Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 6, May 2016

As swansong editions go, especially those based upon the exploits of a (field) team of super-heroes, Frank J. Barbiere’s narrative for Issue Six of “Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is frustratingly far more focussed upon the exploits of missing member Orrgo than the other nine “ragtag group of monsters”. Indeed, the script for the twenty-page action-packed periodical is so obsessed with the thirty foot tall extra-terrestrial “space god” that its terribly abrupt finish unexpectedly arrives just as team leader Dum Dum Duggan is contemplating his squad ‘mouth-wateringly’ having to confront both the entirety of Pleasant Hill’s villainous escapees, as well all “the prisoners of S.T.A.K.E.” Doctor Kraye has recently released…

So infuriating a conclusion doubtless vexed many of this title’s 12,700 readers, particularly when its publishers had ‘forewarned’ both the public and presumably the book’s creative team of the series’ (stealth) cancellation as early as January 2016, by failing to include “the lowest selling Marvel All-New All-Different book of December” in its solicitation listings, and thus given its American author plenty of time to reconcile his story-arc’s numerous plot threads. Sadly however, such prudence simply isn’t evident in the former English teacher’s writing, with the choppy script sporadically leaping between Orrogo’s innermost desire to be accepted, and his team-mates’ impotent attack upon the young sentient Cosmic Cube, Kubik; “Orrgo has been many things… Been to many places… But what you did, it was not real. My real family… The Howling Commandos… Has come to me.”

Admittedly the contents of “Standoff” form an integral part of the “Marvel Comics” multi-title comic book event “Avenger: Standoff!”, and therefore by its very nature needs to leave plenty of sequences open to exploitation by other series, such as “Captain America: Sam Wilson”. But even so, one would have thought that Barbiere could have created a more satisfying conclusion to his magazine than a patronizing pretence in the letters page, “Going Commando”, thanking his “humble readers, for joining us on this adventure.”

Perhaps equally as disillusioned with the abolition of this “four-coloured battlefield”, Brent Schoonover’s inconsistent pencilling is arguably a far cry from the “talented” artwork his co-collaborator intimates he submits before each deadline. In fact, apart from a seemingly Jack Kirby-inspired double-splash depicting Orrogo first coming to Earth and being beaten up by a gigantic circus gorilla, as well as the Grey Gargoyle being bested by Teen Abomination, the Freelancer’s disappointing breakdowns appear lifelessly static and inanimately wooden at best…

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #5 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 5, April 2016

There can be little doubt that Frank J. Barbiere tried to bundle Issue Five of “Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” with as much action-packed gunplay, fist-fights and magical mumbo jumbo as this twenty-page periodical could take. For whilst the Rutgers University graduate’s narrative still provides plenty of exposition regarding just who The Adversary is that has been causing the “elite black ops unit of monstrous agents” so many recent problems, as well as moments of character development such as Nadeen self-doubting her own suitability to become part of “Dum Dum” Duggan’s strike force. It does so against the dynamic backdrop of S.T.A.K.E.’s covert team defending the world against one of its “weird[est] and bizarre threats” as Anath-Na Mut storms New York City’s Grandview Museum with an assault-rifle carrying zombie army desperately searching for the Mask of Amenhotep.

Such a weird storyline must surely have bewildered this comic’s 12,281 regulars, let alone any curiously perusing bibliophiles, especially when the book begins with an overcoat-wearing Hit-Monkey nonchalantly approaching some of the Sphinx’s undead minions before blowing them away with its twin submachine guns. But so incredulous an ambush is actually just the start of an extraordinarily entertaining publication-long pitched battle. Which, whilst undoubtedly taking a “fun approach” to depicting Vampire by Night head-staking heavily-armed cadavers, Warwolf tearing away at glowing Egyptian spectral warriors, and Man-Thing tangling with a multi-tentacled Hellspawn, still manages to create an increasingly tense atmosphere as both Navid and his cosmic-powered master are revealed to be little more than pawns in a greater being’s powerplay.

Barbiere’s penmanship also manages to create some genuinely engaging moments amongst all the ‘lively’ chaos of the combat, and in doing so clearly highlights how far removed he wanted this “military book” to be from a “very cold and tactical” read. Indeed, few of this magazine’s audience could have stifled a belly laugh when the ‘high and mighty’ Sphinx is brought low by the Commando’s resident Japanese Macacque, or later not felt Duggan’s validation as Jasper Sitwell finally groans “I…mmm…Commanndoooo!” when the S.H.IE.L.D.-suited zombie starts blazing away at The Adversary’s non-corporeal form.

Disappointingly however, the energetic script does seemingly take its toll upon the breakdowns of Bren Schoonover. The Midwestern-based freelancer does an incredible job of bringing dynamic life to the majority of his panels. Yet somewhat mystifyingly seems to struggle quite abysmally when pencilling either of the Hassan twins, as well as Nina Price in her occasional humanoid form.

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 4, March 2016

As “the lowest selling Marvel All-New All-Different book of December [2015]” it’s hard not to let hindsight read too much into the somewhat choppy script for Issue Four of “Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, as Frank J. Barbiere’s narrative rather abruptly not only brings ‘sparring partners’ “Dum Dum” Duggan and Warwolf together as friends. But also has Director Maria Hill supplant Paul Kraye as leader of her agency’s Threat Analysis for Known Extranormalities after the doctor “went crazy” and started “torturing our new recruit” Nadeen Hassan.; “Dammit, I knew I should’ve fired that weasel!”

Such an incredible turnaround of events, especially ones which up until this edition the American author appeared to be very slowly building up to, invariably leads to the supposition that the former English teacher both knew that “Marvel Worldwide” was already going to cancel the short-lived series before he finished writing this comic’s storyline and realised he was going to have to resolve all of his subplots concerning S.T.A.K.E.’s secret projects within the space of just a couple of twenty-page periodicals.

If this was the case then such a convoluted combination of ideas genuinely appears to have taken its toll upon the quality of Barbiere’s penmanship and his contrived handling of characters such as Orrgo, who has apparently been surreptitiously “transferred out of base” and Captain Martin Reyna; whose willingness to readily side with “Dum Dum” against his tech division superior occurs far too quickly considering his previous hostility towards the Life-Model Decoy, and the additional fact that in doing so the mechanically-armed agent declines a promotion to team “commander”. Certainly Nadeen’s inexplicably abrupt transformation into a fully-fledged bandage-wearing ghost-manipulator, complete with mummified face, seems terrifically artificial considering the prisoner’s entire makeover occurs within the space of a single panel?

Brent Schoonover’s illustrations for this ‘gestalt of ideas’ are also somewhat inconsistent in places. “Hailing from the epicentre of culture known as South Beloit” the artist can undoubtedly draw an impressively mean-looking Duggan, who despite occasionally appearing a little too much like one of James Cameron’s Terminators when battle-damaged, visually dominates every panel within which he appears. Disappointingly however the same cannot be said for Kraye, Hassan and the numerous poorly-depicted armoured S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who populate the rest of this comic's breakdowns.

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 3, February 2016

Argued to be “by far the best book being published right now” by at least one of its 18,002 strong audience in December 2015, Issue Three of “Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D." certainly contains the sort of storyline that illustrates just how much of a “blast” Frank J. Barbiere was having whilst “telling the story of our motley band of monsters.” Indeed right from the ‘get-go’, as an exasperated “Dum Dum” Duggan hurls a zombified Jasper Sitwell out a low-flying aeroplane in an effort to try and reawaken the former agent’s consciousness, it’s clear that “job number one” for the New Jersey-born writer was to pen a narrative which would “make our readers smile.”; “Sigh. C’mon soldier. You’ve gotta be in that bag of bones somewhere… Just don’t forget to pull your ‘chute!”

Admittedly, not everything within this twenty-page periodical appears to have been scripted by the Rutgers University graduate purely to induce a (cheap) laugh. Nadeen Hassan’s angry angst at suddenly manifesting both “ghost powers” and “super-strength”, coupled with her subsequent incarceration by the “special division for Supernatural Threat Analysis for Known Extranormalities” on account of being “some kind of a monster”, proves to be serious emotional stuff. Whilst Navid’s heartless manipulation of his sister as a ‘weapon’ to be used in the service of the Sphinx is as clinically callous and it is effective in momentarily distracting Doctor Kraye, Teen Abomination, Orrgo and Vampire By Night from the deadly plight of their fellow Howling Commandos at the Museum of Egyptian Culture in San Francisco.

Overall however, the former English teacher has definitely produced a quite delightfully humorous “monster team book” and it is hard to imagine that many “Howlers” didn’t at least grin as Duggan’s “creepy pet zombie” Sitwell, much to Warwolf’s evident exasperation, crash-lands on top of a tree from free fall, or smirk when the “overgrown pile of dinosaur skin" called Orrgo ineffectively flails his gigantic arms at some Egyptian apparitions breaching the S.T.A.K.E. bunker whilst informing them that “Orrgo does not believe in ghosts! They defy all logic!”

Somewhat disappointing though, considering the promise shown by this comic book’s enticing cover illustration of a battered, clearly robotic “Dum Dum” leading his “rag-tag group of monsters” in the defence of a Museum of Antiquities, is Brent Schoonover’s drawing. The Minnesota-based artist’s breakdowns for this amalgamation of “horror, comedy and adventure” aren’t terribly consistent at all, with his pencilling for the Hassan twins proving especially erratic and crudely drawn.

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 2, January 2016

Enjoyably similar to an episode of Chris Carter’s Nineties science fiction horror drama television series “The X-Files”, Issue Two of “The Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” predominantly concentrates upon the exploits of just Commander Duggan, Manphibian and Vampire By Night as they search for a missing commuter train deep within “the tunnels beneath New York City”, rather than the espionage agency’s entire team designed to deal with the “stranger aspects of homeland protection”. Such a focused story-telling technique doubtless frustrated those 20,498 readers anticipating an appearance in "Ghost Train" by Man-Thing, Hit-Monkey or Teen Abomination, but does understandably allow Frank J. Barbiere a bit more space within the storyline with which to develop the lesser known character of Nina Price, as well as the super-strong widowed extra-terrestrial accompanying her.

Indeed a good deal of this twenty-page periodical’s engaging charm stems from its narrative containing some fascinating exposition surrounding Manphibian’s secondary role within the squad as a hi-tech weapons designer, and the female Lycanthrope’s ability to project her mind into others “touched by the supernatural” following “another darkness” transforming the operative into a vampire. These insights, sprinkled throughout the American’s author’s sinister subway infestation by “the spirits of the Ancient Ones!” genuinely helps maintain interest, and even allows for the occasional ‘belly laugh’, such as when the grizzled “Dum Dum” is startled by a surviving train passenger having just fended off an Egyptian apparition attack: “Perhaps after you’re done being scared witless, we can free them?”

Barbiere’s script is equally as strong in advancing matters within the mysterious Area 13, most notably the monstrous agents’ “enigmatic leader” Paul Kraye and his questionable motivation for monitoring the “horrors” in his charge. Just why the ‘good’ Doctor has a bed-ridden comatose Dracula secretly locked up deep within the bowels of S.T.A.K.E. HQ is just one of several intrigues the “writer from Brooklyn” tantalisingly teases his audience with, and, along with Duggan’s “hush-hush” ‘extraction’ of Nadeen Hassan in order to “assess any extranormal threats” the young girl may possess, proves an extraordinarily persuasive hook for any casual bibliophile to keep the title on their Pull List.

Suitably colourful and dynamic, though suspiciously weak when illustrating the more sedentary conversationally-lead panels, Brent Schoonover’s pencilling for this comic book is enticingly eye-catching. Admittedly some of the South Beloit-born artist’s panels depicting Kraye and Captain Reyna talking are somewhat underwhelming, as is his work surrounding Nina’s mental confrontation with Nadeen. But there is no doubt that “the stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’, Midwestern based” freelancer’s drawings of the Ancient Egyptian ghosts battling a gun-toting “Dum Dum” and Manphibian are worth the cover price of this magazine alone.

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 1, December 2015

Consisting of “the mightiest monsters in Marveldom” this rather tongue-in-cheek title’s narrative rarely pauses for breath during its debut publication courtesy of Frank J. Barbiere literally throwing S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “newest subsidiary to contain supernatural threats” into the thick of the action, as they’re deployed to secure the Earth Idol of Golthana from the hold of a tanker ship. Indeed the Brooklyn-based writer doesn’t even concern himself with providing his 44,532 strong audience with any meaningful introduction and simply has this comic’s opening start with a picture of an old-fashioned typewriter, upon which a short summary of long-time agent “Dum Dum” Dugan’s formation of the S.T.A.K.E. strike team is written. This extremely direct plot device is then immediately followed by the harrowing experience of “Captain Anderson of the S.S. Chaney” as the hard-hatted sailor is first attacked by former First Mate Scully and then saved by a heavily-armed monkey who blows the plant-infected crewman away.

Just as no-nonsense as the preamble to Issue One of “Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is Maria Hill’s pulse-pounding insertion of the Man-Thing, Teen Abomination, Vampire by Night, Hit-Monkey, Manphibian, and a zombified Jasper Sitwell elsewhere upon the stricken vessel. For no sooner has the reader recovered from witnessing a gun-toting small-sized simian in the distinctive dark blue uniform of a law-enforcement operative, than the rest of the chimp’s team-mates are introduced completely surrounded by the walking undead on-board the boat’s main deck, their automatic weapons blazing, powerfully-huge fists flying and razor-sharp claws disembowelling.

Admittedly there are times when the American author is forced to momentarily step away from the fourteen-page long frantic battle sequence in order to provide at least a little exposition as to why Duggan is now “an advanced Life-Model Decoy” and just how Warwolf happens to be the handler of Stan Lee’s bowler hat wearing co-creation. But these “earlier” scenes, sedentarily set at S.T.A.K.E. Command. Area 13, are equally as to the point as the rest of Barbiere’s penmanship for “Earth Idol”. Though just why “Dum Dum” arms his squad’s resident living brainless cadaver with a rocket launcher is however never adequately explained, even if Jasper blowing up his new field commander with a projectile later in the story is a potential ‘laugh out loud’ moment; “Wait, It’s me! Dum Dum! &%*$.”

Somewhat disappointing though is Brent Schoonover’s decidedly dynamic yet occasionally inconsistent pencilling. The American’s illustrator’s technique undoubtedly appears as similarly Late Seventies in style as this comic’s script does, and his renderings of Man-Thing, Manphibian and the gigantic Orrgo are outstanding. Yet “The Astonishing Ant-Man” artist’s panels depicting Commander Hill’s “bad Juju” briefing to Doctor Kraye and Reyna appear rather awkwardly wooden, as frustratingly does the majority of his “mindless humanoid plant creatures.”

The regular cover art of "HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." No. 1 by Brent Schoonover & Nick Filardi