It's a very quiet week all round, with only two X-books (plus Punisher as an honorary member), and no new series that really caught my attention.  So let's keep it short this week.

Since I last reviewed Agent X, writer Gail Simone has quit the book, allegedly over artistic differences with the editor.  Of course, it would be unwise to speculate on what goes on behind the scenes, and on one level Marvel are perfectly entitled to ask for whatever they want.  They're the ones paying, after all.  On the other hand, the general reaction seems to be that Marvel have made a bit of a misjudgement on this one.  It's hard to disagree.

Still, there's another few issues of this run to go, and by the time that finishes Simone should be starting over on Birds of Prey.  So cheer up.  Just as many Gail Simone comics on the shelf.  Marvel's loss, not ours. 

Agent X's status as a comedy book is allegedly one of the bones of contention here, which seems curious.  After all, the comedy is one of the book's selling point, and one of the things that makes it distinctive.  It was always a key element of the predecessor book Deadpool as well, albeit that in the early Joe Kelly issues it was used largely as a counterpoint to lighten up what would otherwise have been an unbearably depressing series about a psychopath. Agent X is putting the comedy more to the forefront of the equation, but I have no problem with that.

Not that the series is without its dramatic side.  One of the interesting things about this book is its seemingly deliberate vagueness about the lead character's motivations.  The supporting cast are written in a way that makes it pretty clear that Simone has thought out their motivations in classic style - they have instant goals and wider dramatic needs.  For example, Mary Zero wants to cling to Alex, because he's the only person who can satisfy her need for attention.  Higashi wants to get the amusement park from Alex, because he needs to solidify his control over the Four Winds organisation.  The Taskmaster wants to get rid of Alex, because he sees Alex as a threat to his desire to remain with Sandi.  For most of the supporting cast, all of this is laid out pretty clearly.

Alex, in contrast, is left enigmatic.  His goal is to become a successful mercenary, but he can't or won't explain why.  Since Simone has obviously thought out everyone else quite thoroughly, it seems pretty clear that there is a reason, it's just not being shared with us yet.  It presumably ties in somewhere to the other major dramatic question of who Alex really is.  While the usual plot for amnesiac characters is the quest for identity (and the stock ending is that in the course of their search they develop a new and improved sense of identity meaning that they no longer need the one the were looking for), Alex shows no interest whatsoever in pursuing that, and actively resisted Sandi's attempts in earlier issues to set him on that direction.  His wider motivation seems to be to bury his previous identity and construct a new one - which begs the question of why he'd choose to be a mercenary if he really is Deadpool.

It's all in there.  Plenty to get your teeth into.  Mind you, since none of this is the focus of the current storyline, I have a sinking feeling that it was being held aside for fuller exploration at a later date (with the first storyline introducing the cast and setting up the premise).  Long term planning is to be applauded, but leaves the unfortunate possibility that Simone isn't going to get around to doing that story.  Which would be a shame.

In any event, back to this month's story.  We kick off with the continuation of the Mary Zero plot, and thus far Zero's "nobody can see me" gimmick seems to be played as an annoying invisible friend angle, along the lines of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) and so forth.  The scene simultaneously establishes Alex and Mary's relationship, and does an admittedly unrelated but funny riff on pretentious restaurants.  I'm not quite sure I share Simone's irritation at loud diners, but the payoff is hilarious.

Meanwhile, back at the Four Winds plot, Higashi's "quest for respect" arc continues to tick over nicely.  Having said that, there's some awkward plotting in here - Higashi's interest in Sandi seems to come completely out of nowhere, and for that matter the story resorts to Alex receiving a conveniently timed phone call in order to drive him back to the plot in the first place.

But despite those flaws, it's another strong and enjoyable issue on both levels.  The closing cliffhanger is a nice riff on Mary's powers, and the action sequences seem to be growing in confidence.

It's a good comic.  Enjoy it while it's here.

Rating: A

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