Secret Avengers #1 – Review

by Ales Kot (Writer), Michael Walsh (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: The Fury, A.I.M agents and an evil Latverian agents walk into a bar…

The Review: With the previous volume still freshly concluded, it’s a bit hard for those who rather like the continuation of regular numerical order to be happy. With many titles being launched and relaunched, some might be skeptical to see some concepts being merely tweaked with a whole new number one on the cover, especially if it’s a continuation of previous elements established prior. However, there might be some reasons why renumbering can also work.

Case in point, this new volume of Secret Avengers, while using several ideas and characters of the previous volume by Nick Spencer, is one that feels justified in its new number one. The reason is very simple: while it keeps the espionage vibe and some of the plot threads introduced in the latest arc co-written by the sole writer here, Ales Kot, it has a decidedly different tone that makes this another book altogether.

The first notable thing is the fact that Kot, in his own ways, allows for the absurdity of super heroes to resonate on the page, playing with comedy for all its worth. Using the seriousness of each situations to its advantage, the writer presents another side to allow the ambiguity of the characters, their relations and many other smaller details to present a good dose of humor without hurting the very scenes themselves. How Black Widow relaxes, what happens after Hawkeye manages to flee the A.I.M agents for a second, the type of experiments M.O.D.O.K. has been doing and many other smaller details are put in to make it a fun ride.

What also hugely helps the issue is its pacing, with an approach that is fast, yet without any superfluous bits in the least. Focusing on the idea of progression and action to carry the issue on a forward momentum at all times, the issue presents ever-changing situations, with an idea about adaptation that fits quite well with espionage and the whole theme of crisis that the book present straight ahead.

Another aspects which is well-handled is the division, with a non-linear approach to storytelling combined to a rapidly switching focus on the many characters featured in this book. With close to everyone receiving about the same kind of panel time as everyone, it’s quite impressive considering the high amount of characters that is featured here. With no clear favourite or no character left on the side for good measure, this is an ensemble book in the best of ways.

Where it’s a little bit more mixed, though certainly not in a dramatic way, is the characterization of some characters. While Kot’s version of Hawkeye is the closest that he has been portrayed to Matt Fraction’s own version and much of everyone shine here, some other characters or concepts aren’t that well-presented or at least aren’t very well in concordance to prior incarnations. I will give points to Kot for making Phil Coulson an actually entertaining character and making Nick Fury Jr. (yes, I will stop naming him simply Marcus Johnson) a bit more entertaining all around.

Where he lose a bit more points is with two characters, namely M.O.D.O.K. and The Fury. While everyone favourite Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing is actually fun here, there is a certain discrepancy over the way he was portrayed in Jeff Parker’s great Hulk run where was re-introduced and the latest arc of the latest volume of Secret Avengers. Concentrating much more on the mad scientist aspect of the character instead of his utilitarian and more manipulative side, there is a certain dedication to entertainment more than characterization with him that might prove a bit disappointing for those who were fans of how he had changed from joke character to a more nuanced threat.

The Fury, however, is a bit more disappointing in the respect that he is much more a simple presence here more than an actual threat, with his more dangerous elements more hinted at than shown. Banking more on the legacy of the character than on his actions and threat level, the inclusion of such a character is not exactly the brightest spot in this opening issue.

Be as it may, those are minor quibbles in a book featuring a lot of fun, including in the artistic department with Michael Walsh. Adding quite a lot to the pacing, his layouts on most pages as well as his sense of progression and illusion of movements allow for a very rapid sense of urgency that only adds to the plot and the action. Adding quite a lot of details where it is needed, yet retracting to minimalism and precision in other areas, Walsh shows he can adapt himself to craziness, making him a good fit for Ales Kot.

Where he loses a bit of his charm, though, is with some of the faces and with his more sketchy and rough approach to lines and expressions. While his backgrounds and some elements do gets enhanced by this style, some of the facial expressions tend to get muddied up a bit in this resulting in some characters looking a bit more visceral and unfinished than they should. It’s not apparent on every pages, but it is enough in some that makes this a bit less polished than it could have been.

Still, Matthew Wilson, one of the element from the past volume that stayed for this one, is still as potent a colorist as he was prior. With a more colorful approach to this volume, Wilson adapts his palettes to the style of the book, giving a good sense of contrast as well as he contributes to the illusion of progression thanks to a good evolution between panels. Some scenes, like the one with Nick Fury Jr. against The Fury are a great example of this, showing yellow, purple, red and many brighter and outlandish colors in the background to allow for the actions to resonate visually and tonally with the more fast-paced approach. It may be different than the previous volume in many ways, but the talent is still very much present.

The Conclusion: Delightful in many ways, the book transcends the minor problems it has thanks to a fast-paced and fun approach to storytelling that allows for a good mix between nuanced and insane. It’s quite different when compared to the previous volume, but that’s certainly not a bad thing here.

Grade: B+

-Hugo Robberts Larivière