Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #11 – Review

By: Matt Kindt (story), Alberto Ponticelli (pencils), Wayne Faucher (inks), Jose Villarrubia (colors)

The Story: Now you know why S.H.A.D.E. doesn’t advertise its retirement package.

The Review: I just got my copy of the first volume of Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and it reminded me of all the things I loved about Jeff Lemire’s take on the series: the zany action, the B-movie plot elements, and the understated (but not underplayed) character work, which included Lemire’s special take on Frank himself.  I got a bit of flak in my criticism of Kindt’s version of the man-made monster last month, so a bit of comparative analysis is warranted here.

What I loved most about the Lemire Frankenstein was not just his dedication to rooting out evil the old-fashioned way (read: with big swords), but also his sense of compassion and old-timey manners.  We know how unaffected and sympathetic he can be to those he becomes close to, be it his comrades or his wife, even estranged as they are.  This Frank made peace with his identity long ago, which gives him intense conviction in most everything he does.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #10 – Review

By: Matt Kindt (story), Alberto Ponticelli (pencils), Wayne Faucher (inks), Jose Villarrubia (colors)

The Story: Poetry’s all well and good, but will it fend off human-sized insect assassins?

The Review: If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Baskin Robbins (and mark my words, there’s a lot more than one), it’s that even with a revolving door of 31-plus-or-minus flavors of ice-cream, people still gravitate toward the classics: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.  In other words, some things just have more popular appeal, occasionally for reasons that make sense, most often for no reason at all.

In the same way, some comic book characters are more accessible than others, not just for readers, but writers as well.  Whereas everyone and his mother have ideas for Batman stories (or, at least, glorified opinions disguised as ideas), you’d be a little harder pressed to find the person who’ll say, “Frankenstein?  Oh, yeah—I know how to write that dude.”

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #9 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Alberto Ponticelli (pencils), Wayne Faucher (inks), Jose Villarrubia (colors)

The Story: Undead versus the undead—sounds like a nice break for the living to me.

The Review: While this week’s issues of Batgirl and Batman and Robin demonstrated the bigger scale tie-ins to major Events, there are, of course, smaller, less intrusive crossover issues.  With this series, Lemire takes S.H.A.D.E. on an incidental side-mission which intersects with the storyline pulsing along in his other DC ongoing.  Unlike the “Night of the Owls” tie-ins, this mini-crossover has several advantages going for it.

For one, Lemire has a knack for quickly laying out the context of the crossover, so you don’t actually need to read anything else to get the idea of the story.  Through Father Time’s mission brief, he gives you the gist of Animal Man, why the “costumed dweeb” (Time’s words, obviously) even registers on S.H.A.D.E.’s radar, and why it’s important to us.  And as the story goes on, Lemire only further integrates his “Rise of the Rot” plotline within Frankenstein’s own story, making it relevant and contextual.  But then, Lemire has the luxury of writing both.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #8 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (penciller), Walden Wong (inker), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Frank and Bride learn good parenting sometimes means tough love (read: violence).

The Review: As a pure sci-fi adventure series, Frankenstein doesn’t seem all that interested in laying down big plotlines that build up over half a dozen issues then hit paydirt later.  What we have here is more of your old-school done-in-ones, although Lemire’s craft allows each issue to link near seamlessly to the next.  This may be the title’s greatest charm: it can veer any moment into a completely unexpected story, yet feel like a natural development of its own mythos.

Since #2, Lemire has played with the idea of genetic tampering as a kind of creationism, where scientists “give birth” through bio-technological processes, and their creatures become their children.  Yet this series has also emphasized the horror these pseudo-parents experience when they gaze upon the offspring they’ve unnaturally brought into the world.  Essentially, Lemire has been reworking the themes of Mary Shelley’s novel, thereby proving it has as much relevance in our modern world—perhaps even more so—than ever.

And just as the original Frankenstein indicated that such playacting of God can only lead to tragedy, so does this series.  The relentless action of past issues has disguised this point, but Frank and Bride are, at their core, tragic figures.  Bride sums up their grim fate in the third act: “That’s the only thing we could ever give…death.  It’s the only thing we know…”  In a larger sense, she means that even though she and her husband live and move through the world, theirs is a mockery of life; they can mimic the living, but they can never truly attain it themselves.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #7 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (penciller), Walden Wong (inker), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Someone needs to teach these humanids a thing or two about labor unions.

The Review: Someone—I don’t remember who—made a point about this some months back, when Justice League #3 came out.  In that issue, there’s a scene where Superman, in his battle against a bunch of Parademons, uses a car to bat them aside and then a car tire to cut a couple them in two.  I distinctly recall a person remarking how funny it is we don’t think twice about reactionary, gratuitous violence the less human things look.

Perhaps I’ve been a bit indifferent myself, considering how long it took me to realize it, but so far this series has been a long string of monsters slaying monsters, wily-nily, rarely taking a pause to consider their next bloody move.  The agents of S.H.A.D.E. have somewhat lucked out in their choice of enemies, as the creatures of Monster Planet were essentially parasites and the head-shot of Colonel Quantum was something of a mercy kill.

But how do we rationalize the death doled out to the humanids, who are aware and conscious, however rudimentarily?  Or the recently unsealed, former Creature Commandos, who continue to call Nina their “mother”?  Can the agents continue to get away simply by thinking it’s killed or be killed?  Obviously not; Lemire’s too canny a writer to overlook the borderline hypocrisy happening here, which is probably why he throws in at the end of the issue a new problem that none of the agents, not even Frankenstein, can just kill off.

This is some tough stuff to chew on, but actually the issue has plenty of the unapologetically adventurous spirit as issues prior.  No matter how much angst may come out of this series, Velcoro and Griffith will always keep the humor and gonzo alive.  Here, they slowly develop—let’s not overstate things by calling it friendship, but, shall we say, mutual points of interest, primarily in big, cutting-edge weaponry (admittedly with less subtlety than what the D.E.O. has to offer: “It’s called the exploding sword,” Griffith enthuses).

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #6 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Take it easy on Frank—back when he was in ‘Nam, he saw some things.

The Review: I think it’s safe to say that, at least in fiction, all golems come to call their own shots in the end.  If nothing else, Frankenstein teaches us that while the idea of creating things in our own image has a certain appeal, we also have to deal with the tough questions such questions might ask of us with their own voices afterwards—and they may not appreciate the answers, either.  It’s not like we’ve ever gotten satisfactory responses from whoever created us, after all.

You’d think with Frankenstein’s monster himself walking around, hoarsely spouting his homilies around the place, all those mad scientists at S.H.A.D.E. would know better than to think freak chance can’t happen.  You’d think Nina, who’s had some experience in science experiments gone awry, could fathom the dangers of thinking you’re in total control.  You’d think the very concept of the Humanids would sound alarm bells that they’d turn on their masters at some point.  You’d think saying aloud, “They are not aware,” pretty much guarantees they are.

Actually, Lemire knows very well that we’d think all that, but since he’s essentially writing an homage to the great sci-fi stories of the past here, he has to stick to tradition and keep the characters blissfully ignorant of the disaster they’re brewing.  The only hint we get of anyone thinking ahead is Ray Palmer, who, despite Nina’s assurances, can’t help pitying and fearing the Humanids to some extent.  Unfortunately, precedent shows that a creator’s pity and fear often has little weight against the unthinking wrath of his creations.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #5 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Man-made monster versus monster made of man!  That might not have made sense!

The Review: I’ll be honest; I made a strict, conscious choice to avoid O.M.A.C. from the moment it was announced.  My reasoning, perhaps unfair, was the idea of Dan Didio working on the writing end of things seemed like a very risky one.  Nothing I read of his work (either on The Outsiders or his Metal Men feature in Wednesday Comics) proved otherwise.  By the time strong reviews convinced me to try out O.M.A.C., it was too late, and it was on its way to cancellation.

So I went into this issue without, as the editor’s caption on the first panel suggested, any familiarity with the events of Didio’s end of the crossover.  Fortunately, you don’t need to read his companion title to enjoy this one.  Lemire starts his story by following Frankenstein from the moment he receives his mission to take down the One Man Army Corps, and at no point do you feel like you’re missing anything crucial.

Even better, the issue is just as enjoyable throughout as it has been all along.  It’s great fun seeing all these various, acronymed organizations in the DCU beginning to intersect, and the tension that naturally accompanies the overlap of authority of such agencies.  Personally, I’d bet my money on S.H.A.D.E.; they may lack the class of the more espionage-oriented Checkmate, but nothing beats their mad-scientist tech, like Palmer’s “recovery nanopires” showing up in virtual reality at the last minute to defeat Brother Eye’s invasion of their computer systems.

Besides, S.H.A.D.E. has the superior cast of characters by far.  Admittedly, I’m not really familiar with any member of Checkmate (besides the infamous Maxwell Lord, still working in good grace at this point, and the less-renowned Sergeant Steel), but come on.  Could anyone really beat the sheer audaciousness of Frankenstein or Father Time?

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #4 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Frank, don’t you think you’re getting too old for this sh—stuff.  I meant “stuff.”

The Review: Frankenstein proves that there’s something to be said for a comic that sets out purely to entertain, and in these trying times, pure entertainment is invaluable.  The plot of this opening story arc, aside from its imaginative elements, can’t be simpler: slay the evil creatures or the planet is doomed.  The whole issue is basically a lot of stabbing and shooting, with a few jokes thrown in.  So why can’t you stop smiling as you read through it?

Perhaps because the action is such over-the-top insanity that you just get dragged along for the ride before you can take exception to it.  Lemire makes no apologies for crafting a boyhood fantasy on speed.  If his dream is to write about parasitic monster Titans who leech off the life-force of a massive sentient entity that only looks like a planet (complete with ocean), then he’s going to go for it and haters be hanged.

And why stop at living planets?  If you’re going to write a government agency composed mostly of mad scientists, you might as well throw in whatever crazy idea your brain can cook up, like the Toybox, a teleportation cube that can be sent through space-time to unleash all manner of goodies upon S.H.A.D.E.’s enemies.  This issue, it packs War Wheels, giant, rolling battle stations that can blast energy beams from ports all over its surface, and a G.I. robot squadron, “a battalion of autonomous android soldiers”—with rocket packs.  Bliss.

All this would be worthwhile reading in itself, but Lemire also injects plenty of enjoyable character moments as well, giving each team member a chance to shine.  It looks like Frank and Nina may have something deeper bubbling under the surface of their business partnership, with our main man turning up the charm as only he can: “I admire your determination, m’lady.  This situation reminds me of one of my favorite Milton poe—”  There’s also Griffith and Velcoro’s ongoing squabbling, which Bride describes as something you’d hear on “some really trashy reality show…!”  You have Bride herself taking charge and proving just as competent a leader as her husband, directing the defeat of a Titan while doing nothing more than “look[ing] good.”  Even the men back at S.H.A.D.E. HQ get some page-time, with Father Time and Dr. Belroy gleefully manipulating the War Wheels from game controllers, while the martyred Ray Palmer sighs, “What have I gotten myself into…?”

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #3 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Six crazy monsters versus a planet of demon-aliens.  Piece o’ cake.

The Review: If you ever get the urge to review comics (and let me tell you, it’s a pretty good gig), a useful first step is to evaluate whether the story’s primary goal is to entertain you or to make you think.  Obviously, the ideal would be to do both equally, but that’s not always possible or even appropriate.  Take Lemire’s work on Sweet Tooth and Animal Man; not that these aren’t incredibly engaging works, but they tend to emphasize the cerebral over gut emotion.

Here, where you have a chapter titled, “War of the Monsters Pt. 3: The Titans of Monster Planet!” you have to assume it comes with a little bit of camp.  But just because something’s campy doesn’t mean it has to be dumb.  Like anything else in fiction, if you put a little taste and thought into it, you can have your cake and eat it too.

With a whole planet of creepy-crawlies to deal with, this issue could easily have turned into a mere slay-fest, but Lemire balances it with strong character work.  Even the most action-packed panel has little moments for each team member to shine.  You may find yourself picking favorites.  I have a certain fondness for Griffith, whose eagerness to be a team player (“Don’t worry, Dr. Mazursky, I’ve got your back.”) makes this werewolf seem more like a big dog.

Most intriguing is the (mostly) silent mummy, Khalis.  You wouldn’t think it by his slender frame, but he may turn out to be the real firepower of the team, as he demonstrates this issue (“Whatever he did, it seems to have wiped out the entire spider species.”).  No one, not even Father Time, knows much about the bandaged mercenary, but keep in mind: to get a mummy, someone had to die first.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Now you know why I never go swimming in natural bodies of water.

The Review: We tend to understand Frankenstein’s monster from his portrayals in Mary Shelley’s original novel and its subsequent adaptations: as a gross perversion of the human body, composed of parts that long ceased to have human value to them.  He spends most of his artificially-induced life attempting to attain some approximation of humanity; whether he succeeds or fails is left to us to decide on our own understanding of what it means to be human.

That metaphysical question aside, we can all agree that Frankenstein definitely isn’t like one of us.  Maybe his monstrous nature has something to do with it, or perhaps his strict moral code is at fault, but this issue gives weight to Frank’s previous assertions that he works alone.  When he backslaps (for lack of a more conservative term) an old lady essentially for being a liar, you realize he’s not given to the sentimental, give-people-a-benefit-of-the-doubt nonsense we are.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Alberto Ponticelli (artist), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Oh, the humanity!  Figuratively speaking.

The Review: Despite getting his own mini under Grant Morrison’s ambitious Seven Soldiers series, Frankenstein remained, like that series, a very niche property.  He doesn’t exactly lend himself to all kinds of stories the way other characters can.  How often does a story call for a literature-conceived, sword and gun wielding monster with an erudite and morose turn of phrase?  Sure, you and I might think every story should call for that, but alas—times are rough.

It takes a patient hand and loving heart to give Frankie the attention he needs to prosper, and Lemire has proven himself amply supplied in both.  Plus, he has a wonderful flair for your classic, old-school sci-fi.  While his material over on Animal Man has more of an edgy, intense, supernatural flavor that feels very modern, what we get here is more in-your-face, raucous, and bold, making no pretense of being anything more than a monster mash-up.

Not to imply that Frankenstein doesn’t have a certain sophistication of its own.  Lemire puts in an effort to flesh out the inner workings of S.H.A.D.E., an organization that has made a fairly recognizable name for itself in the DCU without really letting on what it does or how it works.  Now you get enticing glimpses that make you eager for more, like S.H.A.D.E.’s HQ: “Ant Farm: a mobile, 3-inch indestructible globe…a hybrid of teleportation and shrink technology…has its own artificial gravity and atmosphere…vessel for S.H.A.D.E. City: a microscopic metropolis…”

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #3 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Andy Smith (penciller), Keith Champagne (inker), Pete Pantazis (colorist)

The Story: It’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, monster style.

The Review: One of the oldest tales in storytelling history is the journey to the Promised Land, the place which holds all the answers the questers seek.  Though some may argue the journey itself offers the greatest spirit of adventure and the most relatable value, at times the destination winds up the real climax of the story.  Many characters discover upon arrival that their struggles up to that point were only a prelude to their greatest conflict yet.

And so it goes with Frankenstein’s team when they reach Romania, where many questions that have dogged them all along finally do clear up.  But as with any good mystery, the revelations come with some significant fallout, leaving none of the Creature Commandos untouched in its life-altering consequences.

For Frankie and Bride, their futures pose the most uncertainty, but wherever they end up, you can take a lot of comfort in that they’ll be together.  Despite their ruthless vocations, the couple has a surprisingly potent, albeit low-key, chemistry.  Frank, being the strong, silent type, doesn’t exactly cuddle his wife, and she won’t wins any awards for cutesiness (“Holy #$&*!!”), but they nonetheless have an endearing devotion to each other, even when the chips come down.

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Ibraim Roberson & Alex Massacci (artists), Pete Pantazis (colorist)

The Story: You grew up in a swamp?  You really are from the sticks, aren’t you?

The Review: The vast majority of Elseworlds turn out either uninspired or middling, leaving a much smaller percentage with premises strong enough to support an enjoyable one-shot series.  But every now and then you get a really terrific story that gets you attached to its parallel world and characters.  In those cases, you’re almost always out of luck, because chances are they won’t come back anytime soon, a real waste of creative potential.

So right around now seems a good time as any to thank our lucky stars Lemire will be back with Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos in the fall, because it’s easy to see there are a lot of great stories left to be told with these characters.  Don’t take that to mean this issue is perfect or even particularly outstanding, because flaws do riddle the script.

For one thing, the plot is a bit slow to get moving in a productive way, as last issue acted mainly as a prologue and this one only just manages to give our heroes a vague destination (Romania—because that place is just a hotspot of fun lately), but no real mission statement.  There still lingers a question about what they’ll do with themselves in this modern world they’ve woken up in, especially with their former military commissioners gunning for them.

Maria Shrieve, monster-hunting descendant of original ally Matthew Shrieve, may prove the answer.  It can’t fail to puzzle you how she clearly knows the difference between the original Commandos and those who ultimately turned on her family (“…these creatures weren’t loyal foot soldiers like you…”), yet she still nurses a rash, misdirected resentment against the ones her grandfather held dear.  But amidst all that somewhat unnecessary drama you can definitely see how our heroes will prove useful to her personal crusade.