Alterna Comics, Inc 2015
Written & Lettered by Wes Locher
Illustrated by Eduardo Jimenez
Well last issue Agent Ballard, or Bally, received a “phone call” from Snahkhun the Alien that crash landed to Earth causing the whole Area 51 mythology. The crystal that the boys have been searching for was a gift from Snahkhun to us and he knows that Bally lost it and he’s not very happy about it and he’s here about to land on Earth once again. Now however it seems that he’s not the nice little Alien we once knew instead he’s much more a bad guy whose intentions seem hostile.
This issue Agent Ballard sends out the alarm that we’re being invaded. Agent Hatch does something funny just after being told by Agent Lieu that he, Lieu, found the truck and the location of the stolen crystal. This really is silly kind of stupid humor but incredibly funny considering and the reference I took from it was classic.
Agent Ballard tells Hutch and Gibson to go locate the warehouse the crystal is being stored in and retrieve it. Sounds simple enough right but let’s not forget Lindsay’s there and she’s pretty darn competent and much more effective than either of these goofballs are. Still as kind of ridiculous as they behave the dialogue throughout all this is hysterically funny it really belies the whole seriousness of what an alien invasion could be and instead of going the route of say MIB where it’s humorous this one goes full tilt fun.
So when the boys finally catch up to Albright and watch him escape after making a declaration as to why he’s doing what he’s doing, which by the way doesn’t make a lick of sense to me but is completely in line with everything that’s happening in this series. I do have to wonder though why not let him go and do his thing it would kind of solve a few things. Well he kinda does though and the result is pretty much what you’d expect. What happens next when Snahkuhn does land well it’s apropos.
This series has been a great escape from the normal nitty gritty, overly dramatic or angst ridden books on stands today. Wes is having fun here there and Easter basket full of eggs for you to find, laugh out loud at and generally just appreciate the kind of humor involved here. At the end of the day I expect the boys to somehow pull a rabbit out of their ass and save the day but even if that doesn’t happen it’s okay because this whole thing has been that kind of ride where just enjoy yourself. Wes has the mind of a genius and he’s able to really tell this story full of things we all know and point out the inherent silliness that come with conspiracy theories.
Eduardo’s work is perfect for this series. It showcases the seriousness of the Agents and what they believe and are doing with the sheer silliness we associate with them and their actions. I’m sorry but anytime we see that Ike in a shirt too small and pants that don’t fit either with the hairy belly and equally hair butt crack just makes me laugh.
Folks this really is and afternoon’s worth of delight. You’ll laugh, possibly till you cry and most importantly just smile and enjoy. Also any fan of Archer will be a fan of this!