Thursday, March 5, 2009

Secret Warriors #2

Nick Fury always seems to work best with a cliffhanger.

Nick was moved from the battlefields of World War II into the "modern" era when he became Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD in the mid-60s. Those stories first found a home in Strange Tales, replacing the 10-page adventures of the Human Torch.

Nick shared the magazine with Dr. Strange - an odd combination, but it was a comic I anxiously awaited each month. One reason for that was the fact that most of the stories ended with a cliffhanger, as Nick and his men faced certain death - only to save themselves, somehow, in the nest issue.

That style was honed to perfection under the guidance of Jim Steranko, one of the greatest writers and artists to work in comics. So it's nice to see a reference to those stories in a flashback panel in the newest issue of Secret Warriors.

I don't want to give away the big secret revealed at the end of the first issue - surely there must be someone who hasn't caught up with their reading yet - but this issue turns the focus on one of Fury's oldest enemies, Baron Strucker.

In flashbacks, we see how the Baron reacts to the Secret Invasion, and sets his own plans in motion.

The writing by Brian Bendis and Jonathan Hickman is holding up well, and they have a huge story bubbling here. It'll be interesting to see where they go from here.

I also like the artwork by Stefano Caselli (with color art by Daniele Caselli). It's dark and brooding, and fits the story very well. He also has an excellent touch with expressions.

So far, the story is rolling out slowly - but it's been very good so far. And each issue has ended with something of a cliffhanger - so what's not to like?

Grade: A-

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