Fear Agent is here to save the day!
Prepare for some serious space action!
Brief Introduction:
To be honest, I had never heard of “Fear Agent” until I had heard so many good things about Rick Remender’s run on “Uncanny X-Force” (which I have not read as of now). After hearing the praise that Rick Remender got on his work with “Uncanny X-Force,” I had decided to pick up a comic book by him and lo and behold, I came across his work called “Fear Agent Volume One: Re-Ignition” which also had artwork by Tony Moore. “Fear Agent Volume One: Re-Ignition” is a great introduction to the “Fear Agent” series that fans of “Fear Agent” will enjoy!
What is the story?
The story starts off with alien exterminator and the last of the Fear Agents, Heath Huston (not Heath Ledger!) fighting off unknown aliens on a faraway planet. However, later on, Heath soon realizes that there is an extraterrestrial plot where the aliens are plotting to destroy all the humans on Earth when he meets a woman named Mara and they see the aliens shipping off feeders to Earth. Now, Heath Huston must stop this plot from coming true before it is too late!
What I loved about this comic:
Rick Remender’s writing: I must admit that when I heard that this book was about a guy fighting off aliens, I was thinking to myself that I have seen this formula used before and was prepared to be bored by this premise. However, when I actually started reading this comic, I was really amazed at how Rick Remender wrote this story in an extremely creative and interesting way! Rick Remender really made Heath Huston into an interesting character as he is portrayed as an alcoholic who fights off aliens on a day to day basis and it was great seeing him fight off all of the aliens using his futuristic weapons which were extremely interesting in seeing. I also loved the way that Rick Remender tells the story through Heath Huston’s point of view as we are able to gain a clear understanding of his character and everything that he has been through over the years. It was also interesting that we get another lead character who often gruff and condescending (Wolverine, anyone?), but it is clear that Heath truly does have a heart of gold and is willing to do whatever it takes to save the people he cares about. I also loved the world that Rick Remender introduces us to as it is dark and gritty as the aliens have over taken the planets and are torturing the people inhabiting them, hence why Heath Huston is needed for the job!
Tony Moore’s artwork: Tony Moore’s artwork is truly amazing to look at as the action sequences are extremely well done, making this comic exciting to look at. I loved the way that Tony Moore drew the aliens in this comic as they look truly menacing and the images of the aliens using their tentacles to attack Heath looked extremely fascinating as the tentacles are curly and look squid-like. It was also interesting at how Tony Moore illustrated Heath’s custom as Heath looks like one of the Ghostbusters as he is wearing an orange jumpsuit with a huge golden belt that has the state of Texas branded in the middle and he also has various machinery strapped all over his body, which shows that he is prepared for anything that comes at him.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:
Even though I really enjoyed the action packed sci-fi thriller theme that this comic offered me, I gave this comic a four star rating because there were too many plot holes in this story. For one thing, the story mentions that Heath is the last of the Fear Agents, but we were never told why that is the case. Also, the second half of the story has Heath and Mara traveling through time and Heath brings up certain points that I felt was not really explored enough in the first half of the story, such as the matter concerning what became of his family. Also, for anyone who does not like violence or strong language, this comic definitely has some graphic violence that involves gore and lots of strong language which includes using the “s” word many times throughout the story.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, despite the fact that there were many plot holes in this volume, “Fear Agent Volume One: Re-Ignition” is definitely a great read for anyone who either loves crazy action packed alien storylines or who wants to get introduced to Rick Remender’s works. I got to say that after reading this volume of “Fear Agent,” I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Rick Remender’s works!