Never overestimate the enemy … you might regret it.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Brian Studler
Artwork: Jason Muhr
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
What They Say:
A fierce battle with two of Moreau’s hybrid creatures leaves Red and Avril bloodied but unbowed. After following the Doctor’s trail to New Orleans, they discover an underground animal market, that could lead back to the source of these monstrous creatures. Can Red and Avril put an end to this war before it even begins?
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
After failing their mission to interrogate one of Dr. Moreau’s former assistants, Britney and Avril find themselves confronted by two monstrous hybrids, sent to silence the man named Henderson and clean up any other lose ends from this operation. However with the helper now a complete loss to retrieve any useful information, the feisty blonde duo decide to vent their frustrations upon these foolish assailants, but to make the contest more challenging vote to pacify them without any powers. Going blades versus tooth and nail may have seemed like a fun idea at first, however they soon find themselves outmatched due to the tough skin and overwhelming strength of this animalistic pair, causing their bloody contest to end with bruised egos and a fall back to their old ways. Once the bodies are taken back to RUBICON, a quick autopsy reveals the evidence they were looking for – a dubious link to the scientist in question. And yet this proof still has not pointed them in the right direction, until the Director declares she has a familiar ally who may be able to connect the clues they have for the next step forward.
As they wonder aloud who might be this helpful associate, the soothing electronic voice of Ditto answers their question, welcoming his friends and catching them up with all of his recent exploits. However the Director soon steers the conversation back to more relevant problems, allowing their computerized companion to disclose what he learned after delving into the late lab assistant’s bank records. Although the information was well hidden through various shell companies, he traced all of the ill begotten funds were being funneled into an off shore account, in preparation for an illegal auction of various exotic animals being held at New Orleans in two days. Thanks to the organization’s vast resources, Red and Avril are now set to attend the underground event with their cover stories as two wealthy socialites … but are they ready to witness the seedy action that is necessary to find the good doctor, or will this hunt end with they being the ones being the prey?
In Summary:
As the title settles into the norm of what we expect for Red Agent and Avril’s adventures, writer Brian Studler expands upon the thrill of espionage by opening the story into a world which only these stunning women can endeavor – utilizing beauty and guile to infiltrate a shadowy underworld of illegal animal trade. The premiere was missing this action, but now this secondary issue makes up for that mistake by treating us to excitement via what seems to be more geared toward a spy film, including events of infiltration which appear to be more appropriate for a Mission Impossible movie, all ending with an inevitable capture of our heroines. And yet it is this building intensity that sparks your interest in the narrative, building tension all as what should be the importance of the series is eerily keep out of sight – the mysterious Dr. Moreau. While one can understand wanting to keep the main protagonist hidden until the time is right, at the same time it is tiresome to be burdened by disposable villains which seem to have a singular purpose, which is to serve as obstacles for Britney and Avril until we finally meet the woman at the core of the title. However one has to remember this is a limited series, and if the teasing continues past the next issue’s midway point, it will defeat the purpose of allowing for anxiety and instead become burdened by story littered by avoidable flaws if they were addressed earlier in the narrative.
Thanks to this deviation in the narrative’s tone, the series is finally able to take full advantage of Jason Muhr unique prospective of blending curvaceous beauty with what we expect from a Red Agent title: plenty of primal brutality welcomed due to Britney’s vicious temper and Avril’s propensity to follow her partner’s lead. And yet it is Ceci de la Cruz’s vibrant arrangement of captivating colors which grabs our attention and does not let go, all due to her talent to paint panels with an array of forceful shadows which emphasize each muscle of our gorgeous girls and projects their undeniable power. One cannot deny the opening pages are intensely exciting, allowing for the reader to witness the ferocity of our favorite werewolf and witch as they decide not to use any powers, and thus providing for an explosive showdown which is made all the more primal due to the organic richness of darker tones making each sinew and impact all the more pronounced; one cannot put feel the pain of the girls as they fight for their lives, the effective usage of blood splatters, action lines and shocks of vivid colors announcing each strike makes the conflict painful for the viewer to witness as we settle back into the normalcy of the aftermath. However, this is where Muhr’s technique of illustrating beautiful women sadly has its main drawback: with every scene in which Britney or Avril are the center of attention, one cannot but be mesmerized by his overemphasis of their physical beauty – from always showing attractive smiles to tanned cleavage or tightly packed derrieres within catsuits which look painted onto their bodies. While this would not be a problem with any Zenescope title in which we are reminded women can be as forceful and dynamic as men, it is Muhr’s depiction which downplays that respect and portrays them as fighting models, portraying superficial beauty until it is time to kick someone’s rear, but then snap back in the shallowness of smiling for the camera for admiring fans.
Red Agent: Island of Dr. Moreau is finally beginning to take shape as a story which takes advantage of Britney and Avril’s inclination for bringing trouble to whoever crosses their path and allows their tempers to explode with a vengeance. However as the narrative drives our heroines into a corner and upgrades the excitement, a majority of the illustrations are too shallow by displaying the women as frivolous images, even if the colors show their underlying power when it is needed. Hopefully as the action pick up, the portrayals will not be as superficial and allow us to enjoy the title as a whole, without a need to deny what could be a satisfying series with dynamic women.
Grade: A
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: February 5t, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
