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Strange Tales (1951) #135-150
S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete Collection
Celebrating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 50th anniversary, Marvel proudly presents the very fi rst S.H.I.E.L.D. adventures! Having revolutionized everything from super heroes to war and Westerns, in 1965 Stan Lee & Jack Kirby set their sights on the spy game. Cold War covert ops had been dominating headlines, so they created an international organization to protect the Marvel Universe. Headed by Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. featured amazing gadgets, world-dominating villains and the debut of the awesome Helicarrier!
STRANGE TALES (1951) 135-150, FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) 21, TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) 78
STRANGE TALES (1951) 135-150, FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) 21, TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) 78
247 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2015
13 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,565 books2,336 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 20, 2018
It’s easy to fall into a knee-jerk dismissive reaction about comic books written in the Golden and Silver Age – they’re not sophisticated as comics nowadays; they’re cornball crap; they’re boring and written for kids; they’re fossils – building blocks to better and more enlightened reading. Sure, they can be excruciatingly all of that, but sometimes they can be fun to read in a non-ironic, detached way, too.
Really.
This volume collects Nick Fury’s initial Marvel appearance post-his World War II adventures with the Howling Commandos and the initial S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff collected in Strange Tales. Lee and Kirby are credited here and in Lee’s over-hyperbolic afterward in the back of this tome, he credits Kirby for coming up with most of the spy-gadgets. Other artists did a lion’s share of the penciling, but Kirby was responsible for the art layouts and his style is all over this book.
Oooh, Helicarrier!!
Breathe in the Kirby!
Spy stuff was kind of a mania back then with the James Bond movies and a TV show called the Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Lee liked to jump on any cultural bandwagon that would help sell the funny books, hence the creation of this title. There’s a lot of Marvel firsts in this book and I’ll point them out as we go forward.
Fury, then a CIA spook, first teams up with the Fantastic Four to take down The Hate Monger, who mongs the hate and such.
Note the absence of the eye-patch, which he later wore due to adrunken debacle with a Belgian hooker bizarre cotton gin accident.
The highlight here is the feudin’ Fantastic Four after The Hate Monger points his patented Hate Gun at them.
Fury bails their asses out, Howling Commando style.
The low point is the big, huge Hate Monger secret identity reveal.
GAAAAHHH!
SHIELD’s in the market for a leader, because weapon’s guru Tony Stark is spreading himself thin between being Iron Man and doing all-night binges of snorting coke off the ass of high priced hookers, so they approach Nick Fury for the job.
It’s a rare moment of humility for Nick, who’s kind of a dickhead when it comes to being a boss and barking orders.
It’s gadget-a-rama as Fury does the LMD thing…
…drives the flying car…
…and wears something on his head that’s not a tinfoil beanie.
Explode-y rayon shirts sold seperately.
Also, the hypno-ray gun, which is how I met and eventually married my wife, so props to SHIELD techs.
First up, and for the first time ever is H.Y.D.R.A. .
Fury falls for the blonde HYDRA dame
…and loses his shirt ala Captain Kirk for the first time in probably hundreds of times.
Hey Nick, the blonde Hydra babe is getting away!
Aloha, blonde HYDRA babe! The heart (or lil’ Nicky) follows his own lil’ drummer.
Alas and *le sigh*
Next up, S.H.I.E.L.D. goes up against another super-secret organization, who, in no particular order, are hell-bent on conquering the planet, taking down SHIELD and killing Nick Fury.
This group is led by The Druid, who uses a coven of Satanists as a front for some smart-assed science dudes.
Yeah, that’ll work. Since when does a neighborhood black mass attract any extra attention? That's a rhetorical question.
There M.O.: Launching a bunch of Satan’s Eggs at SHIELD.
I’d like my Satan’s Eggs over-easy with a side of bacon, please.
Who the hell are THEM?
Note the absence of a shirt. Natch!
Fury teams up with Captain America to take down a super-droid sent to kill the Avengers by THEM. “Hi Cap, you’re now an official member S.H.I.E.L.D., don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, ya goldbrick!!!!”
Everybody seems to be working for THEM, including and introducing those science-first, identity-last, crazy beehive wearin’, and consequently hive-minded, group of swingers, A.I.M.
These super-duper-smart ex-chess club members take a shot at an organization headed by deep-thinker, Nick Fury and a dude named Dum-Dum and kind of fall short hence their current continuity capacity of solving the age-old problems of devising a authentic, artificial watermelon flavoring, an addiction-free brand of crack and the ever-popular Psylocke sexbots.
This is where the Marvel evil secret organizational chart must have ended up in the trash, because H.Y.D.R.A. once defeated comes back and are seemingly closely aligned with A.I.M., so don’t expect some sort of flow chart or pat explanation from me.
Another first was the introduction of youthful brown-noser and bee in Fury’s bonnet, Jasper Sitwell.
In the movies and on TV, he turned out to be a H.Y.D.R.A. agent , who’s last words were something like, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
Bottom Line: This is a nice colorful reprinting that, if you needed it, firmly establishes Kirby’s influence on what went down in Marvel.
Really.
This volume collects Nick Fury’s initial Marvel appearance post-his World War II adventures with the Howling Commandos and the initial S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff collected in Strange Tales. Lee and Kirby are credited here and in Lee’s over-hyperbolic afterward in the back of this tome, he credits Kirby for coming up with most of the spy-gadgets. Other artists did a lion’s share of the penciling, but Kirby was responsible for the art layouts and his style is all over this book.
Oooh, Helicarrier!!
Breathe in the Kirby!
Spy stuff was kind of a mania back then with the James Bond movies and a TV show called the Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Lee liked to jump on any cultural bandwagon that would help sell the funny books, hence the creation of this title. There’s a lot of Marvel firsts in this book and I’ll point them out as we go forward.
Fury, then a CIA spook, first teams up with the Fantastic Four to take down The Hate Monger, who mongs the hate and such.
Note the absence of the eye-patch, which he later wore due to a
The highlight here is the feudin’ Fantastic Four after The Hate Monger points his patented Hate Gun at them.
Fury bails their asses out, Howling Commando style.
The low point is the big, huge Hate Monger secret identity reveal.
GAAAAHHH!
SHIELD’s in the market for a leader, because weapon’s guru Tony Stark is spreading himself thin between being Iron Man and doing all-night binges of snorting coke off the ass of high priced hookers, so they approach Nick Fury for the job.
It’s a rare moment of humility for Nick, who’s kind of a dickhead when it comes to being a boss and barking orders.
It’s gadget-a-rama as Fury does the LMD thing…
…drives the flying car…
…and wears something on his head that’s not a tinfoil beanie.
Explode-y rayon shirts sold seperately.
Also, the hypno-ray gun, which is how I met and eventually married my wife, so props to SHIELD techs.
First up, and for the first time ever is H.Y.D.R.A. .
Fury falls for the blonde HYDRA dame
…and loses his shirt ala Captain Kirk for the first time in probably hundreds of times.
Hey Nick, the blonde Hydra babe is getting away!
Aloha, blonde HYDRA babe! The heart (or lil’ Nicky) follows his own lil’ drummer.
Alas and *le sigh*
Next up, S.H.I.E.L.D. goes up against another super-secret organization, who, in no particular order, are hell-bent on conquering the planet, taking down SHIELD and killing Nick Fury.
This group is led by The Druid, who uses a coven of Satanists as a front for some smart-assed science dudes.
Yeah, that’ll work. Since when does a neighborhood black mass attract any extra attention? That's a rhetorical question.
There M.O.: Launching a bunch of Satan’s Eggs at SHIELD.
I’d like my Satan’s Eggs over-easy with a side of bacon, please.
Who the hell are THEM?
Note the absence of a shirt. Natch!
Fury teams up with Captain America to take down a super-droid sent to kill the Avengers by THEM. “Hi Cap, you’re now an official member S.H.I.E.L.D., don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, ya goldbrick!!!!”
Everybody seems to be working for THEM, including and introducing those science-first, identity-last, crazy beehive wearin’, and consequently hive-minded, group of swingers, A.I.M.
These super-duper-smart ex-chess club members take a shot at an organization headed by deep-thinker, Nick Fury and a dude named Dum-Dum and kind of fall short hence their current continuity capacity of solving the age-old problems of devising a authentic, artificial watermelon flavoring, an addiction-free brand of crack and the ever-popular Psylocke sexbots.
This is where the Marvel evil secret organizational chart must have ended up in the trash, because H.Y.D.R.A. once defeated comes back and are seemingly closely aligned with A.I.M., so don’t expect some sort of flow chart or pat explanation from me.
Another first was the introduction of youthful brown-noser and bee in Fury’s bonnet, Jasper Sitwell.
In the movies and on TV, he turned out to be a H.Y.D.R.A. agent , who’s last words were something like, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
Bottom Line: This is a nice colorful reprinting that, if you needed it, firmly establishes Kirby’s influence on what went down in Marvel.
October 28, 2015
Well, I suppose I get why these "Classics by Lee & Kirby" weren't reprinted as often as some of their other early Marvel collaborations. Don't me wrong this is fun stuff, but there were other runs - like the Fantastic Four - that were far superior. I've read almost everything Marvel produced in those formative years of the 1960s & 1970s, with the notable exceptions of a lot of the non-superhero anthologies and the western character. The two big gaps for me have been the early years of Namor, the Sub-Mariner's title that followed his run in Tales to Astonish and the earlier run by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby on Nick Fury that appeared in Strange Tales before Jim Steranko took over. I've always loved those Steranko SHIELD stories, but was never able to justify forking over the big bucks for the Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Vol. 1 which included those original Lee & Kirby tales. But with the success of the TV show, Marvel finally released an affordable way for me to fill that gap. unfortunately, I've probably built these little tales into a far bigger mountain than it is. As I said they're good, but not great. Still this volume contains the first encounters with Hydra, THEM and A.I.M. And introduces Mentallo & the Fixer. I still prefer the later runny Jim Steranko, but these are some rough cut gems that are still enjoyable.
February 28, 2021
It's been a while since I read any 60s Lee/Kirby Marvel, and I had forgotten how good it was. Most comics of the sixties were campy, and while 60s Marvel comics also had their fair share of camp, they also had a level of storytelling not seen since EC in the Golden Age.
This series focused on Nick Fury the secret agent, pretty much directly based on James Bond and the Man from UNCLE. We see them battling Hydra, AIM and others. Kirby mostly did layouts and an assortment of other artists helped with the finishes, but Kirby's involvement was always evident. He also had a great line up of artists to help out, as Marvel in the 60s was loaded with talent.
If you enjoy secret agent type stories, especially from the 60s when the genre exploded, this is a great read for you.
This series focused on Nick Fury the secret agent, pretty much directly based on James Bond and the Man from UNCLE. We see them battling Hydra, AIM and others. Kirby mostly did layouts and an assortment of other artists helped with the finishes, but Kirby's involvement was always evident. He also had a great line up of artists to help out, as Marvel in the 60s was loaded with talent.
If you enjoy secret agent type stories, especially from the 60s when the genre exploded, this is a great read for you.
December 19, 2016
This is a CLASSIC collection of Nick Fury/S.H.I.E.L.D. stories from way back in 1965-1966 (plus Fantastic Four #21 from Dec 1963). These are the very first stories with S.H.I.E.L.D. Most of the art is by Jack Kirby (who even wrote one of the Nick Fury stories). Stan Lee did almost all the writing, with Jack and Denny O'Neil filling in.
The very first time HYDRA and THEM/A.I.M make their appearances. Cool gadgets and plenty of action. The stories may seem very basic and a tad corny, but you got to remember these stories are from over 50 years ago. But without these stories by Lee and Kirby, we would not have progressed up to the next phase of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Jim Steranko
took over (which I plan to start reading very soon).
I remember those good ole days, James Bond was very big in the movies and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was tops in the TV shows at the time. Marvel did a fantastic job on this series. While Jack did most of the art, at times he just did the layouts and other artists like Don Heck and John Severin did great jobs as well,
Remember the S.H.I.E.L.D. classic relying yell: "Don't Yield! .... Back S.H.I.E.L.D. !!"
The very first time HYDRA and THEM/A.I.M make their appearances. Cool gadgets and plenty of action. The stories may seem very basic and a tad corny, but you got to remember these stories are from over 50 years ago. But without these stories by Lee and Kirby, we would not have progressed up to the next phase of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Jim Steranko
took over (which I plan to start reading very soon).I remember those good ole days, James Bond was very big in the movies and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was tops in the TV shows at the time. Marvel did a fantastic job on this series. While Jack did most of the art, at times he just did the layouts and other artists like Don Heck and John Severin did great jobs as well,
Remember the S.H.I.E.L.D. classic relying yell: "Don't Yield! .... Back S.H.I.E.L.D. !!"
May 4, 2016
I ordered multiple copies of this trade paperback because I am a SHIELD fan and enjoyed the promise of comic book adventure in the secret agent arena. James Bond and THE MAN FROM UNCLE whetted my teenage appetite for adventure and thrills. Now Nick Fury had become a contemporary hero far from WWII. The art was satisfactory but John Severin's pencils and inks really gave the story some punch. Didn't know or foresee what Steranko would do to elevate the series like a rocket. This paperback volume collects the first and non-Steranko work that introduced the SHIELD concept to the reading public and it was great. Watch out Hydra!!!
July 18, 2021
Picked this up cheaply which is definitely the recommendation for this inessential collection of early S.H.I.E.L.D. stories. We see Sgt. Fury getting promoted after the war and being recruited as head of the spit agency. We see super 60s-style spy gadgets being developed exclusively for S.H.I.E.L.D. by Antony Stark. We see Fury getting captured and rescued repeatedly and every time we think Hydra has finally done for him, we get some weepy histrionics from "Dum Dum" Dugan and a revived Fury ends up calling him a walrus. It's all delightfully Stan Lee-esque and silly.
Sacrilegious as it may be, I've just never been a huge fan of Jack Kirby and I'd much rather have a nice collection of S.H.I.E.L.D. stories drawn by Jim Steranko, but this was diverting enough daftness in the meantime.
Sacrilegious as it may be, I've just never been a huge fan of Jack Kirby and I'd much rather have a nice collection of S.H.I.E.L.D. stories drawn by Jim Steranko, but this was diverting enough daftness in the meantime.
September 19, 2016
O pormenor que saltará à vista dos que conhecem a Marvel através do universo cinematográfico é o tom de pele de Nick Fury. Se no cinema é afro-americano, nos comics sempre foi branco. Com o sucesso do universo cinematográfico a editora adoptou uma origin story com o filho afro-americanoe homónimo do lendário personagem a substituí-lo. Algo que não causa estranheza no convoluto mundo dos comics, capaz de volteios aparentemente impensáveis às suas personagens.
Fury, originalmente, era um veterano da II Guerra, saído dos títulos de histórias de combate da editora para ingressar como líder da organização de agentes secretos SHIELD. Não veio sozinho, trazendo alguns dos destemidos personagens das histórias de violência inocente da Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. Quão inocentes? São o tipo de histórias de combate onde os intrépidos heróis zurzem metralha a torto e a direito, aparentemente imunes às hordes de soldados inimigos que lhes devolvem a cortesia.
No mundo dos comics, propriedade intelectual é coisa que nunca fica desaproveitada. Quando um género de histórias perde a predilecção do público, os personagens são recicláveis para os novos gostos. Faz parte da linguagem dos comics.
Como líder supremo da SHIELD, traz o seu espírito combativo a uma organização de combate a ameaças baseada nas armas de alta tecnologia. Kirby e Lee parecem satirizar James Bond, de Ian Fleming, com este espião de queixo quadrado, barba por fazer, propensão para rasgar os fatos de fino corte em combates directos. Fury é em tudo o oposto do gentleman spy de Fleming.
O outro pormenor que saltará à vista dos conhecedores do género é o traço de Jack Kirby, tão rude na figura humana e tão abstracto na tecnologia. As histórias, criadas em parceria fatídica com Stan Lee, são maravilhas de uma era de narrativas mais simplistas, constantemente inconclusivas para manter acesa a curiosidade dos leitores. A Marvel demorou décadas a reconhecer o direito de Kirby a receber provimentos de direitos de autor ou a controlar os originais do trabalho que fez para a editora Elementos que se tornaram fundamentais para o universo Marvel, como as organizações HYDRA e AIM, tiveram aqui alguns dos seus primeiros passos em direcção às tentativas sempre rechaçadas de domínio do mundo. Fury e os seus agentes são implacáveis, com acesso a armas mirabolantes para enfrentar as terríveis ameaças. Estes comics funcionam muito na associação livre de ideias tecnólogicas.
Outro elemento notório ao longo das páginas é a evolução da linguagem visual utilizada, passando do desenho como ilustração da narrativa ao uso de enquadramentos e ângulos de visão como elementos de reforço narrativo que conferem mais dinamismo às aventuras.
Fury, originalmente, era um veterano da II Guerra, saído dos títulos de histórias de combate da editora para ingressar como líder da organização de agentes secretos SHIELD. Não veio sozinho, trazendo alguns dos destemidos personagens das histórias de violência inocente da Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. Quão inocentes? São o tipo de histórias de combate onde os intrépidos heróis zurzem metralha a torto e a direito, aparentemente imunes às hordes de soldados inimigos que lhes devolvem a cortesia.
No mundo dos comics, propriedade intelectual é coisa que nunca fica desaproveitada. Quando um género de histórias perde a predilecção do público, os personagens são recicláveis para os novos gostos. Faz parte da linguagem dos comics.
Como líder supremo da SHIELD, traz o seu espírito combativo a uma organização de combate a ameaças baseada nas armas de alta tecnologia. Kirby e Lee parecem satirizar James Bond, de Ian Fleming, com este espião de queixo quadrado, barba por fazer, propensão para rasgar os fatos de fino corte em combates directos. Fury é em tudo o oposto do gentleman spy de Fleming.
O outro pormenor que saltará à vista dos conhecedores do género é o traço de Jack Kirby, tão rude na figura humana e tão abstracto na tecnologia. As histórias, criadas em parceria fatídica com Stan Lee, são maravilhas de uma era de narrativas mais simplistas, constantemente inconclusivas para manter acesa a curiosidade dos leitores. A Marvel demorou décadas a reconhecer o direito de Kirby a receber provimentos de direitos de autor ou a controlar os originais do trabalho que fez para a editora Elementos que se tornaram fundamentais para o universo Marvel, como as organizações HYDRA e AIM, tiveram aqui alguns dos seus primeiros passos em direcção às tentativas sempre rechaçadas de domínio do mundo. Fury e os seus agentes são implacáveis, com acesso a armas mirabolantes para enfrentar as terríveis ameaças. Estes comics funcionam muito na associação livre de ideias tecnólogicas.
Outro elemento notório ao longo das páginas é a evolução da linguagem visual utilizada, passando do desenho como ilustração da narrativa ao uso de enquadramentos e ângulos de visão como elementos de reforço narrativo que conferem mais dinamismo às aventuras.
January 25, 2016
This is more like a 3.5. The collection is utterly enjoyable if dated, sexist, and over the top. I mean, these are mainstream superhero comics from Marvel in the 1960's. You're not here for depth (although lurking in here are some interesting ideas and characterizations if you dig really deep). Come for the masterful illustrations, cheese-tastic dialogue, and bonkers plots and gadgets and villains. Bear with everything else.
May 4, 2016
via NYPL - Rip-roaring fun.
November 22, 2016
Every time they referred to Tony as "Anthony Stark" I honestly had to put the book down for a second.
April 8, 2021
Reprints Fantastic Four (1) #21, Strange Tales (1) #135-150, and Tales of Suspense #78 (December 1963-November 1966). Sgt. Fury was one of World War II’s bravest fighters. Now, the world needs Fury to take on another role…as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! The secret organization works to protect the United States and the worlds from threats that seem to be popping up every day. From groups like Hydra to A. I. M. to the Secret Empire, the world is a dangerous place, and Nick Fury could be the only one able to protect it.
Written by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dennis O’Neil, S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby is a Marvel Comics spy collection. The series ran in Strange Tales (Volume 1) alongside Doctor Strange and featured art by Jack Kirby, John Severin, Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, Howard Purcell, Ogden Whitney, and John Buscema. The issues in the volume were also collected as part of Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—Volume 1 and S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete Collection among others.
Nick Fury and espionage comics have never been my favorite type of comics. With the budding popularity of film series like James Bond and shows like The Avengers and even closer The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Marvel was poised to enter the espionage field…the Cold War needed a new hero and Nick Fury was perfect for the role.
The interesting thing about Fury as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is that Fury was already starring as a World War II hero. Here, the Fury is a slightly older and wiser (World War II was close enough that the Infinity Formula wasn’t a necessary explanation at this point). It was a natural progression to have him become a superspy (though he isn’t the suave superspy as much as a grinder who doesn’t give up).
The book also introduces S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and A.I.M. which of course shows how much Marvel loves their anagrams. Kirby and Lee’s S.H.I.E.L.D. did a great job blending real tech and creating tech that gives the series its big feel…and of course as with many science fiction creations, some have become real since the comic book’s premiere.
I always struggle with spy books because they sometimes feel a bit repetitive though this book tries its best to break that stereotype. The book struggles with short compressed stories due to the format of Strange Tales, but it also excels in leaving the readers with a cliffhanger to promote buying the next issue. While I think the ties to Hydra by A.I.M. and the Secret Empire are interesting, I sometimes wish that the superheroes were more involved in the spy book since they’d be such a big factor as they arose around the world.
S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby is a classic period of comics done by classic creators of the time. It is a must for fans to see where Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. came from and how they evolved. Despite being a groundbreaking and influential series in the Marvel Universe, the departure of Lee and Kirby opened the door for Jim Steranko who is credited for helping modernize comics with his style. S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby—The Complete Collection is followed by S.H.I.E.L.D. by Steranko—The Complete Collection.
Written by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dennis O’Neil, S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby is a Marvel Comics spy collection. The series ran in Strange Tales (Volume 1) alongside Doctor Strange and featured art by Jack Kirby, John Severin, Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, Howard Purcell, Ogden Whitney, and John Buscema. The issues in the volume were also collected as part of Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—Volume 1 and S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Complete Collection among others.
Nick Fury and espionage comics have never been my favorite type of comics. With the budding popularity of film series like James Bond and shows like The Avengers and even closer The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Marvel was poised to enter the espionage field…the Cold War needed a new hero and Nick Fury was perfect for the role.
The interesting thing about Fury as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is that Fury was already starring as a World War II hero. Here, the Fury is a slightly older and wiser (World War II was close enough that the Infinity Formula wasn’t a necessary explanation at this point). It was a natural progression to have him become a superspy (though he isn’t the suave superspy as much as a grinder who doesn’t give up).
The book also introduces S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and A.I.M. which of course shows how much Marvel loves their anagrams. Kirby and Lee’s S.H.I.E.L.D. did a great job blending real tech and creating tech that gives the series its big feel…and of course as with many science fiction creations, some have become real since the comic book’s premiere.
I always struggle with spy books because they sometimes feel a bit repetitive though this book tries its best to break that stereotype. The book struggles with short compressed stories due to the format of Strange Tales, but it also excels in leaving the readers with a cliffhanger to promote buying the next issue. While I think the ties to Hydra by A.I.M. and the Secret Empire are interesting, I sometimes wish that the superheroes were more involved in the spy book since they’d be such a big factor as they arose around the world.
S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby is a classic period of comics done by classic creators of the time. It is a must for fans to see where Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. came from and how they evolved. Despite being a groundbreaking and influential series in the Marvel Universe, the departure of Lee and Kirby opened the door for Jim Steranko who is credited for helping modernize comics with his style. S.H.I.E.L.D. by Lee & Kirby—The Complete Collection is followed by S.H.I.E.L.D. by Steranko—The Complete Collection.
July 9, 2020
As Stan Lee and Jack Kirby birth the Marvel Universe and fill it with fantastic superheroes, vigilantes, and doers of wondrous deeds, they take a step back and use the Strange Tales title to do a big spy thriller. Nick Fury, formerly Sgt. Fury with his Howling Commandos, takes a step out of World War II and joins the 60s to do battle against evil conspiracy groups.
While the skies and cities are full of superheroes, Strange Tales fleshed out the political landscape of Marvel Comics. Lee and Kirby use this opportunity to introduce a host of organizations like Hydra, Advanced Idea Mechanics, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. Stan Lee gets to write some boisterous tough guy dialogue for Nick Fury, while Jack Kirby gets to design cool spy tech like helicarriers and life model decoys. Unfortunately the title loses steam and falls of quickly after the initial Hydra arc concludes.
It's not that this collection aged poorly, the stories generally lack any glaring faults aside from being a bit corny. But there's not a whole lot to really recommend. The villains almost entirely consist of masked nameless Hydra or A.I.M. thugs with the same appearances and personality. Stan Lee doesn't get the opportunity to write big dynamic character relationships as even the supporting cast is limited to Dum Dum Dugan and Jasper Sitwell, and their interactions never stray too far from the first issues in which they're introduced. Jack Kirby is great at drawing the stern-but-loveable Nick Fury, as well as the various sci-fi gadgets and vehicles that pop up, but aside from the Hydra and A.I.M. outfits none of the designs are particularly memorable or stand out.
While I definitely recommend the initial Hydra story (Strange Tales #135-141), there's diminishing returns the further you go through this volume. It never becomes bad, but there are plenty of other Silver Age titles worth checking out that are more exciting. Still, if you're interested in some cool spy thriller action and want to see the roots of all Marvel's shadow organizations, it's a good pick up.
While the skies and cities are full of superheroes, Strange Tales fleshed out the political landscape of Marvel Comics. Lee and Kirby use this opportunity to introduce a host of organizations like Hydra, Advanced Idea Mechanics, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. Stan Lee gets to write some boisterous tough guy dialogue for Nick Fury, while Jack Kirby gets to design cool spy tech like helicarriers and life model decoys. Unfortunately the title loses steam and falls of quickly after the initial Hydra arc concludes.
It's not that this collection aged poorly, the stories generally lack any glaring faults aside from being a bit corny. But there's not a whole lot to really recommend. The villains almost entirely consist of masked nameless Hydra or A.I.M. thugs with the same appearances and personality. Stan Lee doesn't get the opportunity to write big dynamic character relationships as even the supporting cast is limited to Dum Dum Dugan and Jasper Sitwell, and their interactions never stray too far from the first issues in which they're introduced. Jack Kirby is great at drawing the stern-but-loveable Nick Fury, as well as the various sci-fi gadgets and vehicles that pop up, but aside from the Hydra and A.I.M. outfits none of the designs are particularly memorable or stand out.
While I definitely recommend the initial Hydra story (Strange Tales #135-141), there's diminishing returns the further you go through this volume. It never becomes bad, but there are plenty of other Silver Age titles worth checking out that are more exciting. Still, if you're interested in some cool spy thriller action and want to see the roots of all Marvel's shadow organizations, it's a good pick up.
June 26, 2020
This book collects issues 135 - 150 of Strange Tales, plus issue 78 of Tales of Suspense and issue 21 of the Fantastic Four. These issues date back to the beginning of Marvel blossoming out of mobster books and taking the comic world by storm. In the early sixties D.C. ran supreme but with the new interest in revamped Superhero titles, Marvel started to catch up. However, due to publishing problems, Marvel was limited in the number of titles it could publish. Thus they often doubled-up titles to hedge their bets. Thus the stories here are truncated as they were spilt between The SHIELD stories and those of Dr. Strange.
Nick Fury was already part of the Marvel Universe as part of the Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos title which took place in World War II. He was brought into the modern times (of the 60s) with Fantastic Four #21 , where he is a colonel in the CIA. Starting with Strange Tales # he is inducted into the newly created SHIELD to fight the menace of Hydra.
Hydra's origins would later be retconned (Marvel's first retcon in fact) so as to be created by Baron von Strucker with Nazi gold and the remnants of the Odysessa organization.However, for these issues it was started by Arnold Brown, an unobtrusive nobody in real life. He is eventually accidentally killed by his own agents. Later on we see the origins of A.I.M and the Secret Empire, both wings of Hydra - though the Secret Empire isn’t used much anymore.
The stories are what you expect from Lee and Kirby. Over the top. Crazy material. Loaded with kinetic energy. Each had a distinctive style that added to the 60s elements of wild spy agencies with acronyms names. Loads of retro fun. Additionally, despite what the title states, several of the issues are drawn by John Severin instead of Jack Kirby. That's okay in my book, Severin was just as good an artist as the King.
Nick Fury was already part of the Marvel Universe as part of the Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos title which took place in World War II. He was brought into the modern times (of the 60s) with Fantastic Four #21 , where he is a colonel in the CIA. Starting with Strange Tales # he is inducted into the newly created SHIELD to fight the menace of Hydra.
Hydra's origins would later be retconned (Marvel's first retcon in fact) so as to be created by Baron von Strucker with Nazi gold and the remnants of the Odysessa organization.However, for these issues it was started by Arnold Brown, an unobtrusive nobody in real life. He is eventually accidentally killed by his own agents. Later on we see the origins of A.I.M and the Secret Empire, both wings of Hydra - though the Secret Empire isn’t used much anymore.
The stories are what you expect from Lee and Kirby. Over the top. Crazy material. Loaded with kinetic energy. Each had a distinctive style that added to the 60s elements of wild spy agencies with acronyms names. Loads of retro fun. Additionally, despite what the title states, several of the issues are drawn by John Severin instead of Jack Kirby. That's okay in my book, Severin was just as good an artist as the King.
September 29, 2019
He's the world's last line of defense against secret organizations that seek to dominate all mankind. He is Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD! Relive Col. Fury's earliest exploits as the director of Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division or SHIELD.
In the 1960s, spy flicks were all the rage. 007 himself, James Bond, was saving the world from the likes of Dr. No and Goldfinger. Napoleon Solo was defeating the criminal organization of THRUSH as the Man from UNCLE. There were countless others, such as Secret Agent Man, Our Man Flint and the comedic Maxwell Smart. But none were as ornery or fantastic as Nick Fury!
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crafted a non-superhero corner of the Marvel Universe with this title. Fury, along with war buddies Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones and SHIELD graduate upstart, Jasper Sitwell, took on the likes of Hydra and A.I.M. (Advanced Ideal Mechanics.)
My favorite parts of Marvel Comics has always been about the espionage. I loved Captain America and his battle against fascism as a SHIELD operative. Nick Fury and his team have always entertained with their amazing gadgets, zany villain dictators and alluring femme fatales. Plus, it helps that I was a big fan of the other Nick Fury title, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos!
I love this collection of stories. It did not disappoint! Now I have to get the companion piece, SHIELD by Steranko: The Complete Collection. I have to read the rest of Fury's adventures in the pages of Strange Tales!
In the 1960s, spy flicks were all the rage. 007 himself, James Bond, was saving the world from the likes of Dr. No and Goldfinger. Napoleon Solo was defeating the criminal organization of THRUSH as the Man from UNCLE. There were countless others, such as Secret Agent Man, Our Man Flint and the comedic Maxwell Smart. But none were as ornery or fantastic as Nick Fury!
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crafted a non-superhero corner of the Marvel Universe with this title. Fury, along with war buddies Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones and SHIELD graduate upstart, Jasper Sitwell, took on the likes of Hydra and A.I.M. (Advanced Ideal Mechanics.)
My favorite parts of Marvel Comics has always been about the espionage. I loved Captain America and his battle against fascism as a SHIELD operative. Nick Fury and his team have always entertained with their amazing gadgets, zany villain dictators and alluring femme fatales. Plus, it helps that I was a big fan of the other Nick Fury title, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos!
I love this collection of stories. It did not disappoint! Now I have to get the companion piece, SHIELD by Steranko: The Complete Collection. I have to read the rest of Fury's adventures in the pages of Strange Tales!
October 23, 2020
Early S.H.I.E.L.D. stories are a lot better than I remember but they are still crap. Much in the first Hydra sequence is flawed fun, then the series goes completely off the rails with a two-parter with super villains and never completely recovers through the last story in this collection. The flaws previously mentioned are all Stan Lee, surely the most overrated writer in the comics of that era. These Fury stories share the fault of other Marvel comics of having passive heroes attacked by obsessive villains, endless boasting during fights, and some variation on the line "He did [this or that] exactly as I expected." S.H.I.E.L.D. stories have additional faults. The organization does very little investigating but waits until the corresponding evil organization attacks, usually trying to kill Nick Fury as if one death would render S.H.I.E.L.D. inert. This happens in story after story after story. Fury's frequent sarcastic comments slow the action and would get him shot if I were one of his agents. In story after story, just when everything looks hopeless, it turns out to be Fury's strategy to lure the enemy into a trap. The flaws do not end there, but I grew weary of recounting them. This collection of fully of mostly bad stories.
April 23, 2020
Ah, mighty things from such humble beginnings! I was excited to read this volume because these early Nick Fury/SHIELD stories are from one of the few corners of the Silver Age Marvel Universe that I'd never read AT ALL before. What I found was a bit of a mixed bag. It starts out with something truly different from anything else the House of Ideas was putting out at the time, though across these issues it "devolves" into a perfectly serviceable yet somewhat standard Marvel spin on the spy thriller.
I have lots more to say about this, but this whole pandemic has me sliding a little off my cracker, so I'm working on a new manner of expressing myself for these reviews. Stay tuned!
I have lots more to say about this, but this whole pandemic has me sliding a little off my cracker, so I'm working on a new manner of expressing myself for these reviews. Stay tuned!
April 10, 2022
After churning out superheroes, Westerns and war comics in the 1960s, Marvel decided to take a jab at the spy genre, inspired by the spy craze of the 60’s and Cold War headlines in the newspaper. The result was Nick Fury (Marvel’s cigar-chomping soldier from the Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos comics), who was reimagined as a secret agent in the veins of 007 and The Man from UNCLE. This was of course, before 21st century artists creating the Ultimate Marvel universe drew Fury as a Samuel L. Jackson look-alike. This book is an excellent read for any fan of spy fiction.
February 9, 2020
This was a revolutionary book... 55 years ago. Lee and Kirby created great things in their time, but not all of them read so well today. There is so much silliness in this book. The situations are silly, the gadgets are silly, the dialogue is silly, and it really makes it hard to read at times if you are over 10 years old.
To make matters worse, the book ends in the middle of a story.
To make matters worse, the book ends in the middle of a story.
December 21, 2020
This was a lot more enjoyable than I expected it would be (if you can ignore the sexism and macho dialogue). These guys were really quite inventive and had clearly mastered the craft of comic book storytelling and pacing. I love Stan Lee’s footnotes. Interestingly, my favorite issue was the one Kirby wrote himself while Lee was on vacation!
August 23, 2025
Feels pretty inessential when considering 60s marvel as a whole, but still, plenty of cool examples of weird kirby tech with some interesting art pairings latter in the book (Ogden Whitney over Kirby layouts?!?).
June 14, 2017
Kirby does super spies. Marvel Try out artists were also used on the strip over Kirby Layouts except John Buscema.
September 22, 2019
You can’t get better than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. You really can’t.
December 14, 2021
a fun look back at the golden age of comics. Campy, over the top, with ridiculous dialog and even more ridiculous gadgets, this collection of s.h.i.e.l.d comics is a must read for kids of all ages.
March 8, 2025
Nick Fury becomes head of SHIELD and theses stories were featured in "Strange Tales". He was also the titular figure in "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos." Now he's a Colonel. In this compilation (in color) starting with #135, SHIELD is confronted by Hydra, THEM, and AIM. It ends with "Strange Tales" 150. Jack Kirby works on every story(layout, art, design and even writes one!) Otherwise Stan Lee wrote them.
December 16, 2015
Classic Lee/Kirby - great read
November 23, 2016
The beginning was better than the end. College. Fury is a lot of fun.
April 4, 2017
This collaboration between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby is perfectly paced vintage Marvel. Within these pages are the first mentions of the infamous terrorist organization of the Marvel universe, Hydra, and like the cinematic version of the organization, its tendrils spread out across this volume. The allegory in this volume is largely simplistic, but it is simplistic in a way that is engrossing and not boring. Nick Fury is the James Bond of the Marvel universe; it's a shame we have not been able to see Samuel L. Jackson play this kind of Nick Fury in the films.
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April 9, 2017Everyone speaks in exposition.
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