On the surface, this comic book has just about everything I could want in super-hero storytelling. There's some scathing political commentary, a mature take on the characters and Brian Michael Bendis's name on the cover. While reading this comic, I was honestly entertained, but there was a certain something that seemed to be missing. I've been racking my brain for a while now to put my finger on it, but it eludes me. I'm still intrigued enough by the story to continue reading the series, but so far, this Bendis book lacks the sort of hook that usually has me riveted and eager to devour the next chapter.
Sometimes fighting crime isn't about energy blasts, bullets or super-strong punches. Intelligence staff at S.H.I.E.L.D. knows that sometimes, it's just simple math that can provide leads and information about the criminal underworld. Case in point: colorful criminals outfitted with expensive technology never seem to be making enough cash through their crimes in order to pay for their gear. Somebody else is paying the piper, and Nick Fury launches an operation to discover who's involved and why. The answers are disturbing and point to activities far more diabolical than simple bank robberies or vendettas against super-heroes.
Dell'Otto's dark visuals certainly capture the appropriate mood of tension and menace throughout the story, and the painted art brings a sense of realism that's reinforces the impact of the storytelling as well. The overall style reminds me a little of Bill Siewkiewicz's work. If anything, Dell'Otto's is just a little too dark here. Sometimes, it difficult to make out someof the characters' faces at times when obscuring them doesn't help the pacing or mood much.
There's a lot to enjoy in this script. Bendis takes what could be seen as a critical flaw in super-hero storytelling -- the lack of logic in super-villain financing -- and transforms it into an intriguing story of international conspiracies and terrorism. I also particularly enjoyed his portrayal of political corruption or apathy, though I was a bit surprised Marvel opted to hold back and fictionalize the identity of the U.S. president in this story, especially since visually, it's clear that we're meant to see him as George W. Bush.
The overall look and feel of this comic book reminds me of the various titles Marvel released in the mid 1990s to capitalize on the popularity of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross's Marvels. There were various Tales of the Marvesl books, and such limited series as Conspiracy and Code of Honor, which looked at the Marvel Universe through a rather grey lens. The same holds true here. The storytelling seems to lack a grounded, human component, which is surprising, since one of Bendis's strengths as a super-hero writer is his ability to transform fantasti characters into regular people to whom it is easy to relate.
