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Excuse me while I pick myself off the floor.
BRAVO.
I had heard good things about this #1. But I didn't think it would be *this* good.
It's pretty hard to describe it. The plot is the most interesting thing I've read in quite awhile. The way Hickman wrote the issue just left me thirsting for more the same way a zombie thirsts for brains.
The artwork by Weaver was nothing short of a triumph.
Take everything you think you know about SHIELD, Nick Fury and yes, the Marvel universe and continuity and throw it away. This is nothing like you've ever known before.
This was fantastic. I thought I was reading a Vertigo comic if it wasn't for the incredibly awesome way Marvel continuity is woven around the history of the world.
The end of the 2nd dynasty of Ancient Egypt...with the Brood? (And yes, that is Apocalypse and I believe Kang). Galileo and Galactus? The *real* Immortal City of Rome? Simply incredible. I feel like suddenly the Marvel U has hidden parts of it I don't understand and it's just damn exciting to me.
And my new favorite Marvel character? Leonardo Da Vinci.
Buy it. I implore you.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Now I feel like I shouldn't have given up on Secret Warriors so early because I know the series has many revelations on Hydra, including their infiltration and taking over of SHIELD from the early days of Nick Fury's involvement, not to mention their ancient history stemming back to Egypt. But all that is besides the point, it appears and SHIELD stands out on its own.
Wow, Hickman is really a writer to watch!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I read this last night, and I must concur that this was the most refreshing thing I've seen from Marvel in a while.
The art--OMG! That's some of the most beautiful, intricate artwork I've seen in a long while! I've never heard of this Dustin Weaver before, but what a talent! The construction of the art reminds me itself of the intricasies of designs and schematics you see of DaVinci's inventions. This is entirely appropriate given the involvement of DaVinci in the story itself as a character. It's beautiful, breathtaking stuff that you could just flip through and stare at for hours! The colors are an absolutely perfect complement to Weaver's drawings--not garish, but not too muted either with an effect that borders on the effect of the colors from oil paintings. Gorgeous!
The story is really good, too, though a little confusing and slightly unsatisfying (I'll explain). The confusing part has to do with the main character, Leonid, and giving no explanation for what's different or important about him. He's drawn frequently with a starfield effect on his face that suggested to me the power of Cosmic Awareness such as with Mar-Vell and Genis-Vell. But when the SHIELD council (or whatever) question him about how the world ends, he seems no more insightful than you or me. Maybe that's the point, I dunno.
Otherwise, I get that this is set-up for the "real" history of the organization that's been a staple in the Marvel Universe since the '60s. It's an interesting premise for it in that SHIELD is actually an Illuminati-type secret organization except that their mission is altruistic in a way. They apparently have knowledge about how the world is supposed to end, and their goal is to ensure it doesn't end some other way in the meantime!
I said "unsatisfying" above because this issue reads like the greatest trailer for the best movie you've never seen! We have looks at several historic eras and have hints of major events in SHIELD's history. We see the set-up for Galileo vs. Galactus and other cool-as-hell-looking things...but only a taste. It's exciting and it's cool, but it's essentially a big ol' trailer. I know Hickman will get around to showing us more, butit makes the issue kind of unsatisfying.
The confusing stuff with Leonid kinda feeds into the unsatisfying in the main sequences. We meet Leonid's dad who is at odds with SHIELD for some unknown reason and is also supposed to be dead. None of that is explained. So it's an issue with dozens of questions and no real answers. It feels already like it might be lots more satisfying read as a trade, and that can be a detroiment against buying the single issues.
My main concern is this already feels like one of those great Marvel comics that aren't mutant, Avenger or Spider-affiliated that will be lucky if it lasts a year because Marvel has little or no patience for waiting on the book to catch on. I'm almost afraid to get attached to it for that reason above all others. It could be the best thing Marvel's ever published, but what does that matter if it'll be cancelled before you know it?
Anyhow, I'll probably take the plunge and continue to buy this because it shows more potential and imagination than anything else Marvel's currently publishing. But I'm also prepared to have my heart broken.
[ May 08, 2010, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Officer Taylor ]
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Lardy, like you, I'm nervous about this title getting canceled before it can live up to its potential. I'm hoping a few things will stop that (A) the obvious quality of the series, (B) Hickman has claimed this first larger story is the size of a 'maxiseries' so he can potentially tell a complete story within a year, (C) SHIELD is a more recognizable property and (D) from what I understand its been a critical success and sales are strong. Both CBS's I visit have sold out completely of #1.
As you saw, I've committed myself to the monthly hereafter, but I see what you mean about #1 being the greatest trailer you've ever seen so when you put it down you felt a little unsatisfied. That's up to the specific reader (and I can see how if you had the trade, you'd be ready to dive in right there) but I don't mind being cockteased for a little bit if the payoff is going to be extraordinary, as I hope it will be.
There's no doubt so much was packed in to #1 that I put it down wishing I had the next several issues right then. There are a TON of unanswered questions and a LOT of characters whom we know just about nothing about. I'm craving answers like I crave snickers bars, sensual misunderstandings and Harpoon IPA draughts. In a way, that feeling of not getting enough right away and desperately wanting more reminds me of watching Lost, specifically the first season when it was just all loose ends and unanswered questions and yet I kept tuning in.
It's clear SHIELD is asking the reader a real question: are you willing to make a commitment here? Unlike, say, the latest issue of Superman where you can pick it up, read it and forget about it 10 seconds later, you really might feel frustrated going the distance on this comic and waiting 12 months. However...when's the last time Superman gave you a twist or answer a la Lost?
I'm high on the book right now as you can tell--but make no mistake, I share some of your concerns.
And once again--that artwork!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Yes, that artwork is just fantastic! Funny, reading your response it finally occurred to me which artists have styles that are comparable in their line and detail levels: Wm. Michael Kaluta, Michael Zulli and...Jose Luis Garcia Lopez! Maybe there's a little Colleen Doran, Jill Thompson and Peter Gross in there as well. While his style in no way apes theirs, those are the artists whose styles remind me of his. Beautiful, beautiful stuff! I hope he a) draws ever issue of the first (and hopefully not only) maxi-arc and b) if so, I hope it doesn't make the series run too late. I won't mind if it's a little late but a lot late (like Bryan Hitch or Steve McNiven) could kill its sales and make it harder to follow with such story density.
Interesting, the Lost comparison. That occurred to me as well and is far from a bad thing from my perspective. However, I know a LOT of people that Lost, well, lost over the years for the very reasons that invite the comparison. Might be really hard to sell for a Marvel Universe that isn't exactly known for its complex storytelling.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Wow! You're totally right about the Jose Luis Garcia Lopez influence! I didn't catch it but its immediately obvious. A lot of it is the composition and the complexity of the artwork. Each page both 'pops' and also just has a ton going on. Really good call, Lardy! I also see the Kaluta influence as well--not so much in style but in presentation, like you say.
Agree on Lost. While the things I say are good kept me around, I know it lost a whole lot of viewers over the years. Hopefully SHIELD can stand up to it! Any word form your CBS on how well it did?
I think we can both agree (and even though neither of us said it, its obvious), that it reads like a really great indie/creator-owned comic so far. It almost seems like its not coming from Marvel. (I defended Marvel in the Roundtable but the creativity and complexity here admittingly don't fit either of the Big 2 these days).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Wow! You're totally right about the Jose Luis Garcia Lopez influence! I didn't catch it but its immediately obvious. A lot of it is the composition and the complexity of the artwork. Each page both 'pops' and also just has a ton going on. Really good call, Lardy! I also see the Kaluta influence as well--not so much in style but in presentation, like you say.
Of course I'm right, damnit!
I was never a huge JLGP fan, but I find myself appreciating him more and more as my tastes mature. He needs to get off his ass and do more artwork!!! Plus, to my knowledge he's never had a seminal run on any book I've collected. Any idea whether Jose's ever had an extended run on ANY title?
quote:Agree on Lost. While the things I say are good kept me around, I know it lost a whole lot of viewers over the years. Hopefully SHIELD can stand up to it! Any word form your CBS on how well it did?
I don't think my CBS guy Greg ordered a lot of copies, but they did all sell!
quote:I think we can both agree (and even though neither of us said it, its obvious), that it reads like a really great indie/creator-owned comic so far. It almost seems like its not coming from Marvel. (I defended Marvel in the Roundtable but the creativity and complexity here admittingly don't fit either of the Big 2 these days).
I wish in a way that Hickman had taken the basic idea with a different name and made an indie creator-owned book out of it at Image or something. Yeah, he couldn't use all the kewl Marvel history references, but I know it would have a better chance of lasting over there. I know it's too early to bury it, but I obviously have concerns.
Especially, it seems too complex for Marvel, moreso than DC. Marvel tells good superhero story but it has little or nothing comparable to Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and Watchmen, Frank Miller's Dark Knight or even Giffen's 5YL in its history.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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But perhaps its time the MU starts to get those complex tales? I hope so.
I think the only way for Dr. Strange to truly succeed in this era, for instance, is if a writer comes on and really delves into it in a complicated way that rivals Sandman (in depth and complexity, mind you--no one but Neil can be Neil).
I know my secret wish-list title I could write for Marvel if I was ever a Comic Book writer would be Tales to Astonish, starring Hank Pym, which would be a strait-up science-fiction series that was deadly serious and complex as possible.
If SHIELD is a success, we could see the start of a trend!
DC certainly seems to have lost its way from those days of the 80's and early 90's, with only Vertigo keeping up the slack (which as you know, I don't consider DC).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Leonardo da Vinci as superhero? And a major hunk, to boot? (See that panel where he's in his workshop with a hammer/scalpel/some tool or other in his hand... not that tool! With that unlaced shirt and his hair all disarranged from work? All I can say is 'yum'.)
The scope of the story's amazing and is a lot of promise to fulfill. I understand any reader's reticence at jumping onboard, given that tales this full and offbeat tend to fade away quickly. I'm hoping this one is the exception, though, just because of the magnificent art and the tangential(?) relationship to regular MU fixtures.
From: Knoxville, TN | Registered: Jul 2003
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I ran out today to specifically get S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 because quite frankly, #1 is the best first issue of a series I’ve read in a long time if not ever. I read it when I got home from work, impatiently waiting all day for it and then savored every last drop. This series is not just good; this series is incredible.
The second issue, much like Lost the television show, provides more hints and clues to the larger majestic tapestry at play here while providing both intriguing revelations and an incredible sense of the grandiose and the new. I’ve already praised the hell out of #1 so I won’t bore anyone reading this—all of that praise remains the same.
Leonardo Da Vinci is indeed the most exciting new member of the Marvel Universe. And what’s striking to me is that I can see a very purposeful correlation to Hickman’s Reed Richards. It’s because I just read FF last night which I spoke about here, and the speech Reed made in this latest issue of the FF is incredibly similar to what Da Vinci says at the end of SHIELD #2. It’s an exciting bit of narrative dialogue to me, and it not only feels epic in the sense of what’s ahead for Marvel, the comic book universe, but also what it could end up meaning for Marvel, the comic book company (and indeed the industry). Indeed, creators have stood upon the shoulders of giants for too long, ignoring the former belief of creation and focusing on ‘the end’—its an easier, lackadaisical way to create comic books (and anything). “Giants” could easily mean Kirby, Ditko, Heck, Ayers and Lee in the case of the MU, and could mean a much larger group of creators in comics, but it’s a valid point. It’s time to get back to exploratory writing and creating. I’m really freaking impressed by Hickman and both this issue and the latest FF and what that means. There is, of course, an even larger way to interpret this message in terms of humanity which I think is also what Hickman is striving for, and the future of humankind, as we try to overcome these ridiculous restrictive political, corporate, religious and academic viewpoints on our society.
Getting into the more nitty-gritty aspects of the issue, I remain impressed as hell over Hickman & artist Dustin Weaver’s usage of pacing and layouts. Weaver’s artwork is a revelation and he manages to convey energy in the quiet moments and then grandiose snapshots in the action sequences. I became aware recently that Hickman’s background is really in design, like logos and costumes and other things and it shows here. Comic books are a visual medium but that visual part is so often lost in story-driven comic books. Not here, and not even a little: everything is visually so stunning that they are loaded with meaning.
The story is very complex already after 2 issues and so I won’t get into the specifics but everything just feels exciting and intriguing. How the new characters Leonid and the Night Machine play into this and what they really are is a question I’m very curious to learn, as is who the ‘Forever Man’ (who I am guessing now is Eternity). More than that, I just want to learn more about the great intellectuals of real history going up against the gravest threats in the universe—particularly Galileo against Galactus, which is next month.
There is so much that is so good about this comic book that I can’t do it justice. This should be on top of everyone’s read pile.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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One further thought regarding the FF/SHIELD connection, which is though I imply it, I should have spelled it out: its clear Hickman is suggesting very subtly that Reed is the heir to Da Vinci in the MU, and that is a defining quality for Reed he desperately needs to feel relevant again. I'm very glad for it!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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WOW. It just keeps getting cooler and cooler. A member of 'Top 5 best comics'? I'm thinking YES.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Because anyone not reading is missing out on one of the best things the Big 2 have done in a really long time. If only every comic book by Marvel or DC could have this sort of originality.
#5 of SHIELD came out recently and like the other issues, I’m still blown away by the magnitude of the series, and how utterly different it is, despite being squarely in the Marvel U. Another incredibly important—and fascinating—scientist of humanity’s past is revealed to be a major player in Marvel history at the issue’s end (but I won’t say as it will ruin the surprise). Between that revelation, Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, I’m just blown away at the ramifications of what this means to the history of humanity (and am still shocked it will be part of Marvel canon).
Writer Jonathan Hickman is unleashing a narrative that is pushing boundaries in terms of plot, story-telling structure and grandiose ideas. If I had a vote for single most impressive comic book feat of 2010, it would not be the success of the Walking Dead TV Show, it would be Jonathan Hickman’s writing style on SHIELD.
The subplot with Howard Stark and Nathaniel Richards is also fascinating. Artist Dustin Weaver showcases why he’s an equally compelling partner in this series throughout this sequence, and I loved, loved, loved the double-page spread of Stark & Richards coming across the remnants of Immortus’ power-center hundreds of thousands of years after his finale. Having a strong knowledge of Marvel history, I found this to be chilling.
The sequence from 1957-1960 was also fascinating.
This gets the highest recommendation! It’s all the story-telling bravery of an indie comic but firmly affecting the Marvel universe.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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