Review: Secret Avengers #5

I'm trying a new format for my reviews. Rather than throwing a batch of comics together, I'll just give one at a time. That way, I don't have to wait to post some reviews just because I'm still working on this one or that one. If I don't have much to say, I'll still put a few together for some quick reviews.

First up in this format is Secret Avengers #5, the epilogue to the first arc of this new series. Coming off the much-improved fourth issue, and with a different art team (just for this issue) and a different kind of story, will I be convinced to stick around for more of what still is a good premise and could still be a good series? Keep reading to find out.

Secret Avengers #5

• Written by Ed Brubaker
• Pencils by David Aja, Michael Lark, & Stefano Gaudiano
• Cover by Marko Djurdjevic

I really wanted to like this series when it came out. It has some characters I like but haven't really read much about and some characters I think I'd like but haven't read about at all; and it's a great premise. I like the idea of a covert Avengers team, and, even though I've only gleaned bits from the internet about Steve Rogers death and return, I like the idea of him getting a chance to be a soldier and not have the pressures of the limelight.

I really wanted to like this series, and it began with promise. The opening issue was good: it started in the middle of a mission, which gave us a quick introduction to some of the team members and some of the team dynamic. We saw what type of things they'll do and how they'll do them. It then moved on to introduce the rest of the team, and we got to see a bit about how most of them operate and their motivations for being on this team. And then, it faltered.

The middle two issues of the opening arc had little forward motion and even less showcasing of the team. It devolved into following a couple of members and leaving the rest, basically, on the sidelines. And it didn't help that one of the characters I was quite interested in became possessed and turned into the villain of the piece.

The fourth issue came back to form, mostly. The writing was back on track, the plot finally moved, and the art — which had been quite stiff from issue #1 — finally had some dynamism. The only sore spot was that most of the team was still on the sidelines, but even that was improved on a bit in the fourth issue. I had renewed hope for the series, but I still probably would not have picked up this current issue if it was the beginning of a new arc. That it was a one-off epilogue to the opening arc — and the different art team — were the only things that convinced me to give the series another try.

I still decided to take a look in the store before deciding. I think the art pushed me over the edge. It's a much grittier, looser style, and it works much better for a secret ops team book. There's also a fluidity and realism that Mike Deodato's (ironically, more photo-realistic) art never really had. This is actually most noticeable when people are just standing around talking. With Deodato, the stances were very unnatural and stiff. I wish Aja, Lark, and Gaudiano (or at least one or two of them) would continue on this book; it's a much better style for what the book wants to be.

The story is also much better. There is mystery, covertness, and someone fighting for what's right even though it's hard and everyone's against him. In short, it's what I thought this title would be when I heard about it months ago — even though there aren't really any of the actual Secret Avengers involved. And, even though it's about a fake Nick Fury (which apparently happens more than a story about the real Nick Fury), there's a twist: this isn't just an LMD; he's been endowed with the real Nick Fury's memories and personality, so that, for all intents and purposes, he is the real Nick Fury. I've never actually read a Nick Fury LMD story before, anyway, so it probably wouldn't have been as much of a bother to me as it would be to others.

Now, like I said, the next issue brings back Mike Deodato on art, which I haven't enjoyed. The pencils will be done with Marko Djurdjevic, the current cover artist, so I'm not sure how that will affect the art, but I'm not holding my breath. It'll also be starting a new arc, which means a multiple-issue commitment (especially with my personality — I hate dropping things midstream). So, does what I've mentioned mean I'll be sticking around on this title in the future? Maybe. I was leaning more in that direction after the fourth issue than before, and I'm leaning more in that direction after this issue than after the first arc. It seems to be heading in interesting direction. So, maybe. But, does it mean you should get this issue? Definitely.