Spy Seal Volume 1: The Corten-Steel Phoenix

by Rich Tommaso, Rich Tommaso (Artist)

Overview

Journey into the thrilling world of international espionage as one of Britain's most covert MI-6 divisions,The Nest, recruits a brand-new secret agent to their team: SPY SEAL! Follow the newbie spy and his furry colleagues on exciting train rides, high-speed car chases, down secret underground tunnels, and high-flying air adventures— all in an effort to hunt down a dangerous British-turned-Soviet double-agent— a slippery spy who poses as an upscale art dealer while covertly killing off important figures of Parliament. What is the reasoning behind this double-agent's terrorist actions? Why are three masked bunny rabbits vandalizing paintings at every London gallery? And just what is this elusive CORTEN-STEEL Phoenix anyway? Check out this deluxe format edition to decipher the answers to these and other puzzling questions in RICH TOMMASO'S (SHE WOLF) latest series, visually reminiscent of such classic comics as THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and USAGI YOJIMBO.

Book One of Rich Tommaso's newest and most exciting secret agent comic series.

Collects Issues 1-4

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534304796
Publisher:	Image Comics
Publication date:	01/30/2018
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 16 Years

Editorial Reviews

02/05/2018
Eisner award–winner Tommaso (Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow) steps firmly outside his narrative comfort zone in this oddball funny-animals spy adventure. Mimicking the tone and visual aesthetic of Hergé’s Tintin, the volume follows the adventures of Malcolm, an unemployed seal who stumbles onto an international espionage conspiracy. Malcolm is quickly hired as MI6’s newest agent and embarks on a globe-trotting investigation, during which he promptly falls in love with his partner, Kes the kestrel. Although appropriate for all ages, it’s difficult to say who this story is really for; younger readers are likely to be baffled by the economic and political jargon, while older thriller aficionados will be frustrated at the thin paint-by-numbers story and flat resolution (not to mention one bewildering jump-cut that sabotages a perfectly good cliffhanger). To his credit, Tommaso does manage to slyly lampshade some comical spy tropes (and delivers clever puns), and his visuals are as strong and crisp as ever, but the plotting and character work don’t convince. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

BOOKLIST — A Swinging Sixties spy caper in the guise of a Tintin pastiche, this delightful escapade features anthropomorphic animal secret agents traversing the continent, tracking down a Russian double agent behind a series of terrorist attacks. Following his discovery that an upscale art gallery is a front for a cell of Soviet spies targeting members of Parliament, everyman seal Malcom Warner is enlisted as an agent by MI-6 and assigned an experienced operative, a kestrel named Kes, as his partner. The pair barrels through a series of travelogue locales in search of the elusive traitor as well as the titular MacGuffin. Working within the confines of a homage seems beneficial to Tommaso. The story is more structured and the humor sharper than is typical of him, and despite his adopting a European ligne claire graphic approach, the funny-animal character designs and the kinetic action sequences remain recognizably his own. Tommaso has other series currently ongoing (She Wolf, Dark Corridor), but Spy Seal is the one most deserving of his creative energies.





"A Swinging Sixties spy caper in the guise of a Tintin pastiche... Working within the confines of a homage seems beneficial to Tommaso. The story is more structured and the humor sharper than is typical of him, and despite his adopting a European ligne claire graphic approach, the funny-animal character designs and the kinetic actions sequences remain recognizably his own. Tommaso has other series currently ongoing (She Wolf, Dark Corridor), but Spy Seal is the one most deserving of his creative energies.” —Booklist



“Completely original, you won’t find a book like Spy Seal anywhere else on the stands.” —Uproxx



“The benign, simple font, an adherence to color fills instead of gradients, and an overall devotion to clarity (Tintin’s “Ligne claire” style translates as “clear line”) make Spy Seal look more like a relic that exists inside of Wes Anderson’s head instead of a comic from a mainstream publisher. Fortunately, it is, and it is damn delectable.” —Paste Magazine




"Spy Seal [is placed firmly] in a milieu of fun and levity, and it reads like a throwback to a bygone era of uncomplicated, direct storytelling. It's fun in a way so few comics these days are, and that offers readers a particular satisfaction." —The Onion's AV Club

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