The Book Shelf: Wolverine: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (AKA Enemy of the State Vol. 2)
Review written by: Knightwingbk
I picked up this trade this weekend and thouroughly enjoyed it. It collects the last half of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's Run on Wolverine (#26-32). Where Volume 1 saw Wolverine be killed by Gorgon, raised from the dead by the Hand, and brainwashed by Hydra, and take on the Marvel U, this issue sees Wolverine take back his sanity and get his revenge. Ok, so Wolverine didnt really take on the Marvel U, he fought the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the X-Men (killing one of his X-teamates).
This is different for anything out by Mark Millar currently. Its not full of political allegory and parallels to our World like Ultimates and his upcoming Civil War (so they are saying anyway). This is Mark Millar in his Ultimate X-men mode. Story & Action. And when I say Action, I mean ACTION! This is wolverine doing what he does best, but what Wolverine trade doesn't claim that?
The first issue gives us the origin of Gorgon (our villain) and tells what happened in the last 6 issues of Wolverine in a way that doesn't seem repetitive if you've just read the first trade. Millar uses the point of view of a low-rent supervillain, and the X-men at the morgue viewing the body of their fallen friend to establish the status quo. In between this we see the Hand kidnapping more super-powered people and further along thier scheme. Issue two shows a devastating loss for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Wolverine get back in action. The next four issues are balls to the wall Wolverine slicing and dicing, guts' a 'flying, and Wolverine sustaining more injuries than I've ever seen him do. Millar does not stop giving Wolverine bodies to kill as he takes on the "zombie" heroes and villains, the Hand's "zombie-ninjas", and finally Gorgon. And the way Millar makes Wolverine kill Gorgon is great, and John Romita Jr's drawing of that panel will shock and suprise you, I laughed when I got to that page.
That brings me to Romita JR. I love his art. Some may not think him the ideal artist for Wolverine (I love his Spiderman work) but he really works here. His square and quick style helps the book. Wolverine has a square jaw and square shoulders (who doesnt in JRJR?) but that makes you believe that Wolverine is tough-as-nails. Also, JRJR's lines are fill the page, whether its Wolvie's whiskers, the folds in the clothes, or the lines of action, but when Wolvie moves, you really believe he's moving. In my opinon, JRJR is one of the greatest artists out there. Let him stay at marvel, I think they suit his style more. DC's characters are more still, and full of stature, marvels quicker to act (suiting JRJR).
The only thing I missed in the book was Nick Fury. In volume one he's a main character, here he's incapacitated. Also, where is Captain America? He makes an appearence at the end of Volume I, but is totally gone here. If anyone should've been involved with the S.H.I.E.L.D. part of the story, it should be cap. What I did not miss was the HYDRA politics that were present and confusing in Volume I. They're barely present here, helping the story, whereas in Volume I it really slowed it down. In the end I give it a solild B+. It was enjoyable but no Dark Knight Returns.
It's that easy people.
Very few things could ever be of the caliber that "The Dark Knight Returns" was...maybe Hush. So I guess TPBs we can write reviews on too?
These issues were okay. I think it would have been better if they had ran with Claremont's original idea of killing Wolverine off.