Blondes are dangerous … especially when you underestimate them.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Brian Studler
Artwork: Jason Muhr
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
What They Say:
After their plan went sideways at the underground market, Red and Avril manage to seek aboard Moreau’s cargo ship. They arrive at an uncharted Caribbean island, where they are horrified to discover a veritable army of hybrids. Hopelessly outnumbered, Red and Avril are at last brought face-to-face with their quarry: Dr. Helena Moreau, herself.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
After failing to infiltrate an illegal exotic animal auction in New Orleans, Red and Avril now find themselves the unwilling guests of its disgusting purveyor – Lawrence Saunderson, and he will do anything to get the information he wants from these beautiful intruders. But as the girls find themselves hanging upside down in specially enchanted shackles to dampen their powers, this overly confident man continues to blow smoke onto their faces and questions their real intentions for spoiling his profitable venture. While the girls insist their own only purpose is follow a bat winged man he calls Mr. Flitter, their interrogator does not believe this supposed falsehood and tells his henchman to release their captive enforcer. However this ferocious feline is not willing to follow orders so willingly, so a little persuasion from a cattle prod is required, but it does not provoke the required response and causes the big cat to lunge forward and slash through the witch’s restraints, much to her jailor’s great displeasure.
With hands now free, Avril is now able to honestly repay her host for his kindness by releasing stunning mystical bolts against the guards, evening the odds and then allowing the sorceress to release her legs. But as this witch lands within the now silent cell, a still suspended Britney shouts out a desperate warning of the approaching tiger, only to have the once angry beast now timidly lick her hand in welcomed greeting. After freeing her partner, the two flaxen haired heroines now approach the rotund Saunderson being kept in place by their feline friend, with its rumbling growls chasing away the false bravado he once had while in control. With their freedom now secure, they once again ask this cowering man the whereabouts of their quarry – the winged purchaser named Mr. Flitter, all as his former pet Sasha continues to persuade for his full cooperation. It does not take long before their former entertainer confesses all they need to know: the buyer had the animals delivered to a cargo ship named the Lady Vain docked at Pier 57, but if they wish to stop it the girls better leave now since it is about to depart. Leaving their carnivorous companion to stand watch, Red Agent and Avril race off through the busy streets of New Orleans, but can they make it time while weaving between various obstacles of a hectic Mardi Gras parade or will all of this effort be for naught?
In Summary:
While I may have initially been intrigued by writer Brian Studler’s venture into the title via an thrilling story derived from a world of espionage, as we reach the crux of the story, this same escapade centered within a Mission Impossible movie continues to carry over, and quite frankly it is becoming tiresome. Since he is determined to extend this narrative premise, every following plot device is becoming predictable: seeing our heroines being interrogated with some clichéd threat being used for manipulation, an inevitable turning of the tables and the villain becoming a whimpering coward, exciting chase through cities streets to save helpless victims and of course ending with a breathtaking leap off the pier in an effort to stop a departing ship … and this was all in the first act. Although the construction of the tale is original by having Britney and Avril be our saviors within what are normally testosterone driven action scenes, readers cannot but have a sense of déjà vu in watching the story unfold and thinking they have seen this same adventure unfold elsewhere before, and as such any anticipation of what is to come is spoiled by the aforementioned knowledge. However as we head to the inevitable meeting of the title character, hopefully the narrative will be able to drift away from a state of familiarity and welcome the story into something strange and unexpected.
Even as we dive head first into this interesting opening, one cannot deny talented illustrator Jason Muhr knows how to construct an enticing opening with details which tantalize the reader into thinking this will be a chilling torture scene, that is until we turn the page and witness our heroines in a compromising situation. One cannot but lasciviously stare at Waters and Williams as they occupy the center of the splash, their salacious curves enticingly displayed within skin tight catsuits which seem painted on, and made all the more mesmerizing thanks to an enlightening shaft of sunlight illuminating their current situation. However even within this overtly sexualized depiction of such dynamically determined women, it is Ceci de la Cruz’s grounding selection of colors which grant the panels a weight which drags us back from the captivating bliss of these heroines, providing a sinister ambiance within this makeshift prison thanks to her skillful manipulation of black gradations and underlying tones to each element to project a sense of texture to ordinarily uninteresting objects – random pools of blood, discarded viscera which seem to emanate their own rotting odor and the fangs of a predator who appears to be waiting for its next meal, all combining to materialize an atmosphere which allows the reader to anticipate the worst. However even as this ominous setting creates the worst anticipation within our imaginations, it is the striking portrayal of Red and her witch friend which cancels out all of the horror which those prior ghastly images and colors crafted within such a haunting aura, replaced with a sultry image within the menacing intimidation which the guards and beast supposedly provide. One cannot but immediately stare at the glamorous curves of these luscious women, with Muhr’s riveting images not lacking in providing viewers ample opportunities to wonder how they have survived without a mark to their gorgeously smooth skin and beautiful features. Britney and Avril are supposed to be in a fight for their lives, and yet even under the direst of situations, they appear able to strut upon a runway at a moment’s notice without a hair out of place, just like the most poised of models with a teasing smile on their faces. And while this portrayal is not without its advantages, it lacks the underlying seriousness that this type of story needs to provide the needed gravity of desperation to project with our heroine’s current situation
Red Agent: Island of Dr. Moreau continues to portray our favorite blonde team within a carefree story which lacks the urgency of prior titles, instead relying on a predictable plot and clichéd situations to propel the narrative forward until we meet the title villain. Additionally while the artwork may be wonderfully executed, the portrayal of Britney and Avril lacks any underlying fierceness that we expect from these women, with only the gorgeous colors providing any weight to the images. Hopefully as we draw near to the quintessential confrontation these problems will be solved, and yet it seems that possibility may be unlikely for the time being.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: March 04, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
