by Ed Brubaker (writer), David Aja, Michael Lark, & Stefano Gaudiano (art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Dave Lanphear (letters)
The Story: The secret history of the “other” Nick Fury is revealed.
What’s Good: For probably the very first time, Secret Avengers finally feels like Ed Brubaker doing what he does best and is most comfortable with. The series has thus far been dogged by a kind of glossy mediocrity but this month, with Brubaker in his element, the glimmers of potential are rekindled and we get an issue that actually feels special.
Readers familiar with Brubaker’s Captain America will find a lot to like here. That kind of old school comic and general pulp awareness underpin this issue, giving the book a fun, “classic” feel that makes it an enjoyable and characterful read. A lot of this is due to those pulpy, goofier elements that Brubaker has always loved, things like robots, weird science, wacky outfits, and things that feel charmingly dated.
It’s hard not to read this issue and realize just how badass a Brubaker penned Nick Fury series would be. He has a good handle on the character’s voice, but better still, Brubaker proves once again that he’s well-suited to old school, cloak-and-dagger spy stories. When Max Fury (Nick’s duplicant) is chased and hunted, it feels naturally thrilling, while the air of conspiracy smacks of some of the Cold War related stuff Brubaker did so well in Captain America.
The art works together with all of this brilliantly, conjuring a style that feels gritty and dark, while conjuring the look of a by-gone era. It doesn’t look sleak or polished, but it’s indisputably good art, although I’d be hard-pressed to imagine a Marvel-comic look more opposed to that of Mike Deodato. It’s a wonderful diversion, however, that delivers a powerful sense of nostalgia. Surprisingly, despite the three artists working in tandem, there’s also never any sense of dissonance or, frankly, any clear division of duties. I honestly would’ve believed this were all the work of one person.
What’s Not So Good: The structure of this comic is quite different from your average book in that it basically plays out as one extended conversation between Nick Fury, Steve Rogers, and Sharon Carter, with Nick narrating Max’s history. The result is that the book can feel a little more static and a little more distanced and detached from Max than I’d perhaps have liked. It does give the book a unique flavor, but I couldn’t help but feel that putting the conversation, and Nick, more firmly in the backseat might have better engendered a stronger bond between Max and the reader while the story unfolded.
This structure also leads to the issue’s ending coming a lot sooner than I expected. I’m not sure why, but you constantly expect Nick’s conversation and narration to end and the story to snap to present day, but when it finally does so, it’s the issue’s conclusion. The history and conversation have the strange sense of being just an introduction, when they’re the meat of the book. That said, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose, since it is an introduction of sorts, but to a character.
Conclusion: My favorite issue of Secret Avengers thus far. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, given that this is a one-shot without the actual team or the series’ main artist, but hopefully it’s a prelude of better things to come.
Grade: B
-Alex Evans
Grade
Conclusion