mercenary with a traumatised past. In embracing that reality, Palmgren is able to really dig into the question of what it means to be a hero – not just making physical sacrifices, but showing Domino willing to sacrifice how she appears in the eyes of others, if that’s what it takes to finish the job.
Ultimately, the ending for Strays is a bittersweet one, and it feels fitting for the characters we’ve seen, and the stories we’ve watched unfold. Domino’s life as a sometimes mercenary, sometimes hero doesn’t allow for “happily ever afters,” but it shows a group of women making a difference, able to sleep at night, and move on to the next job.

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Marvel Heroines book Domino Strays by Tristan Palmgren published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let these things cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

So lets get in to it, the book as the title suggests concentrates on Domino, the mutant whose power is luck, if you are familiar with the comics, this is set in the current timeline with her being the leader of the Hotshots and contains the rest of the team in supporting roles. If you are less familiar, she was played wonderfully by Zazie Beetz in Deadpool 2.

The story revolves around the Hotshots infiltrating the compound of a cult leader in Chicago to save her clients two children. It skips between three different time periods, giving us the reasons why Domino hates the idea of people being held in cages, and why she has a particular thing for crazy zealots.

Its told from a second person point of view with Domino telling the reader the story, given how closely Domino is associated with Deadpool, I think it would have been very easy for this to go down the route of breaking the fourth wall, but I think this works way better, because they didn’t do that. Honestly it feels like we are holed up in some seedy bar as Domino relates the story to us over drinks.

You get a fantastic inside look at the Hotshots, how they work and the relationship dynamic between them, especially between the closest three of them, those being Domino, Diamondback and Outlaw.

My favourite parts of the story were those that covered Dominos infiltration of the Project Armageddon compound in the Everglades and those about her childhood in a church orphanage. The present days story for me was more of a device to tie it all together, and it was really good at that.

Another positive was that they didn’t overly play on her superpower, she rarely relied on it, and as she points out, its not something that makes her invulnerable and isn’t very cinematic, she has to rely on honed skills and experience, only relying on her superpower when she absolutely needs to.

The only real issue I have with the story is the footnotes, which are in themselves great, but they are all at the end of the chapters, which are in themselves, not that long, but its a pain to have to keep flipping through to make sure you read them when you are supposed to. I would much rather they be at the end of the page they belong with, but I wonder if this is a limitation of the ePub format.

I was a big fan of the Domino: Hotshots series by Gail Simone and this was a fantastic deep dive into that team. You don’t need to have any background in the characters as the book does a great job of giving you all the background you need, but in a natural very easy flowing way. The dynamic between the team was just perfect, with the characters balancing each other out just like they do in the comics. The relationship between the core of Domino, Diamondback and Outlaw, with the other members was just perfect, especially with Atlas Bear, who is only reluctantly a member of the team.

Footnotes aside, this is a very good read and given that the characters are very much Marvel B-List characters (Other than Black Widow), means that its accessible to those who only really know Marvel from the MCU.

In short you have a great book looking at one of Marvels more interesting characters and its really enjoyable.

Domino Strays is going to be released on October 6th

Domino: Strays is perfect for longtime fans and brand new fans of Domino alike....I loved this book, and I can’t recommend Domino: Strays enough. I was a huge fan of Simone’s Domino and Domino: Hotshots runs, and I especially loved how she made Domino, Outlaw, and Diamondback a team. Getting to read more about that team in an entire book was an absolute delight. Read my entire review at https://butwhythopodcast.com/2020/09/05/advanced-review-domino-strays/