Booknote: The Illegitimates

Taran Killam, et.al.,  The Illegitimates. San Diego, CA: IDW, 2014. ISBN: 9781631400360.

When I heard of this title, I was expecting something like The Expendables or some other similar story of a rag tag band of heroes. We do get a band of heroes here, just with a twist. Jack Steele is the top agent of Olympus, a super secret spy organization fighting the forces of evil. He is smooth, skilled, debonair, and like a certain other British agent, he loves the ladies, and the ladies love him. The only (apparent) difference is that Steele does not use protection. Then he gets killed on a mission, and Olympus is on a pickle without its top secret agent. So, what does the agency do? They round up the illegitimate children of Steele, who are around the world living their own lives with no idea who their real dad is. They are quite the disparate bunch from an American rancher to the son of a Yakuza princess. Can these five new agents come together to save the world?

This was very entertaining and fun to read. I really was amused by the idea of the super secret agent spreading his progeny around the world. It is an amusing premise (not new, but still amusing). The story itself, once the team comes together is an action/adventure where the new agents have to save the world from the bad guy seeking world domination. In this sense, this is like any other secret agent tale. What stood out is that the premise was so amusing, that the tale is fast paced and entertaining, and it has a couple of unexpected twists that keep the reader wondering. This was a very entertaining volume that I enjoyed very much, and I am definitely recommending it. It also has some very good art that is colorful, well drawn, and brings it all to life.

If you like things like the adventures of James Bond or stories about reluctant heroes coming together to save the world, you will probably like this one.  It looks like the start of a good series.

I give a good 5 out of 5 stars.