Author Brian Michael Bendis’ best team title is the Dark Avengers.  Known for his quips and deeply characterized dialogue, Bendis is nailing the personalities of each Dark Avenger.  As I find myself asking, well what about this… Bendis tackles it in the next issue.

Ares, the god of war, is a silently brooding Avenger who has been in the background.  In this issue, he addresses the fact that his son Phoebus, god of fear, is on Nick Fury’s Secret Warriors.  Ares confronts Fury and it’s nothing that I expected.  Rather than handing us a safe and predictable resolution, Bendis creates a realistic father-son relationship between Ares and Phoebus that makes perfect sense, yet totally unexpected.

Dark Avengers are a time bomb waiting to explode.  Daken is manipulating his teammates behind the scenes; Bullseye is nuts and craving to kill; Venom is crazy as well; and the Sentry is waiting to unravel.  The tableside chat between teammates is priceless – who is funnier Spider-man or Deadpool? – wisecracks about the Sentry and his fragile state of mind.  Bendis also leaves us with a cliffhanger that could have major ramifications.

Bendis frames this issue beautifully with both the first and final pages depicting a silent Norman Osborn behind closed doors as his team of leashed psychopaths begins to become untethered.

The next issue should be interesting.

4 out of 5

This book is slowly building up a good momentum.  I wasn’t a fan of the first issue.  My expectation of what Secret Warriors was going to be was very different than what it actually is.  There is a reason Jonathan Hickman is being paid to write and I’m not.

Hickman is writing a smart book.  Pacing and plot are right on target.  The stakes are high for Fury and the gang.  S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hydra.  This is certainly darker than Norman Osborn having his fifteen minutes of glory.  Osborn’s power will come tumbling down; we know this.  Hickman’s incarnation of Hydra’s power is much more terrifying.  The implications of Hydra’s reach into our government and the world plays on anyone who has conspiracy theory fears.  Hickman handles the build up, reveal, and characters reactions with skill and realism.

Stefano Caselli’s art is breathtaking.  The emotions and facial expressions are beautiful, crisp, and transparent.  Who these characters are is expressed in the Caselli’s lines.  His ability to nail both a dinner conversation and a frantic battle is masterful.  I don’t like the coloring; it’s too muted and dull.  I like that it’s moody and unique to Secret Warriors.  Like the story, I guess it’s growing on me.

I’m still not sold on the each member of team Fury has assembled.  The stronger members, Phobos and Hellfire, are getting more time in the spotlight.  Not impressed with Daisy, I was glad to see her screw up a mission and be demoted by Fury.  Another weaker member get hurt pretty bad.  Hopefully, we get a cool replacement.

Hickman’s writing and Caselli’s art crafts a well-paced title that avoids the silliness of many Dark Reign titles.  Hydra is no push over.  This is personal for Fury.  He seems like a time bomb that will go off at some point.  However, he is a seasoned veteran who has self-control and is willing to wait for the big payoff.

3.5 out 5

Secret Warriors begins to build up steam.  In this issue, we learn about Baron Strucker, leader of Hydra, and his devious plans for their future.  Hickman navigates through some back-story on Hydra that works very well.  Hydra actually feels like a tough enemy, rather than a laughable cartoonish Cobra (from G.I. Joe) rip-off.  Fury’s inner battle, realizing he has been a Hyda pawn and questioning years of his work, is convincing and a great motivator for his impending war on the organization.

We’re treated to a more natural and seamless introduction to the Secret Warriors’ team.  I am starting to get to know and like them. Some interesting dilemmas are placed before our newly formed warriors.  Six-year-old Phobos, god of fear and Ares’ son, flexes his powers.  During a Chinese food dinner, he predicts each team member’s fate, including the death of a teammate.  After a tough meal, Fury tells the team that one of them must infiltrate Hydra as a spy.

Stefano Casselli is able to draw a great book that’s heavy on dialogue scenes as opposed to panel after panel of action. He combines a vivid energy and sharp realism to give him a unique style.  Being able to hold the eyes’ attention without action is no easy feat, yet I think the use of more vibrant colors would help these pages come to life even more.

Hickman is resisting a pure action plotline for taking the time to build character motive and a compelling story.  I wasn’t thrilled with Issue One, but I enjoyed this issue. I’m looking forward to the next issue.

3 out of 5

Of all the Dark Reign titles, I was looking forward to this one the most.  What could be better than the return of Nick Fury, now agent of his own band of bad asses?  This was the top of my stack this week and once finished, I wept.  They were tears of sorrow; the same tears I shed when I watched Star Wars : Episode One.  

Here’s why:  Writer Jonathan Hickman hurt my head.  Bendis is listed on the title as well, but he was a passenger for this train wreck.  I had to read this comic twice to make sure I knew what was going on (last few pages I read three times).  I had to keep checking who was who on the team and what their powers were.  Right now, the team members remind me of a leftover dinner my mom would serve, throwing on the plate whatever was left in the fridge.   Hopefully, they will take on flesh and personality in issues to come.     

Someone needs to open the box of Crayolas on this book.  None of the colors popped and the characters were hard to tell apart at times.  Daisy, the leader of the group,  looks like Maria Hill and the other girl on the team.  I call her the other girl because she’s not memorable.  All I remember is she had longer hair and held a big stick.  Daisy is a dull character, not a good sign since she’s the leader of Fury’s covert bunch-o-misfits.

I always thought of Nick Fury as a man of few words.  Well, I have been proven wrong.  He never shut up and what he said was confusing.  He spoke to Obama, he talked to Daisy, and lectured him team (yelling at them for doing stuff, which was the only action in the entire book).  That’s a summary of the entire book!  I waited months for a lecture!  The last few pages of this book was a text book, literally.  We get to see the documents Nick Fury downloaded.  I’m not on his pay roll.  Shouldn’t Nick Fury be reading this and just giving me the Cliff  Notes?      

The big reveal at the end, Hydra controlling S.H.E.I.L.D, didn’t do much for me.  Hydra’s in charge S.H.E.I.L.D, Osborn is the world’s savior, villains hijack the Avengers – life is tough in the Marvel Universe.  Deal with it Fury.  Stop lecturing and start kicking ass.  The only saving grace is that this is issue one.  I hope this is just necessary set up for better things to come.  If not, class dismissed Professor Fury.

2 out of 5