Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (SPOILERS)

[The Baron]

Issue #1:

Another one of the books I had elected ahead of time to follow. We start with a town in the Great Northwest being overrun by unconvincing monsters. We then cut to the Ant Farm, which is a flying golf ball that contains S.H.A.D.E.* headquarters thanks to technology provided by Ray Palmer, who we don't know if he's the Atom in this timeline or not, but seems to serve as their scientific advisor. Frankie checks in and finds that Father Time has regenerated, and is now a little girl in a sērafuku, which kind of freaks Frankie out a little bit. We then learn that Frankie's wife was sent into Monster Town and vanished, so Frankie and his new field team are sent to investigate. The new field team is called the Creature Commandos and includes Vincent Velcoro, a vampire type that I dimly remember form the old Creature Commandos, Warren Griffith, a werewolf type that I dimly remember from the old Creature Commandos, Dr. Nina Mazursky, a Creaturess from the Black Lagoon and Khalis, a mummy. Anyhow, our heroes go to Monster Town, and fight a whole bunch of monsters, and then find a basement full of mundanes who don't seem too happy about being rescued by a bunch of monster and what will our heroes do now?

 

I actually quite liked this. I liked the old Creature Commandos back in the day, and this seems like an interesting re-invention of them. I gotta say. I'm not too wild about the art - it's not bad, I just happen not to like this style. That said, it's not enouigh to put me off buying the book. Probably my favoirte of the new books I picked up today.

 

*Stands for "Super Human Advanced Defense Executive"

[The Baron]

I've been enjoying it - I like the weird stuff, I was a big fan of the Creature Commandos back in dinosaur times.  The only thing I don't like is the book's tendency to get pulled in to whatever "event" is going on with DC as a whole, but I suspect that's true of most of their books.

[The Baron]

Issue #13:

We begin with Sailor Time begging Frank for help as Frank is confrotned by the re-born Victor Frankenstein, who is now apparently working for something called the Rot. A flock of talking condoers arrive and take Frank to Metropolis, which is being overrun by zombies or something. A talking horse (of course, of course) arrives and takes Frank to Velcoro, who tells him that they have to gather the pieces of the Soul-Grinder, which is a plot device built by Victor, who has apparently destroyed SHADE HQ and everyone in it!

 

I'll miss this book when it's gone, it's hard to find good weirdness like this.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"The Rot" is the menace running rampant in Swamp Thing and Animal Man.

[The Baron]

I thought it might be something like that.

[Figserello]

I'll miss this book when it's gone, it's hard to find good weirdness like this.

 

Check out Prophet from Image at the moment.  Its set in a far future where everything has gone to the dogs.  Humanity is hardly a footnote and nothing we'd normally expect to find in a hero comic is assured.  For true weirdness check out Bulletproof Coffin.  There are only two 6-issue mini-series so far.  The creepy underbelly of Silver Age fun brought to you by a pair of reclusive survivalist gun-nuts.

 

Have you looked at Seaguy by our mutual Scottish friend?  Tubby the Tuna is his best pal, and there's an old-fashioned Mummy who's king of the Moon.  You'd love that sequence.

 

Whether they are 'good weirdness' like Frankenstein, I couldn't say.

[The Baron]

I read Seaguy. Enjoyed it but couldn't figure out what was supposed to be going ion.

[Figserello]

Mmmmmrrrrrhhm!

[The Baron]

Issue #14:

Frank and Velcoro seek out the pieces of the soul-grinder, fighting monsters along the way. They find the last piece on an island. Velcoro is crunched, and Frank finds himself confronted with an army of golden robots with 70's hairstyles!

 

I'm really not happy with the way this book has gotten mired in this "Rotworld" storyline, in which I hav no interest whatsoever.

[The Baron]

Issue #15:

The golden robots sacrifice themselves to defeat a monster and Frank crosses the world to rendezvous with Nina. Khalis sacrifices himself to buy time for Frank. Frank meets up with Nina and a handful of survivors. Victor catches up with them, and battles Frank and Nina. Frank and Nina pull Victor through the soul-grinder. Victor is destroyed and Nina becomes a creature like Frank. The survivors also go through the soul-grinder, also becoming creatures like Frank since this immunizes them against the rot. As, Frank and his new-found friends head off to San dieog, Nina seems to be thinking that she is pregnant with Frank's child!

 

Hmm. I'm given to understand that next issue is the last, so I guess I'll be back here next time for the wrap-up.

 

 

[The Baron]

Animal Man #15:

I'm not a big fan of this character, but there seems to be a crossover here, so I figured I'd give it a look. A-Man, Steel (Say, what's Steel's origin in the nU 52, did the "Death of Superman" storyline still happen?), Black Orchid, Beast Boy (Why's he burnt orange now?) and John Constantine are fighting Gorilla Grodd, the Brain and Monsieur Mallah, when Frank and his posse ride to the rescue. They all decide to go to Metropolis to uncover some mystery person that Arcane is supposedly keeping prisoner. Menawhile, there's a flashback of weird stuff to do with Buddy Baker's family that I don't know what is going on. Anyhow, they get to Metropolis and Frank and friends stay topside while the heroes go into the dungeon and discover that the prisoner is a Green Lantern, one of the alien ones that I recognize but don't remember his name!  Wow, can't wait for this "Rotworld" business to be over.

[The Baron]

Issue #16:

And we close out Frank's book with a Homeland Security agent who's going after a gang of disease-themed terrorists only to be pre-empted by Frank and the Creature Commandos, who are apparently all alive again ("Now we're all alive again, for we are the Creatures, now w'ere all alive again, for we are the Creature Commandos!") It's all just another day on the job fo rour heroes, but the HS-Man is astonished to discover they exist! He reports all this to his bossesand they dismiss it out of hand because it's crazy - because in a world with super-heroes and alien invasions every other off Tuesday, monsters can't possibly exist!

 

Well, I'm sorry to see this book end, it's been fun - hopefully Frank and co. are given more to do in the future than just fill out the crowd scenes in company crossovers.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I read this entire series over the weekend. (Thanks, Bob!) I enjoyed it less than I hoped to, but just about as much as I expected to. (Hey, if I’d’ve expected to like it I would have bought it in the first place.) It wasn’t bad, but it’s nothing I hadn’t seen done before (and, IMHO, done better) in Swamp Thing, Animal Man and Doom Patrol. In DC’s New 52, Swamp Thing is the counterpoint to Animal Man, and as I see it, FA of S was the counterpoint to OMAC. When OMAC was cancelled, Frankenstein lost its counterpoint. (Besides, I preferred OMAC, anyway.)

I enjoyed reading the series more in a single sitting than I think I would have moth-to-month. One running joke I did appreciate (not mentioned in the discussion so far) was that they had an footnoted acronym for everything! I wish I would have kept track of them all. My absolute favorite footnote was a veiled reference to a previous adventure, and when one followed the asterisk to the bottom of the page, it read “Classified.” Heh.

Ultimately I think the title failed to live up to its enormous potential.