In Case You Missed It.
Every once in a while there are books that I know I should be reading, but for some reason, they just never end up in my hands. This week there are two titles that I regret not having picked up earlier: Steve Rogers: Super Soldier by Ed Brubaker and S.H.I.E.L.D penned by Jonathan Hickman. Both of these books follow Marvel’s new creative direction of straight forward action, adventure, and just plain fun. Titles like these have what comics in general have been missing for the last few years, and the return has been beyond refreshing.
In Super Soldier, Ed Brubaker continues to take Steve Rogers away from the mantle of Captain America and into the new role of super spy. With the death of a scientist working for a large pharmaceutical company, Steve finds a tie to himself : Project: Rebirth and a new super soldier serum. The two (of four) issues so far feel like a James Bond movie complete with a quick change from tactical outfit to tuxedo and tons of action. Even after almost ten years of writing Steve Rogers, Brubaker is still at the top of his game and continues to write solid stories.
S.H.I.E.L.D, on the other hand, is an extremely rare thing these days: original. Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four) takes the organization from basic military branch to an Illuminati-like beginning dating all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Some of history’s greatest minds, including Leonardo Di Vinci and the prophet Nostradamus, are members. They have kept the world safe since the dawn of time, but does one member plan on destroying everything? Like I said, this is an extremely original title and I even found myself skimming the three issues over again to absorb every detail. Hickman crafts a world so mind-bending that he almost dares the reader to try to keep up. I would love to see S.H.I.E.L.D go on for a hundred or more issues.
Marvel seems to be heading in the right direction with titles like these. The cloud of doom and gloom that blanketed the entire universe for the better part of a decade has lifted. I can honestly say that I have been away from the Marvel world for a long time, and since the dawn of the Heroic Age, I have found more and more of their titles on my pull sheet. I would highly suggest picking up both of these titles now and don’t pull this, “I’ll just wait for the trade” nonsense.
I completely agree about SHIELD. It’s simply awesome.
That was a great review of Super Soldier. It really was refreshing to get a real fun and action packed book. Can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks Dan! I couldn’t give all the details away, but yeah, it is an awesome book so far.