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Strange Tales (1951) #151-168
[(S.H.I.E.L.D.: Complete Collection )] [Author: Stan Lee] [Oct-2013]
Rarely before and rarely since has comics seen a talent as innovative as Jim Steranko. Blending together influences from Pop Art to Salvador Dali and Will Eisner to Wally Wood, Steranko's boundary-breaking style is an incomparable visual language that continues influence and inspire storytellers decades later. Now, for the first time ever, Marvel is proud to offer the complete Steranko Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in one volume! STRAN GE TALES (1951) 151-168 & NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (1968) 1-3, 5
Unknown Binding
First published September 11, 2013
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About the author
Jim Steranko
296 books50 followersJames Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator who has work for decades till the present.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 24, 2018
Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, battles HYDRA and other menaces. This omnibus collects all of the SHIELD tales with art, and sometimes writing as well, by Jim Steranko.
Honestly, I wasn't impressed with the first three issues. Steranko did the art over Jack Kirby's layouts so it looked like the average Marvel art from the time period. Once Steranko did his own layouts, the book really took off.
Steranko had some crazy panels, especially for the time period. He used some unusual perspectives, angles, and panel shapes and placements, stuff that's still being imitated today. He put Fury in the body suit with zippers and things that SHIELD agents still wear in the comics today. His use of silent sequences is something else I see imitated at times. He wasn't afraid to be experimental, something that's lacking in comics a lot of the time.
I'd never read any Nick Fury solo comics before. He's usually just a supporting character. In this book, he's like a combination of James Bond and Captain America but with the personality of Ben Grimm. I wonder how much Fury's gruff manner was based on Jack Kirby. The stories themselves are interesting but nothing spectacular for the time period. Then again, they probably weren't meant to be binged in two evenings, either.
Would these comics be as legendary if Jim Steranko had done more? Somehow, I kind of doubt it. While they're revolutionary at times, the style is still rooted in the Marvel house style at the time. If you're expecting a style like Neal Adams', this isn't it. Not only that, sometimes the perspectives were kind of confusing and Steranko's figures looked a little off at times.
All that being said, I can see why these are highly regarded comics and I'm glad I read them. They might not have lived up to the hype for me but the artwork is still great to look at. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Honestly, I wasn't impressed with the first three issues. Steranko did the art over Jack Kirby's layouts so it looked like the average Marvel art from the time period. Once Steranko did his own layouts, the book really took off.
Steranko had some crazy panels, especially for the time period. He used some unusual perspectives, angles, and panel shapes and placements, stuff that's still being imitated today. He put Fury in the body suit with zippers and things that SHIELD agents still wear in the comics today. His use of silent sequences is something else I see imitated at times. He wasn't afraid to be experimental, something that's lacking in comics a lot of the time.
I'd never read any Nick Fury solo comics before. He's usually just a supporting character. In this book, he's like a combination of James Bond and Captain America but with the personality of Ben Grimm. I wonder how much Fury's gruff manner was based on Jack Kirby. The stories themselves are interesting but nothing spectacular for the time period. Then again, they probably weren't meant to be binged in two evenings, either.
Would these comics be as legendary if Jim Steranko had done more? Somehow, I kind of doubt it. While they're revolutionary at times, the style is still rooted in the Marvel house style at the time. If you're expecting a style like Neal Adams', this isn't it. Not only that, sometimes the perspectives were kind of confusing and Steranko's figures looked a little off at times.
All that being said, I can see why these are highly regarded comics and I'm glad I read them. They might not have lived up to the hype for me but the artwork is still great to look at. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
January 1, 2022
Three and a half stars (and stripes).
4 starts for the drawing but the scripts are a bit hasty, at times they even seem parodic, for example from the James Bond movies. Pure entertainment with a touch of psychedelic.
4 starts for the drawing but the scripts are a bit hasty, at times they even seem parodic, for example from the James Bond movies. Pure entertainment with a touch of psychedelic.
January 25, 2014
I got this mostly because of Steranko's work in it. Vibrant story telling through pop art.
October 21, 2014
5 stars for the art. 1 star for the writing. Maybe start reading this around page 240. Do yourself a major favor and do not read the stories leading up to that point, Just LOOK AT the very pretty pictures. At the place in TPB where it is SHIELD #1 and stan lee & roy thomas are no longer writting it, THANK GOD , you are safe to really jump in. The early collected works in this tome with Lee & Kirby input hovering over steranko are very difficult to wade through. The writing is cheeseball lunacy aimed at a 6 year old. People kind of forget for every epic story stan lee came up with, he wrote 50 other turkeys that are so hackneyed & cornball you cringe while reading....and he takes 3 paragraphs to describe what others would do in one sentence and a finely crafted creative art image. Stan has all the characters TALK their action and why they are doing it..."i am punching you right now supreme hydra so you cannot destroy shield..." -- that kinda over-the-top bad writing.....sadly, when steranko writes here, he follows the STAN template for 90% of his writing... :-( i was joyous to finally, after about a year (!) arrive at the place in book where the great steranko is 100% of the work. I suggest anyone buying this, start on about page 240.....skip the early "strange tales" issues collected in here........ They are painful!. No question, Steranko's artwork is among the best in the history of comicdom. In places, Still as stunning, innovative & mind expanding as it was when originally published. The writing (!) however is a major obstacle. Stan Lee, Roy Thomas & their protege' Steranko must have been paid by the word. It is tedious. I realise it was produced in the style of that day, --understood --but they describe every minute thought & movement in thought bubbles as action is going on. "I am punching this guy now, wowzers!". Help, I am stuck on an endless repeating loop here, just like the SHIELD "ramrod".....i stopped counting "ramrod" mentions for Fury after about the 36th one......
Want to read
August 30, 2015Steranko the legend is far beyond anything I've heard people say about Steranko the creator. The story of him slapping Bob Kane is probably apocryphal but absolutely essential to the smug, silk-scarf-wearing, cigar chomping image that has built up over the years.
The early issues of this run of SHIELD are shepherded by Stan and Jack, and Stan's trademarked overblown, not-terribly-well-informed scripting is on stark display here - it's like Stan has some kind of brain damage and doesn't know how human beings speak or think.
And it's even more interesting to see how they portray Nick Fury in these early days. As opposed to the super-arrogant, omniscient leader we've known in modern times, this guy gets fooled by some pretty grade-school-level scams.
The early issues of this run of SHIELD are shepherded by Stan and Jack, and Stan's trademarked overblown, not-terribly-well-informed scripting is on stark display here - it's like Stan has some kind of brain damage and doesn't know how human beings speak or think.
And it's even more interesting to see how they portray Nick Fury in these early days. As opposed to the super-arrogant, omniscient leader we've known in modern times, this guy gets fooled by some pretty grade-school-level scams.
August 14, 2014
Jim Steranko is my favorite comic book artist of all time, so it's not really surprising I liked this book. But also, this is the character probably above all else that he got to show off his skills, both writing and drawing Nick Fury in full glory.
The art is beautiful. He uses color brilliantly, with bright colors smashed together. But his best skill is definitely perspective. There are pages where it's just a humongous location over 2 pages (in one instance, over a 4 page splash panel), and there's so much detail, and it curves in the way it would if it were actually being viewed by an eye. There are also countless uses of the actual comic book panels, either breaking up events like they are happening moment by moment, or changing layout page by page.
The main thing is that he uses his artwork to create a mood in the reader, the hectic nature of being a spy, or even just the general largess of being a Marvel superhero.
Plus the art always look cool. Like a Dali painting with lots of details and crazy spy stuff in it. And once again, GREAT VISUAL PERSPECTIVES!
The stories themselves are well written, but they're pure action narratives. There's always a story, but it's like "that guy wants to blow up the world, or kill Nick Fury", not much more than that. But Steranko does a good job of presenting good guys and bad guys in a way that's not boring. You won't get overbearing dialogue or description, or awkward pacing to set up the stakes.
It really pulls you along the action at full speed.
I also thought that while they only hinted at the growing romance between Nick Fury and his girlfriend, Countess Allegra something or other, that it was really captivating to read about it, it was interesting and kind of emotional/real. And while also only briefly touched upon, the bond between all the other spies and Nick, or with each other, was kind of sweetly put together.
Steranko may not have used a lot of emotions, but he knows how to not be fake or heavy handed.
THIS IS THE PINNACLE OF COMIC BOOKS! READ IT! NUFF SAID!
10/5 (rounded down for Goodreads sake to 5/5)
The art is beautiful. He uses color brilliantly, with bright colors smashed together. But his best skill is definitely perspective. There are pages where it's just a humongous location over 2 pages (in one instance, over a 4 page splash panel), and there's so much detail, and it curves in the way it would if it were actually being viewed by an eye. There are also countless uses of the actual comic book panels, either breaking up events like they are happening moment by moment, or changing layout page by page.
The main thing is that he uses his artwork to create a mood in the reader, the hectic nature of being a spy, or even just the general largess of being a Marvel superhero.
Plus the art always look cool. Like a Dali painting with lots of details and crazy spy stuff in it. And once again, GREAT VISUAL PERSPECTIVES!
The stories themselves are well written, but they're pure action narratives. There's always a story, but it's like "that guy wants to blow up the world, or kill Nick Fury", not much more than that. But Steranko does a good job of presenting good guys and bad guys in a way that's not boring. You won't get overbearing dialogue or description, or awkward pacing to set up the stakes.
It really pulls you along the action at full speed.
I also thought that while they only hinted at the growing romance between Nick Fury and his girlfriend, Countess Allegra something or other, that it was really captivating to read about it, it was interesting and kind of emotional/real. And while also only briefly touched upon, the bond between all the other spies and Nick, or with each other, was kind of sweetly put together.
Steranko may not have used a lot of emotions, but he knows how to not be fake or heavy handed.
THIS IS THE PINNACLE OF COMIC BOOKS! READ IT! NUFF SAID!
10/5 (rounded down for Goodreads sake to 5/5)
July 31, 2014
I've always liked the character of Nick Fury, a combat hero of WW2 who evolved into a master of international espionage. After watching Captain America 2 and the Shield TV series this year, I decided to finally pick this up and read some of the early Nick Fury Shield stuff. Additionally, Jim Steranko is without doubt one of the top comic illustrators ever and was responsible for several innovations that later artists have freely borrowed from. Incidentally, the cover of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. #1 is one of the most famous and iconic Marvel covers of all time and provides a great example of Steranko at his finest. As an artist, I really enjoyed the aesthetic that Steranko brought to these books. It holds up even today, quite honestly.
The issues included in this collection stretch from Dec. of 1966 to Oct. of 1968. The improvement in Steranko's work (both artistically and narratively) through this run is very marked. TBH, the early Strange Tales Fury stuff is not that great, and Steranko's scripting does not measure up to his artistic ability by any means. It was difficult at times to read some of it, but part of the problem is that this material is over 40 years old and you as the reader need to try to imagine yourself as an 11 yr.-old kid in the late 60's. If you do that, at times these stories can provide a special type of nostalgic entertainment. Nevertheless, the writing directly results in a 2 star hit to my review.
Overall this book was good enough that I am interested in reading the early Captain America stuff as well. Cheers to Marvel for reprinting all their old stuff in these handy TPBs. Excelsior, True Believers!
The issues included in this collection stretch from Dec. of 1966 to Oct. of 1968. The improvement in Steranko's work (both artistically and narratively) through this run is very marked. TBH, the early Strange Tales Fury stuff is not that great, and Steranko's scripting does not measure up to his artistic ability by any means. It was difficult at times to read some of it, but part of the problem is that this material is over 40 years old and you as the reader need to try to imagine yourself as an 11 yr.-old kid in the late 60's. If you do that, at times these stories can provide a special type of nostalgic entertainment. Nevertheless, the writing directly results in a 2 star hit to my review.
Overall this book was good enough that I am interested in reading the early Captain America stuff as well. Cheers to Marvel for reprinting all their old stuff in these handy TPBs. Excelsior, True Believers!
June 30, 2015
This book has absolutely blown my mind. Before reading this I didn't think much of Jim Steranko. He was just some guy I read about in books about comics. Why was he important?
But after reading this book he is absolutely one of my favorite storytellers in comics. This book starts off with writing by Stan Lee with layouts by Jack Kirby, so it's not really different from any other Marvel comic at the time. But when Steranko starts drawing and writing the book it becomes a work of genius. Steranko's art could be described as avant-garde, as he uses techniques in his art that would seldom be used in mainstream comics for the next few decades. He even uses techniques that I didn't know could be used in a comic from the 60's.
I found myself sad when i finished this book. I craved more of Steranko's art. I haven't heard of any comics much like Steranko's S.H.E.I.L.D., but I'll keep looking.
But after reading this book he is absolutely one of my favorite storytellers in comics. This book starts off with writing by Stan Lee with layouts by Jack Kirby, so it's not really different from any other Marvel comic at the time. But when Steranko starts drawing and writing the book it becomes a work of genius. Steranko's art could be described as avant-garde, as he uses techniques in his art that would seldom be used in mainstream comics for the next few decades. He even uses techniques that I didn't know could be used in a comic from the 60's.
I found myself sad when i finished this book. I craved more of Steranko's art. I haven't heard of any comics much like Steranko's S.H.E.I.L.D., but I'll keep looking.
March 20, 2016
A year later, decided to take another run at this one (really just skimmed it the first time) after reading the SHIELD by Lee and Kirby volume that leads into this. Steranko is definitely at the top of his visually innovative game here, and there's inspiration aplenty for page layout and costume design in the latter half, but in terms of general line drawing and plotting he's still working in the shadow of Lee and Kirby here and Steranko is nowhere near Kirby in terms of layout and smooth storytelling. I had to really fight to not skim this a second time and just look at the pretty pictures. All depends on what you want out a Nick Fury comic, I guess. l
July 17, 2020
Jim Steranko took all the interesting ideas and redeeming qualities of the original S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby: The Complete Collection and asked "what if we made literally everything about this even better?" The superspy thriller was reborn as a superhero spy thriller, with Nick Fury growing from a James Bond clone to a bona fide comic hero. He's got the tenacity of Wolverine, the fighting skills of Captain America, and some cool gadgets that would make Batman's utility belt jealous.
Steranko expands the supporting cast to offer more than the Nick Fury/Dum Dum Dugan/Jasper Sitwell trio, bringing in more Marvel Universe characters like Captain America, Jimmy Woo, and cameos from people like the Fantastic Four. This isn't just the political/spy side of Marvel anymore, this is a world-wide adventure featuring scheming supervillains and mid-air brawls between armies wearing jetpacks and toting rifles. It's got old foes coming back with a vengeance and is very much in-tune with the rest of Marvel. By the end of the series it gets a great sci-fi edge to it that goes hand-in-hand with the ESP agents and android duplicates that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby originally introduced.
And of course... the artwork. Jim Steranko starts out inking over some Kirby layouts and quickly gets the helm as both head artist and writer of the series. Silver Age titles are often immensely wordy with a lot of exposition, telling-not-showing in the dialogue, and recaps. Steranko avoids most of this and while it's still a bit wordy compared to some modern comics, he isn't afraid to use his artwork as the primary means of story-telling. There are some full pages and sections without any words, or with a couple sentences of narration tucked away in the corner, as the big action scenes are left to Steranko's bold and intense figures. Steranko takes a lot from Jack Kirby, with some action poses, character models, and special effects looking straight out of any Kirby book, while still developing his own flair to it. Being both writer and artist he's able to weave the different elements of comics (in the simplest of terms "art" and "script", though it's definitely more complex than that) together in a way that reads much more modern than anything else you'd find in the Silver Age.
Do you like cool machines? There are plenty of killer weapons, giant vehicles, and high-tech spy gadgets. Do you like big action? There are scenes where Nick Fury fights off entire armies with his bare hands while half-naked, there are sky battles and secret lairs, there are obstacle courses with sharks and rings of fire. Do you like intrigue? There are conspiracy theories, secret identities, and a host of undercover agents playing off of each other. Do you like superhero comics? There are superheroes, and supervillains, and ultimate death weapons of doom that are a little bit badass and a little bit corny cartoon fun. It's got everything you would want from a S.H.I.E.L.D. book, and multiple reveals that are truly shocking and made me have to take a step away from reading to process. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby might have introduced the idea of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra and all these spy things to Marvel Comics, but Jim Steranko is the one that makes them ingrained into the Marvel Universe. This is where these important, universe-defining organizations have their roots. And it's incredible.
Steranko expands the supporting cast to offer more than the Nick Fury/Dum Dum Dugan/Jasper Sitwell trio, bringing in more Marvel Universe characters like Captain America, Jimmy Woo, and cameos from people like the Fantastic Four. This isn't just the political/spy side of Marvel anymore, this is a world-wide adventure featuring scheming supervillains and mid-air brawls between armies wearing jetpacks and toting rifles. It's got old foes coming back with a vengeance and is very much in-tune with the rest of Marvel. By the end of the series it gets a great sci-fi edge to it that goes hand-in-hand with the ESP agents and android duplicates that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby originally introduced.
And of course... the artwork. Jim Steranko starts out inking over some Kirby layouts and quickly gets the helm as both head artist and writer of the series. Silver Age titles are often immensely wordy with a lot of exposition, telling-not-showing in the dialogue, and recaps. Steranko avoids most of this and while it's still a bit wordy compared to some modern comics, he isn't afraid to use his artwork as the primary means of story-telling. There are some full pages and sections without any words, or with a couple sentences of narration tucked away in the corner, as the big action scenes are left to Steranko's bold and intense figures. Steranko takes a lot from Jack Kirby, with some action poses, character models, and special effects looking straight out of any Kirby book, while still developing his own flair to it. Being both writer and artist he's able to weave the different elements of comics (in the simplest of terms "art" and "script", though it's definitely more complex than that) together in a way that reads much more modern than anything else you'd find in the Silver Age.
Do you like cool machines? There are plenty of killer weapons, giant vehicles, and high-tech spy gadgets. Do you like big action? There are scenes where Nick Fury fights off entire armies with his bare hands while half-naked, there are sky battles and secret lairs, there are obstacle courses with sharks and rings of fire. Do you like intrigue? There are conspiracy theories, secret identities, and a host of undercover agents playing off of each other. Do you like superhero comics? There are superheroes, and supervillains, and ultimate death weapons of doom that are a little bit badass and a little bit corny cartoon fun. It's got everything you would want from a S.H.I.E.L.D. book, and multiple reveals that are truly shocking and made me have to take a step away from reading to process. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby might have introduced the idea of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra and all these spy things to Marvel Comics, but Jim Steranko is the one that makes them ingrained into the Marvel Universe. This is where these important, universe-defining organizations have their roots. And it's incredible.
November 14, 2016
Having watched a three part documentary on the history of comics I was a little bit familiar with Steranko's artwork for the SHIELD title. And definitely Steranko's artistic talent is the main draw for this collection. Visually appealing and attention grabbing on just about every page it doesn't take any time at all to discern Steranko's talent and skills.
However, this collection features some of the absolute worst comic writing I've ever seen. Steranko takes over the writing as well as the drawing a few issues in, but it only improves slightly. The stories, as far as they go, are pretty well structured and interesting. But Nick Fury's dialog is by far the worst offender (and Dum Dum Dugan's isn't much better). Think of the absolute worst and cliched tough guy dialog from all those 1940s and 1950s noir movies and then drop your expectations even lower. What's worse Fury acts the tough guy 100% of the time so that he comes across like the most colossal jerk in the world to his own co-workers. He insults the rescue sub that saves his life, he insults Dum Dum for no reason at all and everyone just remains 110% loyal to the guy. It's overkill in the worst sense of the word. So three stars for the art work, but the terrible scripting docks it a couple.
However, this collection features some of the absolute worst comic writing I've ever seen. Steranko takes over the writing as well as the drawing a few issues in, but it only improves slightly. The stories, as far as they go, are pretty well structured and interesting. But Nick Fury's dialog is by far the worst offender (and Dum Dum Dugan's isn't much better). Think of the absolute worst and cliched tough guy dialog from all those 1940s and 1950s noir movies and then drop your expectations even lower. What's worse Fury acts the tough guy 100% of the time so that he comes across like the most colossal jerk in the world to his own co-workers. He insults the rescue sub that saves his life, he insults Dum Dum for no reason at all and everyone just remains 110% loyal to the guy. It's overkill in the worst sense of the word. So three stars for the art work, but the terrible scripting docks it a couple.
January 14, 2018
Jim Steranko is, in my opinion, one of the most talented and unique comic artists ever. After imitating Jack Kirby's style in the first issues of this series, he started to incorporate black-and-white photographies, psychedelic elements and optical illusions into his art, it's extremely innovative, detailed, and colorful.
The stories themselves in this collection are pretty standard spy tales, including robots, secret organizations, world-threatening weapons and power-mad villains. But they provide solid comic book storytelling, and match Steranko's imaginative style.
I recommend this book to fans of classic 60s spy adventures and comic readers in general, especially for the fantastic art in this one.
The stories themselves in this collection are pretty standard spy tales, including robots, secret organizations, world-threatening weapons and power-mad villains. But they provide solid comic book storytelling, and match Steranko's imaginative style.
I recommend this book to fans of classic 60s spy adventures and comic readers in general, especially for the fantastic art in this one.
November 4, 2013
I tried to read this, I really did, but, God, is Stan's writing insufferable. Way too much dialogue and melodrama. I could barely make it through the first chapter. Not going to try that again.
January 11, 2014
I honestly think Stan Lee was paid by the word, and he is more rich than we thought. This was not as good as I was hoping.
February 14, 2019
While aspects of these stories are dated and cheesy, Steranko's SHIELD is just pure fun to read. Compiling the Nick Fury stories from Strange Tales, as well as the first few issues from his solo series, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, this collection is a cool little piece of comic history. Steranko truly was a visionary for the visual design of the comics medium--innovative panel designs, multi-page spreads, and truly eye catching designs are all hallmarks of his work with SHIELD. The art style is game for pretty much anything, taking influence from Pop art, James Bond films, photography, Warhol, Dali, and classic Comics artists like Kirby and Wood to create a truly bonkers world of 1960's espionage.
It's interesting to see the aesthetic evolution through Strange Tales, as Stan Lee eventually gives Steranko control of scripting duties as well as art (Tellingly, though, Lee's name retains top billing as "Editor"). You can see the creativity blossom and Steranko really stretch to fit all his ideas into what were essentially 12-page mini-issues. Things get even better with the Agent of SHIELD series, as Steranko gets more room to create and explore truly out there ideas, while continuing to borrow from a great list of influencers--a personal highlight for me is Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #3, which reads as Sherlock Holmes meets Hammer Horror, with, of course, a touch of Nazis thrown in for good measure.
Obviously, some aspects of the work don't hold up that well--certain pop culture references went right over my head, and the depiction of Asian characters can be...problematic. Also, while the collection does include Steranko's covers for Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #'s 4,6 and 7, the actual issues themselves are curiously absent. While Steranko himself may not have had as much input with those issues, it still would have been nice to see them included. Overall though, this collection is a really fun piece of comics history that's well worth a read.
It's interesting to see the aesthetic evolution through Strange Tales, as Stan Lee eventually gives Steranko control of scripting duties as well as art (Tellingly, though, Lee's name retains top billing as "Editor"). You can see the creativity blossom and Steranko really stretch to fit all his ideas into what were essentially 12-page mini-issues. Things get even better with the Agent of SHIELD series, as Steranko gets more room to create and explore truly out there ideas, while continuing to borrow from a great list of influencers--a personal highlight for me is Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #3, which reads as Sherlock Holmes meets Hammer Horror, with, of course, a touch of Nazis thrown in for good measure.
Obviously, some aspects of the work don't hold up that well--certain pop culture references went right over my head, and the depiction of Asian characters can be...problematic. Also, while the collection does include Steranko's covers for Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #'s 4,6 and 7, the actual issues themselves are curiously absent. While Steranko himself may not have had as much input with those issues, it still would have been nice to see them included. Overall though, this collection is a really fun piece of comics history that's well worth a read.
February 5, 2019
Steranko had a history as a notorious hard worker who earned a lot of opportunities with his capable efforts. He built from Kirby's style (long after it was expected of him), and appears to have inspired Kirby himself to push some of his work into more experimental places. Healthy competition, IOW.
The artwork in this collection represents a new age of expectations for the artwork in comics - and there would be no going back (if artists knew what was good for them).
Sadly, it's really not well written - to the point of being unpleasant to read. There's a lot of timely racism, too - something to accept in historical context, but still cringe worthy when it presents as enthusiastically disparaging.
Some people celebrate Steranko as the best comic artist of all time. I don't think he holds a torch to Kirby (whom he never stopped emulating, and in a less dynamic or consistent way), and I guess the personality quirks show through in ways that make his work end up rubbing me the wrong way sometimes. If he'd been paired with a capable writer on this project it would have been soo much better.
The genre-spanning that closes the book (international, gothic, etc.) feels like flailing - and I never really got to find many redeeming qualities in Nick Fury - which is a problem, in a book about Nick Fury.
The artwork in this collection represents a new age of expectations for the artwork in comics - and there would be no going back (if artists knew what was good for them).
Sadly, it's really not well written - to the point of being unpleasant to read. There's a lot of timely racism, too - something to accept in historical context, but still cringe worthy when it presents as enthusiastically disparaging.
Some people celebrate Steranko as the best comic artist of all time. I don't think he holds a torch to Kirby (whom he never stopped emulating, and in a less dynamic or consistent way), and I guess the personality quirks show through in ways that make his work end up rubbing me the wrong way sometimes. If he'd been paired with a capable writer on this project it would have been soo much better.
The genre-spanning that closes the book (international, gothic, etc.) feels like flailing - and I never really got to find many redeeming qualities in Nick Fury - which is a problem, in a book about Nick Fury.
April 23, 2022
In this collection, Jim Steranko takes over as artist on the Nick Fury series. As a result, the series underwent numerous milestones: new enemies, new allies (including the introduction of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine), new gadgets, a wardrobe change for Fury, as well as Fury getting his own magazine. The real highlight of this book was Steranko's revolutionary artwork, which blended comic artwork with photographs, Pop Art, Op Art, and Surrealism.
January 12, 2019
Here are all of the SHIELD stories with Nick Fury as drawn by Jim Steranko. The first several are crude, but when Steranko hit his stride, he made the character all his own. Bonus points for the psychedelic artwork and pushing the boundaries with the depiction of the relationship between Fury and the Contessa.
December 17, 2020
This is truly a must read for any serious comic book guy regardless of which publisher you are loyal to. The art and layout is groundbreaking. The stories are original.
As far as the need to reread the book unless you’re a Nick Fury/SHIELD fan there is t a lot of need. If you have the shelf space it would be worth hanging on to just to flip through the pages to admire the beautiful art.
As far as the need to reread the book unless you’re a Nick Fury/SHIELD fan there is t a lot of need. If you have the shelf space it would be worth hanging on to just to flip through the pages to admire the beautiful art.
August 30, 2017
Really enjoyed this run! Even before Jim Steranko came on board.
January 18, 2018
The writing in this book did not age well. But steranko's artwork...my god still incredible to this day.
August 14, 2020
Steranko’s art is a SOLID five stars. Breathtaking and groundbreaking stuff, without a doubt.
Sadly, Steranko’s writing is, even being generous, one star. Just absolutely YIKES!
Sadly, Steranko’s writing is, even being generous, one star. Just absolutely YIKES!
February 6, 2023
review to come
October 1, 2024
Stories and writing range from serviceable to a total mess (what the hell was up with the ending to that Hammer horror pastiche?) but man, watching the evolution of the artwork is just glorious.
December 29, 2021
Even though Nick Fury and SHIELD was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
Even though dozens of talented writers and artists have put the World War II hero turned secret agent through thick and thin...
-You just cannot explore this cloak and dagger corner of the Marvel universe without mentioning Jim Steranko.
Steranko's time at Marvel might have been brief. But the time Steranko spent at the House of Ideas not only changed Marvel Comics but the entire medium as well. He loved to fuse psychedelic art with optical illusions. There was also a little bit of Dali's surrealism infused with the dynamic posing created by Jack Kirby and Will Eisner's love of playing with story titles within the artwork.
When it came to the writing style, Steranko's Nick Fury was like Ian Fleming's James Bond on acid and steroids. The gadgets were more far out. The women were more exotic. And the baddies were so much more deadlier. Plus, Steranko wasn't afraid to kill off characters. Nor was he afraid to literally destroy SHIELD headquarters in every issue (only to miraculously have the agency built back up the next issue.)
One thing Steranko did that I wasn't a fan of was that he broke up the team. Gabriel Jones and Dum Dum Dugan both disappear midway through this book. Thankfully, Dum Dum's absence wasn't very long. But Gabe stays MIA. He was always a favorite of mine in the pages of Howling Commandos. So to not have Gabe around was a disappointment. (BTW- Gabe was the star of one of the first Marvel features to involve a black main character; posing as a AIM agent. When will those historic issues ever get collected and published?)
I'm trying to read my way through the complete adventures of Nick Fury. I seem to be going more in a chronological order of publication rather than through Nick's timeline. But I don't mind. Fury is a favorite, always has been. I can't experience the true story of Nick Fury without this period of comics history. And if you are wanting the full course of Nick Fury stories, neither should you!
Even though dozens of talented writers and artists have put the World War II hero turned secret agent through thick and thin...
-You just cannot explore this cloak and dagger corner of the Marvel universe without mentioning Jim Steranko.
Steranko's time at Marvel might have been brief. But the time Steranko spent at the House of Ideas not only changed Marvel Comics but the entire medium as well. He loved to fuse psychedelic art with optical illusions. There was also a little bit of Dali's surrealism infused with the dynamic posing created by Jack Kirby and Will Eisner's love of playing with story titles within the artwork.
When it came to the writing style, Steranko's Nick Fury was like Ian Fleming's James Bond on acid and steroids. The gadgets were more far out. The women were more exotic. And the baddies were so much more deadlier. Plus, Steranko wasn't afraid to kill off characters. Nor was he afraid to literally destroy SHIELD headquarters in every issue (only to miraculously have the agency built back up the next issue.)
One thing Steranko did that I wasn't a fan of was that he broke up the team. Gabriel Jones and Dum Dum Dugan both disappear midway through this book. Thankfully, Dum Dum's absence wasn't very long. But Gabe stays MIA. He was always a favorite of mine in the pages of Howling Commandos. So to not have Gabe around was a disappointment. (BTW- Gabe was the star of one of the first Marvel features to involve a black main character; posing as a AIM agent. When will those historic issues ever get collected and published?)
I'm trying to read my way through the complete adventures of Nick Fury. I seem to be going more in a chronological order of publication rather than through Nick's timeline. But I don't mind. Fury is a favorite, always has been. I can't experience the true story of Nick Fury without this period of comics history. And if you are wanting the full course of Nick Fury stories, neither should you!
January 16, 2017
Ah, an odd to my youth.......
Or what I remember of it, anyway. I saw this collection of Jim Steranko's work with Marvel and I knew I needed this. Steranko's is one of my favorite artists from the 60's and seventies, and this compilation shows his progression from a Jack Kirby clone (not a dig, Kirby is responsible for some off the great art from the 40's on) to a fully formed psychedelic artists epic proportions. Steranko drew the early Agent of SHIELD stories, and later lent his craft to Dr. Strange. He has incredible detail (the main likes his machinery) with great action sequences and amazing effects. This was an age of psychedelia, and Steranko's art is a great example. I'm finding it hard to describe, I just kept looking at it and marvelling (no pun intended) that it is almost 50 years old.
The stories? Pretty good (although I thought the "Hound of the Baskervilles" rip off was weak) and the first 70 per cent is a dual mag with Dr. Strange. I didn't find them as engaging as watching the development of Nick Fury, but it's interesting. It includes one artist I thought didn't do the good doctor justice (Marie Severin) and plots not as good as the early Steve Ditko years. Both heroes got their own books after this, and I do have a Dr. Strange collection to get to, so we'll see. Highly recommended with art far ahead of its time. Plus it has all the tropes of the secret agent genre, cool gadgets, awesome cars, beautiful women, and hard charging agents against pure evil.
I mean, what more do you want?
Or what I remember of it, anyway. I saw this collection of Jim Steranko's work with Marvel and I knew I needed this. Steranko's is one of my favorite artists from the 60's and seventies, and this compilation shows his progression from a Jack Kirby clone (not a dig, Kirby is responsible for some off the great art from the 40's on) to a fully formed psychedelic artists epic proportions. Steranko drew the early Agent of SHIELD stories, and later lent his craft to Dr. Strange. He has incredible detail (the main likes his machinery) with great action sequences and amazing effects. This was an age of psychedelia, and Steranko's art is a great example. I'm finding it hard to describe, I just kept looking at it and marvelling (no pun intended) that it is almost 50 years old.
The stories? Pretty good (although I thought the "Hound of the Baskervilles" rip off was weak) and the first 70 per cent is a dual mag with Dr. Strange. I didn't find them as engaging as watching the development of Nick Fury, but it's interesting. It includes one artist I thought didn't do the good doctor justice (Marie Severin) and plots not as good as the early Steve Ditko years. Both heroes got their own books after this, and I do have a Dr. Strange collection to get to, so we'll see. Highly recommended with art far ahead of its time. Plus it has all the tropes of the secret agent genre, cool gadgets, awesome cars, beautiful women, and hard charging agents against pure evil.
I mean, what more do you want?
April 26, 2017
I'm not sure why Marvel opted to include almost all of the contents of the Strange Tales issues herein, as it comes close to duplicating the entirety of the second Doctor Strange Masterworks in the process, and needlessly pads the book.
I'm actually a bit disappointed after reading through this collection, as the early entries are a combination of Jack Kirby layouts and Steranko finishes, and even when Steranko takes over completely as the artist, the Kirby influences are extremely pronounced. When Steranko is let off the chain and starts writing the stories as well...well, let's just say that the pop art flourishes were a bit startling at the time, and memory insists that they were *much* better...excerpt that the cold hard light of day renders the work just...rather gaudy and silly. The parts that actually manage to work are the parts that get played straight amidst the mad gadgetry and goofy equipment names. It also doesn't help that a major chunk of the Strange Tales entries consists of one long arc based around the old Timely and Atlas villain The Yellow Claw, a lemon yellow Fu Manchu knock-off whose chief enemy is FBI agent Jimmy Woo (used to much better effect in the much later Agents of Atlas) who's secretly in love with the Yellow Claw's daughter, Suwan.
Credit, though is definitely due to Steranko for not only trying to do something different in mainstream comics, but convincing Stan Lee to go along with it. Oi, though, it has *not* held up well.
I'm actually a bit disappointed after reading through this collection, as the early entries are a combination of Jack Kirby layouts and Steranko finishes, and even when Steranko takes over completely as the artist, the Kirby influences are extremely pronounced. When Steranko is let off the chain and starts writing the stories as well...well, let's just say that the pop art flourishes were a bit startling at the time, and memory insists that they were *much* better...excerpt that the cold hard light of day renders the work just...rather gaudy and silly. The parts that actually manage to work are the parts that get played straight amidst the mad gadgetry and goofy equipment names. It also doesn't help that a major chunk of the Strange Tales entries consists of one long arc based around the old Timely and Atlas villain The Yellow Claw, a lemon yellow Fu Manchu knock-off whose chief enemy is FBI agent Jimmy Woo (used to much better effect in the much later Agents of Atlas) who's secretly in love with the Yellow Claw's daughter, Suwan.
Credit, though is definitely due to Steranko for not only trying to do something different in mainstream comics, but convincing Stan Lee to go along with it. Oi, though, it has *not* held up well.
March 6, 2014
First off, these are not modern comics. If you're expecting anything resembling the current S.H.I.E.L.D. this is probably not for you. What you get is a collection of Jim Steranko's absolutely awesome run on the Nick Fury comics in the late '60s. The art is top notch. Really beautiful stuff. And honestly, that's the reason you're probably going to buy it. Trust me. It's worth it.
On the other hand, while Steranko's S.H.I.E.L.D. was in many ways ahead of its time, it was also, in may ways, of its time. There are some very unfortunate, cringe-worthy, racial stereotypes peppered throughout. They're a glaring flaw in an otherwise great body of work. Also, while the Steranko-penned scripts are tolerable, the early Stan Lee ones are pretty godawful. Tough it out through those. It's worth it.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 because it showcases a groundbreaking artist's groundbreaking work, and most of the flaws can be chalked up more to the time it was made rather than any sort of ill intent on the part of the creators.
On the other hand, while Steranko's S.H.I.E.L.D. was in many ways ahead of its time, it was also, in may ways, of its time. There are some very unfortunate, cringe-worthy, racial stereotypes peppered throughout. They're a glaring flaw in an otherwise great body of work. Also, while the Steranko-penned scripts are tolerable, the early Stan Lee ones are pretty godawful. Tough it out through those. It's worth it.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 because it showcases a groundbreaking artist's groundbreaking work, and most of the flaws can be chalked up more to the time it was made rather than any sort of ill intent on the part of the creators.
October 15, 2016
Actually 4.5 stars! 5 for the mind-bending art and 4 for the storytelling (not a huge fan of the early issues by Stan Lee, wooden characters much?).
My god, the art in this book rocked my socks off. The colours, the design, the layout, the patterns!! It's all terrific stuff coming from Jim Steranko (Pop art god of comics).
I urge anyone interested in pop art and dynamic storytelling to read this collection. The first couple of issues by Stan Lee where Steranko is bound by the layouts of Jack Kirby (A.K.A. The King) can be a bit of a slog to get through, but once Steranko takes over get ready to get hit by vivid colours and some of the best page layouts ever. Below is one of my favourite page from this collection:
My god, the art in this book rocked my socks off. The colours, the design, the layout, the patterns!! It's all terrific stuff coming from Jim Steranko (Pop art god of comics).
I urge anyone interested in pop art and dynamic storytelling to read this collection. The first couple of issues by Stan Lee where Steranko is bound by the layouts of Jack Kirby (A.K.A. The King) can be a bit of a slog to get through, but once Steranko takes over get ready to get hit by vivid colours and some of the best page layouts ever. Below is one of my favourite page from this collection:
August 2, 2017
Great looking book let down by some of the worst comic book writing I have ever read. Stan Lee's tendency for overblown narrative and dialogue gets dialled to 11 once Steranko takes over, suggesting that Lee may have only provided plotting while Steranko himself may be responsible for the florid and over-ripe text. Either that or Stan Lee decided to parody himself to the nth degree. Seriously, why say something in 10 words when you can bludgeon readers with 100. The endless cascade of adjectives eventually wears down the will to live, and I found myself gritting my teeth and marvelling instead at the unquestionably brilliant art of Steranko. Fewer words would have allowed the pictures to breathe and this reader to relax. Three stars then, and mostly for the great pop art visuals.
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