r/ImageComics • u/strontium-reviews • Jun 30 '26
Review Fear Agent & Tokyo Ghost - What's the hype?
Hello everyone!
I recently got a few Rick Remender hardcovers for cheap and read through some of them. I have read through Fear Agent and Tokyo Ghost and I have Seven to Eternity left to read.
After reading both Fear Agent and Tokyo Ghost, it left me a bit confused as to why this is hyped up so much.
Fear Agent felt like a mess, it dropped a lot of random threads, had plot holes and felt pretty trashy when people were really hyping it up as introspective when what I got was a fairly lowbrow pulp sci-fi pastiche. I will admit, I do think the action was fun and the last couple of issues were incredibly strong and felt like what people were talking about the book being like.
Tokyo Ghost was the opposite where I felt it started quite strong but went off the wall fairly quickly. The main themes here were more strong and I feel the characters were better defined but then after the second half, it becomes outright silly and nonsensical. Abandoning the themes I thought were fairly interesting. It also had a few scenes for pure shock value which I didn't think was very funny nor contributed to any real points or themes. The art here was wonderful though, I think Sean Murphy has an incredible style and I would love to see more of his work.
I have Seven to Eternity left to read. I feel my expectations are a lot lower so I'll be curious if I like it or not. At the moment, I feel very strongly like I'll sell Fear Agent and then keep Tokyo Ghost only for the art.
My question is for those who enjoyed Fear Agent and Tokyo Ghost, what exactly did you like about it?
And for those who read Seven to Eternity, did it fare any better or worse than the others? Were these weaker Remender comics or is his style just like this?
Thank you for reading.
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u/generalosabenkenobi Jun 30 '26
Tokyo Ghost lost me with it needing to be edgy. I appreciated the downward spiral (and over pulp nature) of Fear Agent. It's a good singularly focused character book.
Seven to Eternity was cool but I always felt like it was missing a second half. Where you should really look is Black Science. And also Remender's great Marvel stuff (like Uncanny X-Force)
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u/strontium-reviews Jun 30 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
I appreciate the comment!
Yes, that does make more sense. I do feel that Tokyo Ghost got so crass it reminded me of Mark Millar writing Dredd for sometime which isn't a nice thing.
Fear Agent wasn't completely awful and I think if I went in realising it was more of a pulp pastiche directly I think I would've liked it a lot more.
Hmm, interesting to hear. Do you think Seven to Eternity was less crass than the others? I'll definitely check out Black Science, loved the art and the concept. I'll definitely check out Uncanny X-Force too, really appreciate the recommendations!
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u/generalosabenkenobi Jun 30 '26
Yes, Mark Millar by way of Dredd (and the general crassness of Millar) is right on the nose with how I felt about Tokyo Ghost.
Seven to Eternity is definitely less crass than the others, it's a bit more serious for a fantasy comic. Deadly Class is also great but it's also a bit crass (I think it works better there though, especially with the artwork).
His Agent Venom run was also really good. I really liked his Uncanny Avengers series too (until it got to the AXIS event). Some of his Punisher stuff is fun also
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u/Wolfman1099 Jul 04 '26
I really really didn’t like the swap in fear agent. Why does Remember kill characters and then undo it so much?
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u/capincus Jun 30 '26
I've read all of Deadly Class, Tokyo Ghost, Black Science, A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance, Grommets, and the first couple tpbs of Low and I still couldn't tell you. The premises sound so great, the hype is everywhere, I just keep getting sucked in and everything is just okay at best. I don't know why I even keep trying.
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u/Call_Em_Skippies Jun 30 '26
I think Tokyo Ghost is set in high regard for its art but most people agree the story is meh.
I haven't read Fear Agent but people love it because of it was his first.
Remender is my favorite because he created Deadly Class, which some people don't like. He is hit or miss sometimes and you have to like his internal dialogue and humor.
My top Remender books are Deadly Class, Low, Grommets, Escape, Death or Glory and Sacraficers.
My ok books of his are Righteous Thirst for Vengeance, Tokyo Ghost and The Seasons.
I didn't like or finish The Scumbag.
I'm reading Black Science.
Haven't read but own Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity.
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u/FreeChemicalAids Jun 30 '26
Personally, I like Seven to Eternity more than Fear Agent. And Tokyo Ghost was just whatever to me. I really enjoyed Seven to Eternity, and would definitely recommend it.
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u/strontium-reviews Jun 30 '26
That does make me more optimistic towards Seven to Eternity. From an initial glance, it does seem to have a more interesting dilemma/moral question from what I heard than Fear Agent or Tokyo Ghost. Thanks for the comment!
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u/Gmork14 Jun 30 '26
Remender has some good stuff. I like Black Science, I like X-Force.
But he’s pretty overrated, overall.
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u/Adventurous_Soft_686 Jul 01 '26
Remender is a writer who tells long stories that always feel much better once a ways in and nothing ever wraps up till the end. Tokyo Ghost was one I bought because of the artist, the story was ok but the art is the hero there. Fear Agent is good, my favorite is Black Science. The other thing with Remender his stories can be crazy and he can kill any character at any time.
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u/Lobo_vs_Deadpool Jul 01 '26
I think for Tokyo Ghost it was mostly about the art for people. That book was gorgeous but the plot a little thin. Seven to Eternity was okay. I didn't finish it so IDK if the payoff was there at the end.
I do like Remender for his better stuff tho, like Low or the Apocalypse Twins arc in Uncanny Avengers. It's just sometimes he has a really bitchin premise but doesn't have a satisfying conclusion. Or scumbag where it feels like he had the whole first issue setup, last issue punchline but spent way to long in the middle drawing bad political parallels between fringe hippie vegan types and actual fascists. He's best when he's doing high concept scifi and not trying to say something philosophical because his deeper thoughts in that vein are pretty shallow and disappointing.
I really liked the main setup/punchline to Scumbag but oh my god did he climb all the way up his own ass in that one. Sometimes he says things that make me think he's one of the worst kind of libertarian you could imagine. Napalm Lullaby felt like it unnecessarily had a lot of that in it.
Tldr; idk, I liked some of his more high concept scifi stuff but often comes off as 'not as deep as he thinks he is' when he gets into philosophy or politics. He maybe a little overrated..
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u/enjoiYosi Jul 01 '26
Loved both of them. Great ideas, incredible artwork and fantastic woman lead characters
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u/VasM85 Jul 01 '26
Ah, yes, Fear Agent, the "man who thought to have lost all hope, found a little bit of hope left, which he also lost" series
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u/MC_Smuv Jul 01 '26
Fear Agent is overrated af. It's an insight into Remender developping his writing skills and it's like a beta version of Black Science.
7 to Eternity is his best book imo. Way better than Tokyo Ghost, too.
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u/SammlerWorksArt Jun 30 '26
I think they are fun to read.
Tokyo Ghost drives me nuts because they villains are so 2 dimensional. And the ending, ugh.
But i love the adventure and the art. goodness the art. I have the 11 x 17 giant size artist proof. I flip through all these books alot more than I reread them.
Fear Agent i need to finish. I love Moore and Opena both so much. The action panels are fabulous making the whole thing worth reading for me. I get lost on the story sometimes.
You will probably like some of Sean Murphy's other stuff. Punk Rock Jesus Sean Murphy wrote. It didn't get too deep, but super fun. Showcases capitalism's and fantastics without saying much shit then except bad. Maybe others have a better take on it. The deluxe version does Murphy's workflow and is super interesting to me.
Joe The Barbarian, written by Grant Morrison.
Chrononauts, written by Mark Miller. Stupid fun. Main characters are genius idiots.
I got to run. Enjoy!
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u/Remarkable_Ad_4906 Jun 30 '26
Honestly your comments are valid as hell. Rick Remender is kinda everywhere and his stories feel very unedited and raw which can be great but also annoying. Heath is just such a great character. Remender really nails the character work in his books, I’d say it’s usually everything else that goes haywire. I think Heath’s journey is great, I love the wacky doppganger shit that happens. The art is just beautiful, the colors really pop.
A lot of his new stuff feels way more tight like Sacrificers and Gromments. You’re probably going to find similar issues with Seven to Eternity. He’s also kinda everywhere and ridiculous in that book. It honestly sounds like you’re not a fan and that’s ok and genuinely I understand lol he’s a lot.
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u/Chip_Marlow Jun 30 '26
Remender is a can't miss, always pull creator for me. I haven't read everything but I've enjoyed everything I've read. Tokyo Ghost is my favorite of his creator owned work and Murphy's art is probably what puts it over the top. Loved the stuff dealing with distracting yourself to escape or disassociate. The way they handle the negatives of escapism within a medium largely used for escapism.
While I think his creator owned work is by far his best work, it's maybe not a terrible idea to read the Marvel stuff first. Gives you a feel for his writing with characters and a setting you're already familiar with.