Secret Warriors, Vol. 5: Night

Secret Warriors (2008) (Collected Editions)

by Jonathan Hickman, Alessandro Vitti (Illustrator), Mirko Colak (Illustrator)

The power struggle between Hydra, Leviathan and Nick Fury has cost each side dearly, forcing Fury to reassess his future following the defeat of the Howling Commandos and the deaths of two of his oldest friends. But with a massive attack on a Seattle Hydra base, Leviathan and Hydra again make war - on each other and the world. As night falls and Seattle explodes, Fury makes some of the grittiest life-and-death choices his Warriors have ever seen. And as the long fight between the Secret Warriors and Hydra draws to its inevitable conclusion, Fury's final wild card is revealed. Who are the members of his third covert team, and what have they been up to all this time? Writer Jonathan Hickman's (FANTASTIC FOUR, S.H.I.E.L.D.) series of intrigue and international espionage builds to a shocking climax with breathtaking action and intense drama. Collecting SECRET WARRIORS #20-24.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Espionage

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2011

About the author

Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Terence]

All out war is taking place between S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and Leviathan. As in all war there are casualties on every side.

Night is the most somber of the volumes so far. A lot of things go wrong and pieces have to be picked up because like it or not the war isn't over. I certainly expected things to get gritty with the nature of the series, but it's still sad at times.

The issue was marred by mediocre artwork. The previous issues the artwork was really strong, but the art in this volume was quite different in a bad way.

Alex looks like a Morlock and Daisy isn't even recognizable.

I'm hoping the last volume goes out with a bang because so far this series is only solid and not spectacular.

[Subham]

This was an epic volume and continues the build up from last 2 volumes, as Shield prepares the final war against Hydra and they attack their base, secret warriors are engaged in destroying GEHENNA but then war happens and some are lost, Hellfire and Phobos fates are sealed and revelations and betrayal and splintering of enemy group happens and they get victory at a cost and we check in with where Druid has been and finally what happened to Fury's son Mikel and his squad. That story was emotional. This volume was good as its full on war and has some epic last stands and a great father son story at the end and some good origins for other characters and like shows that war has a huge cost. The art was really good and is a step up from the previous volume. This was just wow.

[Aaron]

I'm fully on board with Hickman now. Took me some fits and starts to get invested in the kind of (sometimes overly) intricate plotlines he loves working with, and his techno-speak can sometimes sound a little hokey, but after this and the last Secret Warriors, as well as his Fantastic Four run, I can safely say I'm a fan. He's like a halfway point between Grant Morrison's drugged-out ideas and Geoff Johns' straightforward-but-fun superhero plotting. I find myself engaged in his writing and action while still having to take a second to think about where all this story could go. Secret Warriors has a little less of the sci-fi geekery in it, but it's still an incredibly thorough spy story with all the twists and turns you'd expect from something like that.

I've said a lot of this in previous reviews, but I just can't get over how much Hickman has made me like Nick Fury as a character. I don't think I ever gave a damn about Fury except in his Sam Jackson film incarnation. Now he's one of my favorite characters. There's nothing super about him beyond the fact that he seems to almost have a superpowered ability to manipulate people. He's just the smartest, toughest, meanest guy around, but he'll do whatever it takes to keep the world (as he sees it) safe. Secret Warriors constantly puts out crises of conscious for the reader, and that sucks you in even more. This is just flat-out a great series.

I won't spoil plot stuff because that's the whole joy of reading this. Just suffice it to say that so far, everything Secret Warriors has set up has paid off, and I expect the next and final volume to do that in spades.

[Benji Glaab]

2.5 Stars

The art, which was already kinda low quality dips even further. I feel like there is a new artist or 2 on each issue. This story arc was all over the place it doesn't really make sense to collect it here. I probably should have just read through

[ShamNoop]

Inconsistent art but the story makes up for it by a lot

[Mike]

The run of stories from Hickman to date has been stellar, so when I started digging into this one, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Something seems...off pretty quickly. By the halfway point, the downturn in my glee while reading is unmistakeable.

I think the writing is still good (some of the confrontations are suitably stark and minimalist), so I think it must be the art. It just looks sloppy, rushed - compared to the first-class work on previous books, this art just takes some of the "epic" away, making it feel like "just another comic book". The worst is that Fury's face often looks...casual, rather than the chiseled-from-granite that he's always been.

The book coasts to a "seen-it-before" conclusion and at the end of it all I have to say I'm disappointed at this chapter of Secret Warriors. This series has never let me down until now.

[Brandon]

We get a big timeskip to be told that things have happened but none of them really do anything. This could have happened immediately following the previous volume, but because of something in the final chapter we needed a timeskip. It's like the team was sitting there doing whatever in perpetuity with no urgency with the world plunged into some big new thing that isn't new at all. Art isn't great, especially with the weird 'post-timeskip' designs for characters looking older and different. But this is the penultimate volume, which means this is where the heroes lose and lose big before bringing everything back again. So the heroes lose! And it just happens! And the plot will continue in whatever way it's supposed to immediately after.

[Rocky Sunico]

The dark mood just gets darker as things continue to go worse and worse the longer the war between Hydra and Leviathan continues to drag the world down with them. And it seems the only force truly standing in their way are Nick Fury's allies, whose numbers continue to diminish with every mission.

This is no longer about characters and more about the larger conflict and we just see mission after mission either succeed at a terrible cost or with limited heroes barely getting through by the skin of their teeth.

You definitely get that Hickman sense to the narrative structure and tone and I worry how all this is going to end. It's going to be emotionally brutal for sure.

[Benja Calderon]

Han pasado seis meses desde el ultimo viaje de los Howling Commandos
Mientras, la guerra entre HYDRA y Leviathan sigue diezmando sus números, los tres bandos están cada vez más debilitados y en ese momento, Fury decide destruir Gehena, la base de HYDRA en Nueva Zelanda

El traidor dentro de la filas de Fury hace lo que se supone que hará, habiendo victimas inesperadas. Como siempre, Fury sabe, y deja que el tiempo le de el momento justo para la venganza

Por último vemos como luego de un arduo entrenamiento, un viejo conocido vuelve al rescate del Equipo Blanco, mientras aun exista

[Adam Rodgers]

In typical Hickman style this is a very involved storyline detailing Fury and the Secret Warriors last push against the mounting forces of Hydra.

With such a lot going on if you havent read the previous volumes many of the events that transpire here will lose much of their impact. Events jump back and forth from the main storyline to focus on Fury's multiple plans and contingencies as characters are trained, sacrificed and manipulated.

This is a great espionage story in the context of the marvel universe but hard to get a handle on for anyone not here from the beginning.

[Derrick Affolder]

I burned through this one in one sitting. Tons of action, a lot of pay offs for many open threads of the story. You learn a lot more about Mikel Fury's black team, what happened with Sebastian, the follow up to some of Alex's predictions from the first volume. Leviathan is crumbling, Hydra us splintered and weak, Fury's forces and options are dwindling... everything is speeding towards the epic finale.

[Seth Daub]

epic battle between shield and hydra. some really cool stuff happened here, albeit a bit depressing but also uplifting.

the whole phobos scene with the gorgon was excellent and a great way to leave his character. i thought the elysium scene was pretty sweet too.

nick letting J.T. die was very surprising and i honestly was a little upset. like i understood, but at the same time it was just brutal and to the point. as it always is with nick fury yes?

9/10

[Marloges]

Glad to see this series got back on track when they finally returned to the actual core cast of this run. Some real developments that might actually shatter this team and a really heartfelt scene with Alex and his dad that I liked. Also Sebastian is luckily not a wasted character, that's great to see.

[Matt]

Collects Secret Warriors issues #20-24

This collection saw the Secret Warriors story head towards a wrap-up, while some new spy action is being set up. The last few issues of this collection were my favorites of the whole run so far.

[Brandon Daniels]

When I think back on this series -and I frequently do- most of the moments I recall take place in this small trade. It might be the best part of the series. Some of the snappier paced issues you’ll find in all of comics.

[Josh]

Decisions have consequences for our heroes, and not everyone makes it out in one piece. Nice work, Hickman and team.

[Scott]

You sure Joss Whedon didn't write the final chapter?

[Bekka]

TW for violence, guns, death, grief.

[Patrik Hamberg]

Probably the best part of this series so far. Situation is tight. Loss is real. Ends on an epic cliffhanger.

[P Fosten]

The pace speeds up in this volume (outside of the fictional world I think Jonathan Hickman must have been told to speed up as it he wasn't going to get as many issues on this as he thought). We skip on in time and flash back to set up a second caterpillar team run by Nick's son Mikel. But somehow it's just not entertaining. Vitti's art is solid but the fill ins aren't up to it. The eventual use of Mikel's team seems like a waste of time (and I'm sure they would have had a longer shot if the series continued as expected), the time jump skips over various escalations in the 3 way war and.... I'm just bored. At the end, Nick forces the situation into what next volume will be the endgame.

Overall though I've never engaged with the central premise of secret warriors as I've seen it before in Nick Fury vs Shield 20 years ago. To see it happen again to Nick makes him look like a putz so this series 'bad ass super spy' routine doesn't really stack up.

[Michael]

Death follows Hickman as if he invites in. It has been a couple months since I read Vol. 4, but Vol. 5 jumps six months forward. The squad is out trying to win another battle for Fury. The war goes on against Hydra and Leviathan. Only now they Hydra and Leviathan have a truth, don't worry Fury has a plan. Heroes fall. Villains fall. Plus we find out what happens to Druid after being kicked off the team last volume. Plus another of Fury's strike team is given a spotlight.

All and all this was a really fun ride. It was a fast read. Lots of good action. There are some sad moments in the book when loved characters die, but there are also great reunions. Great read. If you haven't been reading Hickman you are missing out.

[Silas]

A lot of changes happen here, some of which I guess took place behind the scenes. Hydra and Leviathan are at war with each other (though I'm not terribly clear as to why... I guess it has been a while since I read the previous volume), and Fury is stepping in to perpetuate that war and diminish their numbers. There is a climactic confrontation with casualties on all sides, as some personnel changes, though at the end of this volume, the future remains uncertain. It is definitely a cliffhanger for the next one, and though it is rather short (covering only four issues), a lot happens here. This was an above-average volume.

[Andrew Uys]

Racing towards the end of the series, Vol. 5 of SECRET WARRIORS is as dark & edgy as any of the other graphic novels. With Fury's resources dwindling (and agents dropping like flies), he makes one last final push against his mortally wounded foes. Jonathan Hickman and Alessandro Vitti deliver some great twists and turns in this the penultimate book of SECRET WARRIORS!

[Mitchell Friedman]

Again a better mix of confusion and focus. Lot's of out of order stuff in this one, but it worked a lot better than some. And the bits on individual characters continues to be the stand out part - whether it is Sebastian or Phobos or Mickel putting together the team. There could have been a bit more action, but bad action is not as good as missing action any day. 3.5 of 5.

[Pturingan]

This is the second to the last volume of the series and, as one might expect, this is where the three-way war between Nick Fury, Hydra and Leviathan really escalates.

This series has been so entertaining to read that I feel a bit sad knowing that it's almost over.

[Craig]

Some pretty sketchy artwork in some of these, but the story more than makes up for it. Marvel really needs an ongoing title that can present this sort of cutting-edge, high tech espionage on a continuing basis.

[Angela]

Get your hankies ready, this is when the Secret Warriros go to war. Very well done, and every character has a decent ending.

[Shannon Appelcline]

Another wow volume with dramatic happenings and great follow-up to the earlier volumes. A great setup for the finale.

[Sharon]

Individual issues on marvel unlimited

[Искра]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat