Irredeemable Ant-Man

 

By Robert Kirkman, Phil Hester & Ande Parks (Marvel)
ISBN 0-7851-1962-0

Although something of a one-gag story, this re-tooling of one of Marvel’s oldest, if not most successful, characters has a lot to recommend it. The art team of Phil Hester and Ande Parks are always a joy to see and the script by Robert Kirkman is sharp and snappy, but the initial premise just doesn’t sit comfortably with me.

Let me make clear, the mini-series collected here was designed to be played for laughs, as well as fitting into modern Marvel continuity. That being said, when veteran super hero Henry Pym designs a new super suit, tricked up with loads of gadgets and capable of shrinking the wearer to ant-size and gives it to super-spy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D., nobody expected it to be stolen by the security men guarding it. Of course nobody expected such a prestigious and efficient organisation to employ such a worthless, shiftless, useless slacker of an agent as Eric O’Grady.

When, after a series of improbable mishaps he acquires the suit, despite the attendant tragedy that always accompanies this sort of origin, he uses his new-found gift to spy on the women’s showers, score with chicks he rescues and generally act like a selfish ass.

With S.H.I.E.L.D., Dr. Pym and just about everybody else after his diminutive butt, O’Grady goes on the run, leaving the field clear for a sequel, but despite all the action, the great pacing, superb visuals and wonderful dialogue, its just doesn’t work. This wishy-washy also-ran just isn’t that likable or empathetic enough. I just don’t care what happens to him.

From a company that pretty much invented the modern comics anti-hero, that’s a pretty damning conclusion to come to. Hopefully any further usage will give him some depth as to augment his lack of height.

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