S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 and #2 Review - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 and #2 Review

Gail Williams goes mainstream...


Normally I avoid Marvel, and DC.  Nothing especially against either, they don't get to be that big by being bad.  It's just that I tend to be a little less mainstream.  Also I tend not to cross media for most things.  I love Doctor Who, but don't read the books or comics or listen to the audio.  I enjoy Marvel films, but don't bother with the comics.  S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't exactly make it to film (the odd scene) but I did watch the series.

I enjoyed the first series of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., haven't caught up with series two yet,  but my daughter loves it, so when we went into the comic shop she didn't exactly have to twist my arm too far to get me to purchase the first two issues of Marvel's new comic, S.H.I.E.L.D.  There was, however, a proviso to the purchase, that being that I got first dibs on reading them, and the obvious is why.

So to start at the beginning, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, what does that mean?  Well to quote Ward from episode 1 series one,  "It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out SHIELD."  It also means that they deal with the weird stuff that the 'world isn't ready for yet'.  Which sounds a bit nanny state to me, but who am I to comment?

Issue 1 as usual with first issues, has several variant editions, my daughter picked the one with pop funko type cartoon front, Fitz's monkey sitting on Coulson's head, but more of the monkey later.  There are other options available.  The issue itself starts with an interesting walk through Coulson's early life of superhero obsessed geekdom, following him as he's growing up, and shows the devastation of Bifrost crashing down to Midguard, or Earth. Coulson is of course his usual calm, calculating self never quite revealing the cards he holds until he plays them with devastating precision. 

This issue also shows the lovely companionship and friendship between Fitz and Simmons.  They were all always one of my favourite things about watching the show, and I think they may continue to be my favourite part of the comic.

Issue 2 changes view a little, and we see more of Jemma Simmons's background and her behaviour as a field agent.  Her mission involves breaking a black market ring in dated villain surplus, it's an interesting idea, and the poison pizza dough that make people sick up evil dough blobs made me smile. This issue also includes Ms Marvel, a character I had not encountered before, but might look at again if I come across her, distinct potential there. This was a very humanising issue for Simmons, a young lady that is usually so collected that she seems to have everything together, which means to see the family disfunctionality enforced by her situation offers an insight into her psyche that is very revealing.


The comics also have a comic aside. At the end of each issue there is an additional page strip called Fitz and H.E.N.R.Y.  This is a cute 'quickie' where Fitz creates his own little green A.I. monkey, and the things they get up to.  It's so cute!  And the reference for the variant cover mentioned above.

Still I'm happy to have given this new series a go, and think that this should be good going forward. Give it a try.

Gail Williams lives in her own private dungeon populated with all the weird and the wonderful she can imagine. Some of it’s very weird, and the odd bits and pieces are a bit wonderful. Well okay, she lives in Swansea with her husband and daughter. And the world’s most demanding cat. To find out more about Gail, check out www.gailbwilliams.co.uk - Dare you!

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