This book has sunk, along with Tony Stark, to the depths of the ocean floor.  While Norman Osborn has taken over all that Tony holds dear, is he powerful enough to influence Matt Fraction (who is very talented) to write a crappy book?  Poor Tony Stark has lost everything and now he can’t even have a decent self-titled monthly comic.

Iron Man’s Dark Reign adventures gave gone from absurd to the ridiculous.  For examples, Pepper Pots gets her own Iron Gal suit and Tony has stored all pertinent S.H.I.E.L.D. in his very own noggin.  Pepper is flying around saving the world and gets captured by the end of the issue.  Stark is at the bottom of the ocean floor in one of his underwater office spaces.  Osborn gets Namor to go after Tony.  They get in a fight and Tony gets away.  There are two moments where I think Tony would have died.  How he is able to breathe and how his suit adapts to shelter him from the ocean is glossed over.  I guess author Matt Fraction has other things to worry about, like where his plot went.  Fraction throws a few little surprises and fun moments, but not enough to make this worthwhile.

The M.V.P. of this book is colorist Frank D’Armata.  The pages pop vibrantly and are deeply textured.  Larroca’s art is mostly good, but has its flaws.  I was very distracted by Tony’s clean shaved face.  Come on!  Is shaving real going to disguise one of the world’s most famous men?  My bad, it actually does.  The moustache-less Stark looks unrecognizable, resembling a shaven monkey.

If I was in the pages of this “once great now crappy” title, I’d want a disguise too. Hopefully, Iron Man can find some direction.  Considering what could be done with Tony Stark facing a world that wants him destroyed, I’m sad this is what we get.  Please, give Tony his creepy moustache back and get Pepper out of that ridiculous suit.

2 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