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Fear Agent #1-3
Fear Agent, Vol. 1
When down-and-out alien exterminator Heath Huston stumbles upon an extraterrestrial plot to commit genocide against the human species, he must put down the bottle and resume his role as a peacekeeper...the last Fear Agent!
Acclaimed writer Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Venom) is joined by superstar collaborators Tony Moore (The Walking Dead, Venom) and Jerome Opena (Uncanny X-Force, Punisher) in channeling the aesthetic sensibilities and spirit of high adventure of classic science fiction, war, and horror comics - three of the genres that made EC comics the high-water mark of sequential storytelling.
Fear Agent takes readers through lush new worlds populated by jellyfish superbrains, wild apemen, and sentient amoeba beasts, and finally back to the frontlines of humanity's war with an automaton regime bent on universal domination!
Collecting: Fear Agent 1-15
Acclaimed writer Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Venom) is joined by superstar collaborators Tony Moore (The Walking Dead, Venom) and Jerome Opena (Uncanny X-Force, Punisher) in channeling the aesthetic sensibilities and spirit of high adventure of classic science fiction, war, and horror comics - three of the genres that made EC comics the high-water mark of sequential storytelling.
Fear Agent takes readers through lush new worlds populated by jellyfish superbrains, wild apemen, and sentient amoeba beasts, and finally back to the frontlines of humanity's war with an automaton regime bent on universal domination!
Collecting: Fear Agent 1-15
512 pages, Hardcover
First published July 4, 2006
24 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Rick Remender
1,234 books1,403 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 9, 2025
Classic sci-fi graphic novel.
I'm not a massive Remender fan, so this was always going to be a gamble for me. I think so far, I'm firmly in the middle of the road when it comes to my feelings for this one.
You've got this overblown Texas-y character who quotes Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) throughout the whole book, all while drinking himself into oblivion to take the edge off of the family he lost when the aliens invaded and destroyed Earth.
There are some twists in there, though.
The first half of the book deals with the "present" as ex-Fear Agent Huston travels through space with his seemingly sentient ship's AI, doing mercenary work to keep himself in liquor.
When he runs into what looks to be another invasion of Earth, it sets off a whole chain of spoilery events.
Ok, the second half of this deluxe edition starts the "flashback" to his origins and answers some of the lingering questions we have from the first half.
What the hell is a Fear Agent? <-- for example.
But of course, it also opens up the door for even more questions and ends on a nice little cliffhanger that had me interested enough to grab the next (and final) deluxe edition.
Tacked on after the main story finishes, there are also a few canonical and uncanonical (written by other authors) stories of some of the space adventures that happened before the book opened. Honestly, I didn't care for the majority of these, as they felt like poorly written time sucks.
I still feel a bit confused as to what's actually happening in this story, but I'm just going to "trust the process" and keep going.
We shall see.
I'm not a massive Remender fan, so this was always going to be a gamble for me. I think so far, I'm firmly in the middle of the road when it comes to my feelings for this one.
You've got this overblown Texas-y character who quotes Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) throughout the whole book, all while drinking himself into oblivion to take the edge off of the family he lost when the aliens invaded and destroyed Earth.
There are some twists in there, though.
The first half of the book deals with the "present" as ex-Fear Agent Huston travels through space with his seemingly sentient ship's AI, doing mercenary work to keep himself in liquor.
When he runs into what looks to be another invasion of Earth, it sets off a whole chain of spoilery events.
Ok, the second half of this deluxe edition starts the "flashback" to his origins and answers some of the lingering questions we have from the first half.
What the hell is a Fear Agent? <-- for example.
But of course, it also opens up the door for even more questions and ends on a nice little cliffhanger that had me interested enough to grab the next (and final) deluxe edition.
Tacked on after the main story finishes, there are also a few canonical and uncanonical (written by other authors) stories of some of the space adventures that happened before the book opened. Honestly, I didn't care for the majority of these, as they felt like poorly written time sucks.
I still feel a bit confused as to what's actually happening in this story, but I'm just going to "trust the process" and keep going.
We shall see.
May 4, 2023
I read Image's Fear Agent #0-11, the initial Image Comics run of Rick Remender's delightfully retro but non-linear science fiction black comedy tale of the last Fear Agent, Heath Hudson and his adventures; focusing on the journey and humour and not worrying about the pseudo science. I also read Dark Horse comic books Fear Agent #12-15 to complete what is in this volume. 6 out of 12. Three Stars.
2017 read
2017 read
March 8, 2021
"My name's Heath Huston, I'm an alien exterminator."
Whiskey. Space flight. Time travel. Aliens, primitive man, giant brains, squid monsters, and robots. And a gung ho, down and out, lucky but shit outta luck Texas cowboy. It's funny, weird, exotic, honest, and just plum good readin'!
This is Remender at his best because it's so balanced. Cynical, funny, but thankfully optimistic! Heath and Charlotte's bittersweet romance permeates these stories, as well as Heath's sense of lostness and self-medication, which Remender tells us is allegory for his own life. Surprise! Most of his books are like this: Low, Tokyo Ghost, Deadly Class. But I think Fear Agent is the most enjoyable way to get to know Remender.
Heath Huston is an awesome character. Like Rick Grimes if he lost both Lori and Carl and turned to drinking and killing zombies. He's reckless, kinda dumb, but quick on his feet, with a good heart, and knows what he wants. It's incredibly fun to watch this man fly around space and fuck shit up totally drunk.
Tony Moore of Walking Dead fame and Jerome Opeña are fuggin' killer. I love their illustrations. Just, damn. Absolutely beautiful. Colors are spectacular by Lee Loughridge (Deadly Class) and Michelle Madsen. And the lettering is on point and stylistic by Rus Wooten (Walking Dead). This is a stunningly illustrated and designed book.
A Short Note on the Deluxe Edition...
The Library Edition from Dark Horse is insane. This thing is like a phone book. It's the equivalent of a DC Absolute but for only $50 retail! Suck it, DC! The jacket-less hardcover is amazing, super thick and sturdy, with a bold spine. The sewn binding is flawless, no gutter loss, and the book lays perfectly flat. The pages are crazy thick, high gloss. And the extras are awesome, with tons of illustrations and variant covers. My only tiny complaint is the matte black cover shows scratches easily. But other than that, this is a beautiful edition worth much more than the price.
August 29, 2014
Rick Remender's man vs. alien saga is a fun and often surprising throwback to similar adventures from the mid-twentieth century. you've got dastardly extraterrestrials devastating earth. you've got a hard-bitten and cynical hero who loves cash but has the occasional sensitive side. you've got a babe who flirts with our main man, at least when she isn't busy putting him down. you have adventures happening back and forth in time, and occurring all over the galaxy. you have constant ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! it is all quite enjoyably old-fashioned.
there are some amazing twists and turns in Fear Agent. I suppose this is a bit spoilery, but I can't help but point out that this is a series where the hero "dies" more than once and the devastation of earth is much more than it seems - and it also happens more than once. other surprises abound. Heath Huston may be a traditional type of old school protagonist, but I was taken aback at the depth and constancy of his alcoholism; I was also impressed by the sheer horribleness of one of his past actions. one particular flashback is given a wish fulfillment treatment and then a realistic one - the two versions together creating something genuinely moving. and most things - Heath, the two female characters, the multiple alien races, the narrative itself - turn out to be quite different from how they first appear.
I usually tend to talk more about writers than illustrators in my reviews of various comics, and this review is no exception. but I have to make this clear: except for an issue noted below, the art is awesome. I was impressed again and again.
unfortunately, Fear Agent has some very noticeable flaws. although each of the alien races are quite different from each other, most of them have an annoying and confusing sameness in how they are illustrated. clearly Remender and primary illustrator Tony Moore have a thing about brain-type aliens because they appear in various formats, including mega-sized. more annoying is the writing's frequent stupidity and crassness. they occur infrequently during the actual story arcs, but they are rife throughout the many self-contained back-up stories that close out this deluxe edition. they really left a bad taste in my mouth and do not exactly inspire me to purchase the second volume. sigh. I probably still will.
there are some amazing twists and turns in Fear Agent. I suppose this is a bit spoilery, but I can't help but point out that this is a series where the hero "dies" more than once and the devastation of earth is much more than it seems - and it also happens more than once. other surprises abound. Heath Huston may be a traditional type of old school protagonist, but I was taken aback at the depth and constancy of his alcoholism; I was also impressed by the sheer horribleness of one of his past actions. one particular flashback is given a wish fulfillment treatment and then a realistic one - the two versions together creating something genuinely moving. and most things - Heath, the two female characters, the multiple alien races, the narrative itself - turn out to be quite different from how they first appear.
I usually tend to talk more about writers than illustrators in my reviews of various comics, and this review is no exception. but I have to make this clear: except for an issue noted below, the art is awesome. I was impressed again and again.
unfortunately, Fear Agent has some very noticeable flaws. although each of the alien races are quite different from each other, most of them have an annoying and confusing sameness in how they are illustrated. clearly Remender and primary illustrator Tony Moore have a thing about brain-type aliens because they appear in various formats, including mega-sized. more annoying is the writing's frequent stupidity and crassness. they occur infrequently during the actual story arcs, but they are rife throughout the many self-contained back-up stories that close out this deluxe edition. they really left a bad taste in my mouth and do not exactly inspire me to purchase the second volume. sigh. I probably still will.
December 21, 2014
Wow.
I had no idea what to expect, I just really have enjoyed Remender's Marvel work, so I saw this on the library website and reserved...needless to say, I'm glad, and I can see why Marvel went out and pursued him. (I'm just going to assume they did because that makes sense).
Great characterization, humour, and dialogue written like actual people might use in everyday conversation...if everyday involved Alien invasions, exterminating space vermin, and having a Rocketship AI programmed with your wife's brainwaves, all while drunk as fuck on Whiskey.
Heath Huston seems like a cross between an alternate version Wolverine, Frank Castle, John McClane, and Clint Eastwood if he talked more in his Westerns (and was fathered by Sam Elliott). If this description has you aroused in any way, then yes, read Fear Agent.
Heath is the last Fear Agent, going through space after a War/Invasion tore Earth apart and killed those he loved. He copes by drinking a lot of Whiskey, and quoting Samuel Clemens (ie. Mark Twain). This should have you just as excited as the previous paragraph. He has a bad case of death wish/suicidal disregard for his own safety, which you attribute to the lonliness of space to start, but figure out more as the series progresses.
Remender has created a fantastic (anti)-hero, who might not always do the right thing, but tries to balance on the positive side of Karma. How this is not being developed as a movie yet, I have NO idea. This needs to get made now. Production companies: can I send you a cheque now??
On top of that, the art by Jerome Opena and Tony Moore is superb. Some panels it looks Mad Magazine-ish, but then others it has just the right amount of grit and space--eyness to it. I wish I could describe the art better other than to say, it kicks ass.
You care about this character, and even more when you meet the supporting cast, even with a huge volume nearly 500 pages, I devoured this.
You want an antidote to DC/Marvel supes or Graphic Novel or anything really? This is good old fashioned gold. The kinda book I would have loved to stumble across when I was young, and then grow into.
This also has a great sequence about urinal etiquette, something I'm sure some can relate to, and most can laugh at.
Oh and of course, the first person I thought of was Lono...who's already read it of course.
Anyone who likes Remender (Mike, Anne, to start) should give this a look.
I had no idea what to expect, I just really have enjoyed Remender's Marvel work, so I saw this on the library website and reserved...needless to say, I'm glad, and I can see why Marvel went out and pursued him. (I'm just going to assume they did because that makes sense).
Great characterization, humour, and dialogue written like actual people might use in everyday conversation...if everyday involved Alien invasions, exterminating space vermin, and having a Rocketship AI programmed with your wife's brainwaves, all while drunk as fuck on Whiskey.
Heath Huston seems like a cross between an alternate version Wolverine, Frank Castle, John McClane, and Clint Eastwood if he talked more in his Westerns (and was fathered by Sam Elliott). If this description has you aroused in any way, then yes, read Fear Agent.
Heath is the last Fear Agent, going through space after a War/Invasion tore Earth apart and killed those he loved. He copes by drinking a lot of Whiskey, and quoting Samuel Clemens (ie. Mark Twain). This should have you just as excited as the previous paragraph. He has a bad case of death wish/suicidal disregard for his own safety, which you attribute to the lonliness of space to start, but figure out more as the series progresses.
Remender has created a fantastic (anti)-hero, who might not always do the right thing, but tries to balance on the positive side of Karma. How this is not being developed as a movie yet, I have NO idea. This needs to get made now. Production companies: can I send you a cheque now??
On top of that, the art by Jerome Opena and Tony Moore is superb. Some panels it looks Mad Magazine-ish, but then others it has just the right amount of grit and space--eyness to it. I wish I could describe the art better other than to say, it kicks ass.
You care about this character, and even more when you meet the supporting cast, even with a huge volume nearly 500 pages, I devoured this.
You want an antidote to DC/Marvel supes or Graphic Novel or anything really? This is good old fashioned gold. The kinda book I would have loved to stumble across when I was young, and then grow into.
This also has a great sequence about urinal etiquette, something I'm sure some can relate to, and most can laugh at.
Oh and of course, the first person I thought of was Lono...who's already read it of course.
Anyone who likes Remender (Mike, Anne, to start) should give this a look.
June 30, 2018
A rip-roaring, throwback to pulp science fiction. I could easily see this appearing in Heavy Metal. Heath Huston is an intergalactic exterminator. Got an alien infestation that needs to be removed? Heath is your man, the last of the legendary Fear Agents. Heath bumbles his way through the galaxy, drunkenly finishing off jobs while saving buxom ladies. This was a lot of fun.
Then as the book goes on, we get on helluva story, full of twists and turns and final splash pages that send the series off in new directions. I'm very much looking forward to reading volume 2.
This is a tome of a book. It probably clocks in at 5 lbs. The binding allows the book to be laid flat without cracking it. It's full of nice over-sized art. And at $50, it's a real steal. These Dark Horse Library Editions are where it's at.
My reviews of the individual stories within:
Fear Agent, Volume 1: Re-Ignition
Fear Agent, Volume 2: My War
Fear Agent, Volume 3: The Last Goodbye
Tales of the Fear Agent
Then as the book goes on, we get on helluva story, full of twists and turns and final splash pages that send the series off in new directions. I'm very much looking forward to reading volume 2.
This is a tome of a book. It probably clocks in at 5 lbs. The binding allows the book to be laid flat without cracking it. It's full of nice over-sized art. And at $50, it's a real steal. These Dark Horse Library Editions are where it's at.
My reviews of the individual stories within:
Fear Agent, Volume 1: Re-Ignition
Fear Agent, Volume 2: My War
Fear Agent, Volume 3: The Last Goodbye
Tales of the Fear Agent
April 26, 2014
Heath Huston is a hard drinkin, woman layin, ass kickin kinda Fear Agent. That's probably why I like him. He is the best parts of Rooster Cogburn, Jack Burton, and Johnny Cash all rolled up into one down on his luck alien exterminator. This HUGE volume tells Heath's origin story and how the rest of the Fear Agents came to be. It's a fun, retro style, sci-fi space romp with a couple of serious moments thrown in for good measure. The art (both Moore's and Opena's) is gorgeous and really gets a chance to shine on the giant sized full color pages. Typically science fiction is not my thing, but I'm glad I gave Remender's Fear Agent a chance. I think anyone that's a fan of any of Rick's other work should do so as well.
January 6, 2016
If been looking forward to reading this for ages, but I'm a bit disappointed. I'm hoping volume 2 will be better.
June 28, 2015
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this story, but it lived up to its reputation. There's a mix of horror, sci-fi, and adventure here with Remender's trademark edginess and distinctive voice. The first thing I notice is the pace: the story moves along very quickly, with the main character entering one bad situation after another. What I found interesting was that despite his "bad luck" he still felt like he had good luck. He's not a straight do-gooder: he has a moral compass but he's still a human being that makes mistakes and can be selfish. Mix in some of Remender's admitted depression at the time and political views, imbibing the character with heart and you are about halfway to what Fear Agent really is.
The first book is nearly non-stop action but I felt some of it was a little too ridiculous the situations he got himself into. The second book had a more defined structure and purpose and I found I enjoyed that more. This volume also contained some back-up stories of various adventures, a few by Remender and the rest by other writers/artists, some currently well-known. My favorite was "Along came a spider..." which is pretty crazy.
Eagerly looking forward to reading Vol 2.
The first book is nearly non-stop action but I felt some of it was a little too ridiculous the situations he got himself into. The second book had a more defined structure and purpose and I found I enjoyed that more. This volume also contained some back-up stories of various adventures, a few by Remender and the rest by other writers/artists, some currently well-known. My favorite was "Along came a spider..." which is pretty crazy.
Eagerly looking forward to reading Vol 2.
April 2, 2014
440 pages of pure fun. And these weren't those flimsy thin pages... they were quality glossy paper pages.
This is one heavy book!
And you get your dollars worth on every single page.
DC could learn a thing or two about how to do them Absolute books from this.
If one can get nostalgic over science-fiction, this book sure comes close.
I felt I was reading the best from the EC era of comics, with a continuing plot.
A relly fun book to own; Can't wait for the second volume to come out!
This is one heavy book!
And you get your dollars worth on every single page.
DC could learn a thing or two about how to do them Absolute books from this.
If one can get nostalgic over science-fiction, this book sure comes close.
I felt I was reading the best from the EC era of comics, with a continuing plot.
A relly fun book to own; Can't wait for the second volume to come out!
March 16, 2014
FYI* This is the first comic book/graphic novel I've read I guess and the first one I've ever reviewed or commented on. I bought this giant book for $50 at a Comic Book store out of curiosity. I wanted to see if I would have any interest in getting into any graphic novels or comic book series'. So let's get down to business.
This was a really fun read! Beautiful illustrations in this book, really great. A few times I was stunned by some of the full page illustrations for some of the more important scenes. So when it comes to the graphic part of this graphic novel I absolutely loved it! It's colorful and seriously awesome!
The story was great! The main character is an alcoholic space man!? It's really engaging for adults touching on issues like post traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, addiction to alien narcotics, cloning, and I'm sure a few other things I'm forgetting to mention.... Oh yeah, SEX. That's what sold me on buying this in the store. The issues, not the sex. I'm not saying I don't like sex... Oh hell you know what I'm trying to say! I loved the character and the story it was exciting!
I loved the novel all together I just have one thing I'd like to say about it that's not necessarily positive, but not necessarily negative either. The whole book seemed to be a series of action scenes. Maybe that's not the most accurate way to phrase it. It was jumping without transitions from one part of the story to the next. Still not a great way to phrase it. It wasn't always the most fluid read? Nope! Still not what I'm looking to say. I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself!
This was a really fun read! Beautiful illustrations in this book, really great. A few times I was stunned by some of the full page illustrations for some of the more important scenes. So when it comes to the graphic part of this graphic novel I absolutely loved it! It's colorful and seriously awesome!
The story was great! The main character is an alcoholic space man!? It's really engaging for adults touching on issues like post traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, addiction to alien narcotics, cloning, and I'm sure a few other things I'm forgetting to mention.... Oh yeah, SEX. That's what sold me on buying this in the store. The issues, not the sex. I'm not saying I don't like sex... Oh hell you know what I'm trying to say! I loved the character and the story it was exciting!
I loved the novel all together I just have one thing I'd like to say about it that's not necessarily positive, but not necessarily negative either. The whole book seemed to be a series of action scenes. Maybe that's not the most accurate way to phrase it. It was jumping without transitions from one part of the story to the next. Still not a great way to phrase it. It wasn't always the most fluid read? Nope! Still not what I'm looking to say. I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself!
July 15, 2015
So take a bit of Han, Mal and Starlord... mix in a whole lot of Whiskey and you have Heath Huston Space Cowboy Exterminator Extraordinaire. While the story is not terribly original nor are the characters groundbreaking, this is a fun romp through a dirty and weird Sci Fi universe. Not nearly as weird as Saga's universe, this one seems... a bit dirtier. Far more Tatooine than Naboo. The Library Edition collects three different story arcs and they unfortunately don't flow as well as I'd have liked but they're tied together loosely and help fill out the storyline. Character development is mediocre, with Mara being a bit paint by numbers and Heath drinking a storm but it's got Annie which is interesting in its own right.
So you might ask me how I rated this five stars even though I've spent a large portion of this review pointing out its flaws. Well, the truth is I very much enjoyed the read and sometimes that's good enough for me! I suppose I would have rated it 4.5/5 if allowed but since it isn't, I figured rounding up wasn't a bad thing.
What else.. this was the first Dark Horse Library Edition I've read and was pleasantly surprised at the paper quality and binding. Definitely able to handle multiple readings. Extras were OK. There are a few shorts from guest writers included. I'm not sure if these shorts were included in other volumes though. Also your standard character sketches and design ideas.
So you might ask me how I rated this five stars even though I've spent a large portion of this review pointing out its flaws. Well, the truth is I very much enjoyed the read and sometimes that's good enough for me! I suppose I would have rated it 4.5/5 if allowed but since it isn't, I figured rounding up wasn't a bad thing.
What else.. this was the first Dark Horse Library Edition I've read and was pleasantly surprised at the paper quality and binding. Definitely able to handle multiple readings. Extras were OK. There are a few shorts from guest writers included. I'm not sure if these shorts were included in other volumes though. Also your standard character sketches and design ideas.
March 26, 2014
Who says comics are just for kids?
If more comics were like this...I'd never get any work done!
Cant wait to read Volume 2.
May 18, 2024
A lot of readers rave about “Fear Agent,” and I get them. I really do. It blends space opera, pulp adventure, gritty war stories and brutal fight sequences. Despite its occasional moments of brilliance, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The protagonist is a rugged anti-hero (cool) who more often than not comes as one-dimensional (uncool). His unending self-pity and constant drunkenness grated on my nerves. Many of the secondary characters are reduced to clichés.
I wasn’t a fan of abrupt shifts between timelines and settings and I don’t think the series balanced multiple storylines well. Another thing that tired me was the tone of the story that oscillated between dark and serious and campy, over-the-top action. I love pulp reads, but I didn’t gel with this approach.
“Fear Agent” has a cool premise and great art but to me it struggles to maintain an engaging narrative.
The protagonist is a rugged anti-hero (cool) who more often than not comes as one-dimensional (uncool). His unending self-pity and constant drunkenness grated on my nerves. Many of the secondary characters are reduced to clichés.
I wasn’t a fan of abrupt shifts between timelines and settings and I don’t think the series balanced multiple storylines well. Another thing that tired me was the tone of the story that oscillated between dark and serious and campy, over-the-top action. I love pulp reads, but I didn’t gel with this approach.
“Fear Agent” has a cool premise and great art but to me it struggles to maintain an engaging narrative.
March 20, 2019
I heard from multiple people that I should get into Fear Agent, which got me excited. Now that I got my hands on the library edition (which by the way is a stunner) I am glad to say it is really cool. It is in my mind best described as being a mix of Army of Darkness (in space) &Mars Attack. What stood out the most for me was the great plotting, with some unforeseeable twists that keep you hooked.
I just had some problems with the over the top comedy which takes away the sense of imminent danger sometimes, it also didn't blend to well with the more serious moments of the book, which is why I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars.
Worth reading if you like crazy adventure stories in space with a interesting funny lead character.
I just had some problems with the over the top comedy which takes away the sense of imminent danger sometimes, it also didn't blend to well with the more serious moments of the book, which is why I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars.
Worth reading if you like crazy adventure stories in space with a interesting funny lead character.
January 19, 2025
I very much enjoyed the wild emotional ride that was the Black Science series by Rick Remender and wanted to try another sci-fi series by him, so I cracked open Fear Agent! This one is an obvious spiritual and thematic ancestor to Black Science Premiere, Vol. 1: The Beginners' Guide to Entropy, especially in how it starts off with a bang and never lets up on the action. Although the narration did get unnecessarily wordy, I love how the momentum is really sustained throughout.
It’s about an alcoholic trucker turned alien exterminator from Texas named Heath Huston, who left Earth after it was ravaged by an alien invasion.
While I appreciated the fast pace, there are times when that pace was a detriment, as it became a bit hard to keep up, especially with keeping track of all the alien races. There are also big plot points that begged for a slower pace, especially a big discovery that Heath makes that should have been a major emotional moment. It didn’t hit as hard as I would’ve expected because it felt like we were rushing to get to the next thing.
The book is filled with engaging but sometimes confusing action until the last story arc in this volume, which flashes us back for a look at what happened back on Earth that sent Heath into space. This is when the book really took off for me. This chapter was a dramatic and tense epic with great action and some seriously tear-jerking moments that serve as a great way to make me super excited to start the next volume and see where this takes me next.
It’s about an alcoholic trucker turned alien exterminator from Texas named Heath Huston, who left Earth after it was ravaged by an alien invasion.
While I appreciated the fast pace, there are times when that pace was a detriment, as it became a bit hard to keep up, especially with keeping track of all the alien races. There are also big plot points that begged for a slower pace, especially a big discovery that Heath makes that should have been a major emotional moment. It didn’t hit as hard as I would’ve expected because it felt like we were rushing to get to the next thing.
The book is filled with engaging but sometimes confusing action until the last story arc in this volume, which flashes us back for a look at what happened back on Earth that sent Heath into space. This is when the book really took off for me. This chapter was a dramatic and tense epic with great action and some seriously tear-jerking moments that serve as a great way to make me super excited to start the next volume and see where this takes me next.
June 20, 2014
Ahora que tenemos “Black Science” entre manos, es buen momento para echar la vista atrás (o arriba) y ver de donde le viene esta pedrada espacio/temporal/dimensional al bueno de Rick Remender. Y es buen momento porque Norma ha publicado un integral, el primero de 2, en el que recoge media colección. Concretamente hasta el numero 15 (de los 32 totales de la colección), es decir, toda la etapa de Image Comics y el comienzo en Dark Horse.
Remender se acompaña estupendamente de Tony Moore y Jerome Opeña para ir dibujando las aventuras y desventuras de Heath Huston (nombre molón donde los haya). Moore y Opeña van turnándose en la colección, sin embargo el numero 11, que es una historia independiente donde Heath la lía muy parda en un planeta tras haberse gastado todo el dinero cobrado por adelantado, en putas alienigenas con forma de mosca humanoide y dejándose preñar por arañas, la dibuja Francavilla.
Y es que Heat Huston es un Fear Agent. Lo que viene a ser un mataratas del espacio…. un exterminador de plagas al mejor postor, un mercenario de pacotilla, alcohólico, texano, desgraciado, pendenciero, con trágico pasado y una relación muy próxima con su nave y su inteligencia artificial, a la que se plantea ponerle un agujero conveniente para lo que viene a ser un jincamiento ocasional.
Estos encargos vendrían a ser su oficio, pero no la trama de la serie. Para eso ya tenemos pequeñas historias publicadas, de 4 o 5 paginas que vienen en los tomos americanos, asi como en otro tomo recopilatorio. La colección principal es bastante mas “seria” y compleja y tendrá que ver con lo que ocurrió en la tierra, el trágico pasado de Heath, del resto de Fear Agents, una guerra galáctica, enemigos implacables y ocasionales viajes en el tiempo para joder, aun mas si cabe, el continuo devenir de desgracias.
Absolutamente loca y recomendable serie. No se puede describir de otra manera. Diversión loca, tiros, muerte, sangre, alienígenas malvados, robots, tías que le hacen la vida imposible a nuestro malhablado “héroe” y un lenguaje directo y, al menos en su versión original, bastante particular, con expresiones marca de la casa Huston. Briconsejo de viernes, leed Fear Agent y dejaros de chuminadas.
Remender se acompaña estupendamente de Tony Moore y Jerome Opeña para ir dibujando las aventuras y desventuras de Heath Huston (nombre molón donde los haya). Moore y Opeña van turnándose en la colección, sin embargo el numero 11, que es una historia independiente donde Heath la lía muy parda en un planeta tras haberse gastado todo el dinero cobrado por adelantado, en putas alienigenas con forma de mosca humanoide y dejándose preñar por arañas, la dibuja Francavilla.
Y es que Heat Huston es un Fear Agent. Lo que viene a ser un mataratas del espacio…. un exterminador de plagas al mejor postor, un mercenario de pacotilla, alcohólico, texano, desgraciado, pendenciero, con trágico pasado y una relación muy próxima con su nave y su inteligencia artificial, a la que se plantea ponerle un agujero conveniente para lo que viene a ser un jincamiento ocasional.
Estos encargos vendrían a ser su oficio, pero no la trama de la serie. Para eso ya tenemos pequeñas historias publicadas, de 4 o 5 paginas que vienen en los tomos americanos, asi como en otro tomo recopilatorio. La colección principal es bastante mas “seria” y compleja y tendrá que ver con lo que ocurrió en la tierra, el trágico pasado de Heath, del resto de Fear Agents, una guerra galáctica, enemigos implacables y ocasionales viajes en el tiempo para joder, aun mas si cabe, el continuo devenir de desgracias.
Absolutamente loca y recomendable serie. No se puede describir de otra manera. Diversión loca, tiros, muerte, sangre, alienígenas malvados, robots, tías que le hacen la vida imposible a nuestro malhablado “héroe” y un lenguaje directo y, al menos en su versión original, bastante particular, con expresiones marca de la casa Huston. Briconsejo de viernes, leed Fear Agent y dejaros de chuminadas.
August 31, 2024
Not one of Rick's best, but not his worst. Kind of the middle of the line. We have a redneck main hero, so already -10 points. Just kidding. Kind of.
He kind of comes off as a jerk, cowboy leaning, bravado out the ass, but he does get the job done. And will say for the most part showcases the action really good with the art. But the characters are the biggest factor of lacking for me. As I usually love Remender's characters, that comes as quite a shock for me.
Overall the art and quick pacing carries this series hard. It's not nearly as good as deadly class, but way better than Scumbag.
He kind of comes off as a jerk, cowboy leaning, bravado out the ass, but he does get the job done. And will say for the most part showcases the action really good with the art. But the characters are the biggest factor of lacking for me. As I usually love Remender's characters, that comes as quite a shock for me.
Overall the art and quick pacing carries this series hard. It's not nearly as good as deadly class, but way better than Scumbag.
October 3, 2021
Fear Agent Volume 1: Re-Ignition - 4 out of 5 Stars
Fear Agent Volume 2: My War - 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Fear Agent Volume 3: The Last Goodbye - 5 out of 5 Stars
Tales of the Fear Agent - 2 out of 5 Stars
Fear Agent Volume 2: My War - 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Fear Agent Volume 3: The Last Goodbye - 5 out of 5 Stars
Tales of the Fear Agent - 2 out of 5 Stars
January 9, 2017
started strong then the one shots were kind of erratic in scope and quality which took away from the main story.
April 2, 2016
These are some of the best stories I have ever read, comics or otherwise. Rick Remender is at the top of his game here. In the foreward portion of this book he speaks about melting sci-fi and hard boiled noir genre into one, and he succeeds spectacularly. I am normally not a big sci-fi fan but this is closer to hard boiled noir than sci-fi, like cowboy bebop (which I absolutely adore). It is one thrilling adventure story after another mashed into one big comic goodness. Let's discuss this.
In this story Heath Houston is an out of luck alien exterminator, basically he kills aliens for a bounty (like Spike is a bounty hunter in Cowboy Bebop). In this volume he stumbles on a earth shattering conspiracy, and tries his best to step up to the plate and save the day. Heath is the most interesting protagonist I have read in a long time, he starts as a wise ass with a smart mouth but quickly gets developed into a deeper character. As in the norm in hard boiled stories, he is deeply flawed and tortured. He is sometimes self centered, lazy and destructive and other times he is driven, courageous and heroic. He is somebody who despite his best (not always) efforts could not catch a break. As the story progresses we get more background info on Heath, which builds his character. In short you will feel and root for him by the time you end this volume.
The story starts in a lighter note but as the story progresses, it gets darker and darker. Still, even in the darkest of time Remender does not looses the humorous touch. The art of Jerome Opeña and Tony Moore is breathtakingly beautiful at some times and throughout great. The bigger format of library edition does complete justice to the art.
The story is building quite nicely and I am looking forward to reading the next volume. Heard, second one is even better and ties up all the story lines. Anticipating greatness.
All in all, a great reading experience. This can very well be showcased as an example of great sci-fi story to even a non comic reading person.
A short review of the Library edition format:
Dark Horse has done a bang up job on this. Great binding, nice Hardcover, very good extra material. But the main star here is the paper stock. It is so thick and heavy that multiple times I thought that I am turning multiple pages while in actuality I was turning only one. This gives a premium feeling. Also the art is very well complemented by the increased size and enhances the reading experience. I do not know how Dark Horse is keeping the price so low, but very much appreciated.
In this story Heath Houston is an out of luck alien exterminator, basically he kills aliens for a bounty (like Spike is a bounty hunter in Cowboy Bebop). In this volume he stumbles on a earth shattering conspiracy, and tries his best to step up to the plate and save the day. Heath is the most interesting protagonist I have read in a long time, he starts as a wise ass with a smart mouth but quickly gets developed into a deeper character. As in the norm in hard boiled stories, he is deeply flawed and tortured. He is sometimes self centered, lazy and destructive and other times he is driven, courageous and heroic. He is somebody who despite his best (not always) efforts could not catch a break. As the story progresses we get more background info on Heath, which builds his character. In short you will feel and root for him by the time you end this volume.
The story starts in a lighter note but as the story progresses, it gets darker and darker. Still, even in the darkest of time Remender does not looses the humorous touch. The art of Jerome Opeña and Tony Moore is breathtakingly beautiful at some times and throughout great. The bigger format of library edition does complete justice to the art.
The story is building quite nicely and I am looking forward to reading the next volume. Heard, second one is even better and ties up all the story lines. Anticipating greatness.
All in all, a great reading experience. This can very well be showcased as an example of great sci-fi story to even a non comic reading person.
A short review of the Library edition format:
Dark Horse has done a bang up job on this. Great binding, nice Hardcover, very good extra material. But the main star here is the paper stock. It is so thick and heavy that multiple times I thought that I am turning multiple pages while in actuality I was turning only one. This gives a premium feeling. Also the art is very well complemented by the increased size and enhances the reading experience. I do not know how Dark Horse is keeping the price so low, but very much appreciated.
January 4, 2020
Fear Agent by Rick Remender (and art by Tony Moore, Jerome Opeña, Francesco Francavilla, and Kieron Dwyer)
- This is a fun, sci-fi book with a LOT of action. In the story, we learn about Heath Huston’s (and humanity’s) fight against a LOT of aliens. Heath is the last of the Fear Agents, a peacekeeping force trying to prevent aliens from committing genocide against the human species. I have to say, Heath seems like a mix of Han Solo, Star-Lord, and Hal Jordan to me - possessing their worst and best traits, but none of the in-between ones. I read the story in the Library Editions - you get a LOT of bang for your money with these. In fact, I think DC could learn a few things and use it to improve their absolutes. The build quality is excellent and there are a lot of extras. And better yet, the price is incredibly accessible (or at least it was when the book was in print).
Volume One (1-15) introduces us to the world of the Fear Agents. We meet Heath and Mara, who are both survivors of the decimated Earth. There’s time travel, cloning, robots, mutants, aliens, and a lot of booze. We also meet those responsible for what’s happened to Earth (as well as those responsible for the destruction of other worlds), meet other survivors, and get a glimpse of Heath’s past.
My main criticism of the story is that it can get confusing at times. There are a lot of different aliens and plot twists, so it can be hard to keep track of things. I also didn’t care much for the side stories in the extras. Don’t get me wrong, extras are always great (and Dark Horse did a great job here). I just didn’t get as invested in them as I was in the main story.
Overall, it was a pretty good read. The story is captivating and the art is consistently good. 9/10 for the story and 9/10 for the art in Volume One.
- This is a fun, sci-fi book with a LOT of action. In the story, we learn about Heath Huston’s (and humanity’s) fight against a LOT of aliens. Heath is the last of the Fear Agents, a peacekeeping force trying to prevent aliens from committing genocide against the human species. I have to say, Heath seems like a mix of Han Solo, Star-Lord, and Hal Jordan to me - possessing their worst and best traits, but none of the in-between ones. I read the story in the Library Editions - you get a LOT of bang for your money with these. In fact, I think DC could learn a few things and use it to improve their absolutes. The build quality is excellent and there are a lot of extras. And better yet, the price is incredibly accessible (or at least it was when the book was in print).
Volume One (1-15) introduces us to the world of the Fear Agents. We meet Heath and Mara, who are both survivors of the decimated Earth. There’s time travel, cloning, robots, mutants, aliens, and a lot of booze. We also meet those responsible for what’s happened to Earth (as well as those responsible for the destruction of other worlds), meet other survivors, and get a glimpse of Heath’s past.
My main criticism of the story is that it can get confusing at times. There are a lot of different aliens and plot twists, so it can be hard to keep track of things. I also didn’t care much for the side stories in the extras. Don’t get me wrong, extras are always great (and Dark Horse did a great job here). I just didn’t get as invested in them as I was in the main story.
Overall, it was a pretty good read. The story is captivating and the art is consistently good. 9/10 for the story and 9/10 for the art in Volume One.
October 12, 2014
Fear Agent has had a very vocal and incredibly loyal fanbase for years now, because it does what only a few books have been able to do -- The Sandman, Sin City, Black Hole, Eightball, Hellboy, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Walking Dead, Saga -- give the reader the story they'd been waiting for, even if they didn't know they'd been waiting for it.
Fear Agent is Remender at his best, loaded with great ideas, the plot crashing forward at a crazy speed, slamming the reader in the guts with shocking turns of fate. Where a large percentage of science fiction suffers from a lack of character development, Remender excels at it. He has his faults as well -- he packs in too many philosophical monologues at times, falling in love with his own punk-noir language and rambling on when he should let the action speak and just shut the fuck up. His newest series, Black Science, is very good, but definitely suffers from an excess of wordiness. With Fear Agent, however, he finds a nice balance, and comes close to being annoying without ever quite crossing the line.
Anyone familiar with Tony Moore, which is likely almost everyone, since he drew the first 6 issues and couple dozen covers of the Walking Dead, knows he is one of the most talented artists around, with a style that is modern but somehow reminiscent of the EC greats so important to the genesis of Fear Agent: Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Al Williamson and Krigstein. Jerome Opena, who alternates with Moore on art duties, kind of made his name here, at least in comics, and is a great artist in his own right. Highly recommended.
Fear Agent is Remender at his best, loaded with great ideas, the plot crashing forward at a crazy speed, slamming the reader in the guts with shocking turns of fate. Where a large percentage of science fiction suffers from a lack of character development, Remender excels at it. He has his faults as well -- he packs in too many philosophical monologues at times, falling in love with his own punk-noir language and rambling on when he should let the action speak and just shut the fuck up. His newest series, Black Science, is very good, but definitely suffers from an excess of wordiness. With Fear Agent, however, he finds a nice balance, and comes close to being annoying without ever quite crossing the line.
Anyone familiar with Tony Moore, which is likely almost everyone, since he drew the first 6 issues and couple dozen covers of the Walking Dead, knows he is one of the most talented artists around, with a style that is modern but somehow reminiscent of the EC greats so important to the genesis of Fear Agent: Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Al Williamson and Krigstein. Jerome Opena, who alternates with Moore on art duties, kind of made his name here, at least in comics, and is a great artist in his own right. Highly recommended.
August 24, 2014
Escrita por Rick Remender y con arte de Tony Moore –el genial creador visual de The Walking Dead–, Fear Agent es la historia de un tal Heath Huston, el último Fear Agent que existe en el universo –una fuerza de élite dedicada a erradicar amenazas aliens de su planeta de origen, la Tierra, un aespecie de cazadores de monstruos espaciales–.
Heath pasa sus días cercano al coma alcohólico, conversando con Annie, la inteligencia artificial de su nave espacial. Habiendo escapado por poco del planeta Frazterga, Heath es forzado a investigar una oficina de correo espacial que encuentra abandonada e incomunicada. Como cabe imaginarse, el lugar está infestado por Feeders, una raza de plasmoides octópodos que no hacen otra cosa que devorar, usando sus poderosos ácidos estomacales y reproducirse. Así comienza esta historia que mezcla cierto tono indie, la ciencia ficción de la década del 50 y un toque funnie que hubiera sido la delicia de Harvey Kurtzman. Esta titánica edición de lujo contiene los primeros 15 números de la serie en Dark Horse.
Heath pasa sus días cercano al coma alcohólico, conversando con Annie, la inteligencia artificial de su nave espacial. Habiendo escapado por poco del planeta Frazterga, Heath es forzado a investigar una oficina de correo espacial que encuentra abandonada e incomunicada. Como cabe imaginarse, el lugar está infestado por Feeders, una raza de plasmoides octópodos que no hacen otra cosa que devorar, usando sus poderosos ácidos estomacales y reproducirse. Así comienza esta historia que mezcla cierto tono indie, la ciencia ficción de la década del 50 y un toque funnie que hubiera sido la delicia de Harvey Kurtzman. Esta titánica edición de lujo contiene los primeros 15 números de la serie en Dark Horse.
May 7, 2019
Sci-fi pulp at its finest. I was never bored. Lots of humor and old school fun action. The story starts out with space exterminator drunkenly doing what he does and then about half way through we switch back 10 years to get the origin. I had a great time and am moving on to book two.
It’s never been more clear what a great author Remender is than reading the extra shorts at the end of the book. There are three by Remender which are fun and a handful by other authors that range from all right to bad.
Grab a gun, a bottle of whiskey and let’s kill some aliens.
It’s never been more clear what a great author Remender is than reading the extra shorts at the end of the book. There are three by Remender which are fun and a handful by other authors that range from all right to bad.
Grab a gun, a bottle of whiskey and let’s kill some aliens.
September 17, 2014
Spaceman Spiff grows up. Deals with a range of adult issues (alcoholism/Divorce/regret/PTSD)within the context of time travel, alien invasions, and the main character's quasi job of alien infestation extermination. The art ranges from decent to excellent. The book quality is very good. Thick pages and problem free sewn binding. I paid less than $30 for this making it a bargain compared to what Marvel or DC would charge for something similar.
January 10, 2015
Un texano duro como el acero salvando la galaxia o... mejor dicho siendo un gamberro espacial, metiéndose en líos y saliendo siempre por los pelos. Está muy bien y el hilo principal engancha, la parte mala las historias del final, algunas están muy bien dibujadas, otras tienen un guión interesante, pero en conjunto no están a la altura de la idea original, por eso le bajo la nota.
Por lo demás ha sido todo un descubrimiento, esperando con ansia el segundo.
Por lo demás ha sido todo un descubrimiento, esperando con ansia el segundo.
December 22, 2012
Remender is currently my favorite in the comic book business. After a stellar run on Uncanny X-Force, I was convinced to check out his previous work. Fear Agent delivers with great sci-fi writing, awesome art from Jerome Opeña and Tony Moore. It's like Spaceman Spiff from Calvin & Hobbes grew up and life kicked his ass the whole journey to adulthood.
December 29, 2012
This was really fantastic. I almost feel bad for not picking this up when they were single issues. Maybe it would still be a series still. It's really fantastic seeing the flaws of a man who just wanted to save his family/earth and then being punished and pushing himself into near death for his one grave mistake.
November 9, 2020
One of the very few compendiums that I truly adore in my library.
Enjoying this action packed and somewhat cerebral graphic novel was a treat in an ocean full of mediocrity.
Not many books can develop characters, plots and brilliantly done art in such a fashion.
A must read for lovers of sci/fi and action.
Enjoying this action packed and somewhat cerebral graphic novel was a treat in an ocean full of mediocrity.
Not many books can develop characters, plots and brilliantly done art in such a fashion.
A must read for lovers of sci/fi and action.
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