If you don’t like the cold … then jump into a volcano!
Creative Staff:
Writer: Lou Iovino
Artwork: Eduardo Garcia
Colors: Hedwin Zaldivar & Maxflan Araujo
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Britney and her team race to Iceland to stop Ember, an evil Highborn who is planning to cause a volcanic eruption. If they fail, most of Europe will be blanketed in ash and dust, leading to massive loss of life and altering the fabric of European society for a generation. But to get to Ember, Britney, Avril and Silk must navigate rivers of lava, sulfurous caverns, and monsters borne of fire.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Of all the places a highborn terrorist could hide, it had to be a inside of a frozen volcano in Iceland. Ember must know how much Avril hates the cold, but as soon as they go inside, she’ll be nice and toasty … or maybe a bit too warm? All the team knows is that this maniac stole fissionable materials from an old warhead in Belarus and plans to use it to trigger an explosion; that doesn’t sound too bad, but unfortunately if this occurs, the resulting dust cloud will cloak most of Europe and Asia in a nuclear winter which will last for decades. Therefore, Britney and friends must track down this madman as soon as possible so he cannot carry out his fanatical plan to destroy the world. With Silk leading the way to scout ahead, he attempts to repel down the crater’s interior, all the while trying to avoid becoming fondue by bursts of lava. Everything looks clear so far, but then again, maybe not?
Even before they can descend a few feet, two golem like sentries start blasting the surface with a fiery barrage, leaving them little choice but to release the rope; however before anyone can impact, Silk uses his talent to transport them behind the monstrosities, allowing for a counterattack. With a fury of gunfire and salvo of sorcery, the team manages to fight off the guards, but for some reason, their heads do not crumble after the body’s destruction. However, with no time to waste, they wave off this distraction and continue their journey deeper into the mountain. As the group tries to survive ever rising temperatures, another guardian emerges from a river of magma, its serpentine body smoothly emerging before enveloping the group in a torrent of flame. It is only Avril’s quick thinking which saves them, swiftly protecting them behind a mystic shield. Ember is not making this easy, and they have not reached the interior of the volcano. How much more can they stand to endure?
In Summary:
All of the secrets which have been occurring behind the scenes finally come to a head as writer Lou Iovino reveals who is manipulating the Highborn Initiative. But of course, Britney nor the rest of her team know the true reason guiding their excursions, and it was unimportant and probably well above their pay grade. All they need to know is the main mission is still to bring in dangerous highborns before they cause problems, and this time is no exception. Ember seems like your typical power crazed maniac, but the addition of being able to create his own minions was an interesting twist; plus the addition of needing a blood sacrifice gave the story a twist of demonic proportions, which I wish were explored a bit more … if he survives an encounter with Red Agent. Which brings up another point – it seems this issue Britney has become secondary, only providing support with Silk as vanguard, Avril being using mostly as defense and our favorite feral heroine mostly lashing out when she has a chance. The title is after all Red Agent, meaning Britney and not Witch Girl and Teleporter Boy, so hopefully this situation will only be temporary.
The artwork is as engrossing as ever with Eduardo Garcia giving all females as much definition as possible, which I would not find normally objectionable; however when he gives Director White as many curves as Britney and Avril, that is where I begin to draw a line – she’s old enough to be a grandmother and yet, she looks that good in a business suit? Thankfully that indulgence does not last long and the audience is able to jump into the volcano with the rest of the team blazing a way with an incredible array of colors displayed by Hedwin Zaldivar and Maxflan Araujo. Their amazing mastery of the flaming palette brings the depths of the earth alive, giving the molten minions a life of their own. Additionally, the powers of Silk and Avril become the main focus as they leap off the page, neons electrifying the panels in contrast to brilliant bursts of fiery sulfuric gouts. The intensity of oranges and yellows help to inflame the pages as we stand in awe to Garcia’s dynamic action shots, bringing everything to a close with an appropriate ending to this heat filled narrative.
The story is just beginning to heat up and now the audience starts to understand the complexity of the Highborn Initiative. We always suspected that Alpha wasn’t just a pretty face, but now that he has shown himself being one of the main driving forces, this will probably not end well. After all, ever since his involvement with Avril’s coven, he has not made many friends and I for one cannot wait to see what will happen as he closes his metallic grip around the team.
Grade: B+
Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: May 24, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
