Dark Reign - the List: Secret Warriors #1 - Marvel

I finally got a chance to pick up a copy of this book. I know . . I'm trying to stay away from all the 'side-bar' books connected with Dark Reign, but . . I really enjoy the Secret Warriors title, so . . I just didn't want to miss out on an important part of the story. I think this one helped to explain the part of the story-line with Nick and John Garrett where they've been investigating Treasury Agent Seth Waters. Since Nick is trying to work under the radar, he had to cooperate a bit with Norman Osborn to bring this guy in. HAMMER helps them obtain him, and then Norman and Bullseye go about questioning him. After looking through his office they find . .'He had over 20 billion dollars in various slush accounts . . there's no doubt he was funneling money to someone . . but his office was clean except for this. No idea what it is . . we've never seen anything like it. We found it attached to his computer, so we're guessing it's some kind of data retrieval device.' In the end, I think this was all 'smoke & mirrors' on Nick's part. He was just using Norman to get to Seth. He couldn't bring him in on his own without bringing a shit-storm down upon his head. So he had Norman do it for him. He asks Norman to see the device. While he's holding it, Seth finally decides to tell them who he's working for . . Leviathan. As soon as he does he radios for John . . 'Do it!' John uses a high-power rifle to shoot Seth through the building . . straight in the head. And then Nick, with the device in hand, makes his exit out the side of the building. Later when he get to one of his secret bases in Rome, he opens the device to find that it contains detailed descriptions of Leviathan . . maps, bases and 'the Great Wheel'. It shows how everything . . Leviathan, Hydra, SHIELD, and independent agents are all connected. I think Nick suspected who Seth was working for, and what he might find if he had any tech laying around. But while he used Norman . . he couldn't let him see the same information. This was something that Nick couldn't let get into his hands. Jonathan Hickman is doing a tremendous job with the Secret Warriors book, and in turn this issue also. I really like the spy-thriller that he's been scripting through this title. And I loved the way he had Nick use Norman this issue. He just bent Norman over and used him like his bitch. Norman didn't even get a dinner or cigarette afterwards. I bet he's pissed. Ed McGuinness did the art for this issue. This was a great book. I'm glad I picked it up.