Review: Phoenix Files #1
From Zenescope Entertainment
A new mini-series from Zenescope Entertainment. Phoenix Files comes from Red Agent's pages and gives us more about this mysterious character.
Agent Phoenix’s past is shrouded in mystery. Even he doesn’t know much about where his pyrokinetic powers come from. For years he’s used them in the service of shadow agencies without a second thought. Now, with the help of Avril Williams, a fellow agent and witch, he’s finally going to uncover the dark truth about his past.
STORY JOE BRUSHA, DAVE FRANCHINI, DAVID WOHL & CHAS! PANGBURN WRITER CHAS! PANGBURN ARTWORK JULIUS ABRERA COLORS FRAN GAMBOA & J.C. RUIZ LETTERS TAYLOR ESPOSITO OF GHOST GLYPH STUDIOS EDITOR DAVID WOHL PRODUCTION & DESIGN CHRISTOPHER COTE
An exciting introduction to the background of Phoenix. Readers of the Red Agent stories already know about his powers and manner. In this issue, we start to look at how these happened.
There is an interesting mystical side to this story, with a flashback to long ago, with the baby Phoenix being taken to an underground ceremony and used as part of a ritual. This, linked with his time of birth, gives him the fire/phoenix-based powers that we know he has today.
This ceremony has returned, and now a similar one is happening, with some questions about the method and the why. Part of the why is answered in the issue's final pages, but this seems to be more by luck than judgement. Even so, there is still plenty more to learn from this story in future issues.
It’s not all brooding and flashbacks in this issue. There is a good amount of action - and some teased for the future. Phoenix and Avril get a chance to show off their powers as they fight for others who may be in trouble. The tease for the future may be a tougher fight, though.
This was a good start to a mini-series for a character that has everyone interested.
