The Stop Button

Despite the (already) ominous title, Oriental Agents’ main cringe-factor doesn’t involve the titular spies. Instead, wow, does The Spirit think very little of Ellen Dolan, and in general, the female of the species.

The strip begins with Ellen dumping Homer Creep (née Creap) because he’s not the Spirit. Homer goes off and gets drunk, gets picked up by a spy, and kidnapped. Ellen’s mortified at the thought of him… finding another woman. Just because she doesn’t want him doesn’t mean she wants some other girl having him.

This generally gross vibe continues throughout the strip, whether when Ellen tries to tag along with the Spirit to investigate or when she gets to the resolution and finds no one cares about her feminine wiles.

The spies—from the “Asiatic Embassy”—kidnapped Homer to hypnotize him and get him to kill an industrialist. Despite them being the title characters, until the Spirit arrives at their lair—a remote castle—they’re barely around. Most of the time is spent with Ellen, Homer, or the Spirit. Dolan’s got a little time fretting over Ellen’s romantic decisions and expositing about Homer being a murderer (he’s not the first guy they’ve hypnotized into murder). Ebony’s also around for a few panels; he was out doing investigating for the Spirit, who isn’t as disinterested in the case as he conveys to Ellen. He just doesn’t want to be cleaning up her love life.

Once it’s clear their cases are entwined, Spirit will relent and take Ellen along in his pursuit. That pursuit will involve the Spirit putting on a disguise. The disguise is on his face: muss to make him look old and a ruffled hat. Otherwise he does not change his blue suit. No one can recognize him with that face makeup, despite him wearing the same suit as the scene before.

It’s an okay strip, certainly the least in a while. While the Oriental aspects of the story seem like they should be in the spotlight, they’re very mild. Ellen being an unlikable, shallow harpy, however, is a problem. Especially since the strip itself seems to dislike her.

Big “he-man woman haters club” energy here.