CREDIT: Marvel Comics
Rating: 4/5 – Agent Carter Starring in a Great New Mini-Series.
by ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Original Sin ended over two months ago and now a new mini-series has spun out from that event. Operation S.I.N. explores the time and themes in Marvel’s history that were originally introduced in the Original Sin Annual, this time starring Peggy Carter who’s been recently seen in the Marvel television show, Agent Carter. Writer Kathryn Immonen who’s written the character before, and artist Rich Ellis take us on an enjoyable trip back to an era in the Marvel Universe that is worthy of the visit.
Rich Ellis’ work really stands out in this issue. Best known for his work on Memorial from IDW, Ellis is able to capture the look of the time with the wardrobes of Agent Carter and co-star Howard Stark along with visual cues in the detailed backgrounds that help to set the setting. The opening scene alone, occurring in Carter’s home provides a realistic approach to Ellis’ somewhat cartoony look that does such a great job of letting you know just what time period you’re in, without any caption boxes having to tell you. Ellis’ characters all stand out from one another and despite there being no superheroes in the book at all, each one of them has their own distinct look.
Immonen’s writing of Peggy Carter is smart and much like the art, feels realistic. She’s a character that you’ll want to read more about with her quick wit and deliberate dialogue. In this opening chapter, Carter is invited to Russia by Howard Stark to meet with a man he’s had working over there who’s just found something related to aliens, which at this time in the Marvel Universe is still not an everyday thing. Although much of this issue is set up for what comes next, it’s a set up that allows the reader to get to know some of these characters a bit more before diving into the heavy action, which based on the ending to this issue seems as though will ramp up next month.
With the Agent Carter TV show recently debuting, it’s a shame that there’s no reference to Agent Carter on the cover of this book. Readers walking into a comic shop won’t be able to tell just what this book is about from the cover, and those who weren’t fans of the Original Sin event may stay away from this issue that uses the Original Sin logo. There’s plenty to like in this first issue and I’m hoping that readers will be able to find this book on the shelves. With the Agent Carter show garnering a lot of positive reviews, this could be a sleeper hit for Marvel when more people start to notice who’s starring in it.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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