FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1

Review by: Metamorphic

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Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by J.G. JONES

Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99

As much as I like superhero comics, I tend to have great affection for the more off-beat titles. And Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. certainly qualifies in that category.

Let’s start with the writing. Jeff Lemire is much loved for his work on Sweet Tooth and Essex County. I, however, must confess I’ve read neither. I HAVE, however, read his Superboy. And it was excellent. The excellence continues here, but in a very, very different way. Lemire introduces grand ideas in the great comic book science traditions of the Fantastic Four. The inventions and processes don’t need long explanations of why things work; they simply do. And the way the ideas are introduced so simply and casually immediately paints this world as being a wild and wonderful place.

Which brings us to the characters. What a wild group they are! Monsters as action heroes with a sense of nobility. Super scientists and Father Time working together. Lemire introduces us to quite an assortment of folks but within a few sentences gives us a sense of who each person is and a taste of their personalities. That’s quite a feat.

An giving form to those characters is Alberto Ponticlli. Lemire throws a lot of craziness into this book, and Ponticilli brings it all to life. from facial expressions to technologies to action sequences, as good as Lemire’s writing is, Pontecelli sells it. You believe these things exist. (And props to colourist Jose Villarrubia whose tones are exactly right for this book and to letterer Pat Bosseau who uses different styles to capture the voices of various characters – the word balloons for Frankenstein and Griffith being prime examples.)

In a week with some great comics, this one is certainly a contender for my own pick of the week… and already a must-read. This is the kind of quirky title I hope goes on for a long, long while.

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent

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