Friday, March 30, 2018

Review: NICK FURY #1

NICK FURY No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: James Robinson
PENCILS: ACO
INKS: Hugh Petrus
COLORS: Rachelle Rosenberg
LETTERS: Travis Lanham
COVER: ACO
VARIANT COVERS: John Tyler Christopher; Greg Land with Frank D'Armata; Mark Morales with Jason Keith; Bill Sienkiewicz
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “T+”

“The Sky High Caper”

Nick Fury (Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury) is a Marvel Comics character.  Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 (cover dated:  May 1963), a World War II combat comic book series, in which Fury was depicted as a cigar-chomping, leader of an elite United States Army unit.

Marvel Comics introduced the modern Nick Fury in Fantastic Four #21 (cover dated:  December 1963), making him a CIA agent.  In Strange Tales #135 (cover dated:  August 1965), the character again transformed, this time from a spy into the leading agent of the fictional espionage agency, S.H.I.E.L.D.  In 2002, Nick Fury became a Black man that resembled actor Samuel L. Jackson in The Ultimates #1.  Jackson would portray Fury in the Marvel Studios movies based on Marvel Comics, and the Jackson-lookalike Fury would replace the original white Fury in the main Marvel Universe.

That Sam Jackson Fury is the star of the new comic book series, Nick Fury.  It is written by James Robinson; drawn by ACO (pencils) and Hugh Petrus (inks); colored by Rachelle Rosenberg; and lettered by Travis Lanham.

Nick Fury #1 (“The Sky High Caper”) opens with Nick Fury arriving in the French Riviera, where he must infiltrate the most secure parts of a imposing casino.  Fury's target is a hidden data-stash belonging to Auric Goodfellow, a Hydra moneyman.  Fury will likely be successful in getting what he wants, but Frankie Noble, Agent of Hydra plans on standing in his way.

I love the art in Nick Fury #1.  Drawn by the artist known as ACO, the art recalls the Pop-Art infused comic book art that legendary comic book artist Jim Steranko produced during his run of Nick Fury comics in the late 1960.  ACO's layout and design also recall Steve Rude's layout and design on his long-running comic book series, Nexus.  ACO's art for Nick Fury combined with Rachelle Rosenberg's pastel-lite coloring sure is pretty.

However, the storytelling is shallow when it isn't confusing and confusing when it isn't shallow.  As graphical storytelling, ACO's art is just too busy.  Yeah, it is eye-candy to look at, but is a busy mess as storytelling.  Honestly, if writer James Robinson had even attempted to tell a more complex story, there is no telling how crowded ACO would have made his art.

I think James Robinson offers in Nick Fury what Chris Samnee did in the first issue of his recent Black Widow comic book – an introductory issue that reads like a two-minute-egg version of an action sequence from a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie.

Honestly, I'll try the second issue of Nick Fury, although I never tried the second issue of Samnee's Black Widow.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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