The X-Axis, 29 June 2003
Part 1 of 7: AGENT X #12

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One of Marvel's more obvious cock-ups in the last year has been the mess they've made of Agent X.  Issue #12 is no longer the final issue of the series, because the original creative team have been brought back to do a final three issues tying everything up. 

Unfortunately, Daniel Way apparently didn't know that when he wrote this issue.  The story comes complete with a handy "let's resolve everything and go home" scene nailed to the end.  God only knows why it's still there, considering that it really doesn't have much to do with the rest of the story and could easily have been replaced or even just re-scripted.  A general sense of backstage confusion pervades.

Anyhow, ignoring that point, what we've got here is the fifth consecutive fill-in issue.  And it's... well, it's okay.  It runs through the usual routine of comedy mutilation, it doesn't really do anything with the character, it's full of one-dimensional people, and it's moderately amusing.  It's better than the invisible man two-parter from a few months back, it's not as good as the Evan Dorkin story.  Daniel Way cracks the standard jokes, and Kyle Hotz plays for laughs with his usual caricatured characters.  It gets the job done - the job in question being to fill the pages as painlessly as possible.

There's not much else to be said about it, honestly.  It's there.  It's inoffensive.  Whatever. 

Rating: B-

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Copyright 2003 Paul O'Brien.  This web site is a work of critical comment and review. All characters and publications referred to, and artwork reproduced, are ™ and © their respective owners.
 

AGENT X #12
Marvel Comics
August 2003
$2.99 US / $4.75 CAN

"Out With A Bang"
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Kyle Hotz
Letterer: Cory Petit
Colourist: Angelo Tsang
Editors: Andrew Lis and Marc Sumerak

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