Red Agent must now face the Human Order … and they have nothing to lose.
Creative Staff:
Story: Joe Brusha & Lou Iovino
Writer: Lou Iovino
Artwork: Salvatore Cuffari, Daniel Dahl, Enn & Emanuel Braga
Colors: Hedwin Zaldivar & Maxflan Araujo
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
It’s a race against the clock! Britney and her team infiltrate the Human Order’s base of operations inside the Vatican in Rome. But as we’ve seen, Alpha’s no altar boy. The team must pull together against overwhelming odds to save all of Highborn kind from the Human Order’s ultimate weapon. But at what cost?
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Vatican … center of the Roman Catholic Church and yet horribly, also the location from which the vile Human Order has been operating. This group which breeds hatred for the Highborn scourge has the audacity to hide in the one place which preaches tolerance and acceptance – and it has now been polluted by this overly zealous mob. However it is only now these two forces will finally face off, if the former will come out of hiding. Through Ditto’s careful study of surveillance, Britney learns of a probable site for their sanctuary, and it will take diligent undercover work to find an entrance. Scanning the lower levels of the catacombs, a careful nun makes her way downwards, until fluctuations in air flow lead this wary observer to the prize she was searching for beneath a stone coffin. As Red Agent slides the casket aside, Silk and Avril transport in, all wary of what they may find at the end of the ominous staircase.
Once the witch notices her powers beginning to fade, they know their quarry is near and prepare to meet the enemy, or is that misguided companion? Silk is still convinced Paladin can be persuaded to come back, but Alpha knows the man once known as Void is on his side; the promise of salvation for his help in scourging the filth is all he needs, and does not care he is being used as a tool for the Human Order. As cowards hide behind their men spouting forth more verbal hatred, fanatical extremists surge forward, ready to face their fate as long as they have a chance to purify the world. However once the novices are easily dispatched, each individual of Highborn Initiative must now face their own demon, to either save them or extinguish the hatred which has seethed within for far too long. One has forgotten friends which were murdered by these fiends and the other took great delight in butchering her sisters, but can this hatred last forever or will it end in unequalled satisfaction? Only time will tell … but neither side has much left.
In Summary:
Now, this is the way to end a series, with a final conflict between the Highborn Initiative and their enemies, but it still leaves us wanting more. However, there are still many loose plot strings, and the most monumental is – who are the Human Order? We have been wondering this since the title was revealed, but never in the story have writers Joe Brusha or Lou Iovino ever given any clear clues as to who, how or where the organization originated. If Alpha is involved, it probably has something to do with the initial group we saw in Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Coven since they have similar objectives and uniforms for their foot soldiers aside from a color change; but that was long ago and it appeared that had backing from some political entity, so now their reach has stretched as far as the Vatican? Do these Crusaders think this hunt for Highborn monstrosities is another Holy War by which they can justify their actions if it is in the name of God? There have been some twisted foes in the Zenescope universe, however, they never went as far as having such a meaningless surface agenda, even the Dark One had more far reaching goals. It appears these fanatics are only fighting to cleanse the world of these abominations, with the extra sickness of allowing those same enemies to be used as tools so as earn forgiveness in the end; we saw in previous issues how they tortured, mentally manipulated, and tested Paladin into what they now call Void, almost like the Spanish Inquisition, with no inkling of remembering his comrades and the cost of their own redemption.
However, this sickness was only a glimpse into what Britney, Avril, Ditto and later Silk were in for as the Human Order delved deeper into their own monstrosities. Both of these ladies lost so much fighting against them: Ryder, Eve, General Tate, Director White and then Ditto became disembodied again, and yet they never lost sight of their goal – taking down Alpha. However as we watched more Highborns become a menace to humanity, it seemed as if something or someone was guiding this madness. All of this insanity seemed meaningless unless they wanted to give the world an impression these mutations were the real source of evil in the world, allowing that hunter some kind of convoluted justice for his actions. Although he did his best to stop the Initiative, including bombing Cheyenne Mountain, the team never gave up hope but instead forged ahead in classic Mission Impossible fashion, all to avenge their fallen comrades and indirectly Avril’s coven. You have to admire this persistence, determination and steadfast will to continue as their friends suffer and fall around them, all to prove Highborns are not the monsters people perceived them to be until the very end.
Throughout within this amazing narrative of persecution, it is the artwork of various illustrators and colorists who make this story come alive, and this finale is no exception. The artistic team of Salvatore Cuffari, Daniel Dahl, Enn and Emanuel Braga convert what should have been a simple infiltration mission into something which erupts toward an epic battle for survival. However, even within the dank confines of the catacombs, the colors of Hedwin Zaldivar and Maxflan Araujo imbue the characters with a strength and vigor which cannot be dominated by the Human Order. With each panel you sense an underlying determination driving Brit and the team, each wanting to learn the truth behind this organization, but at the same time, we know they also want Alpha to pay for his crimes and free their companion. It is this sense of duty which is conveyed via the coordination of these two disciplines, one projecting the beauty of a conflict which could cost them their lives and the other so eloquently defines the strength behind those convictions, on both sides. But even within this directed flow of shifting tides between the sequences, there are stumbles as the tension is transferred between artists, and this is where emotions within a scene can be lost if it is not handled correctly.
I can understand needing to use multiple artists or colorists within a series due to time constraints or scheduling conflicts, however, when the workload is handled by more than a few talented people, even the best illustrations and colorings can be watered down and lost in translation. This convenient division of labor can help to alleviate any stress from being overwhelmed, but when this technique is overused, the book can suffer, as it did within this series. Over the course of this title, there were eleven different artists and nine individual colorists employed to illustrate the strength, heroism, and sensuality of Britney and Avril, with Silk providing muscle and testosterone when needed; true, this may not seem like much, but when there are up to four illustrators and/or three colorists within one issue and new ones introduced in the next book, then consistency of characters and tone of the atmosphere can be lost, even within the same issue. This was not unusual within Red Agent: The Human Order, but this switching between talents can leave a story feeling unsteady, seeing the same actor displaying one emotion and on the next page, that same character seems to be lacking in motivation due to a different drawing style; this same can be said for the colorists – one person can use a palette which has a darker tonal selection and gives the narrative a somber attitude, then the scene changes with a new talent and brighter shades plus alarming choices for the same character, thus communicating an environment which gives the reader an unsuitable attitude for the story. These small nuances can improve or shatter what the previous person established, and to do so within the same issue is a shame even if there is cooperation between the transitions. However, when you reflect on all of these transformations within the series as a whole, it may not seem as bad when compared to them over the course of a single story.
Red Agent: The Human Order has the momentum to create a moving story of discrimination for people being who they are, but it falls short near its completion. According to the first book, this title was supposed to be a twelve issue mini-series and yet it ends on nine, just as things begin to heat up and now the audience starts to understand the complexity of the Highborn Initiative and the Human Order. With all of the hints to secrets revealed, it is a shame that the conclusion comes all too soon, leaving us with more questions than answers. Perhaps it was done to leave room for a follow-up series, but what ever the reasoning, all the readers know now is that we have a story which was satisfying, but did not reach its full potential due to a lack of initiative to follow through to the end.
Grade: B+
Series Grade: Mission Impossible + Britney Waters = A feral adventure not to be forgotten!
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: July 26, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
