DNAgents: The Industrial Strength Edition by Mark Evanier and Will Meuginot

The DNAgents comic dates from 1983, published by Eclipse Comics. It tells the stories of five genetically engineered superhumans: the immensely strong, but naive Tank; the short-tempered electricty projector, Surge; the happy-go-lucky flying magnetic-field generating Amber; the beautiful and worldly-wise mentalist Rainbow (whose hair was as colorful as her name); and Sham, the young, suspicious of people-shape and face-changer.

Unlike most superheroes of that era, they were not born with their powers and didn't recieve them in some highly-unlikely industrial accident- these heroes were grown as part of a genetic experiment by a company named Matrix. They were intended to be super-soldiers and corporate spies, but unfortunately for the company, their minds were their own, and while their loyalty was always supposed to be to Matrix, the execs weren't always loyal to them.

After five years of growing in a tank, they finally achieved sentience, but were let out of their tanks early to retrieve President Lucius Krell's daughter, who had been kidnapped in Acapulco. They managed to rescue her but also managed to piss off the girl when they crashed into the cabin where she was being held without any regard for her safety. In return, Sage dumped her into a trash can, and she vowed revenge on him for that.

Soon after, they were enrolled at a local college as students, once again to keep a watch over Angela Krell. Someone really was after her, but this was their first chance to really mingle with people, and while some of them (Tank and Amber) enjoyed the experience, others found it less than fun. Surge, while always trying to pick up women, was Angela's chief protector, but when he finally got through to her and she realized that she had feelings for him after all, she was shot shortly thereafter, sending Surge looking for her killer and vowing revenge- with a twist.

For Angela was not a real human, but a lab-grown creation made to take the place of Krell's real daughter, who had been killed by an intruder into their home, something that wasn't without consequences for her killer, either. But finding out who wanted her dead, now and in the past, took up quite a bit of time for the team. Eventually, the answers came out, but Surge was denied his vengeance when the cops arrested her killer and threw him in jail... but Surge took pleasure in taunting the man nonetheless.

However, this book is not the full run of the series. It merely covers the 14 issues written by Mark Evanier and drawn by Will Meuginot. After issue 14, he left, to be replaced by other artists, and the series went to 24 full issues, after which the ending was left in doubt. The series ended with the team returned to their "wombs" and apparently forgotten about. I really wish that they would continue this series, as I really enjoyed it.

This version of the books has been remastered, since the original drawings and color separations were burnt in a fire, but the series has been reconstituted from scans and apparently made somewhat more adult (which seems to mean panty shots and views of Rainbow's nipples through the top of her superhero outfit, among others). That being said, you can easily see the influence of the 80's on hairstyles and clothing. Easily.

But the stories themselves, though the influences might seem rather dated nowadays, were new and original at the time. The storylines certainly don't have to change, and are still eminently readable- I certainly found them to be so. They kept my attention more than some stories being put out today, anyhow.

So, Highly recommended. Evanier isn't well-known for comics, but I, for one, wish he'd come back and finish the tale of his creations. I also wish they'd release the rest of the series as well. Are you listening, Image Comics?