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Secret Warriors (2008) (Collected Editions)
Secret Warriors, Vol. 6: Wheels Within Wheels
Summoned to the Brotherhood of the Shield's labyrinthine domain in 1961, Nick Fury, Baron Strucker and nine others learned of the Great Wheel - upon which turned the fate of the world. Would they play their parts as their host, Aries, requested? Would they keep centuries old secrets and guard against betrayals? Wouldthey help shield - and in so doing, themselves? In the present, Nick Fury stands over his son Mikel's grave and wonders if it was all worth it. Assembling his Secret Warriors, losing his howling commandos, destroying the leviathan - what isthe meaning of war when you've outlived all those you sent into battle? While Fury mourns, Hydra's Kraken advances his plans to wipe all otherplayers off the board. Baron Strucker is already his captive, and a distraught Fury is next!
COLLECTING: SECRET WARRIORS 25-28
COLLECTING: SECRET WARRIORS 25-28
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2011
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,344 books2,161 followersJonathan 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 13, 2015
The war between S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and Leviathan comes to a conclusion.
I could sum up the whole Secret Warriors series in one sentence. Don't mess with Nick Fury. That's all anyone needs to know and they can just head home early.
Some old rivalries finally get wrapped up and the winner is revealed.
A bit more tragedy.
In a shocker the moral of the story is don't mess with Nick Fury.
I could sum up the whole Secret Warriors series in one sentence. Don't mess with Nick Fury. That's all anyone needs to know and they can just head home early.
Some old rivalries finally get wrapped up and the winner is revealed.
A bit more tragedy.
In a shocker the moral of the story is don't mess with Nick Fury.
June 9, 2021
We start with the Zodiac meeting in 1961 and everyone there from Strucker to Orion and even Fury is there and we see their mission and it explains their origins and how they came to be and we see the formation of Leviathan and its soldiers, what was in the box that Clan Yashida had and why Baron von strucker wanted it and in modern day Kraken reveals himself and his connections to fury and it all comes together in such a brilliant way, all chords connected and we see the mastermind Fury who wants to save the world and does and the way it happens is just brilliant and its followed by showing why Fury is the man we need, the man on a mission and what he leaves Quake with and a meeting with Cap in the end.
Fantastic volume and the way Hickman ties it together is awesome. I loved the whole thing with secrets on secrets and one man connecting it all, origins and everything and showing a side of Fury we generally don't get and the ending was just brilliant. This whole series was cool and showed the spy-fi side of Marvel and the man protecting it all and leaves a good legacy behind.
Fantastic volume and the way Hickman ties it together is awesome. I loved the whole thing with secrets on secrets and one man connecting it all, origins and everything and showing a side of Fury we generally don't get and the ending was just brilliant. This whole series was cool and showed the spy-fi side of Marvel and the man protecting it all and leaves a good legacy behind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2022
That was amazing
December 19, 2014
NOTE: This serves as a review of Volumes 1-6 of "Secret Warriors." I am an unabashed Jonathan Hickman fan, I will read anything he does and I have yet to be disappointed by any of his works. They are complex narratives that can seem confusing and nonsensical throughout the reading, but are neatly tied up by the end of the series in a way that makes you go, "Of course, it couldn't have gone any other way." In this regard, "Secret Warriors" is only surpassed by Hickman's sprawling "Avengers" epic (still ongoing) for complex and layered storytelling. The first volume takes a bit of patience to get through in that it is essentially setup of the various spy-agencies, their motivations and goals; however, the subsequent volumes take the general concept and bounce them off each other in unexpected and exciting ways. The characters here, the Caterpillar squads, the spies, soldiers and villains are all multifaceted and have real agency (no pun intended) in the story. Standouts include Daisy Johnson, Phobos, Gorgon and Baron Von Strucker. The star of the show is obviously Nick Fury who delivers some of the most memorable Marvel comics badassery in recent memory. The art is strong throughout all the volumes, with a slight dip in volume 5 due to a fill-in artist who (while not terrible) did not suit the story. Caselli and Vitti are on art duties for the bulk of the run with art that fits the high concept spy-fiction that goes on within the series.
I should also note how much praise this series has heaped on it and how long it took me to finally give it the time of day. "Secret Warriors" is unlike any other Marvel comic I have ever read. It is the story of a grizzled spymaster who finds out he has been played his whole life and is out for revenge against those who wronged him and intend to cause harm to the world. What follows is a story that really needs to be read in quick succession to be kept entirely straight. Characters switch alliances and deals are made in single blink-and-you-miss-it panels. While it may seem the comic is just running on cool concepts and not delivering substance, the final volume shows what many Hickman fans already know: Hickman plays the long game, and he has earned faith in his writing. Highly original, deftly plotted and an absolute blast to read, "Secret Warriors" is just one of those series that kicks a lot of ass and does a mic-drop. Definitely worth the read!
I should also note how much praise this series has heaped on it and how long it took me to finally give it the time of day. "Secret Warriors" is unlike any other Marvel comic I have ever read. It is the story of a grizzled spymaster who finds out he has been played his whole life and is out for revenge against those who wronged him and intend to cause harm to the world. What follows is a story that really needs to be read in quick succession to be kept entirely straight. Characters switch alliances and deals are made in single blink-and-you-miss-it panels. While it may seem the comic is just running on cool concepts and not delivering substance, the final volume shows what many Hickman fans already know: Hickman plays the long game, and he has earned faith in his writing. Highly original, deftly plotted and an absolute blast to read, "Secret Warriors" is just one of those series that kicks a lot of ass and does a mic-drop. Definitely worth the read!
October 30, 2011
Well *that* was unexpected. Not only do we get a few wild twists along the way to concluding Hickman's fantastic run on this original series, but we get a nicely-woven crossover to the mind-blowing SHIELD work that kicked off recently.
The staging in this series - the way that the plot draws out and doesn't pay off loose ends for ages - is frankly surprising. It's a rare thing for writers to get the kind of freedom - breathing room - necessary to cook this stuff up, let it simmer through some great if a little mysterious storylines, and then just wallop out of the blue. I haven't been this impressed since I saw how years-long the payoff for Secret Invasion was kept together.
This is a series that I will definitely read again. Not only for the great craftsmanship behind te writing, but also because the artistic executin throughout this series has made a good story look positively cinematic (like, Christopher Nolan Batman cinematic). Colours, big open spaces, settings, action, expressiveness.
This is what all comics should aspire to.
I'm just sad it's over.
The staging in this series - the way that the plot draws out and doesn't pay off loose ends for ages - is frankly surprising. It's a rare thing for writers to get the kind of freedom - breathing room - necessary to cook this stuff up, let it simmer through some great if a little mysterious storylines, and then just wallop out of the blue. I haven't been this impressed since I saw how years-long the payoff for Secret Invasion was kept together.
This is a series that I will definitely read again. Not only for the great craftsmanship behind te writing, but also because the artistic executin throughout this series has made a good story look positively cinematic (like, Christopher Nolan Batman cinematic). Colours, big open spaces, settings, action, expressiveness.
This is what all comics should aspire to.
I'm just sad it's over.
January 17, 2025
This volume wraps this spy thriller/political drama series. Most notable this is the series where Jonathon Hickman gets his big break and is able to work alongside Bendis and eventually takes this series full on. I like the large scope of the story where there are multiple factions maneuvering on a global scale there are some big battles and some surprises however I wish there was a larger focus on Daisy's special ops team.
This whole series was marred by some sloppy ass art a consistent artist would have been nice. While Vitti probably handled about 50% of art duties I'd say this art is borderline acceptable
Overall series rating 3.5 Stars
This whole series was marred by some sloppy ass art a consistent artist would have been nice. While Vitti probably handled about 50% of art duties I'd say this art is borderline acceptable
Overall series rating 3.5 Stars
May 31, 2017
Great conclusion to a thrilling storyline. Really, to sum up the whole thing, don't fuck with Nick Fury and don't doubt his commitment to fucking with evil.
August 15, 2018
Damn that series was great i feel like i need to go re read it after this volume.
July 3, 2022
Collects Secret Warriors #25-28
I read the last two volumes of this series back-to-back, so some of what I mention could be from Volume 5 or Volume 6. I was so-so on the series during the whole run, but if the entire series had been similar to what we got from this volume, I would have been all in from the start. The Zodiac/Great Wheel stuff was great, and although it's not explicit, I'm almost certain that the Aries character at the end of this run is the time-traveling Leonardo da Vinci from Jonathan Hickman's amazing series, "S.H.I.E.L.D." Whereas I didn't love "Secret Warriors," Hickman's "S.H.I.E.L.D." is a must-read for those that haven't yet.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
I read the last two volumes of this series back-to-back, so some of what I mention could be from Volume 5 or Volume 6. I was so-so on the series during the whole run, but if the entire series had been similar to what we got from this volume, I would have been all in from the start. The Zodiac/Great Wheel stuff was great, and although it's not explicit, I'm almost certain that the Aries character at the end of this run is the time-traveling Leonardo da Vinci from Jonathan Hickman's amazing series, "S.H.I.E.L.D." Whereas I didn't love "Secret Warriors," Hickman's "S.H.I.E.L.D." is a must-read for those that haven't yet.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
May 25, 2020
Things are always darkest before the dawn, and so were events in the lead-up to the Secret Warriors finale. Hickman clearly had fun putting together the last of the twists and turns of the complex plot of this story to end up a compelling finale for the entire series. While a little cheesy, I appreciate how the book ended things and just reminds us of what a badass Nick Fury is. This book made sure to stress that fact and also flesh out his flaws and the burden he bears as the world's greatest and oldest spy.
December 30, 2019
Plot-twist tras plot-twist, la serie llega a su fin de manera satisfactoria, permaneciendo intrigante hasta el último número a pesar que las grandes revelaciones ocurren pronto en el tomo
Un buen comienzo de Hickman y despierta el interés sabiendo que ha sido uno de los grandes arquitectos del Universo Marvel en los últimos años
Un buen comienzo de Hickman y despierta el interés sabiendo que ha sido uno de los grandes arquitectos del Universo Marvel en los últimos años
December 29, 2021
Everything ends and this one ends with Nick Fury being a badass. That's basically it. Lots of big plot twists out of nowhere, lots of characters thrown to the wayside, just... Nick Fury being Nick Fury, and being cool as heck. And some random sci-fi crap. But mainly just Nick Fury. Yeah. Hope that's literally you want out of a comic!
November 27, 2016
Hickman typicky nezklamal, všechno vysvětlil a všechno otočil o 180 stupňů, takže bych si to celé potřeboval dát ještě jednou. Líbí se mi pár retconů, ale některé Furyho masterplany mi přišly už krapet za hranou. Celkově spokojenost, Secret Warriors jsou na Marvel docela atypická sérka.
May 21, 2023
And Jonathan Hickman's S.H.I.E.L.D. story ends with a big ol' whimper.
July 26, 2023
A bit of a confusing ending, but not too bad tbh.
TW for violence, death, guns, mentions of Nazis.
TW for violence, death, guns, mentions of Nazis.
July 15, 2026
My appreciation for this series has grown so much every time I have read it that I’m about ready to say this is Hickman’s best Marvel series.
February 25, 2017
The last entry in the Secret Warriors series might as well have been called Twists Within Twists, subtitle: Some Better Than Others. While it was fun to read about some of the greater conspiracies behind this series' events, plot logic suffered for it in some instances. The result is a partially satisfactory and partially ridiculous conclusion to an ambitious and sprawling book that never quite found the appropriate balance between the various storylines.
Wheels Within Wheels is largely void of emotion too, as opposed to series' highlights The Last Ride Of The Howling Commandos and Night. That the titular team doesn't even appear for most of the issues is another baffling choice, and whatever Hickman set out to say about Nick Fury gets lost in a convoluted mess of "shocking" reveals that ultimately left me very confused about what to feel for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most famous member. Numerous plot threads are left hanging as well, giving the reader even less closure.
I mean, just why exactly . Also why . To conclude: .
Anyway Secret Warriors started out great, than fell into a slump, then got better to great again, then ended in a disappointing fashion. Still at its best it was the best, so I'm going to forget about the ending as fast as I can.
Wheels Within Wheels is largely void of emotion too, as opposed to series' highlights The Last Ride Of The Howling Commandos and Night. That the titular team doesn't even appear for most of the issues is another baffling choice, and whatever Hickman set out to say about Nick Fury gets lost in a convoluted mess of "shocking" reveals that ultimately left me very confused about what to feel for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most famous member. Numerous plot threads are left hanging as well, giving the reader even less closure.
I mean, just why exactly . Also why . To conclude: .
Anyway Secret Warriors started out great, than fell into a slump, then got better to great again, then ended in a disappointing fashion. Still at its best it was the best, so I'm going to forget about the ending as fast as I can.
September 22, 2011
A solid if a little forced of an ending to one of my favorite series in recent years. Everything essentially came to a head in Vol. 5, and this volume seeks to wrap things up in a nice package. Which it does, but not without having to stretch a little bit too much.
After 5 volume of mystery, intrigue, and layer upon layer of double- and triple-crosses, we end here, with a few more of them. The only problem is, Hickman has to devote almost an entire issue to explaining the last big twist, because it just doesn't really make a ton of sense. I wish he'd had about 8 more issues to really build this finale up, because right now it just feels like Early Cancellation Blues (which it was not; Hickman and Marvel mutually agreed to end the series here). It's a little too rushed and little too out of nowhere for me.
That said, I still loved this series and can forgive the single issue of explanation in favor of the larger payoff of a series that answers almost all the questions it raises. This was one of the best-written series from a major publisher I've ever read, and I strongly encourage everyone to read this whole thing beginning to end. You won't be disappointed. Well, you won't be TOTALLY disappointed.
After 5 volume of mystery, intrigue, and layer upon layer of double- and triple-crosses, we end here, with a few more of them. The only problem is, Hickman has to devote almost an entire issue to explaining the last big twist, because it just doesn't really make a ton of sense. I wish he'd had about 8 more issues to really build this finale up, because right now it just feels like Early Cancellation Blues (which it was not; Hickman and Marvel mutually agreed to end the series here). It's a little too rushed and little too out of nowhere for me.
That said, I still loved this series and can forgive the single issue of explanation in favor of the larger payoff of a series that answers almost all the questions it raises. This was one of the best-written series from a major publisher I've ever read, and I strongly encourage everyone to read this whole thing beginning to end. You won't be disappointed. Well, you won't be TOTALLY disappointed.
March 15, 2015
I hate when I finish reading something and I can't immediately get to writing it up. Somehow it just doesn't seem captured when I do it later. Case in point this book. This was as confused and out of order as some of the others but in this one it worked. But why? And now I'm leafing through the book trying to remember why. Could it just be that the good guys don't lose? Or that the zodiac makes slightly more sense than it usually does. Ah well at least it didn't suck. And it set up Daisy at least somewhat. 3.5 of 5.
November 3, 2012
I kind of enjoyed this, but as I read it as a standalone volume, I had no idea what preceded it, so quite a lot of what was going on escaped me. Wouldn't have killed Marvel to throw in a 'what's gone before...'
What I did understand I enjoyed-well written, art was fine.
Felt a little bare-bones though- no preface, afterward etc, just the story, covers and that's your lot.
Read the others first I'd suggest....
What I did understand I enjoyed-well written, art was fine.
Felt a little bare-bones though- no preface, afterward etc, just the story, covers and that's your lot.
Read the others first I'd suggest....
February 29, 2016
Had some nice chapters, but as a whole was extremely disappointing and anti-climatic. I hope they do a better job with the TV show.
+ what happened to Hive? Is Hive okay? Is Hive alive? What is going to happen to Ward!Hive????
+ I wonder if they are going to introduce Leviathan in MAOS. They started the idea in 'Agent Carter', but on MAOS it's all about Hydra. Not that I mind, I would just really like to see the two shows tie-in (again).
+ what happened to Hive? Is Hive okay? Is Hive alive? What is going to happen to Ward!Hive????
+ I wonder if they are going to introduce Leviathan in MAOS. They started the idea in 'Agent Carter', but on MAOS it's all about Hydra. Not that I mind, I would just really like to see the two shows tie-in (again).
April 12, 2016
If you haven't read the previous five volumes, this won't make a lick of sense. If you have, it showcases the kind of surprise twists that make this series enjoyable. Having recently read some related comic books from the late 70s, I appreciated some of the nods to deep continuity that show up here, going much further back than I might have expected. While the final issue felt a bit forced and off, this was an exciting finale to the series, in general.
April 7, 2012
Fantastic end to a fantastic series. I felt that the ending might have been just a bit too rushed (maybe the series wasn't selling too well?) but it was still very satisfying. While the series really put the spotlight on Nick Fury I think it also sets up Daisy Johnson's team quite nicely for future adventures which I hope we'll be seeing someday soon.
September 6, 2012
Excellent conclusion to what was a pretty top-notch series all the way through. Now that we're at the end, it is much clearer how carefully scripted the whole thing was. Kudos to Hickman. Nice artwork this time, too--not the rather slapdash effort on display in some of the earlier volumes. This was really quite good.
July 5, 2013
This final trade continued to build upon the strengths of the series as a whole: secrets and backstory revealed that constantly shed new light on everything that’s come before. Finishing this, I had the urge to go and read things again. I’d have liked it even more if I felt like this ending was going to be respected as a new direction for the various folks in the comic.
August 19, 2013
Bringing Jonathan Hickman's SECRET WARRIORS series to a close, the final graphic novel does a masterfully job of tying together all the strange & seemingly unrelated plot threads that had made the comic such a great espionage thriller. Bravo to all the creators who had worked so hard to make this title a gripping read issue after issue!
July 8, 2014
Ending to the series. Does a decent job of wrapping up the story, but feels a little jumbled. Overall story had many twists and turns, and it could get confusing at times. This book does have one of the greatest pages I've ever seen in a comic (when the true winner is declared). Art was messy and did not do a good job distinguishing between the characters.
Read
June 22, 2012And so, with some fitting double-crosses, triple-crosses and what I think may have been a quadruple-cross, the twisty espionage yarn concludes. Like a lot of Hickman, I can admire the intricacy more than I can feel for any of the characters - but Nick Fury remains as cool as ever.
April 8, 2012
A nice, fitting end through six volumes of Nick Fury espionage.
April 22, 2012
I love Hickman but I have no idea why I read this having never read the previous 5 volumes. It was interesting but I had no context for what was going on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews