By Zack Quaintance — When you first see the preview artwork for Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1, chances are you will be struck immediately by the almost-absurdly intricate and detailed linework of artist Filya Bratukhin. Bratukhin, who is colored here by Jason Wordie (a deservedly go-to choice for all things comics and sci-fi), is a relative newcomer to North American comics, having in addition to this book only really done a pair of variant covers for DC Comics, which have been solicited but won’t see release until later this month.

And those variant covers are every bit as bonkers as the hyper-busy preview artwork for Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1, packing the space with detail after detail after detail after detail. All of this is to say that I was curious how Bratukhin’s work would translate to the interiors of a full issue. It’s pretty singular, and while I can draw comparisons, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone working in monthly comics go that deep on the small touches in every single panel, with some of Liam Sharp’s work on the early run of The Green Lantern feeling like the closest recent comparison.

I am happy to report that the artwork in Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1 is not only packed and detailed and excellent throughout, but that it is also synced nigh-perfectly to the script of this comic, to its own density of high-concept science fiction ideas, which feel a bit like Grant Morrison and Thomas Pynchon walked into a bar and made a vow to push things just a little bit further. The script, penned by Deniz Camp (Maxwell’s Demon) is unflinchingly smart and assured, giving the reader everything they need to engage with the book while also putting supreme faith in them to follow along through every twist, every moment that suddenly results in lines like “…jumping out of a plane into a secret city of Cold War wonders, strapped to a jet pack that runs on ambient sex.”

I absolutely loved Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1, from the initially striking intricacy of the Bratukhin-Wordie artwork to Camp’s script that made me wonder why more comics didn’t aspire to operate in the same general neighborhood of the Morrisonian ideas in their non-superhero work, stuff like The Invisibles and The Filth.

The final ingredient here is Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering. I’m a long-time fan of his work (he lettered my own comic, Next Door, full disclosure), because I think it takes chances and strives to be interesting while not distracting from the artwork. And not distracting from the artwork is a pretty sizable task in this one, with the level of detail meaning every panel has dozens upon dozens of lines to be obscured by a single balloon. But the lettering in this book finds ways to be more inconspicuous, more tight and subdued so as not to cover too much, yet it also doesn’t sacrifice legibility. It’s great work.

And that’s really the lasting impression that Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1 left me with. This is truly a single issue packed with big swings that connect, with everyone in every role doing tricky work that pays off, adding up to one of the most memorable first issues of the year so far. It’s dense, to be sure, but also immersive and rewarding, almost feeling like two (or maybe even three) issues packed into one.

Overall: I really have not read another comic like Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1 this year. A dense and clever romp through high-concept and bold ideas, the book shines in every aspect, from its intricate and detailed artwork to its sense of humor. 9.8/10

REVIEW: AGENT OF W.O.R.L.D.E. #1

Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Filya Bratukhin
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Scout Comics
Horny robots! Super-evolved orangutan bosses! Joyriders from the 26th Century! Nothing phases Philip Blank, top agent for the scifi spy organization known as W.O.R.L.D.E.! But lately Philip's been wondering if there isn't more to life than saving the world through creative violence. What is Philip hiding from W.O.R.L.D.E., and how far will he go to keep it hidden? The most beautifully bizarre book of the year is here!
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 22, 2022

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He has written about comics for The Beat and NPR Books, among others. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.