Comic Book Review: Queen & Country Definitive Edition Volume 02 story by Greg Rucka, art by Various
Recap: Tara Chace is a special agent for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) code-named “Minder Two.” Unlike regular agents who are stationed in a specific place, she and the other two Minders are sent wherever a developing situation needs an extra hand. It’s dirty work, and there is a lot of behind-the-scenes politics between the various divisions and departments of the intelligence community. It’s more likely that Tara will burn out from the stress and ethical conundrums than that she’ll die, but the latter is always a possibility.
This volume contains three long stories.
“Operation: Blackwall” (illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander) pits our British agent against England’s traditional enemy–France. It seems that tech giant Colin Beck is being pressured to give a major contract to a French conglomerate. Rene Dupuis has used his connections with French Intelligence to bag a sex tape starring Colin’s daughter Rachel Beck and is threatening to release it unless Colin signs a disadvantageous agreement. Mr. Beck has turned to SIS.
As it happens, Tara went to college with Rachel, so she can investigate while making it look like just catching up with an old friend. Tara quickly discovers that Rachel’s lover was an amateur who’s hung around too long for his masters. She rescues him from the French spies, but he might have preferred not to be once Tara starts asking pointed questions.
Meanwhile, Tara breaks off her affair with Minder Three, who does not take it well.
There’s a bit of classism going on here. Colin is the sort of crass, greedy businessman who’d normally be the baddie in an action movie. But he’s “new money” so he can’t get the respect of the people he really wants to respect him, and wants to keep his daughter scandal-free so that she can climb the social ladder. Dupuis is old money and looks down his nose at Mr. Beck and gloats when he thinks he’s put the nouveau riche man in his place.
The ending is a success for the British economy, but a downer for Tara and Rachel, as the latter learns only the negative truths about her lover.
“Operation: Storm Front” (illustrated by Carla Speed McNeil) opens with Minder Three already dead in Caracas. Probably naturally, but with a special agent, you can never be quite sure. Over in Georgia (the country), a Russian businessman is kidnapped for ransom. This is just the latest in a series of such kidnappings, but it’s more personal for Director of Operations Paul Crocker. It turns out that he was once assigned to bring the man’s father out of Prague safely, which didn’t happen, creating some bad blood in the agency. He’d like to save the businessman as a way to repay his debt.
This doesn’t involve any British interests directly, so he can’t send a rescue mission. But strings are pulled to send Tara and a prospective new Minder Three to T’blisi in an advisory capacity. They manage to trigger an overreaction by the kidnappers, and Tara must now find a way to escape the country by “the safest route.” Tara does a horrible thing, which turns out better than it well might have.
“Operation: Dandelion” (illustrated by Mike Hawthorne) is much more deep in internal politics. C, the head of SIS, is being replaced. The most likely prospect has a personal grudge against Paul Crocker since Prague and a couple of other operations that they blame each other for the failure of. A government minister offers Paul support if his agency will produce a plan to allow a rebel to take control of Zimbabwe. Crocker realizes he needs to get more information on the rebel before making the plan, and the man is conveniently in London, so he sends Tara Chace to do the femme fatale thing.
However, Crocker’s team isn’t supposed to operate domestically, and “Box”, the division that is, is also investigating the man. They don’t appreciate the intrusion.
In a subplot, there’s another opening for Minder Three, and a surprise candidate is found. He’s SAS, but has been outed as gay, which caused a fellow soldier to engage in “friendly fire.” Rather than lose his skills, couldn’t he do intelligence?
This is tense, gritty stuff. There’s a lot of “shades of grey” as both our agents and their opponents do morally repugnant things in the service of their country or their personal goals. Some of the characters let personal ambition or grudges guide their actions more than seems wise. There’s little compunction about manipulating others to get desired results, and less regret if it goes wrong.
The three artists have very different styles, and it’s a good thing the cast are introduced with minibios at the beginning of each mission to help us figure out what they look like now.
Notably, this volume feels less “American politics with a British wash” than the first one.
Content note: Violence, sometimes bloody. Male and female nudity, onscreen sex. Alcohol abuse. A pregnant woman is endangered. Torture. Attempted rape. Homophobia. Considerable rough language. For “mature readers.”
Overall: In some ways a better volume than the first. Recommended to “gritty” spy fiction fans.
