Dan Watters and Brian Level ask what would happen if a loser nepo-baby were put in charge of Research and Development.
Off top: nothing good.
Let’s talk about MAD SCIENCE DIVISION #1 by Dan Watters, Brian Level, Lee Loughridge & Frank Cvetkovic (Ignition Press).
MAD SCIENCE DIVISION #1 by Dan Watters, Brian Level, Lee Loughridge & Frank Cvetkovic (Ignition Press)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The rats aren’t just rats!
When we meet Archimedes Anderson, he’s in terrible shape in his apartment, bleeding from his nose and spitting teeth out. How did he get here?
We learn he is the new Chief Coordinator of the mega corporation Miyashi-Smith’s Research and Development Department. Though most know this team by another name: The Mad Science Division. Not just for its seemingly outlandish experiments, but for how these said experiments are hemorrhaging costs and going nowhere.
Hence, Archimedes Anderson.
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What follows is a failson’s desperate attempt at playing boss without any clue of how to lead, or the experience to do so. We’ve all been under the thumb of a boss who didn’t deserve their position. It’s a lot more trouble when the department they’re in charge of is leading experiments straight out of your favorite sci-fi horror stories.
Dan Watters gives us a protagonist who’s so easy to hate. It’ll be interesting to see how Archimedes’ arc plays out. He’s far from irredeemable, but this is not a good first impression on your team. Seeing him fight against the mutating stem cells in his office had me smirking. He needs a couple more smacks in the face.
I’m not a big fan of third-person writing in comics, though it does make me wonder who’s narrating this story. The setting gives it that cinematic feel, which is such an overused compliment nowadays, but it works here.
Brian Level’s art sneaks in character details I didn’t notice till I reread it, and it gave me a couple of eureka moments. Archimedes’ constant sweating, which I chalked up to him just being a sweaty dude, is a hint at his addiction. Same when Coordinator Regina Butler was recounting the story of the creation of supercocaine.
The level of detail in character expressions and monster design will not go unnoticed. Each character has a distinct voice, and his art conveys that very well. It’s great stuff.
FINAL GRADE: 8.7
The Mad Science Division is a cinematic, sci-fi horror series with a tinge of workplace politics that grounds the story. The main protagonist is an unlikable dickhead, so his arc should be very interesting to watch.
Let me know your thoughts on MAD SCIENCE DIVISION #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!