Jun 25 2009
Nick Fury Wants YOU!
Alot of my comics fall within two categories. I have the standard super hero stuff like Iron Man, Spidey, or Thor. And I have the cosmic super hero stuff like Green Lantern, Nova, or Guardians. Everything I read can be put into one of those two categories. This might be one of the reasons I like Secret Warriors so much; it feels like nothing else I’m reading.
For all you SHIELD fans, this is the book you were waiting for. Sadly enough, SHIELD itself is gone, but theres still plenty of Nick Fury. Damn, every time I say that name it just sounds more awesome. If I were an 80’s action hero, my character would have some variation of that name. After years of service, Nick is reduced to playing babysitter for a bunch of teenage punks. Some of them have potential, but I havn’t seen enough of them to get attached. They were pushed aside momentarily in favor on the Howling Commandos, which is probably a smart move in the long run if they are going to be major players. But in the short run, I would favor some more attention to the kids. Whats he up against? HYDRA is back in full throttle, and for the first time in years they actually look like a force to be feared. Issue 2 introduced one of the best cadre of villains Ive seen in a while. I want to see some good old fashioned Fury vs. Strucker showdowns, and I have a feeling were going to see plenty of them.
What really puts this book over the top is its sense of style. Its trying to go for a sense of realism with an undeniable comic book twist. Let me explain. Many of the characters like Nick, the Howling Commandoes PMC, and Hammer are made up of ordinary guys. They fight battles with guns, helicopters and cunning. Its been mostly recon missions and surprise attacks so far. We also see characters get beat up pretty bad. One member of the team has already lost an arm to some kind of insane dark samurai. That sentence actually sums up the series right now. We have a sense of realism, but some elements are pretty far out, like ressurecting a dark swordsman named Gorgon. It actually reminds me alot of Metal Gear Solid 4, which is due in no small part to the current setting in Africa, espionage, PMCs, and guys who like to bring swords to gun fights.
Nick Fury is building up an army. Hes been outwitted once before, and now has a grudge against just about everyone. The series isn’t perfect, and has its flaws. Individual issues can be a bit slow, and the size of the cast is almost too big for its own good at this point. I’ve also have yet to hear how HYDRA managed to infiltrate SHIELD so deeply in the first place. In the long run, I see this being one of Marvel’s best titles. At the very least, check the book out for distinctive art style and Dum Dum Dugan blowing stuff up.
