Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. by Jeff Lemire

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE, is two guys punching each other with the volume turned up to eleven.įrankenstein, Agent of SHADE, combines the best parts of Hellboy and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD with a helping of the Fantastic Four.

Whenever I talk about comics, I normally latch on to the ones that are more than just guys in spandex punching each other. So move aside… My ‘mad scientist buddies’ and I are here to save the day.”ĭo yourself a favor and check out this quirky, crazy, wild, hilarious, wonderfully enjoyable little book!Īrmed with the sword of the Archangel Gabriel, Frankenstein protects mankind from dark menaces as an agent of SHADE! Her motto: “Listen, pal, times are changing.

In charge of the whole enterprise is Father Time, an ancient being that currently inhabits the body of a tiny uniformed schoolgirl with pigtails and a domino mask. Our protagonist, the always grumpy and utterly humorless super-soldier Frankenstein, is teamed up with his green-skinned, four-armed, rather cynical Lady (or ex-wife, as she insists), a fanboyish wolfman, a wise-cracking vampire, a female scientist who has transformed herself into a fish-lady, and a mysteriously powerful mummy. E.y heroes fight off disgusting monsters, bizarre aliens, as well as the products of their own scientific hubris. So what is going on? Operating out of a miniaturized command center in a three-inch ball hovering over planet Earth, our S.H.A.D. What is more, it actually has a heart and a sense of humor, and it highlights both with somewhat sketchy and sloppy-looking yet expressive and colorful artwork that feels like the passionate (if slightly misguided) attempt to overcome its own limitations. Underneath all the zaniness, however, it features a bunch of well-designed (if ridiculous) characters. It certainly turns the volume up to 11 (and beyond), as it bubbles over with outrageous concepts and silly action, shamelessly parading the patchwork of its own body parts – pulpy b-movie horror and sci-fi, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., etc. If you cannot relate to the characters, it does not matter how “infinite” the crisis - you couldn't care less.Īt first glance, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. It does not get any better just because it goes full blast, it only becomes more annoying. There is no shortage of overproduced, showy, noisy garbage in popular culture these days, but the thing is: even if you turn the volume all the way up to 11, a crappy story is still a crappy story.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. by Jeff Lemire