Sometimes it’s best for secrets to remain hidden.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Chelsea Cain
Supplemental Art: Lia Mitternique & Stella Greenvoss
Artwork: Elise McCall
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: Joe Caramagna
What They Say:
Recent mermaid attacks have everyone on edge. Beaches are closed. Super spy Nora Freud must team up with her friends in order to expose the sinister underbelly of a vast marine cryptozoology conspiracy. In local news, The Mermaid Hut, down by the marina, is pleased to announce a 10% sale on mermaid-tooth necklaces. While supplies last.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Nora remembered the day ten years ago when she was assigned to protect the government’s star witness in their case against the Brotherhood of Depravity, and yet while most would be thrilled to put away such a corrupt organization, the person who was testifying was a former member and just as unscrupulous with an appropriate code name of the Kraken. However what many people didn’t know was this criminal was also her father Robert Freud, and while she held utter contempt for the man, her sister Connie refused to believe he ever did anything wrong, but of course her judgment of character what not the best for anyone. Sadly her parent did not agree to this settlement due to some righteous moral code, but knew if he did not, his guilt would condemn him to the same sentence anyone connected would gain, and after his deposition and the guilty plea was swiftly read, everyone knew Freud would not be allowed to live for much longer.
Once again Agent Freud had the unpleasant assignment of safeguarding the man after the trial was over, and in order to do so they needed someone to take her father’s place, which fell to a mime she met at Union Square by the name of Harry. Although Nora liked the performer, he wanted to become the substitute, not for money but some television exposure, and while the switch at the courthouse when smoothly, the former pantomime got what he wanted as the explosion of Robert’s car was filmed on all the stations. However there was still the problem of what identity her parent would claim in Witness Protection, he was too recognizable due to his testimony, and yet the obvious became apparent with the man who everyone wanted dead becoming Louie the Mime. Strangely Nora found herself volunteering to go to the Bermuda Triangle in order to look after this former criminal, and while the job did come with a raise and more responsibilities, she then learned they had more in common than she realized, and yet she did not recognize the warning signs he had not forgotten about his former life.
In Summary:
While you can appreciate someone being as forthright in both speech and manner as Nora, one has to wonder how she succeeded in becoming such a talented spy, and yet writer Chelsea Cain still manages to make her character wondrously believable and charming, especially when Freud discusses her own dysfunctional family. The callous and judgemental tolerance she has for Connie and Robert also makes the reader wonder what she is hiding, almost as if this agent is beyond reproach and all the faults in her personality lie in exposure from these unfortunate associations, causing her to create a mental shield to deflect their trivial contagions. Nora appears to be a woman who always looks down on others, never appreciating the relationships she had before nor the ones which have developed on the island such as Harry, refusing to allow anyone in and always keep herself guarded, like any good spy does to maintain her cover and secrets. And yet as we dive into this assignment to protect a corrupt mastermind who is also happens to be her father, Nora continues to remain detached as watches over him as if he was a normal person, never showing any emotional undertone until needing to find a replacement, and only then revealing a slight vulnerability in liking someone, until it is harshly brushed aside by her sarcastic wit and the cliché of no one liking mimes. Although the most humorous moment of the story would be as she tries to find a new identity for a dead man, with each one more ridiculous and insulting to a man who was once a prideful super villain now being reduced to someone who everyone hates – once again the non-descript mime. But as we close the issue, you cannot but appreciate Cain poking fun at her protagonist, having Nora ironically reading a book appropriately titled Anxiety and Neurosis, which seems to be a self-diagnosis for the sullen agent, with the situation made all the more shameful once Louie who is supposed to be in hiding makes his intentions known as he makes contact with his past life, thus making the need for Witness Protection a moot point.
This issue is once again a stunning example of Elise McCall’s amazing illustrations, with nostalgic costume designs harkening back to the Sixties but elements of humor hidden throughout, such as the kraken chandelier within the Freud dining room giving a modest nod to Robert’s hidden moniker, even as we are amused by the girls’ changes over time, especially the temperamental Connie. And yet what makes everything so organic in its transitions are the serene colors of Rachelle Rosenberg, grounding the panels in a somberness as they prepare for the trial, with this morose mood carried over to the home, but of course no one noticing since the family is so close minded in their interactions. While the comical courtroom sketches do add some amusement due to the abstract nature of the pictures, we are once again thrust into the exciting nature of the title with a bracing explosion, all leading into the most revealing section exposing Nora’s hidden side as the mime mimics her movements, only ending in a rare melancholy moment as Freud reveals her tenderness for an unknown person. And yet as we question why Robert’s mustache was never shaved off or hair dyed during Witness Protection, it is this ignorance which make all the disguises even more ridiculous, with his notable facial features shining through each panel, until we arrive at the familiar character we were introduced to from the first issue – Louie the Mime, his new identity fittingly tied to his predecessor thanks to that single red rose. Only now does the spy and mime interaction have an underlying meaning, Nora talking to this performer with tolerance as opposed to everyone else, and it is through the leading humorous presentation does it make sense thanks to the unfolding reacquaintance between the two, with strange events which seem odd in their premise and yet make sense for this unconventional duo.
Spy Island has wonderfully revealed a new side to Nora’s strangely complex life, with bizarre occurrences which make sense when they are taken into context, but are humorous in their own right as we consider the oddity of these outlandish escapades when compared to normal families. And yet due to the fascinating synergy of intricate illustrations and ambitious application of colors, readers cannot but be drawn into the enticing story, wanting to learn from the complexities of the Freud family. But as we near the end of the series, one cannot but wonder what lies in wait beneath the waves, as we take into consideration the personalities of the individuals and their mysterious yet turbulent location which has taken so many before.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 04, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
