Secret Warriors #18 and #19 - Marvel

This is another fantastic book, and series, by Jonathan Hickman. I don't know how the guy does it. Not only are the stories here, and over in SHIELD, fantastic and well thought out but . . there are also incredibly intricate and detailed. I don't know if he has this all drawn out on some board somewhere, but it seems to me that it would be hard for one person to put the amount of effort into one of these incredible series . . let alone two. And for that I have to give him some huge props. In these 2 issues, Dum Dum and Sitwell are sitting in front of a UN Security Council being questioned for the actions that have occur ed in Chinese airspace . . in which Nick Fury and Dum Dum led two helicarriers into battle with a HYDRA base. It seems to me that basically they're upset because they don't know what's going on. Eventually Dum Dum and Sitwell spell it out for them . . 'See, you are all going to have to get with the program if you have any chance of dealing with this in a reasonable fashion . . there is a shadow war going on between organizations that have no allegiance to anything but themselves. They have no nation to defend, so they don't worry about sanctions or retribution. They have no borders, so they can't be boxed in or contained. Your rules . . your laws . . mean nothing to them.' It all comes down to 2 things. First they want to know if Nick is going to take care of the problem for them. And then they want to know if he's the kind of man they can work with. I take back what I said earlier. Maybe they did know what the problem was, they just didn't know how to deal with it. And now that they know that someone is willing to . . they probably want to make sure that strategic alliances aren't disrupted, embarrassed or pushed to the breaking point. Everybody has an agenda. And even though they knew this was a problem that was eventually going to have to be addressed . . it's being done by someone without the same goals or ambitions as their own. Something like that can make people like these very nervous. Anyways, as were going through this story, we're also being shown the reunion between the various members of the Howling Commandos. Nick got them together a few weeks ago because of the events on the horizon. But, I think, also because of Steve's return. It's interesting how the battles and drama that they're going through now is so closely associated to what they dealt with back during the second world war. And the one constant, no matter what era they're fighting in is the loss of friends and associates that they've worked with. It's getting so that I think Nick has as many friends dead as he does alive. Possibly more. Anyways, were dealing mostly with the Howling Commandos for these 2 issues, so I imagine that we'll see what the Secret Warriors are up to in the next story-arc. As I said, I think Jonathan is doing a terrific job with this series. And Alessandro Vitti uses his art to give the book a feel that is perfect for it's theme. I'm glad I gave this book a chance.

SHIELD #3 and #4 - Marvel

First of all, I have to say that I think Jonathan Hickman is writing a masterpiece here. He's doing nothing short of tying together all of history, and then weaving the creation, tenents and aspirations of SHIELD throughout all of it. It's hard for me to even explain what Jonathan has going on here, because . . well . . everything is tied together. It's hard to know one thing, without another. And for knowledge to progress further, the past has to be better understood. Suffice it to say, the characters in this book consist of some of the richest in history . . Imhotep, Galileo, Da Vinci, Newton and, apparently the most important . . or dangerous, I'm not sure which . . Nostradamus. Through their secret elixir . . the Forever Compound, Nostradamus has been the thread that has existed through all of the most recent history . . the past 500, plus years. While Da Vinci seems to be the errant explorer that bounces around through history, to where he sees fit. Although he seems to have an agenda and purpose, it's hard to see exactly what that is right now. But we do see however that things seem to revolve around a boy . . Leonid. When Da Vinci comes to him it's in the year 1956. And Leonid is a young man . . probably in his early 20's. He's called by some, 'the boy with the stars beneath his skin'. Whatever that means. Like I said, we see a lot of interesting stuff going on here, but . . we aren't privy, yet, to how it's all connected. We know that it is, we just aren't being shown the threads . . yet. We see stuff from Galactus outside of Rome, in 1582, to Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan Al Azdi's destruction in 750 AD. We see Newton's discovery of the Devian City in 1625, to Nostradamus' abduction in 1652. We see Da Vinci's return to the brotherhood, and the Immortal City, in 1956, to a pregnant Celestial in 114 AD. And Nostradamus has been witness and privy to most of this knowledge. At the end of issue #4 when Leonid, after discovering his incarceration, asks him who he is . . he replies, 'I am Nostradamus. The Catalyst. And the Architect of Revelation.' It really is a lot to take in. But Jonathan is definitely the architect of this story . . this masterpiece in the making. And he's doing a tremendous job. As well as Dustin Weaver who visually interprets it all for our unworthy eyes. I know. A little dramatic there, but . . I had to give it a shot. Anyways, it's a great story and apparently the foundation for the entirety of the Marvel Universe. Not to much pressure on Jonathan's shoulders there. Right? It's a great story. But if you haven't picked it up yet . . do so from the very beginning. I'm not just being dramatic when I say . . everything is connected.

Shadowland #2 and #3 - Marvel

I picked up issue #1 of this series mostly because I was interested in what was happening to Daredevil. I know I don't follow his book right now, but at one time I was a huge fan. Anyways, this story looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a shot. And when issue #1 ended with him killing Bullseye, well . . my curiosity was definitely peaked. But I'm not going to be picking up any of the addendum's. I'm not going to be dragged into all of that again. Anyways, in issue #2, Luke and Danny are trying to figure out what to do. I think their resolve is strengthened when Wilson Fisk shows up trying to prompt them into action. I don't think they were swayed so much by what the Kingpin said, but rather that the situation had deteriorated so much that he was now involved. I think it kind of opened their eyes. But Wilson doesn't put all of his eggs in one basket. Lady Bullseye has found the Hand's Black Scroll for Wilson. With it he can bend one of the Hand's most ancient enemies to his will . . the Zugaikotsu. Or in other words . . the Ghost Rider. And, while this is going on, Jake Lockley . . the Moon Knight . . has gotten himself captured by Daredevil's ninja's because he wants to find out what exactly is going on with all of these prisoners that have been taken. As he arrives in the dungeons, almost simultaneously Luke has gathered a group of Matt's friends to confront him in the main hall. Matt has put out a call for warriors. He wants to strengthen his ranks. So when they come knocking on the door saying that they want to help . . he believes them. At first. But tensions quickly rise. And when the Ghost Rider attacks in the dungeons, Daredevil thinks that everything is connected. There's a big battle and most of Daredevil's prisoners escape. Jake stays behind. Even though his plan has been shot to hell . . he still wants to know what's going on. And, when the Punisher gets involved, Luke and his cadre also make their escape . . relatively unscathed. However, in the process, they see that Daredevil is more than Matt ever was on his own. They think that something from the Hand may be possessing him. Specifically he's become a puppet of the Snakeroot, and a vessel for . . the Beast of the Hand. However, by the end of issue #3 we see that Daredevil has Typhoid Mary by his side, and is recently joined by Elektra. Not to mention, in his quest for better soldiers, he's decided to resurrect Bullseye. And Moon Knight is still hiding in the shadows . . biding his time. Andy Diggle has put together a pretty interesting story here. As with the heroes, I'm starting to believe that Matt is no longer in control of his actions. I'm interested to see how this is all going to turn out . . and where Matt, or Daredevil's character will be left in the aftermath. Billy Tan is also doing a great job with the art here. I'm intrigued, but not so much that I'm going to buy the other issues. I think I'll just stick with this one and see what happens.

Shadowland #1 - Marvel

Yet another post that starts out with . . 'one day while on E-bay'. This was another one of those grand cross-over stories that I had decided that I wasn't going to follow. I know this storyline is supposed to turn Daredevil into a villain, but . . we all know that's not going to happen. It may look like it for a while, but . . in the end, I'm sure he'll be on the side of right. So, I'm skimming through some sellers postings when I come across this issue, the Billy Tan variant, for 99 cents. I know this is an expensive variant, so I think if I can get it cheap what the heck. Well, I didn't get it for 99 cents, but . . I did get it for $4. So . . I was pretty happy with the purchase. Especially since the regular issue was $3.99. Now, the only problem is . . if I decide to read this storyline . . some of the characters involved, specifically Moon Knight, Bullseye and Elektra, are some of my favorites. So I'll have to get the cross-overs with them. And that's where my dilemma arises. I'm actually trying to cut back a little bit on books. But then these things keep coming out to tempt me. And unfortunately when it comes to comics . . I don't have all that much willpower. Anyways, the story with this is . . the Hand has asked Matt to be it's new leader. Apparently Matt agreed because he had hoped to turn the organization into a force for good. Then Bullseye came to Hell's Kitchen and destroyed a city block . . killing 107 people. Matt built a Japanese castle on the block, and started protecting Hell's Kitchen from it's walls . . and the 100's of Hand assassins he has working for him. The Hand is convinced that they are turning Daredevil . . turning him to the dark side, as it were. And it appears that the Avengers are also concerned about the heavy-handed tactics that he's been using to expunge crime from his home neighborhood. Although, they can't really argue with the results. Anyways, this issue chronicles the event that apparently sends Matt over the edge. On his way to the Raft, Bullseye breaks out of custody. And of course . . he heads straight to Hell's Kitchen. He confronts Matt, and on the final page . . in a scene reminiscent to that of Bullseye killing Elektra . . Matt runs him through with his own sai. Which, unfortunately happens just as Luke and Danny show up to talk to him. Andy Diggle sets up a fantastic opening to this new story-arc. Billy Tan does the pencils both inside and on this gate-fold cover. They look fantastic. This looks like it's going to be an exciting story. And I really like the look and feel of Matt with this new attitude and costume that he's carrying around. I guess I'll stick around and see what happens.

Secret Warriors #17 - Marvel

First I want to say that I think Jonathan Hickman is doing an incredible job with this series. I've been impressed with his writing in other Marvel books, but . . he seems to have a special affinity towards this type of book. Or maybe it's just Nick Fury. Maybe he's such a strong character that he not only motivates and rallies the troops and characters around him, but also the person writing about his adventures. It sounds like as good an explanation as any, to me. Anyways, Nick has a lot of irons in the fire right now. He started out with his Secret Warriors, led by Daisy, to aid in the Skrull Invasion. That team then turned their attention towards Norman Osborn and HAMMER. Although, I'm not sure what their focus is right now. But they are his primary team, the White team. He's also got his Grey team, made up of ex-SHIELD operatives and led by his son Mikel. They've been trying to put the hurt on Leviathan . . the recently resurrected cold-war Soviet organization . . and their also resurrected leader, Orion. And he has a Black team, also made up of undiscovered young super-humans . . Lauren Wolfe, Ahmed Noor, Aaron Downing, Ben Huth, Bobby Gamorra, Cornell Gray, and Ellis Love. They're led by Alexander Pierce, and have been trying to destroy Hydra. Anyways, Leviathan and Hydra recently had a big to-do at their Hydra base in China which resulting in the destruction of the base and heavy casualties on both sides. Now Nick is ready to take advantage of this by sending his teams after both of their wounded enemies. Also, Nick has asked Dum Dum to assemble, and create, a new Howling Commandos unit. It's to be made up of former SHIELD operatives as well as new recruits. We see the beginnings of that in a party that's thrown in Sudan a few weeks ago. It's a party designed to bring all the living Commandos back together, and reignite their flames of patriotism. They also bring in some new recruits, and Steve . . just to bolster the deal. Most of this information we learn as the United Nations has a secret meeting of the Security Council. They're questioning Dum Dum and Jasper Sitwell. They know that Nick's involved, but . . they don't know what his plans are. And they also don't know if they're his own plans or if he's following someone else's agenda. So . . they're worried. Especially with the recent events in China. However, seeing as how all of these stories happened already . . in the recent weeks leading up to this issue, it's safe to assume that Nick has already begun his initiative. Which means, things are happening even as they're talking. This issue brought us up to speed. So hopefully the next will give us a clearer picture of what exactly is going on. Like I said, I think Jonathan is doing a fantastic job here. And I'm also enjoying Alessandro Vitti's art. This is a great series. I look forward every month to seeing where it goes.

SHIELD #2 - Marvel

I like this book, and I think Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver are doing a fantastic job. But . . I'm a little confused about what's going on. Basically, we were shown last issue that SHIELD, the organization, goes back to the time of Imhotep. There was a Brood invasion that he quelled in 2620 bc. From that point on they decided that there was a need for a shield to protect the Earth and it's inhabitants. Hence, the organization SHIELD as it was passed down from generation to generation. There's a boy, Leonid, who appears to be the key to everything. He's recently been taken to the immortal city . . hidden deep below modern day Rome, and holding the true secrets of the world. He's arrived there, as to has Leonardo Da Vinci. He knows what's going to happen because it has all been told to him by the Forever Man. Anyways, I'm having a little trouble connecting all of this. Right now, the Immortal City is being attacked by Leonid's father . . the Dark Man. But . . he's not his father. And the city is being defended by agents Stark and Richards. That's Howard Stark, and Nathaniel Richards. They hit the Dark Man with some type of weapon that reveals his core. Nathaniel tries to contain it, but when it explodes . . it looks like we see every version of Nathaniel through time . . all at the same time. I'm not sure what else it could be. And Da Vinci seems desperate to get Leonid in front of the high-council of immortals. Obviously someone is attacking the world, through the Dark Man, which is causing SHIELD to have to fight back. But we don't know who or why. We only see things for Leonid's and Da Vince's perspective this issue. So we only know what they know. And they're trying to figure things out. I'm just hoping all of this will make some more sense next issue. It's left me more than a little confused. But in the midst of all of this . . there's some pretty cool ideas going on. I just don't know how they're all connected . . yet! This is a very interesting book to me. I just hope it becomes a little more coherent.

Secret Warriors #16 - Marvel

I love this book. Personally, I think this is one of the best put together, intricate, thought out story-lines on the shelves right now. Jonathan Hickman is doing an incredible job here, and I just can't stress enough how no one should be missing this book. I believe there's a TPB, or 2 out there, so . . no one has any excuses. Right from the beginning of this series . . through the whole Norman Osborn era of terrorist activity, and now past it . . Nick Fury has had the pulse of the Marvel Universe And he's not liking what he's seeing. Looking back on the past, he now realizes that somewhere along the line he lost control . . he allowed his dream to be warped, and used, and subverted. And now with the dissolution of SHIELD, and later HAMMER, he thinks that the organizations that have stayed off the radar have come to feel as if they have a stranglehold. Right now HYDRA and Leviathan are fighting over control of the Earth's underground activities. Neither side are willing to back-down or relinquish even a modicum of control. This has caused a war. With devastating affects on both sides. And while things are in disarray, Nick is ready to jump in and put his finger on the pulse and snuff it out. Of course it's never quite as easy as he portrays it to be. But then again . . he's a card player that's never willing to show all his cards. The one thing I don't think Nick counted on, or maybe he did, is that JT . . Hellfire, from Daisy's team, is in HYDRA's pocket. Speaking of which, while all of this has been going on, Nick has basically assembled 4 different teams. There's Daisy's team of Secret Warriors. Then he's got the Grey team, led by Fury's son, Mikel. They're specifically going after Leviathan. And his Black team is going after HYDRA. They're led by Alexander Pierce. Then, on top of that, Nick's got Dum Dum gathering up former SHIELD operatives and putting together a new Howling Commandos. There's a lot of other stuff that happened this issue also, but . . Jonathan puts so much into his stories that there's no way I could express or explain it all in the small space I've inhabited here. You're just going to have to pick it up and read it. Gianluca Gugliotta does the art this issue. Seriously, though . . I'm not just trying to 'hype' you , or sell this book. Hell, I don't get anything out of it. I don't care if you just get a copy from the library and read it. I'm just saying . . read it. No matter how you have to do it. You will not be disappointed.

Siege - Secret Warriors #1 - Marvel

I know this one is a little late, but . . I originally didn't pick it up. This Siege story-line was one that I tried not to get involved in . . at least not all the peripheral titles. If it crossed over into one of the books I was already reading . . fine. But I wasn't going to buy extra books just in the attempt to try to keep up. Some story-lines I'm willing to do that for. Siege wasn't one of them. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoy the Secret Warriors title, but . . I just didn't want to get caught up in it all. If I bought this one, then I'd have to buy the Spider-man one, and so on, and so on, and so on. But then when I was perusing E-bay, and I picked up some other books from this guy, I saw this one in the list for 99 cents. So, I thought . . what the heck. As it turns out . . I got it. Yay me! I thought it was an interesting issue. It doesn't really deal with the actual Siege, per-se. But rather some of the ripples that come out of it. Specifically . . the death of Ares. His son Phobos, or Alexander, is on Nick's Secret Warriors team. But this is pretty much a solo story. After seeing his father die . . on CNN, or something . . he remembers something that he told him . .'If I fall, my burdens rest with you. Good son's fear now father's war . . my honor, Alexander . . my honor demands that questions be asked . . why was I killed?' So he decides that he's going to go straight to the man in charge and ask him just that. He hacks into Nick's computers, and find his way into one of the secret entrances into the White House. All he wants to do is talk to the President, but . . everything is on full-alert because of the situation in Broxton. He fights his way through a horde of secret service agents, but the President make his getaway before Alexander can confront him. So instead, he leaves a note on his desk . . .

'Dear Mortal Head of State,
I came here today to explain the true and total consequences of your actions over the last several months. I'm guessing after today that would be unnecessary.
It's not every day that a human finds himself responsible for the death of a god and then on that very same day escapes facing another.
Surely fortune favors you, and the men I spared. Enjoy it.
But before you wash your hands of my father's blood, I would encourage you to reflect on what brought us to this point:
You sacrificed honor for expediency. You traded intent for quick action. You were wrong . . and we all suffered for it.
So do better now mortal man . . for if not I, then surely some god somewhere will someday find you wanting.
It would be a shame to wager your good fortune with folly.

The God of Fear.
Son of War. '

I thought that was pretty cool . . and intense. So all in all I don't feel like I wasted my 99 cents. Jonathan Hickman gave us a great story, with Allessandro Vitti doing the art. And, I guess . . better late than never.

Secret Warriors #15 - Marvel

I know I've said this in the past, but . . I think Jonathan Hickman is doing a tremendous job with this title . . and these characters. I keep finding myself at odds over the reasons in which I like this story so much. Of course there's the spy and espionage stuff. That's a given when Nick Fury is involved. But with this book that's even stepped up a notch. We have HYDRA and Leviathan involved also. And with this issue, it looks like they've found some common ground in which they can reach some type of compromise. Which of course is not going to be good news for Nick. Especially considering that the Contessa, whom Nick has had an on again off again relationship over the years, is actually working for Leviathan. Which makes her a . . triple agent? She's been spying on HYDRA for quite a while, as Madame Hydra. Feeding Nick lots of information. But, as it turns out, she's actually a sleeper agent for Leviathan, who's been recently activated. Last issue she brought Viper to Leviathan, and killed her. This issue Nick finds out just what a nasty piece of work she really is. And, after HYDRA invades the Leviathan base where all of these previous events went down, they find Viper's body and, upon bringing it back to life, make her the new Madame Hydra. There's a whole lot of twists and turns here, which I think is fantastic. Anyways, I like that part of the story, but . . I'm also intrigued by the interaction and relationships between Nick's Secret Warriors. Daisy is still upset that Nick kicked Sebastian off their team. But at the same time she's trying to hold the rest of them together. Everyone else is equally as disgruntled, but . . Daisy is the only one that may have a chance of getting him back. Of course Nick once again denies her. And, I think, in her frustration enamors the relationship between her and James. I know she just wants to feel like she's in some kind of control, but . . I don't really think this is going to help. Anyways, I think this is a great series, and Jonathan has done a fantastic job with it so far. He's got a few different story-lines going on, and I think he does a great job of balancing those around Nick and Daisy. I also enjoy Stefano Caselli's art. If you're not following this story . . you really should. It's a great series and I think it's going to segue into some of the stuff coming up in the next couple of months in the Marvel Universe. Plus . . what's not cool about Nick Fury?

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - Marvel

I picked this book up for two reasons. One, because it's a SHIELD book. I've really been enjoying the Secret Warriors book, so . . if this is an extension, or definition of that . . I had to give it a shot. And secondly . . because Jonathan Hickman is writing it. I've really been impressed with this guys writing. So much so that I wanted to see what kind of original thoughts or ideas that this book might contain. To start out with, this book comes with two fantastic covers. The one on the right pictures our lead character, Leonid. It's brilliantly painted by Gerald Parel. The lower one is the alternative cover by Dustin Weaver. It could be argued that this is actually our main character as this cover depicts the return of Leonardo Da Vinci. Although a lot of this secret organization that's been around since 2620 BC, revolves around Leonardo, he's not the actual leader. I think he's just one of it's greatest innovators. The actual organization started with what looks like an invasion by the Brood. It's held back by an army of Egyptian warriors and their illustrious leader, Imhotep. His essence and character is what really defines and drives this group. This issue is set in 1953 when Leonid is brought in to the group. He's told the history of it, and shown some of it's greatest members . . Zhang Heng, Leonardo, Galileo. He's also shown some of it's greatest challenges . . the Brood, the Celestials, Galactus. But it's his mysterious father that really seems to open the doors for him. He's called the Night Machine. We don't know who he is, yet, but it's interesting that when he comes to liberate his son, he's met by agents Richards and Stark. This issue gives us the history of the real SHIELD. The one that's apparently been around since the dawn of man. It's very informative. But it leaves us with a whole lot more questions that answers. But that's ok. I think that'll be the fun of this book . . digging in to, and revealing all of that. I have a feeling that we're going to be getting a lot more startling revelations as this story proceeds. Like I said, we get a lot of information this issue, but . . I think it's only the tip of the iceberg. I really enjoyed this book. And Jonathan definitely left me wanting more. I also thought that Dustin Weaver did a fantastic job with the art.

Secret Warriors #14 - Marvel

We saw the fight between Daisy and Nick last issue over the dismissed Warrior, Druid. Daisy chose to keep him on the team. Nick cut him loose . . without telling her. She doesn't agree with him, and spends some time with JT complaining about their boss. However, during this conversation, Daisy finds out that JT is really only sticking around because of her. 'You're amazing. Whatever it is that drives people crazy, whatever it is that a woman does to a man . . you do that to me. I stay here, Daisy . . because you're here.' I don't know that she was ready for that particular revelation. But . . the important part of this issue revolves around Madame Hydra . . Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine. We knew that she was a double agent for Nick. She's been in the role of Madame Hydra, while feeding information to her true allegiance . . SHIELD. Or is it? When Leviathan comes and captures Viper, Madame Hydra goes after her. Supposedly to rescue her, or . . at the very least, making sure she doesn't give up any information about HYDRA to their enemies. But that act also pretty much ensured the suspicions of the rest of her HYDRA counterparts . . she was their weak link. However, we find out that when Dum Dum recruited Valentina, all those years ago . . she was already working for Leviathan. The situation with Viper just gave her the chance to return to the fold. And with the device in hand, they're able to return one of thier greatest warriors . . Orion. Apparently they've had him in some kind of stasis for about 14 years. When he finds out what's happened to his country in his absence . . he's ready to go back to work immediately. 'I hunger . . so we start. Taunt the Baron. Tempt the Fury . . let the settling of old scores begin.' My only question is . . Fury seems to know about a lot of other stuff. Stuff that no one else has been able to put together. Does he know about Valentina? Because if not . . this could be the downfall of everything that he's worked so hard for. Jonathan Hickman does an incredible job with this book. I love this espionage and spy stuff. And Jonathan is doing a terrific job at weaving the web. I thought this book was going away for the new SHIELD book, but . . I guess not. Right now it's listed through issue #16, with that being the start of a new 5-part story arc. That's fantastic, because I truly enjoy this book more and more every month. Every month I can't wait to see what new ride Jonathan and Stefano Casseli are going to take us on.

Secret Warriors #13 - Marvel

Well . . it appears that all the pieces are being moved into place for the battle now. Last issue Leviathan had taken Viper. We know that Madame Hydra is actually the leak in their organization, but . . we don't know who she's working for. This issue, she decides to go after Viper . . alone. It's a suicide run, but . . she appears to be up to something. Meanwhile, Nick is assembling his armies and putting them into position. Dum Dum has been putting together all the ex-SHIELD agents who didn't agree to the switch with HAMMER. And Daisy is trying to step up as the leader of her group. Right now she's fighting with Nick over the involvement of Sebastian. Nick just doesn't think that he's got what it takes, and that he's going to be a liability. But Daisy . . Daisy wants to stand up for her guys. Including Sebastian. Anyways, she and Nick talk to the group and let them know that it's going to be a long hard battle from here on out. And they also give any one of them the option to walk away if they don't think that they're up to it. No one does. Which is what Daisy was hoping for. So now they've all been given their separate parts of the coming mission, with the orders to not share them with anyone else. Each are given very specific instructions. Except for Sebastian. When he opens his paper, it says . .'You're a liability. So you're done. Go home.' So is he really done? Or is this another test? To see if he'll fight for what he wants. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until next issue to find out. Jonathan Hickman is constructing a fantastic story here. I love the 'wheels within wheels' theme that is constantly going on with Nick. This really plays out like the ultimate spy movie. And I think Stefano Caselli is doing a great job on the art. With all the changes coming up within the Marvel Universe I have no false hopes of this series lasting more than a few more issues. Right now it's listed until issue #16. It doesn't say that it's the final issue, but . . we don't know what happening after that, and that issue is the finale of the Wake the Beast story-line. However, there is a Secret Avengers title coming out it May, and a new SHIELD book in April. The SHIELD book happens to be written by Jonathan, so . . maybe this series will segue into that. All I know is that I originally picked up this book on a lark, but . . I haven't been disappointed since issue #1. If it doesn't continue, that's fine. I just hope there's something like it.

Ultimate Enemy #1 - Marvel

This was an interesting issue. It appears that something is going around Manhattan and taking out some of the 'old' key players. And they're doing major damage in the process. So far this issue it's gone after Roxxon . . which is witnessed by Pete's female clone, Spider-woman, Jessica Drew . . Reed Richards and his family . . his paternal family, not the FF since they're no longer together . . Sue Richards and the Baxter Building, and finally Nick Fury. We don't know exactly who it is yet, but it appears to be some kind of golem type of creature, with energy blasting powers. It also appears to be able to adjust it's shape, size and mass. When it takes out Roxxon and the Baxter building it pretty much envelopes the whole site. And it looks like a giant octopus, or amoeba as it attacks. However, when it confronts Nick it takes on a more human form. As he blows up the building and the street around him, he tells Nick, 'You have no one to blame but yourself, Nick Fury.' Also, he knew who, and where, Nick was even though he was in disguise. Even looking through the previews of this 4 issue series . . chapter 1, by the way . . I still have no clues as to who this may be. So far though . . besides attacking Roxxon, it seems to be after the former members of the FF. Well . . and Nick Fury. So I imagine it's only a matter of time until Peter is drawn into this as Johnny Storm is staying with him at Aunt May's now. This seems to be another shake-up for this line of comics by creator Brian Bendis. Ultimatum wasn't enough? Now they have to go through this also? I'm not sure where this story is going, but . . it looks to be an interesting ride. I really enjoyed the whole book, and I thought Rafa Sandoval did a terrific job on the art. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Secret Warriors #12 - Marvel

I like this book . . a lot! I think Jonathan Hickman is doing a great job with the stories. Especially considering all the various factions that he's trying to keep track of. And Stefano Caselli's art just gives this book a great feel. I first saw his stuff on the early Avengers: Initiative book. I liked it then, and I think he's just gotten better. On top of that, we have a whole series of beautiful Jim Cheung covers. Anyways, Jonathan has recently added a new faction to this war that's brewing in the Marvel Universe. We already have HYDRA and HAMMER. Then Nick seems to being putting together teams to fight on various fronts. First there was his Secret Warriors. And now with Dum Dum's help, they're re-establishing the Howling Commandos. And that's not even mentioning that I'm sure he has a black-ops team running around out there that we don't even know about yet. Anyways, to top all this off . . we've been recently introduced to what may be the baddest-ass team of all . . Leviathan. This issue we get a little bit about their history. They seem to have originated in Russia during the Cold-War. But now . . it seems like they've become something else entirely . . almost alien . . or something. Anyways, they attack HYDRA at their Nemesis base this issue. They fight Gorgon to a stand-still, and then take off with Viper. Apparently they're looking for some 'box'. We don't know all the details, yet . . just that they seem hell-bent on finding it. We also see Jerry and Yo-Yo go to Lacoochee Supermax Prison to visit his father . . Crusher Creel. I'm not sure what that was all about, but . . I think that story-line is just getting started. We also see the origin of that octopus looking guy on the HYDRA high-council. He seems to have come from the mating of a human with some type of alien spore . . or something. And when Nick calls a command meeting, we get a little more info on what his various teams are up to. And finally, back to Leviathan . . we see that what HYDRA has been dealing with so far appears to be only foot-soldiers. Their real 'beast' is lying asleep in cold-storage and they're about to wake it up. I love all this spy and espionage stuff. It makes me miss the old Alias series off of TV. You know, with all the 'schemes within schemes, and wheels within wheels' thing. But after 12 issues we still don't have the full picture of what's really going on. This whole series so far has been a build-up to 'things to come'. There's been fights and skirmishes here and there, but . . I think the real battle has yet to occur. And now that Leviathan has entered the picture . . it may turn out differently than Nick had originally anticipated. But he's nothing if not a man who thinks on his feet. He already appears to be adapting to this new threat, but . . like I said . . we still don't know everything that's going on. I think this is a great series. Although it's all been anticipation so far . . I still feel like the intensity rises with every issue. If you haven't read it yet, though . . this may be one of those series where you want to collect them and then knock 'em off all in one sitting. I actually may do that again also. I think it'll help with my appreciation of the complexities written into this title.

Secret Warriors #11 - Marvel

I love Jim Cheung's covers on this book. I think they're awesome. Plus, Stefano Caselli's art grows on me more and more every issue. There's a scene in the front of the book where Fury enters Daisy's room in the middle of the night. It's done in grayish tones. I think it's perfect. Anyways, this is another superbly written book by Jonathan Hickman. This issue though we're given a whole lot of puzzle pieces. Fury invites Daisy to join . . something. We don't know exactly what it is by it involves Dum-Dum Dugan, Olivia Hooks, Alexander Peirce and his son Mikel. Alexander leads Fury's black team, while Mikel leads the gray. So I would assume that Daisy's team is the white. Anyways, Fury wants them to work together for the time being. 'Up until now, all three of you have operated independently . . from here on out, your objectives will be intertwined. First? You strap it on tight, son. 'Cause hell's comin' . . and I'm comin' right behind it.' We also see that Leviathan is looking for something. He strikes the Silver Samurai and the stronghold of the Clan Yashida first. He says he's looking for some type of box, but he soon finds out that it's no longer there. He then hits Nemesis, the HYDRA shipyards and attacks Gorgon. We're left with them coming face to face. We also get a little glimpse of how 8 years ago the Kraken delivered the sword, the Godkiller, to Gorgon. We also see that Jerry has taken Yo-Yo to Puerto Rico to see her parents. She's scared to death to see them because they haven't seen her since the operation . . you know when her arms were replaced with cybernetics. Anyways, it seems like were getting set up for something big here, but . . I don't know what that is, just yet. I think this is a great book. I love the spy and espionage stuff. And I think Jonathan is doing a great job with these characters. This is one of my favorite books every month.

Captain America - Who Will Wield the Shield #1 - Marvel

Overall, I thought this was a pretty decent book. And, it's a necessary chapter in this unfolding saga. But, of course . . Marvel screwed it up. Captain America Reborn #6 hasn't even come out yet . . it'll probably be a few more weeks, and this story actually takes place after the events portrayed there. So, on the recap page . . we pretty much are told what's going to happen in Reborn #6. I mean, I guess it's not that big of a deal. You can still read this book . . just skip the recap page. We all know that Cap's coming back. If you weren't sure of that, just look at the 1/2 dozen or so books that he's already popped up in. But . . I'll get off of that. Whatever is done is done. The one thing we don't know is what happened in Cap's vision of the future. The thing I liked about this book was the similarities that are shown between Steve and James. Steve has Sharon, and James has Natasha. Both of these very strong women help to shape the decisions of their partners. James is ready to dry-clean the uniform, and deliver it and the shield straight to Steve. Natasha questions that. Meanwhile Steve, who also doesn't know that he's ready to jump back into the shoes of America's Champion, has a lot of things he hasn't sorted out yet. Sharon hasn't come right out and said it, but . . I don't think she'd have any problem with him letting James continue on in the role. She already feels guilty about her unwitting participation in the events . . I don't think she'd presume to tell Steve what to do next. Although I'm sure she'll be more than supportive. In the end, it's all moot for Steve because, whatever his vision was, it showed him that if James doesn't continue in the Captain America role he could die. 'I couldn't live with that. Even if it means I have to sacrifice a future I want.' So he tells the President, without the knowledge of Norman Osborn, that while he doesn't want to pick up the shield again, he is willing to do whatever his country asks of him. As with the rest of this sage, Ed Brubaker is at the creative helm. I thought he did a terrific job with this story. It's not his fault that it got printed when it did. Also, Butch Guice and Luke Ross do the art. It was equally as impressive. Like I said, overall it was a great book. It really helped to serve in moving the story forward. Personally, I can't wait to read Reborn #6 though. In the end, though . . I'm just glad that Steve's back.

Captain America Reborn #5 - Marvel

Ok . . so basically what happened . . Sharon Carter shot Steve with some kind of nano-particles that sent his soul, or id, racing through time. It could've all just been in his head, but . . he did leave that message with the vision way back during WWII. Somehow the Red Skull orchestrated this whole thing. And as the final act . . he's bringing Steve back, so that his body can be reanimated, but . . he's also putting his own essence in there so that he can control it. The problem is . . Steve is also in there. Zola built a cage for him in the Skull's own mind. But, you just know that's not going to stop Steve. So now that he's about to have his greatest victory . . Steve is inside . . inside the Skull's mind, and his own, trying to throw a wrench into the works. Meanwhile the Skull has engaged the New Avengers. They've been tracking him for quite while now, and the Skull has decided to drop the pretense and just face them head on. The issue ends with Steve taking off Bucky's hand, and with the Skull in his eyes . . it looks like he's about to kill him with his own shield. Obviously Steve's going to come out of this . . we've already seen him pop up in a couple of Marvel books. The question is . . how is this whole encounter going to change him? And how long will it be before he sorts out just exactly what Sharon's involvement is in all of this. She is the one that pulled the trigger. I know she didn't do it of her own free will, but . . it's going to take Steve a while to sort all of that out. Ed Brubaker is doing a fantastic job with this book. But then . . we didn't really expect anything less. Did we? Also, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice are doing a great job with the art. We only have one more book to go, and then . . I'm sure we'll see Steve re-immerse himself into the Marvel Universe. This has been a great mini-series. I can't wait to see how it all wraps up.

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.

Secret Warriors #10 - Marvel

This entire issue explored the relationship between Ares and his son Alexander. Or as he's sometimes called . . Phobos, God of Fear. Part of the reason that Alex took up with Nick Fury is because his father always preached to him about honor. Alex wanted to be a hero. He asked his dad one day why they fought. 'Why? Hrmmph. You need some reason greater than victory. Than women or good food or the good sleep of the victorious? It is an honor Alexander. Honor above everything.' Which was fine when he said it. But then? Then he sees his father standing beside Norman Osborne pretending to be the Avengers. That was about the same time that Nick recruited him. But now he is to be judged . . by the council elite of Earth's pantheons . . Balder, Quetzalcoatl and Hera. He passes judgement and Hera proclaims him the God of Fear. But there's still one more thing. 'You were born a mortal boy, son of a mortal woman. And while you are not a demigod you will not achieve your full godhead until one final thing happens.' That's when Ares tells him . . 'You must die, son. So that you may one day be reborn.' Ok! That's quite a lot for a little kid to think about. But . . in order to gain his godhead . . I don't think he has a choice. I wonder what Nick is going to say about all of this. I like this book. I picked it up on a whim, and . . I haven't been let down yet. I love these schemes and plots upon subplots . . the machinations of god and men. Plus . . Nick is a great character. Jonathan Hickman is doing a great job with the story here. And Alessandro Vitti has really given this book his own feel. I'm just wondering if we're going to get a spin-off of this . . the Howling Commandos. I mean, Dum Dum has assembled as many ex-SHIELD agents as he can find under their banner. So now, Nick is technically leading 2 groups. How long is he going to keep that up? And when are we finally going to have the face off between him and Norman. You know it's comin'. Anyways, nice cover by Jim Cheung.

Captain America Reborn #4 - Marvel

Ok . . so what we find out this issue is that the tachyon particles in the gun that killed Steve are linked, somehow to the unidentified nano-particles in Sharon Carter's blood. Although, with Steve's message that the Vision recorded back in the 40's, Reed figures out that they're actually chronal-tracers and it's what's drawing Sharon and Steve together through time. Unfortunately Dr Doom, the Red Skull and Dr Zola already know all of this. Somehow it's what the original machine, that Sharon destroyed, was intended to do. But now, with Dr Doom's help, the original architect, they've reassembled the machine and have one again begun their task of retrieving Steve. Or . . are they just retrieving Steve's body? In Doom's lab it seems that the Red Skull is just as much a part of this experiment as is Sharon. They pull Steve back, but . . when he rises from the table, it's the Red Skull in Steve's body. So where's Steve? I guess we'll have to wait until next issue to find out that information. Meanwhile, Reed and Hank Pym are also putting this puzzle together . . thanks in part to the Vision. And once they start to see the picture being presented, they also realize that they have their own way of tracking things . . they also have some of Sharon's blood. I do have one question though . . what is Norman Osborn's role in all of this, and what can he possibly hope to gain? With only one issue to go, the next book should contain one hell of a story. I can't wait to see how all of these pieces come together. Ed Brubaker is doing a fantastic job here. He's feeding us just enough information to keep us intrigued without giving away to much of the story. Next issue should be a nice little wrap up . . at least to this chapter. I'm sure this isn't going to be the whole story. Also Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice's art is incredible. I miss Bryan on the Fantastic Four, but . . he's doing an equally incredible job here. This is definitely a classic in the making. If you haven't been buying it, I'm sure the TPB will be out soon. However you do it, you should try to get your hands on this story. It really is that good.