The Middleman Volume 1: The Trade Paperback Imperative

The Middleman #1

by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Les McClaine (Illustrator)

After a mishap at a genetics lab, art student Wendy Watson is recruited to join the Middleman, a freelance agent who fights unusual forms of evil.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2006

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing and loving the show. If you've seen it the comic is, one hand, better because you fill in the characters voice and add mental color. On the other, hand, less interesting because you know *exactly* what is going to happen. It was very faithfully adapted (I believe both show and comic are done by the same person).



Lots of fun! You know you want to work for the Jolly Fat Wehawkin Temp Agency.


Matt Keeslar and Natalie Morales as The Middleman and Wendy Watson (obviously someone other than the author was in charge of hair styling).

I'd say there should be a pop culture reference drinking game, but I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's liver damage.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snarky newbie meets classic superhero agent fighting against the evil, supernatural forces that threaten the planet. Wit, sarcasm, and hilarity ensue. That's pretty much all you need to know about The Middleman.

Like everything else you've ever heard about everything written on paper, the book is much better than the television show. And for a show that copies the book line for line, that's saying something. It's in the way that author and artist pace their panels. Jokes come across much cleaner than the rapid-fire Gilmore Girls style on the show.

As for the book itself, Wendy Watson, the main protagonist, is pretty much a fanboy's dream come true. She's moderately cute, sports a pair of thick rimmed glasses, plays XBox, and reads comic books like "Fell", "Astro City", and "Hellboy". While the book is nothing groundbreaking, it definitely fits the bill if you're looking for a good adventure with plenty of snappy dialogue.

[arjuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good-natured, sassy, self-referential, surreal - kind of a post-modern self-aware ironic version of Get Smart, only funnier. No really new ground broken, but I didn't mind one bit; it uses its simplicity and reliance on existing culture tropes well and is somehow both immensely, relentlessly charming and oddly fresh. Evoked fond memories of the TV version from however long ago it was - likeable for all the same reasons ... only better.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up due to the fact that I immensely loved the series and found that the first episode of the series followed this book quite meticulously as the plot and dialogue was mostly the same and therefore my emotions towards it were as well. It is funny, has some good jokes in it and memorable main characters.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very straightforward background plot, but a wonderful female lead character. I loved her sass so much that I ended really liking what was otherwise a generic hero/investigation story... with genius monkeys. There is a lot of meta-humor in here too, which I love, so over all it was a quick and pleasant reading experience.

[SA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this for awhile; the show has taken almost verbatim from the graphic novel, but it's interesting to see how the panels match up to still shots of the show. Very clever title, I wish there was more.

[Jarlos]

indie publishers, like Viper, sometimes lack great writing in favor of solid but simple style. Not here. A very very funny and genuinely witty book, with a clever twist on the old fashioned super-hero.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked the show on ABC Family then you will like this, it is exactly like the show verbatim. The only difference is how the characters are drawn.

[Michael]

Eh.

[Mathew Carruthers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colleague from work introduced me to the series - great fun to read, will certainly look for other issues and collections.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gloriously geeky and self-aware with solid art to boot. The blank backgrounds in some panels are just begging for some color, though.

[Jp · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much awesome.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just fabulous. I've seen the TV series so I had a good idea what this would be like but the comic version is also a delight.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gods. I hadn't realized the TV pilot was just about line-by-line. Really like this version as well.

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but I found the show much more satisfying.