REVIEW: SPY SUPERB #1 by Matt Kindt and Sharlene Kindt

 SPY SUPERB #1 

Writer: Matt Kindt

Artist: Matt Kindt

Colorist: Sharlene Kindt

Cover Artist: Martin Simmonds

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: January 4, 2023

Cover Price: $7.99

From New York Times bestselling and Harvey award-winning graphic novelist Matt Kindt comes the latest Flux House humorous espionage adventure.

It's John Wick meets Wes Anderson in this mystery-thriller about a secret organization that's developed the perfect spy. Who is the perfect spy? A spy who doesn't even realize they are a spy. AKA the "useful idiot." This particular useful idiot is named Jay. Jay is sent on missions without even realizing he's on a mission. Until he picks up the wrong phone with the wrong secret intel and now Russian hit squads and elite assassins are after him. But Jay believes he was a sleeper agent and really is the "spy superb". His complete obliviousness and lack of survival skills may be the only thing that saves him in this globe-trotting espionage tale . . . where nothing is what it seems . . . but also . . . kind of actually is what it seems. 

Score:

★★★★1/2 (4.5/5)

'Spy Superb' by writer/artist Matt Kindt and colorist Sharlene Kindt has lofty aspirations of blending the action of 'John Wick' with the humorous eccentricity of Wes Anderson. It mostly succeeds in a delightful spy spoof that reads like a briefing from a secret agency as depicted in the issue. The 'Spy Superb' is a misnomer because the "spy" doesn't know he's a spy but is carefully manipulated to do the agency's bidding unbeknownst to him. It makes the vetted person an unlikely target for foreign intelligence because they don't really know anything and are most definitely not a Jame Bond-type. They're also disposable. 

Matt goes to great lengths to establish the history of the program and the man in charge of it. And frankly, as outlandish as it sounds it almost comes across as perfectly viable. It's also a great vehicle for comedy as the next 'Spy Superb' is an aspiring author with high hopes for his masterpiece and isn't afraid to tell anyone who listens about it. The clueless obnoxious schlub is all talk with an inflated ego and when his first assignment goes wrong the consequences seem dire but doesn't realize what's going on. Some slapstick happens to highlight the absurdity of it all. It reminds me a lot of the funny spy spoof 'Get Smart' television series when the author Jay enters the story. 

If you've read a Matt Kindt book before you're familiar with his art style. Handrawn, rough, sometimes scratchy, and thoroughly endearing. It's also expertly paced and designed. The sequencing is especially important for its comedic beats that mostly land. There isn't a false moment in the book with a story that breezes along and you don't mind being briefed about the entire world Matt is building. Sharlene's colors complement Matt's designs with subtle subdued colors that add some weight to the sometimes sparse panels. Using monochromatic colors to convey a flashback is smartly done. It's just the kind of uniquely good-looking Kindt book you'd expect. 

'Spy Superb' is a superb spy spoof that is delightfully quirky and fun. This ambitious blend of action spy thriller and comedy hits just enough right notes to keep readers engaged and anticipating more. The super-sized first issue offers everything you need to know about the spy who doesn't know he's a spy and all the shenanigans still to come. It's a welcomed retreat from capes and cowls comics with this subversive spy comedy.