Simon N. Kirby, The Agent #8 - G-Man Comics

SIMON N. KIRBY, THE AGENT No. 8, May 2024

Having previously established Doctor Rottman as a criminal stooge of the fascist corporation Rothländer Industries, Rik Offenberger’s high-octane opening to Issue Eight of “Simon N. Kirby, The Agent” probably put a fair few of the comic’s eighty-eight backers in something of an awkward frame of mind. For whilst the skeletal-looking scientist arguably receives some ‘just rewards’ at the hands of the bloodthirsty Brotherhood when the far right terrorists mercilessly blow up his A.I. research facility and plug him with a barrelful of bullets, many a bibliophile will probably still go on to cheer the tiny alien Ariel-51 as the little green extra-terrestrial subsequently attempts to save his fiendish friend’s life.

Impressively however, such an intriguing play on the reader’s emotions doesn’t stop there either, as the American author cleverly places the evil Murder Hornet at the centre of the explosion’s aftermath in the guise of an ‘avenging angel’. This role enthrallingly traps the audience between momentarily supporting either the band of merciless militants who gunned down “Mister Skeleton”, or the cold-blooded killer Henry Rothländer – neither of whom actually display even the slightest modicum of human decency or kindness.

Adding another layer to these sense-shattering shenanigans is the handling of the titular character and Sgt. Flag, who together provide this rather serious twenty-page periodical with some much appreciated humour and action. The two crime-fighters genuinely appear to bicker with one another like an old married couple whenever they’re given any leisure time. But when the chips are down, and Kirby is cruelly shot straight in the chest by an unseen assailant, there can be no doubting the strong bond between the colourfully-costumed F.B.I. agents; “Rob, I left my shield in the back seat, Can you grab that for me.? AGCK!!”

Perhaps this book’s biggest asset though lies in all the Machiavellian machinations which Offenberger weaves into his narrative and lurks just beneath the surface. On the face of it, this publication’s plot could simply be seen as a straightforward tale of ‘tit-for-tat’ policing, where having committed a horrendous crime the “mostly ex-military” members of the Brotherhood are lawfully detained by the United States’ security service. Yet such a view genuinely does the publication’s penmanship a great disservice, as the likes of Director Jameson and Rothländer continue to confound the G-Men with their whimsical web of treachery, misdirection and murder.

The regular cover art of "SIMON N. KIRBY, THE AGENT" #8 by Gilbert Monsanto