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Marvel Graphic Novel #57
Rick Mason: The Agent
His name is Rick Mason. He's a freelance intelligence operative — and the son of the Terrible Tinkerer. He always works for the highest bidder, and this time, the biggest spender is Nick Fury. The mission is to topple a government controlled by drug-running super villains.
80 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1989
35 people want to read
About the author
James D. Hudnall
163 books18 followersJames David Hudnall has been a professional writer since 1986. The majority of his work has been in the graphic novel field. He has had one television show made from his comics (Harsh Realm, Fox 1999) and has several comics properties in development.
His Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography has been called one of the best comics of all time by “Wizard Magazine.” It was cited in TV guide as an inspiration for an X-Files Episode.
He currently writes Blue Cat with Val Mayerik on art and Thracius with Mark Vigouroux on art for Acesweekly.co.uk.
His first novel is: The Age of Heroes: Hell's Reward. His book The Secrets of Writing is expected at the end of 2013
He is a professional writer and has been a writing teacher, lecturer, publisher, and software developer for many years. He’s also a U.S. Air Force Veteran.
He currently lives in San Diego, California.
His Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography has been called one of the best comics of all time by “Wizard Magazine.” It was cited in TV guide as an inspiration for an X-Files Episode.
He currently writes Blue Cat with Val Mayerik on art and Thracius with Mark Vigouroux on art for Acesweekly.co.uk.
His first novel is: The Age of Heroes: Hell's Reward. His book The Secrets of Writing is expected at the end of 2013
He is a professional writer and has been a writing teacher, lecturer, publisher, and software developer for many years. He’s also a U.S. Air Force Veteran.
He currently lives in San Diego, California.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 8, 2011
Late '80s Marvel is still my formative period, and at that time, a little known James Hudnall wrote about a "Bond"ish secret agent within the Marvel Universe, pitting the highly trained, but human Rick Mason, against super powered terrorists... not supervillains, but terrorists... in an international espionage story that was way ahead of its time. Nowadays, viewing supers through the lens of political terrorism is common, but back then, this was cutting edge. The likes of Bendis and Ellis and Brubaker owe a lot to this little known graphic novel. (I even hear they brough back Rick Mason at some point in the Marvel U, but that is something else I'll have to hunt down.)
Oh... and early John Ridgeway art... who would go on to Hellblazer and Preacher fame! Good stuff.
Oh... and early John Ridgeway art... who would go on to Hellblazer and Preacher fame! Good stuff.
January 12, 2025
Rick Mason: The Agent deals with the idea of militarization of superheroes, leading to a group of them taking over a South American nation, thus prompting Rick Mason to go in and find out what's happening. Its a natural next step for the Superhero genre that really never went anywhere - except maybe a short arc in the Cable series.
The problem with these early Marvel graphic novels is that they were based on the European album model, so they tend to be very short. But unlike the European model, which were geared to a long series with the same main character, these stories were singular, and such not enough space was given to let the story mature as it should. As it stands, the action, while good, feels rushed. One event crowds the next and so on, until the story is over and it feels lacking as to what could have been.
The problem with these early Marvel graphic novels is that they were based on the European album model, so they tend to be very short. But unlike the European model, which were geared to a long series with the same main character, these stories were singular, and such not enough space was given to let the story mature as it should. As it stands, the action, while good, feels rushed. One event crowds the next and so on, until the story is over and it feels lacking as to what could have been.
June 5, 2025
he 1989 work introduces readers to the international freelance super spy with immediate action and adventure, as well as setting the new character right into Marvel canon through his interactions with several established key Marvel figures.
Mason uncovers a plot in Hong Kong where super powered criminals are planning a coup to overthrow the ruling British government. His work with MI-6 seemingly completed, Mason is contacted via an early Internet message board to meet with a contact in New York. The operative turns out to be Nick Fury as you've never seen him before. Under a heavy disguise and working off the books from SHIELD, Fury hires Mason to investigate the sudden removal of a Soviet backed junta in the fictional South American nation of Costa Brava by super powered mercenaries .
As much as the United States loves to see the Soviet Union removed from South America, something about the entire coup stinks. For Mason, the whole episode feels too much like what he uncovered in Hong Kong. Eager to get to the bottom of this mystery, Mason accepts the mission. But not before a visit to dear old dad.
Rick Mason's father is revealed to be the master weapons maker to the villainous stars, the Tinkerer. The Tinkerer has heard via his clientele that the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, is backing the rebellion in return for exclusive access to Costa Brava's burgeoning drug trade. With Kingpin's nearly unlimited funds, the armored leader known only as Black Armor now rules the tiny nation, slaughtering both Soviet loyalists and supporters of the previous ruling parties indiscriminately.
Trading one brutal regime for another, Mason manages to raise up an army in order to defeat Black Armor's forces while simultaneously uncovering a global plot to replace crumbling Soviet backed governments with superhuman dictatorships. The Agent will definitely get his lumps and might get captured a time or two. But if he's smart enough, in true super spy fashion, Rick might even win the girl in the process of making the world 'safe' from tyranny.
Rick Mason, The Agent was co-created by James Hundall and John Ridgway. Hundall wrote the script with Ridgway on art. Color art was provided by Lovern Kindzierski If you ended up becoming a fan of the new character after you completed this book, you're either in luck or in for some disappointment. According to the Marvel Wiki, the Agent has only made 9 major appearances in the Marvel comic book universe. Most of those are in the pages of Ms. Marvel Volume 2. Mason does have an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and made a cameo in miniseries Deadline. Despite his limited use, Rick Mason managed to make it to the silver screen when he's portrayed by O-T Fagbenle in 2021's Black Widow. Fagbenle were return in an episode of Disney+'s Secret Invasion helping Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury out of a bind.
Mason uncovers a plot in Hong Kong where super powered criminals are planning a coup to overthrow the ruling British government. His work with MI-6 seemingly completed, Mason is contacted via an early Internet message board to meet with a contact in New York. The operative turns out to be Nick Fury as you've never seen him before. Under a heavy disguise and working off the books from SHIELD, Fury hires Mason to investigate the sudden removal of a Soviet backed junta in the fictional South American nation of Costa Brava by super powered mercenaries .
As much as the United States loves to see the Soviet Union removed from South America, something about the entire coup stinks. For Mason, the whole episode feels too much like what he uncovered in Hong Kong. Eager to get to the bottom of this mystery, Mason accepts the mission. But not before a visit to dear old dad.
Rick Mason's father is revealed to be the master weapons maker to the villainous stars, the Tinkerer. The Tinkerer has heard via his clientele that the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, is backing the rebellion in return for exclusive access to Costa Brava's burgeoning drug trade. With Kingpin's nearly unlimited funds, the armored leader known only as Black Armor now rules the tiny nation, slaughtering both Soviet loyalists and supporters of the previous ruling parties indiscriminately.
Trading one brutal regime for another, Mason manages to raise up an army in order to defeat Black Armor's forces while simultaneously uncovering a global plot to replace crumbling Soviet backed governments with superhuman dictatorships. The Agent will definitely get his lumps and might get captured a time or two. But if he's smart enough, in true super spy fashion, Rick might even win the girl in the process of making the world 'safe' from tyranny.
Rick Mason, The Agent was co-created by James Hundall and John Ridgway. Hundall wrote the script with Ridgway on art. Color art was provided by Lovern Kindzierski If you ended up becoming a fan of the new character after you completed this book, you're either in luck or in for some disappointment. According to the Marvel Wiki, the Agent has only made 9 major appearances in the Marvel comic book universe. Most of those are in the pages of Ms. Marvel Volume 2. Mason does have an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and made a cameo in miniseries Deadline. Despite his limited use, Rick Mason managed to make it to the silver screen when he's portrayed by O-T Fagbenle in 2021's Black Widow. Fagbenle were return in an episode of Disney+'s Secret Invasion helping Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury out of a bind.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews