Jim Lemoine
Dec 31, 2002, 02:47 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/agentx06.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/previews/1202/agent_x_6t.jpg" align=left alt="Agent X #6"></a>Reviewer: Jim Lemoine, darkkelf@earthlink.net
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Dead Man’s Switch Part 6: Uninvited Guests
With Sandi’s fate on the line, Alex, Outlaw, and Taskmaster square off against Higashi’s forces one last time.
Written by: Gail Simone
Art by: UDON with Alvin Lee, Eric Vedder, Rob Ross, Calvin Lo, Shane Law, TheRealT!, & Omar Dogan
UDON Chief: Eric Ko
Letters by: Cory Petit
Editor: Andrew Lis
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Agent X’s first story arc, Dead Man’s Switch, at last comes to a conclusion this issue. The story is entertaining and unpredictable, and UDON’s art is even better than one would normally expect. While this issue doesn’t answer quite all of the questions we might like, it wraps up the plot of the series thus far nicely and resolves the immediate futures of several key characters. The biggest problem I have with Agent X #6 is that it reminded me just how much I’m going to miss the creative team after they depart next month.
This month’s installment is the battle issue the whole series has been building up to: Agent X and his Amazing Agent-Friends versus… well… everybody. Simone and UDON had a standard comic-book challenge before them: can you keep an all-fighting issue interesting, making it more than just lots of pictures of people hitting and shooting? Luckily for us, the writing manages to stay unpredictable, and UDON paints a picture of a truly entertaining battlefield.
Perhaps this book is poorly named: Agent X seems to imply that the title is completely centered around the activities of Alex Hayden alone. Instead, this issue continues the trend of creating a story about a “non-team”, to borrow from Defenders lore. Agent X is the story of Outlaw, Taskmaster, Sandi, Mary, and Alex. Although Alex is star of the series and focus of much of the attention, his supporting cast gets an almost unfair share of the spotlight. As I try to think of a parallel for this in a Marvel solo book, the only analogy I can come up with is the Amazing Spider-Man runs of the late 60’s and 70’s, where the book told a compelling story about Gwen, Harry, MJ, Flash, Liz… and of course, Peter.
This reader believes that the focus on the supporting cast is a good thing. Just as Stan, Steve, and Marv loved creating stories about Peter’s friends, Simone and UDON excel at and enjoy crafting tales of their creations. I’ve said it before: you can tell, in art, that there’s a special excitement that comes from drawing characters that you yourself created. UDON’s work on characters like Taskmaster and Saguri shows that they’re having a great time drawing this stuff.
On the writing side, a female friend of mine recently told me that if comic book writers could write female characters the way Gail Simone writes Outlaw, there’d be a lot more female comic book readers. Outlaw’s strong characterization in this issue is absolutely no exception. Perhaps it’s true that nobody can write a woman better than a woman?
Strong characterization is key. Agent X #6 is an all-action issue, and yet we still get several insights into Taskmaster, Alex, and Outlaw. TM in particular continues to be a treat with his new dual nature. Is he Alex’s friend or his enemy? Is he a tough-as-nails never-let-em-see-you-sweat merc’ or an arrogant wannabe with no metahuman powers and a low tolerance for pain? Taskmaster is an outstanding example of what the classic Marvel villain is probably really like underneath it all. Like only a few writers before her, Gail Simone shows us what’s under the mask (figuratively, of course).
As good as the plot of this issue is, it happily manages to still be very funny. I laughed out loud at Batroc’s family, Alex’s “gentleman parts”, and Saguri’s final fate. Credit for maintaining humor throughout an intense action issue should equally go to writer and artist: while Simone may have conceived many of the gags, it’s UDON’s stellar graphic storytelling that really makes them come alive. The art team really excels at the facial expressions this month, from Alex’s mischievous grins to Mary’s girlish excitement to Higashi’s smug confidence. What with the high art detail, outstanding pictorial storytelling, and communicative expressions and posture, I’d be giving UDON the highest possible rating this month if only it weren’t for one small detail: they did the lips thing again! Honestly, why are Outlaw and Sandi’s lips always so freaking huge?
It’s one admittedly minor complaint. UDON will still score high, don’t worry.
While the writing is very enjoyable, there are a few minor complaints there as well. I feel almost cheated by the fact that we got to see so few lame supervillain beatings… after all, if there were twenty supervillains after them, why did we only see six of them? The Constrictor, one of the tougher Marvel villains, went down far too easily, and this issue’s surprise return of the Rhino seemed oddly anticlimactic. Admittedly, what happened made sense, what with Alex not believing that he was ever Wade, but still, after the Rhino starred in (what is in my opinion) Simone’s funniest work ever, I guess I expected more. Kudos to Alex for a creative bit of conflict resolution there, though.
And finally, what bugs me most is that we still have so many questions left unanswered: who is Agent X? Will he and Taskmaster kill each other or kiss and make up? Why can Alex see Mary Zero when nobody else can? Where did Outlaw get her powers? What will Arcade do to Alex’s theme park? What’s the new Agent X status quo? How much pudding can Taskmaster eat? Next month will be the last issue by the current creative team, and hopefully several of these questions will be addressed. If they aren’t, Agent X fans will always remember that Simone knows the answers to all of these questions, and she may never get the chance to tell us. How sad.
Agent X #6 is a fantastic issue, rounding out the first story arc of this series with a decided bang. The only failing it has (aside from that lips thing) is the bittersweet knowledge of how much more might have been included if more time was available to tell the story. The script is engaging, mature, and humorous (did I mention how funny the scene with Batroc’s daughter was?), and the art is beautiful.
It’s possible that some people who’ve never tried Agent X are reading this review. My advice to you: better late than never. Start reading this title while you still can. There’s a very unique magic in Agent X thanks to the toil of Simone and UDON, and you won’t be able to enjoy it for much longer.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=218&cat=AGENT+X+%28DEADPOOL%29) and save!
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Dead Man’s Switch Part 6: Uninvited Guests
With Sandi’s fate on the line, Alex, Outlaw, and Taskmaster square off against Higashi’s forces one last time.
Written by: Gail Simone
Art by: UDON with Alvin Lee, Eric Vedder, Rob Ross, Calvin Lo, Shane Law, TheRealT!, & Omar Dogan
UDON Chief: Eric Ko
Letters by: Cory Petit
Editor: Andrew Lis
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Agent X’s first story arc, Dead Man’s Switch, at last comes to a conclusion this issue. The story is entertaining and unpredictable, and UDON’s art is even better than one would normally expect. While this issue doesn’t answer quite all of the questions we might like, it wraps up the plot of the series thus far nicely and resolves the immediate futures of several key characters. The biggest problem I have with Agent X #6 is that it reminded me just how much I’m going to miss the creative team after they depart next month.
This month’s installment is the battle issue the whole series has been building up to: Agent X and his Amazing Agent-Friends versus… well… everybody. Simone and UDON had a standard comic-book challenge before them: can you keep an all-fighting issue interesting, making it more than just lots of pictures of people hitting and shooting? Luckily for us, the writing manages to stay unpredictable, and UDON paints a picture of a truly entertaining battlefield.
Perhaps this book is poorly named: Agent X seems to imply that the title is completely centered around the activities of Alex Hayden alone. Instead, this issue continues the trend of creating a story about a “non-team”, to borrow from Defenders lore. Agent X is the story of Outlaw, Taskmaster, Sandi, Mary, and Alex. Although Alex is star of the series and focus of much of the attention, his supporting cast gets an almost unfair share of the spotlight. As I try to think of a parallel for this in a Marvel solo book, the only analogy I can come up with is the Amazing Spider-Man runs of the late 60’s and 70’s, where the book told a compelling story about Gwen, Harry, MJ, Flash, Liz… and of course, Peter.
This reader believes that the focus on the supporting cast is a good thing. Just as Stan, Steve, and Marv loved creating stories about Peter’s friends, Simone and UDON excel at and enjoy crafting tales of their creations. I’ve said it before: you can tell, in art, that there’s a special excitement that comes from drawing characters that you yourself created. UDON’s work on characters like Taskmaster and Saguri shows that they’re having a great time drawing this stuff.
On the writing side, a female friend of mine recently told me that if comic book writers could write female characters the way Gail Simone writes Outlaw, there’d be a lot more female comic book readers. Outlaw’s strong characterization in this issue is absolutely no exception. Perhaps it’s true that nobody can write a woman better than a woman?
Strong characterization is key. Agent X #6 is an all-action issue, and yet we still get several insights into Taskmaster, Alex, and Outlaw. TM in particular continues to be a treat with his new dual nature. Is he Alex’s friend or his enemy? Is he a tough-as-nails never-let-em-see-you-sweat merc’ or an arrogant wannabe with no metahuman powers and a low tolerance for pain? Taskmaster is an outstanding example of what the classic Marvel villain is probably really like underneath it all. Like only a few writers before her, Gail Simone shows us what’s under the mask (figuratively, of course).
As good as the plot of this issue is, it happily manages to still be very funny. I laughed out loud at Batroc’s family, Alex’s “gentleman parts”, and Saguri’s final fate. Credit for maintaining humor throughout an intense action issue should equally go to writer and artist: while Simone may have conceived many of the gags, it’s UDON’s stellar graphic storytelling that really makes them come alive. The art team really excels at the facial expressions this month, from Alex’s mischievous grins to Mary’s girlish excitement to Higashi’s smug confidence. What with the high art detail, outstanding pictorial storytelling, and communicative expressions and posture, I’d be giving UDON the highest possible rating this month if only it weren’t for one small detail: they did the lips thing again! Honestly, why are Outlaw and Sandi’s lips always so freaking huge?
It’s one admittedly minor complaint. UDON will still score high, don’t worry.
While the writing is very enjoyable, there are a few minor complaints there as well. I feel almost cheated by the fact that we got to see so few lame supervillain beatings… after all, if there were twenty supervillains after them, why did we only see six of them? The Constrictor, one of the tougher Marvel villains, went down far too easily, and this issue’s surprise return of the Rhino seemed oddly anticlimactic. Admittedly, what happened made sense, what with Alex not believing that he was ever Wade, but still, after the Rhino starred in (what is in my opinion) Simone’s funniest work ever, I guess I expected more. Kudos to Alex for a creative bit of conflict resolution there, though.
And finally, what bugs me most is that we still have so many questions left unanswered: who is Agent X? Will he and Taskmaster kill each other or kiss and make up? Why can Alex see Mary Zero when nobody else can? Where did Outlaw get her powers? What will Arcade do to Alex’s theme park? What’s the new Agent X status quo? How much pudding can Taskmaster eat? Next month will be the last issue by the current creative team, and hopefully several of these questions will be addressed. If they aren’t, Agent X fans will always remember that Simone knows the answers to all of these questions, and she may never get the chance to tell us. How sad.
Agent X #6 is a fantastic issue, rounding out the first story arc of this series with a decided bang. The only failing it has (aside from that lips thing) is the bittersweet knowledge of how much more might have been included if more time was available to tell the story. The script is engaging, mature, and humorous (did I mention how funny the scene with Batroc’s daughter was?), and the art is beautiful.
It’s possible that some people who’ve never tried Agent X are reading this review. My advice to you: better late than never. Start reading this title while you still can. There’s a very unique magic in Agent X thanks to the toil of Simone and UDON, and you won’t be able to enjoy it for much longer.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/axhalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=218&cat=AGENT+X+%28DEADPOOL%29) and save!