Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday Book Review: Nextwave - Agents of H.A.T.E. Volumes 1 and 2

It seems like everything I've really enjoyed from Marvel Comics over the last few years has been these wacky non-formulaic books that don't get tied up in their giant company wide crossovers. Things like Agents of Atlas, Captain Britain and the MI-13 and Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

Nextwave was written by Warren Ellis who is someone that I think is at his best when he lets his warped sense of humour go at full throttle which he most assuredly does in this series. It's drawn by Stuart Immonen before he became super big in the comics world and it's inked by Wade Von Grawbadger who I will forever love for his run on Starman.

The series ran for twelve issues and was collected in Nextwave: Agents Of H.A.T.E Volume 1: This Is What They Want and Nextwave: Agents Of H.A.T.E. Volume 2 - I Kick Your Face.

The series brings together five C-list superheroes to form the Nextwave team. They include Monica Rambeau, a former Avenger; Tabitha Smith a former member of X-Force; Aaron Stack, the Machine Man; Elsa Bloodstone daughter of monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone; and The Captain. The greatest thing about the team is it is already formed when you pick up the first issue and there is none of the regular mistaken identity/super hero fight when teams regularly get together in comics.

The team has been brought together by H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti Terrorism Effort) to fight U.W.M.D. (Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction). Unfortunately for the team they find out that H.A.T.E. is funded by the Beyond Corporation which is a front for the terrorist organization S.I.L.E.N.T. Regardless, they steal the Shockwave Rider an experimental vehicle, named after John Brunner's novel , and they travel the USA stopping various and hilarious terrorists threats.

The is quite hilarious and it is comic book action amped up to 11. I really have to recommend it to anyone who is looking to read so fun comic book action while enjoying some great art without needing to know 30 years of back story.

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