REVIEW: I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents #1

Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?  Did you swear that it was real?  According to I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents #1, it was, and some of them get out of line.  So, who cleans up these messes that the creatures create?  Read the awaiting review to find out!

SUMMARY

Pros
Some fun, original ideas
The art and coloring is wonderful
Cons
M.I.B. similarities

Overall Rating:

READER RATING!

[ratings]

I.M.A.G.I.N.E. AGENTS #1
Writer: Brian Jones
Artist: Bachan
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Colorist: Ruth Redmond
Editor: Bryce Carlson, Dafna Pleban
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99

Previously in I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents: Imaginary friends are quite real and it is up to I.M.A.G.I.N.E. to keep them in line. And take care of them once forgotten.

THANKFULLY WILL SMITH DIDN’T SHOW UP AT THE BEGINNING

At the beginning I worried this was going to be a Men In Black copycat. It certainly started heading in that direction. A new agent to a secret organization responsible for keeping otherworldly creatures in check, complete with weapons and tools similar to those seen in the movies. After the introduction though, its originality started to show.

Once children get too old, they lose the ability to see their friend and the I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agency houses the misplaced creatures as long as they’ve shown good behavior. I really enjoyed seeing the interaction between the imaginary friends and their kid companions. Furdlegurr, the main fuzzy friend, and Blounder, a purple glob that was lucky enough to be seen by all the kiddies in his family, genuinely cared for the children. Seeing the kids interact with their friends while they didn’t appear on the page showed that innocent enjoyment adults see children have. The fact that not all the imaginary friends were nice was a nice twist, and the promise of an imaginary friend uprising is one that I’m interested in seeing play out. Brian Jones brings in some great ideas. The community of imaginary friends, the rules of how and who can see them and their various personalities all work together to bring the book to another level than expected. There’s some great humor as well (Blounder’s reaction to the acronym I.M.A.G.I.N.E. was particularly hilarious) and it rarely misses its mark. Part of the cliffhanger’s twist was predictable but it is enough of a hook to bring readers back.

DINOSAUR WITH ANTLERS IN A COWBOY OUTFIT. ‘NUFF SAID

Definitely one of the best things about I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents is the artwork. Bachan’s art shines from beginning to end. The imaginary friends all have a distinct appearance and not one of them is alike. They all appear exactly like the kind of craziness a child would dream up. Some are quite terrifying and I’m not sure I would want to meet the kid that would think them up (Big Doll in particular). Blounder became my favorite. His cuteness was killer and his facial expressions portrayed his harmlessness wonderfully. Bachan’s light, cartoonish style plays to the books strengths and match its tone perfectly. Details are strong throughout with very little left out. The panel layouts are a bit simplistic, but with such strong illustrations, it’s easily ignored. Ruth Redmond’s fervent coloring brings the creatures to life, once again creating a childlike world that comics like this require. There is a nice effect done where the background images are blurred slightly and colored lighter than the forefront that creates depth and makes the characters pop even more. Plus, there is an antlered dinosaur in a cowboy outfit. How is that not awesome?

BOTTOM LINE: I’M IN, JUST KEEP THE ORIGINAL IDEAS COMING

I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents #1 started weak, looking like a M.I.B. clone, but threw in enough original ideas to make it stand on its own. Brian Jones has created a book with fun, humor and childlike innocence that comes with imaginary friends. Add on wonderful art by Bachan, Ruth Redmond’s coloring and you get a standout comic. It’s another great book from Boom! Studios that provides a nice alternative to guys and gals in tights. As long as the original ideas continue, and the M.I.B. similarities fade, I’ll be sticking around. I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Agents #1 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: