Written by Dan Didio, Jeff Lemire and Keith Giffen
Illustrated by Keith GiffenMax Lord and Sarge Steel decide that in order to capture O.M.A.C., sacrifices will have to be made. They go back to the location of O.M.A.C.’s first appearance and target the workers on Kevin Kho’s floor, including Kevin and all his friends. Meanwhile, since O.M.A.C. is still on the loose, S.H.A.D.E. decides to send in their top agent, Frankenstein, to succeed where Checkmate has failed. This epic storyline continues in this month’s FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #5!
Yes, it is disappointing that certain characters have really gotten the shaft in the New 52. Yes, there are a few absolutely terrible books being published by DC right now. But they don’t have shit to do with O.M.A.C.
Despite the presence of Dan DiDio, never one known for top-notch storytelling, and despite the gargantuan task of taking on a Jack Kirby property, O.M.A.C. is one of the most purely fun comic on the stands today. No one would argue it is a brilliant comic, but if giant monsters bashing each other with fists and lasers isn’t appealing to you, then I don’t know what can be done to help you.
This month, the monster smash factor has been doubled, with the presence of Frankenstein, everyone’s favorite agent of S.H.A.D.E., to add to the acronym battle that dozens have been calling for since September. Will the two behemoths overpower a meager 20 page comic, or will this battle be the start of a great inter-agency rumble?
Hit the jump to find out.
Despite both being books about monsters that are part of larger scientific plans, O.M.A.C. and Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. are extraordinarily different books. This half of the crossover takes place in the pages of O.M.A.C., and keeps its own tone consistent while bringing in some of the feel of Frankenstein. The cynical, gritty Frankenstein plays a little strange in the almost day-glo tone that O.M.A.C. takes. Jeff Lemire is such a cerebral writer that it is a little odd to see him playing in this sandbox, whereas DiDio seems to be a guy who probably finds America’s Funniest Home Videos to be the pinnacle of modern entertainment, and so seeing giant creatures punch each other in the face is exactly what you’d imagine him writing.
Because of the grossly different styles of writing, I would imagine that next week’s version of this battle, found in Frankenstein, will read quite differently. Despite this being the first crossover in the New 52, this feels very much like every issue of O.M.A.C. thus far; Kevin tries to get a hold on his life, but a monster (or monsters) attack, he O.M.A.Ctivates, and big, dumb, fun fight happens, he escapes, and turns back into Kevin.
Why this issue does feel different is because of its art. Keith Giffen goes out of his way here to channel his inner Alberto Ponticelli when drawing Father Time, Agent Bellroy and Frank himself (not to mention nailing S.H.A.D.E.net). One of my pet peeves in crossovers is when characters look vastly different from book to book, and that just isn’t an issue here. Giffen’s pencils still resemble an O.M.A.C. comic, but he has done his homework, and made the characters feel like they are simply stepping into a new setting, instead of a familiar setting hosting weirdly off doppelgangers of established characters.
This issue sets up some tensions between Brother Eye, Checkmate, Cadmus and S.H.A.D.E., the science and industry corner of the DCnU which, I’m sure, will be addressed again across the shared universe. But other than that little bit of business, nothing about this comic screams essential — and that is what I enjoyed most about it. So many times crossovers are there to set little fires; fires that will, eventually, destroy worlds, kill heroes, and change the course of the comic book world forever!
Nothing of real consequence happens here; two big dudes beat each other up (spoiler alert), one loses an arm, and both will go about their Tuesdays the same way, despite Monday being a giant monster fight. It is the slightness of this book that makes it stand out, because this is a slight book. As much fun as it can be, there is nothing revolutionary going on here. One neon warrior, one all-seeing computer, and lots of people out to get them both. This is, flat out, dumb fun.
Contrast that with Frankenstein, which also features over the top action, but does so in a world clogged with scientists, terrifying monsters and interpersonal drama that what should be dumb fun takes on a smarter direction. So it is no wonder that Frankenstein feels out of place in these pages — and I can only imagine how out of place O.M.A.C. will feel next week (especially with Ponticelli having his way with him). But that is part of the charm of this crossover, and although not perfect, it is a strong showing from one of the weirder corners of the DCnU.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
