Written by Rick Remender
Illustrated by Mike Hawthorne and Tony MooreTHE END!
Oh my goodness. Is this true? Did I actually just read the final issue of Fear Agent?
Let’s find out, after the cut. As a note, no spoilers for this issue are discussed, so if you’re a fan, feel free to read on. However, the issue opens with a huge warning label that bears repeating/revising: if you haven’t read the book up to this point, you shouldn’t read this book review.
It has been a long and trying journey for poor Heath Huston. I’m not sure if any character has received as short an end of the proverbial stick as Huston himself has, being thrust in the midst of an epic galactic conflict against his will, with additional and frequent attacks on his personal life and sanity. There has been no “happily ever after” for Huston and seemingly can’t be, as every tiny moment of grace he has received up until now has been quickly replaced with abject horror and dismay. Nothing has gone right for Huston, finally resulting in the lone Fear Agent residing in a bar, old and waiting to die.
Since then, Huston has managed to rally and make his final stand. It certainly hasn’t been an easy trip, but with the last issue Huston finally and triumphantly defeated the bad guys — only to once again get the short end of the proverbial stick at the last second in an “all hope is lost” scenario.
There has been one thing fans of Huston’s story have been anxiously awaiting since the series began, and that’s for Huston to finally have his truly triumphant moment. Remender, in a trick of impeccable plotting, has crafted a story in which no stone had been left unturned, all questions were answered and all plot elements would eventually have their resolution. Similar to another long running series that met with heavy delays (Planetary), all we needed was that one last cap-off, that one final journey into the unknown for everything we’ve watched transpire to have achieved it’s final outcome, and for Huston to honestly and truly get his shining moment in the sun.
That time is now. That moment is this issue.
As far as finales go, Fear Agent #32 is a wonderful triumph, and this series as a whole should be considered the crown jewel of Remender’s accomplishments as a writer. While he has certainly had notable runs on more popular characters in comics, Huston as a character is everything Remender is great at writing, and it’s easy to trace the lines from his work here in Fear Agent to his work elsewhere in books like the Punisher, Venom or even Uncanny X-Force. Huston is essentially the Remender character, containing every thematic idea and element that Remender would later explore in other titles and stories as well to various degrees. Given the amount of seeds planted in earlier issues, watching everything come to fruition now is the closest thing to a happy ending Remender has ever delivered (as far as I’m aware).
With Fear Agent, Remender has been delivering an incredibly impressive interwoven plot of sci-fi action and adventure since the first issue, and it is clear now that plans have been in place for Huston’s eventual destiny since then. There really was no other way for the series to go end; Huston was always destined to come face to face with his greatest failure in a battle for survival. It’s worth noting that for all the quoting of Samuel Clemens that this book does, Remender readily shows an uncanny knowledge of the inherent nature and power of storytelling with his work here, and the way the finale ties back to all we’d seen before is the most telling moment of his planning. Every discernible tool has been used throughout the story to tell this complex tale of one man against the universe, and now that we’ve reached the end of his journey, it’s much easier to look back and reflect on the events that have taken place to bring him to this point. Damn, Huston — you’ve done good.
Continued belowThe issue is filled to the brim with emotion. There are a lot of final thematic pay-offs contained within the issue, something that both Heath as a character has earned and we as fans are (somewhat selfishly) entitled to, and all of it wonderful. Heath Huston’s final adventure is a sad one, but as Remender gives us the final part of his story, revealing more about his relationship with his past life, the entire story comes full circle before giving us a rather poignant curtain closing on the story of the Life and Times of Poor Mr. Huston. Everything that’s made Fear Agent great for 31 issues is present in the 32nd: the wonderfully eccentric science fiction, the Mark Twain, Remender’s strong character voice and firm appreciation of Texan cowboy culture. From the cover straight through the end, this issue is Remender finally rewarding Huston and his fans for our patience and faith, and for that we all owe Remender a drink at this point.
The issue is presented visually from artist Mike Hawthorne and original series artist Tony Moore, both playing off each other straight through the end of the issue. Hawthorne really stretches his wings with this issue, as some of the more esoteric visuals of the series are contained within the final issue. Moore is the one that really ties it all together, however, effectively evoking earlier stories of the series when he was the sole artist on the book with his familiar flair. That is perhaps the one thing about the issue that I would (very selfishly) make note of, that the issue isn’t fully illustrated by Tony Moore. While definitely the most minor of minor (and whiniest of whiney) complaints, given the amount of time it took for the issue to come out, it feels like a bit of a misstep to not have Moore take the time to fully illustrate the issue as opposed to just part of it. This isn’t to say Mike Hawthorne’s work is bad; it really isn’t. The book still looks great, but to a certain extent Hawthorne seems like he’s doing his best job to emulate Moore’s signature style, with help from John Lucas on inks. On that note you’d imagine they might as well just get one final outing from the original team.
Although, really, I should probably just keep my mouth shut and be happy that I was finally able to read this book at all, which I am. It’s been a long wait, but it is one I’m very excited to be able to sit down and read. All that’s really missing is a wild Jerome Opena appearance, but given his current work alignment, I suppose accepting his gorgeous volume 6 cover is good enough for me.
To cut a long story short: it’s been a very long wait, but it was 100% worth it. Given where the book began and the way it chose to slowly reveal the intricate details of this multi-layered tale, letting us watch the story finally reach its inevitable conclusion is quite triumphant. Given the amount of time we readers have been given to grow attached to Heath Huston, it’s nice to finally, finally see him get his victory. As one of the few characters in comics to have truly earned any form of happy ending, this is as much a win for the reader as it is for Huston himself — and for that, Rick, we thank you.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – See you, Space Cowboy
