My Rating
“Mission #02: Ghost Train (Part 03)”
Power and lights finally return to S.T.A.K.E. headquarters. Down below, injured agents scramble through the damaged facility, securing equipment and putting out fires left behind by the spectral raid. Doctor Kraye storms through the corridors with his personal guard, searching for the woman responsible for summoning the attack. Nadeen Hassan now sits at the top of the base’s most-wanted list, and Kraye wants answers.
Meanwhile, inside the LMD storage area, the latest version of Dum Dum Dugan steps out of his birthing pod. In the time it takes him to grab a towel, memories of zombie bombs and his missing team begin flooding into his newly minted brain. The Howling Commandos are still out there, and they need extraction! Commander Dugan wastes no time getting back into action and immediately sets off to find Kraye. Death might slow Dum Dum down, but apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps plenty of spare parts around.
High above New York City, a massive airship makes its way toward the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Inside, the monster known as the Sphinx receives a briefing from his mysterious benefactor. Only one Egyptian relic remains on their supernatural shopping list: an ancient mask of incredible power. Once the Sphinx retrieves the artifact, their plan can finally move forward, ushering in a new golden age where the dark dwellers will rise to rule the planet.
How many Life Model Decoys does the American taxpayer have to pay for? S.H.I.E.L.D. security guards are allowed to rock an ’80s mohawk? Really? And what exactly does the Sphinx plan on doing with that mask? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
What exactly is going on between Kraye and the freaky ghost girl? Inquiring minds want to know! There are only two issues left, and Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues piling mysteries on top of monsters. We have ghosts invading S.T.A.K.E., Dum Dum Dugan burning through LMD bodies like disposable razors, and the Sphinx flying around New York collecting Egyptian artifacts. Somehow, all of this insanity works together.
Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. also decides to extract Orrgo and relocate the lovable giant monster to a safe house. That’s got to be one huge refuge! Orrgo has quickly become one of my favorite members of this bizarre team, so his departure from the action disappoints me. You shall be missed, big guy! Hopefully, this isn’t the last we see of him before the series wraps up.
This continues to be exactly the kind of Marvel book I enjoy digging out of the back-issue bins: monsters, supernatural espionage, ridiculous science, and enough unanswered questions to keep me reaching for the next issue. I’m giving Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 four out of four stars. That’s right, folks—the four-for-four deal. Come and get it!