March 24, 2008

From the Vault: The Agency #1 from Top Cow Productions

Writer: Paul Jenkins  Artist: Kyle Hotz

The near-future, where corporations run officially run the United States, tech-heads and cyber-junkies have replaced crack heads and prostitutes. Natural disasters have turned Minnesota into a giant snowball and Boston is under six feet of water. Crime has gotten out of hand to the point where normal policing is no longer an option.

The Agency is a group of mercenary-like law enforcement specialists that go into hotspots across the country to handle things that normal law enforcement cannot…Those states that do have law enforcement. This group hunts down serial killers, bank robbers and armed criminals…for a price. Virtual Jonez, our eyes into the book, is a cybernetic agent of this group. Along with her clairvoyant sister, a psychopathic field commander, their money hustling handler, and now a civilian criminal profiler, they must stop a serial killer in Houston before he strikes again.

Many people say that gore and extreme is as passé as the word 1990’s. I say there is a place for it in some books, and not in others. In this book, it is more than welcome. Paul Jenkins has set up this magnificently dystopic Blade Runner-esque future that forces us to ask ourselves some questions about our social, economic, and educational standards today. It is somewhat heavy handed, but can sometimes get lost in the heavy violence level. This violence is rendered skillfully by Kyle Hotz. The pencils I wish were a tad tighter, but nonetheless evoke a dark mood for these morally conflicted characters. The ending leaves me befuddled, but at least interested enough to read the next issue. Overall, I expect a little more from Jenkins as far as characterization because there is a cardboard cut-out feeling to some of the personalities, but not a bad outing overall.

Rating: 3 and a half out of 5 stars.

About the creators:

Paul Jenkins has worked as an editor and/or writer for Mirage Productions, Marvel, DC, Image, Top Cow, Tundra, and Desperado Publishing to name a few.

Kyle Hotz has penciled, inked and lettered numerous comics for Malibu, Marvel, Top Cow, and Sirius Entertainment among others.

Questions or comments? Post them at IndependentPropaganda.com or send to EugeneSelassie@hotmail.com

Be sure to stop by the IP Message Boards!

Independent Propaganda message boards! Come here and brag about your independent comics and webcomics! Come here to talk about FROM THE VAULT!It’s time to say what YOU think.