Advance Review: Spies Like Us In `Spy Superb’ #3
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
This smartly written part spy, part humor limited series comes to a conclusion in this issue. Writer/Artist Matt Kindt crafts a unique tale about a spy who doesn’t even know he’s a secret agent. 007 he ain’t, but that’s part of the excitement.
Overall
8.5/10Jay and Lucky make for an unusual pair of spies.
Lucky is everything you would want in an agent. Cunning. Conniving. Resilient.
Jay…not so much. He is known as the Spy Superb because he has no idea that he’s even a spy. He’s what’s known as the “useful idiot.” He’s certainly proven to be an idiot. Useful is a different story.
Yes, as writer and artist Matt Kindt demonstrates in this concluding chapter of the three-part limited series, ignorance can be quite blissful. And having little to no self-awareness makes Jay the smartest guy in the room. Or the luckiest.
After traveling to Australia to “save” Lucky, Jay soon starts to realize that he is the one in need of saving. Fortunately for him, Lucky is more than adept at looking out for her own best interests. She is, after all, a triple agent. Who is she ultimately working for? The short answer, it seems, is herself.
She needs all of her skills as she battles rival agent Roche Chambeaux (who, you guessed it, uses a combination of rock, paper and scissors to kill) as well as Jay’s own incompetence. It’s a ridiculous setup wonderfully paid off with Kindt’s unique sense of humor and storytelling techniques. He even manages to fit in an interesting plot twist. It’s so twisty, that Jay doesn’t even understand it, though readers will appreciate the irony.
Kindt’s artwork is equally unique. While it may not wow readers, it is distinctly his own – brought to life by colors from his wife Sharlene Kindt. Readers will not have any trouble following the action as depicted by this pair.
Spy Superb is the latest in a new Kindt imprint from Dark Horse Comics called Flux House. With this series as well as the previously published (and unrelated) Super Spy, he’s off to a strong start. Let’s see what else he’s able to cook up.
Spy Superb #3 will be available for purchase tomorrow.