Fear Agent (TPB) Volume 3: The Last Goodbye – Review

By Rick Remender (writer), Tony Moore (pencils), Ande Parks & Rick Remender (inks) Lee Loughridge (colors)

Fear Agent’s done something I never thought would happen: It actually moved me. Collecting issues #12-15, this third trade paperback, titled “The Last Goodbye”, steps away from the outrageous action and follies of Heath Huston. It takes us back to a time just before the war on Earth started, exploring the full origin of the alien attack and the Fear Agents themselves.

At first I thought I was reading the previous trade because some of the original pages of Heath coming home and spending time with his family (right before the alien attack) were reprinted. But soon enough, we actually get into the devastating events of the war and it’s not pretty. Forced to hide underground for months, Heath nearly goes insane before finally coming up to the surface to see what’s become of the world. The Earth has become a battleground between two races of alien armies – neither seems friendly to Earth’s natives.

Taking the rest of the survivors and finding a few jumpsuits along the way, Heath forms a resistance of sorts to take the fight to the aliens. Eventually, they find a way to eradicate one of the alien races by sending a doomsday bomb to their homeworld. There’s definitely some huge morale implications to be considered here, but Heath, driven by vengeance, is rendered completely blind to the situation. He follows through on his plan only to find out the race he killed, well, I’m not going to spoil it for you.

There’s plenty I’ve left out about the synopsis, because I urge you to pick this book up. If you’ve never read the series, go buy the trades now. The first two are pulp science fiction fun, loaded with Silver Age concepts, lots of action, and pure scoundrel attitude. But this latest trade tilts the series on its head, showing us just how tragic our protagonist is and what drives him. Rick Remender also shows us that he can write more than just science fiction hi-jinx, as well. And Tony Moore? He gives us nothing but brilliant pencil work. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Resurrection #3 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim (writer) & David Dumeer (art)

Unfortunately, there is really nothing important happening in this issue. The story is advancing, but in baby steps. Personally, I feel this is a bad decision if you’re on your third issue and struggling to get new readers.

The story touches upon everyone we met over the last two issues. The bug that’s a prisoner of Judith McCreary escapes. Sara and Benjamin try to help the guy who got caught inside the alien spacecraft. They try to turn the power supply off, but the craft’s defense system mysteriously continues to operate. On the government side, there is an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the president by the military. And that’s it – nothing else is revealed about the bugs. This book is already hovering on mediocrity and this issue really needed a payoff.

Marc Guggenheim needs to stop driving on the slow lane. I’ll give this series the remaining two issues to pick things up. After that, I’m going to drop it if nothing improves. It’s got a great premise, it just needs better execution. If you still haven’t read issue #1, you can find it here. Hopefully, next issue will be better than this. (Grade: D+)

-Daniel Yanez

Resurrection #1-2 – Review

By: Marc Guggenheim (writer) & David Dumeer (art)

Alien invade Earth – and win. After 10 years of domination they leave for unknown reasons. As you can imagine, they did horrible things to humans like experiments. Resurrection is about “what happens next”, with some flashbacks showing how it all started as well.

The first page gave the impression that I was reading The Walking Dead, with Rick still in the pen, all black & white. It also deals with a post-apocalypse world, but the similarities end there.

After finding out that the aliens are gone, Sara is going to see her son at the town of King. On the way there she meets with Ben who wants to go to Washington DC to investigate what happened with the bugs. Meanwhile, a woman (probably military) has had one of these alien bugs held prisoner for 23 years. The bug speaks English and is fairly intelligent. One only wonders if this lady has something to do with the invasion, as the bug (named Spock) asks her to kill it to clear her conscience. There is also a subplot about the President hidden in a mountain bunker, and his inhumane decisions regarding several refugees.

The black & white art is perfect for the book. Like Walking Dead, it effortlessly sets the tone. There are times that the character’s faces look different, almost as if they resemble another person. I noticed this inconsistency a lot with Sara’s profile. It’s a small problem, but it doesn’t hurt the book.

Check the first issue of Resurrection here. I’ll be reading a few more issues to see where it all goes. (Grade: B-)

-Daniel Yanez

A Second Opinion

Marc Guggenheim is a fan of the TV series, V, and it shows. It’s quite easy to make comparisons against the two, but this book seems to stand on its own. Others have also said this series is just “Walking Dead with aliens”. I can see why people say that, but from what I’ve gathered, this book reminds me of the early issues of Y: The Last Man more than anything. It’s got that whole post-apocalyptic “road trip” feel and it hosts a cast of supporting characters (including the President) scattered about the country – each with their own agenda.

Issues #1-2 do a good job setting things up and I’m definitely intrigued to see where Guggenheim takes this series. My only qualm with the book is David Dumeer’s art. It’s messy, uneven, and distracting. Emotional expression is something he really needs to work on. There are times where characters look downright evil, even though they’re trying to convey a simple smile. And then there’s the long shots and establishing shots that just look plain sloppy.

At $3.50 an issue, Resurrection is a bit pricey. I suggest trying a couple of issues to see if it’s to your liking. Me? I’ll stick around a bit longer. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes