Spy6teen Zuda comic review/ Tell her she hits like a girl, I dare 'ya!

Spy6teen is another April Zuda comic done by CitizenTim, Shushubag, Tinkfan 83 (in her second Zuda comic this month), and gonzogoose. It got a 3/5 stars from me, everything is good, but their were other comics this month more to my interests as a reader. Here is the synopsis: In High School, no one is ever who they seem to be. Everyone holds a secret. Information becomes key to survival. Espionage fills the hallways as secret coded notes are passed back and forth, containing highly classified information that could be devastating if it falls into the wrong hands…It’s a dangerous minefield-- even without the involvement of shadowy government agencies! Cally Calhoon knows this better than anyone. Recruited into a mysterious government agency called the QUAD, she works as an undercover field agent attempting to dismantle a worldwide terrorist organization known as The Chaos Imperious. Cally balances a delicate tightrope of her high school life and her spy world. But as she delves deeper into missions of exotic locales, mysterious agents, and dazzling deathtraps, the startling scope of the Chaos Imperious plot begins to unfold before her; challenging everything she knows about her past, present, and future…oh yeah, and to make matters worse-- no one has asked her to the dance yet!

At least she's not a cheerleader

At first blush Cally looks like a cross between Solo (from Marvel), and Kim Possible (from the mouse house), but empowered teen spy girls kicking butt is a nice little entertaining sub genre. The story is from a genre that's easy to recognize, then it goes off into it's own directions, which is a good thing. It's a pretty common comment from me this month, but I was impressed with how well this stories pace fit the 8 screens, with a neat 'twist' ending to top it off. I'm already a fan of tinkfan's colors from another comic this month, and she continues to impress. The art actually fit's the story very well, it's fluid which it has to be for the action scenes. The writer has a script that starts getting down to business after a screen to set up the characters other life, and a full page establishing shot. I hate text box thought balloons, but CitizenTim didn't go overboard, and they were well written. In small screen they're so many panels on the page and the font is so small, it doesn't read well at all. In full screen though it just gives you the chance to really enjoy the Aztec ruins which are drawn so well, kudos to shushubag. I mean how often are the backgrounds really that awesome in any comic? I also really enjoyed the team of creators came up with a giant spider creature as an opponent for Cally. WHOO-SQHISH was the sound made when said spider met his fate.

That voice inside your head is just a distraction

I thought panels 1, 2, 3, and 4 on screen 5 were drawn out too much just so we could read Calley's deep thoughts. Switching things up with a few less panels here for the layout wouldn't be a bad idea either. The bite sized portion art work here hurt, instead of helped. Not an awful thing, but it could have been done in a different way to earn a higher score from me. That being said it's beyond difficult to make every screen of the 8 screen's kick ass equally. Cally's rival and her had some good dialogue/ villain banter. The colors were great throughout, I'm a fan of Lisa's style and hope to see her back on Zuda. The hey look behind you joke is funny, but it also shows these are teens fighting it out. Nice closing line with her saying tell people you got your black eye from a girl. The way this was used on the last screen was genius.

You don't have to be legal to kick ass

Everything (quite naturally) has been leading up to the last screen. I really enjoyed the ending because it brought things full circle, and of course set up Cally next adventuresome hi jinks. Give credit to the writer for some well written text box thought balloons, that helped along the visual narrative on screen 8. Of course in the last panel we see Cally's last opponent is a student at her school too, setting up some nice conflict. Panel two on this screen reminded me of some old layouts Steve Ditko used to do for Shade and the Odd Man. The artist also draws a mean black eye, good character design the whole way through.

Bring it on

A good comic, but only a 3/5 from me based on it not being a fav kind of story of mine, and the strength of the competition this month. Even if it doesn't get your vote it does deserve a read as a fun story.