Secret Warriors #24 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), David Marquez & Alessandro Vitti (art), IFS (colors), and Dave Lanphear (letters)

The Story: We learn the unfortunate fate of Mikel Fury’s team.

The Review: This month, we meet the other team that Nick’s gathered, that led by his son Mikel.  Amazingly, in the little space we have to meet each member of the team, Hickman gives us cool characters with equally concepts and personalities.  Despite these being brand-spanking new characters with a mere two-page scene a-piece, each feels and looks unique.  That’s no small feat.  Either way, it’s hard not to read this issue and think that this team could’ve made for one heck of a fun series in their own right.  They’re a lot of fun and the histories, banter, and dynamics feel far from throw away.

But really, why the hell are we meeting these characters for the first time this close to the series conclusion?

It’s a really strange choice for Jonathan Hickman and he’s ultimately fighting a losing battle, especially how he ends this issue.  As we already knew, this team would eventually meet their demise but the fact that Hickman decides to show their introduction and their end in 22 pages is an impossible endeavor.  I’m not even quite sure why he attempted it.  While each of the characters is cool, we have nowhere near the attachment or understanding of any of them to really give much of a crap about their ultimate fate.  To introduce them and end them in one issue and expect us to care, or get anything out of it, is kind of ludicrous.

And frankly, these characters, new as they are, deserved better.  Thought and work clearly went into them and it sucks to see them dealt with like this, as no more than disposable narrative furniture.  Quite frankly, the story Hickman has on his hands for this issue is a good one, but it’s one that should’ve been spread over a full story-arc at the very least, not a single issue.  I mean, we don’t even meet two of the team’s members.  Hickman ran out of space to even get through all the introductions, so the last two characters are just quickly mentioned in a couple lines of dialogue.  That should’ve sent alarm bells off.

Secret Warriors #5 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev (Creators), Jonathan Hickman (Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve made no secret about how much I love what at Bendis, Hickman, Caselli, and Rudoni are doing with Secret Warriors. Their series is good, very good…and it looks to get even better as time goes on.

The Story: Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos infiltrate and attack a H.A.M.M.E.R. dock in order to some nab some helicarriers. There’s one problem…Kraken, one of the heads of HYDRA, knows of the plan.

What’s Good: If you can get past one glaring issue (which I’ll get to), you’ll have one hell of a time with Secret Warriors #5. It looks incredible most of the time and reads far better than most action heavy comics as the Howling Commandos, Hydra, and H.A.M.M.E.R. collide on a former S.H.I.E.L.D. dock. In short, the latest issue of Secret Warriors is a great example of a creative team at the top of it’s game.

Jonathan Hickman does a superb job of handling the dialogue for the Howling Commandos (especially Fury and Dum Dum Dugan) and the heads of Hydra. With the Commandos, Hickman writes them in a way that makes you truly get a feel for who they are (as a group) and what they stand for. Gruff, dedicated, and no-nonsense, you’ll have little difficulty buying into the idea that the Commandos actually have a shot at getting away with the Helicarriers despite the thousands of troops manning the dock. As for Hydra, Hickman shows that he has it in him to really establish Hydra as a true threat. The brief Hydra meeting is chilling and does a nice job of setting the tone for how dangerous the heads of Hydra truly are.

There’s a whole lot to like about what Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni deliver in Secret Warriors #5. The characters look great and the action is fast, fluid, and frantic in all the right ways. The highlight though, is easily the true introduction of The Hive. The segment that shows the head of Hydra doing, well, what it does, is insanely cool and slightly disturbing (in a good way).

What’s Not So Good: So… That glaring issue I mentioned early in the review? It’s that the Secret Warriors are given exactly one page in the latest issue of their series. While it’s great to see Fury, Dugan, and the heads of Hydra duke it out, I still feel as though the titular Secret Warriors have been woefully underdeveloped. The first arc of their series ends with the next issue and I barely have their names straight, let alone their team dynamic or final roster. While Jonathan Hickman’s storytelling/character decisions are far from crippling, they are still somewhat annoying considering that, five issue in, his cast of unknowns remains a cast of unknowns.

Conclusion: Lack of Secret Warriors aside, the latest issue of Secret Warriors delivers the goods. I highly recommend it!

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Warriors #4 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Story), Jonathan Hickman (Story & Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), Daniele Rudoni (Color Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I can’t get enough of Secret Warriors. It’s an outstanding fusion of story, script, and artwork that proves to be one of the best examples of how awesome the comic medium can be.

The Story: There’s a lot going on in Secret Warriors #4. Daisy and Sebastian head to Australia to recruit an Aborigine named Eden that can bend reality. Nick Fury does a little recruiting of his own by meeting with Dum Dum Dugan and other (former) Howling Commandos. J.T. and Alex (Phobos) go snooping in one of Fury’s offices and find something rather startling. The injured Yo-Yo remains under the watchful eye of Stonewall. Meanwhile, the heads of HYDRA take a vote that will have an impact on the entire cast….

What’s Good: The creative team behind Secret Warriors continues to impress. Jonathan Hickman writes one hell of a Nick Fury, and does a great job introducing a new character’s personality. He also makes the HYDRA members feel as threatening as they have to be in order to be taken seriously against a badass like Fury. As for the visuals, Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni make Warriors one of the best looking books on the stands. The character work is loaded with personality and style (Eden rocks), the colors are extremely eye-catching (love the J.T. and Phobos scene), and the storytelling flows well.

What’s Not So Good: Rarely do I find anything negative about artwork from Stefano Caselli. This time, I have. A few panels look a bit rushed (odd considering that the book missed it’s original street date) and Nick Fury looks like he found the fountain of youth in a panel or two. Fairly small things, I know, but worth noting regardless.

While not necessarily a negative, I must warn that Secret Warriors #4 is a fairly slow read. There’s lots of talking, no action, and a whole bunch of set up. Do I mind? Not at all. But I’m sure that some might.

Conclusion: While a little bit slow, Secret Warriors #4 lights the fuse that promises to give the series an explosive future.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Warriors #3 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Story), Jonathan Hickman (Story & Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Color Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: To simply say that I was looking forward to the launch of Secret Warriors would not do my anticipation for the series justice. A quick look through the “Best of ’08” feature will reveal that Secret Warriors is being worked on by what pretty much amounts to my personal creative dream team of sorts. And let’s not forget that Nick Fury is one of the main characters… Always a good thing. So since I didn’t review the first two issues, let me just say that I’m loving the series so far and can’t wait to read more.

The Story: The team’s assignment is to head to a shadow S.H.I.E.L.D. psi-agent processing and quarantine facility to make sure Hydra doesn’t get any hands on the vital assets kept there. Unfortunately for Fury’s “Caterpillar” team, the Hydra group targeting the S.H.I.E.L.D. building happens to include the recently resurrected Gorgon. Meanwhile, Nick Fury takes some time out in order to have dinner with an old flame.

What’s Good: Intensity. Only a few issues in and I can comfortably say that nearly every Secret Warriors panel is loaded with it. From the tight writing to the moody, kinetic artwork, no other series brings intensity to the reader so damn effectively. And Secret Warriors #3 may be the best issue yet.
Jonathan Hickman’s slick script is packed with sharp dialogue and great character work. It really is that good. I truly believe you are going to have a tough time finding a more gripping read this April. A particular scene worth noting is the chilling moment between Phobos and Gorgon.  The scene really drives home the type of villains the Secret Warriors are facing. In addition, the dinner scene featuring Nick Fury is prime example of what makes him such a memorable character.
As for the artwork, Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni absolutely knock it out of the park for the most part. The characters are full of emotion and the action absolutely jumps off the page. I do have one complaint though…

What’s Not So Good: If Secret Warriors #3 has any flaws, they have more to do with something the creative team has to overcome as opposed to anything that’s wrong with the individual issue.  For example, since Fury’s team is made up mostly of a group of unknowns, the characters carry around a bit of baggage.
Furthermore, I have found that the battle scenes tend to be a bit confusing, as discerning powers and keeping up with the frantic pace set by Caselli’s artwork can occasionally be a bit frustrating.  In Secret Warriors #3, I definitely found myself trying to decipher an action panel or two.   Also, Phobos, Quake (Daisy), and Hellfire (J.T.) are really the only three team members I feel I know anything about. I thought by now I’d have a better grip on the team as a whole. A small complaint considering how great most of the cast is, but worth mentioning regardless. I’m sure everyone will be fleshed out soon enough, but as of now I can’t help but feel as though some of the character development is a bit lacking.

Conclusion: I highly recommend Secret Warriors #3. And while I wish a few of the growing pains would go away, they do little to detract from the quality of the issue. In this reviewer’s opinion, if you aren’t reading Secret Warriors, you’re missing out on a potential “series of the year” candidate.

Grade:  A-

-Kyle Posluszny