As good as Agent X is, reading it now comes with a tinge of sadness. I know that no matter how good it is now, the main reason it's so good (the writer, not the editor, for those who actually need to be told that) is going to be leaving in three issues. However, I'll still enjoy the ride while I can, and Simone and Udon turn in another issue that is both hilarious and intriguing to read. There are plenty of random gags and lots of action, but beneath it all there's a plot based on finding your identity, and on the notion that behind every great man there is a woman. This book has a lot to offer, and losing Simone off the book is a big creative misstep for the current regime at Marvel.
Agent X seems to be a voice for some of Simone's social pet peeves (which many of us no doubt share), and since he has very little in the way of social graces or moral compunctions, it's kind of fun to see him serve out revenge on the rude people of the world. The opening scene makes fun of both pop-up Internet ads and loud talkers in restaurants, and it's a hilarious example of Agent X's lack of impulse control. This opening scene is also surrounded by other gags, including the notion of Latverian cuisine
It's fitting, then, that Agent X has a... sidekick? love interest? stalker? with a similar disconnnect from reality. Mary's problems are certainly unusual, but her strong affection for Agent X and methods of speaking plainly actually make her a nice counterpoint to Alex. The "butt scene" (and tell me that phrase doesn't make you curious to read the book) is particularly funny. Then Simone does a one-eighty at the end of the book and has Mary's problem and attraction serve less as the vehicle for jokes and more the case for a good cliffhanger ending.
This book has plenty of surprises and character development in store, as well. The next step that Higashi takes against Sandi is very surprising, and it is made clear in this issue that though the men may have the recognized power, the brains behind the operations of both Agency X and Higashi's criminal organization are the women. Sandi and Saguri are flip sides of the same coin, the women who push the men who they work for to greater heights. Except that while Sandi has Alex's best intentions in mind, Saguri is thinking more about the organization and what Higashi represents as a front. The parallels between Alex and Higashi continue to be a fascinating character study.
Udon Studios is on this month as far as artwork is concerned, both in terms of action and humor. The bus chase is very well done, the afore-mentioned "butt scene" is a great use of facial expressions for humorous value, and the fire and shooutout at the amusement park is a great finale. I particularly loved the melodramatic intercutting of Alex's face with the burning merry-go-round horse. I'm not sure if it was a specific movie reference or just a general goof, but it's a great parody of those melodramatic moments in movies where the hero loses something important, and given the object of Alex's horror, it's downright hysterical.
