Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Volume 2: Under New Management

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #7-10

by Marc Guggenheim, Mike Norton (Artist)

Agent Coulson and his crew are caught in the middle of Civil War II, and opinions are split among them. But they remain Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and have a job to do: Protect the innocent and apprehend a major Marvel Universe character. As they near their target, divisions begin to grow and positions harden, but what's on Coulson's mind may change everything!

Collecting: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 7-10; The Accused

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2016

About the author

Marc Guggenheim grew up on Long Island, New York, and earned his law degree from Boston University. After over four years in practice, he left law to pursue a career in television.

Today, Guggenheim is an Emmy Award–winning writer who writes for multiple mediums including television, film, video games, comic books, and new media. His work includes projects for such popular franchises as Percy Jackson, Star Wars, Call of Duty, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes.

His next book, In Any Lifetime, coming from Lake Union Publishing on August 1st.

Guggenheim currently lives in Encino, California, with his wife, two daughters, and a handful of pets.

Keep up to date on his latest projects with LegalDispatch, a weekly newsletter where he shares news and notes about writing, comics, and the entertainment industry.

Reviews

[Izza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars | ALL THE FREAKING FEELS. MY BEAUTIFUL FAM ALL REUNITED BUT ALSO SO SO SO DYSFUNCTIONAL. EXCUSE THE CAPS AND POSSIBLE OVER-ENTHUSIASM!

First. Why do that do my baby Jemma. WHY. I mean. Why not, but still, why.

Second. SIMMORSE. My little shippy heart! 😍

*Jemma thanks Henry*
Bobbi *sulking*: I helped too...

Third. PAPA COULSON. My beautiful Bus!children. Badass Maria (who also frustrates me a lot).

[Grace Arango · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this series, I really did but this one just finished too suddenly.

A lot of people say that this series is ruined by Civil War II and many Marvels seem to be these days, but out of all the comics that Civil War II has interfered with, I think this one has interfered with it in a good way because gives a bit more explanation for both sides (Captain Marvel vs Iron Man).

I feel like we could have had more from the agents though, this wasn't entirely satisfying, but I'm happy to have read this series.

I wish that there were more Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. comics under this series.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Given that volume 2 doubles down on the weird TV/comic mashup that dragged volume 1 down, I actually thought that this was a more coherent story. This is particularly true given that we have elements that have appeared in the series, such as Coulson being on the run, and relying on his former teammates to help him uncover a sticky truth.

What works less well is the inclusion of a few out of left field elements, like making Elektra the new head of the team, or making Simmons a Deathlok. Neither elements are bad per say, they just don't fit very well.

All this comes to a screeching halt as the series was cancelled after 10 issues, and with the first volume using up 6 issues, then this volume came up a little short. Their solution was to add an extra comic from something with no real connection to what we have seen before. It's actually a pretty good story, but it is out o place here.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

Civil War II infects the Marvel Universe, and the Agents of SHIELD are no exception. At least this is more interesting than their Standoff tie-in, which was naff.

There's a lot of potential in this series; Marc Guggenheim sets up some interesting stuff that he doesn't get to explore (see: Fitzsimmons), but Civil War II and the reduced issue count ruin any chance he has of capitalizing on them.

I still find some of the interpretations of the characters odd here; I get that these aren't actually the TV show characters, but some of them are so far away from their show counterparts that it's hard to see why they were used at all when Guggenheim obviously wanted to do something else with them. Oh, and Elektra's in this for...some...reason?

German Peralta draws most of this series, with a fill-in to end the series while he heads off to draw something else. It's pretty flat in terms of art, but it's inoffensive and doesn't make anyone look awful. It's just kind of...there.

This series could have been so much more - there are glimmers of stuff that could have become great, but instead this was kind of just 'there'. Maybe next time these characters pop up, they'll be given more time to breathe.

[Steph_d · Rating 3 out of 5]

well the story was tolerable compared to the first one, however drawings were off. and the characters were also slightly off compared to the volume 1. still enjoyed it though, after j forgot it was vasednon both comics and tv that is

[Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like this story was cut short and the a tie-in for the big Marvel event was tacked on. It was a decent ending for this arc, but it felt rushed. For the tie-in story, it wasn't too bad though. It was relevant to the main Civil War II story at least. It's probably a good idea to read the main Civil War II book before you read this.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I had read Civil War II before this, because I don't know how much sense it would have made without that background knowledge. Civil War II basically kicks out the previous plot, as it inserts weird new characters into S.H.I.E.L.D. (Elektra in charge? Really?) while removing half of the regular staff. A lot of the plots from the first volume get quickmarched through (the Mole, Grant Ward) while necessary plot points from Civil War II take center stage. And the book ends abruptly (from the note included it sounds like it was unceremoniously cancelled) after resetting much of the status quo.
I'm still not sold on the art - when the characters are almost unidentifiable without a caption, that's not a good sign. At least the action sequences work pretty well.
The book also shoehorns in a Civil War II issue focused on Daredevil that is ALMOST tangential (Daredevil shows up in the main plot, but the events in that issue don't get reflected in the issue 'The Accused') and is a completely different tone, being a courtroom drama rather than action focused. It's a good read, but it feels shoehorned in.
All told, this volume speaks to the short shrift the characters got - Guggenheim has some good elements written, but much of what works is stuck in the cracks, providing a connective filling to editorially mandated plots. It's not a good place for an author to be in, and Guggenheim can only succeed to a minor degree.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. comics have always been kind of strange, trying to make the characters from the television show work in the current Marvel continuity while giving you something new along the way. This volume ties in to the Civil War II event in a somewhat weird way while wrapping up the threads from the previous book, since it was apparently canceled. It definitely took the characters in some new directions as compared to the show, and I imagine it sets up the state of these characters who will likely show up in Secret Empire (if I ever decide to read it). The art left something to be desired, and some of the changes are pretty weird, but the tie-in itself is reasonably well done, and I appreciated that they looked for a third way rather than picking one side or the other. This volume also includes Civil War: The Accused, which has a rather different art style (which is still not amazing), and covers the trial of Hawkeye. I don't know what happened to Daredevil, since I haven't been keeping up, but he is uncharacteristically keen on getting Hawkeye the death penalty, which didn't seem right, and he is a prosecutor now instead of a defense attorney, which I don't much like, but otherwise, it was a reasonably interesting issue.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Phil Coulson debates the merits and downsides of the Civil War II event, Jemma's life is in danger and Elektra becomes the head of this branch of the Shield???

Yeah there is a lot of crazy stuff that happens in these issues, and what sucks is that Marc Guggenheim probably had this mapped out so that the pace would be a bit more cohesive, but the abrupt cancellation of the series forced him to cram everything into 4 issues - which makes it feel a bit overwhelming. The book throws a lot at you from all angles, to the point where sometimes I did feel a little like it was too much. But I love the show and these characters, so I definitely enjoyed seeing them navigate the problems and seeing how they get out of these dangerous situations.

There was some weirdness, particular with Jemma becoming a Deathlok, Ward returning as a Shield agent and Elektra taking over for Coulson... Again, a lot to take in. But overall, the sometimes messy plot points didn't cause me to not enjoy the book. It was just a bit zany at times I would say.

I really wish this iteration of SHIELD would've continued, as it is a great team, with great members and a lot of potential. Alas, it was not meant to be I guess. Recommended for fans of the show definitely!

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu havia gostado do primeiro volume de Agentes da S.H.I.E.L.D. pelo novo escritor Marc Guggenheim, mas então surgiu um megaevento no caminho. E, conforme minhas experiências com spin-offs relacionados com eventos, eles tem o potencial de ou transformar uma história em uma coisa muito sensacional, ou de transformar a história em uma bela duma porcaria. No caso deste encadernado, me desculpe, mas foi a segunda opção. O nível da história desandou de um jeito rápido numa queda vertiginosa da qualidade. Coulson é demitido e Maria Hill coloca Elektra no lugar dele para chefiar os agentes. Elektra? Uma ninja assassina? Ah, pois é. Totalmente nada a ver. Ao mesmo tempo ele transforma Gemma Simmonds em um Deathlok, as pessoas vão e vem na equipe sem parar. Isso que temos apenas 4 edições da série nesse volume. Ah sim, e Guggenheim ainda consegue inserir o personagem Graymalkin, que criou para Jovens X-Men em uma aparição totalmente gratuita. Isso me faz pensar e agradecer que essa série de quadrinhos tenha sido cancelada e que a tentativa de televisar essa parte do Universo Marvel nos quadrinhos não deu certo.

[Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Civil War II-adjacent book that really suffered for it, especially as the series was coming to a close. Instead of giving Guggenheim four issues to wrap up, he ended up getting like 1.5 only. The ending was super rushed because of that. The Accused one-shot, on the other hand, was pretty good. Matt Murdock prosecutes Hawkeye for killing Bruce Banner, and can get an easy win, but ensures that Barton receives a fair trail as Daredevil instead, and subsequently loses. Did Barton do the right thing? He doesn't know, and nobody else does either.

[Anchorpete · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that is using the style and character of the Agents of SHIELD tv show, set during the time of Civil war II- This book ends up being better than you would expect it to be. I know there has been a buzz around Marc Guggenheim. A lot of really excellent writers cut their teeth on a SHIELD title- Nick Spencer, Jonathan Hickman. I have always loved the Espionage + Avengers formula of many of the modern marvel books. This was not as good as the books written by the authors I just mentioned, but it was a fun ride.

[Gavin Wask · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Second and final part of this particular version, which was a digital version published by Marvel originally. It wraps up the storyline and leaves the characters in a situation to continue the story if Marvel ever wanted to. It appears that they didn't!

Just like the first one, I enjoyed it but have to great a love for the characters in the TV Series to truly become engrossed by this version, there was too many differences in personalities. But it was nice to see Deathlok getting mroe involved.

A good read but not too concerned that it didn't go beyond 10 issues.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil Coulson thinks that the binary arguement of Civil Wa II is stupid and there has to be a third option. So Maria Hill fires him. And replaces him with Elektra. I mean, what?

Also included (I'm assuming because Marc Guggenheim wrote it) is The Accused one shot where Matt Murdock is the prosecuting attourney for the trial of Hawkeye.

I agree with Coulson about there being a middle ground in Civil War II, but, of course, he can't affect that story, so that comes to nothing. The rest of the story is meh, and the character decisions are, at times, ridiculous.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume puts the Agents of SHIELD right into the middle of Civil War II. Much like the first volume, it's a good read but it seems a little forced to drop the TV characters squarely in the middle of the Marvel Universe, especially events such as Standoff and Civil War II. I think the series would have been better served as more of a standalone with its own continuity rather than being shoehorned into the center of the Marvel U.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird book that could have had a decent chance of not for being involved in another big crossover. Civil War II was not very good and these ancillary tie-ins are rarely good. The book continues to center on Colson on and I feel like it makes sense but the rest of the cast gets pushed to the background. There are also huge developments with Jemma that...are lame. The book wasn't bad as the art was decent but there wasn't enough here to love.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair warning this comic does not go with the tv show

I felt reading it that it was between seasons 2 and 3 of AOS but it also has things that have taken the tv show till maybe season 5 to get to.
It jumped all over the place and I had a hard time keeping up sometimes. Also apparently with this issue there were a lot of references to other comic issues.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this comic we see the perspective of Phil Coulson in regards to the Civil War between the Avengers.Because he abstains from choosing a side,he gets fired and tries to figure out a solution that will calm the tempers inside Shield.

It's nice to see the characters from the series and the drawings are very good.

[Ricky Kimsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not As Enjoyable

This last volume isn't as enjoyable as previous volumes due to it being tied to the Civil War II event. Still like seeing the characters from the television series interacting with the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Near the end it stopped being an Agents of SHIELD comic and turned into a Hawkeye on trial thing. I skimmed that part, I wasn't very invested in Hawkeye and Daredevil.
Adored this volume, so much happened and these are characters that I care alot about.

Wish there was more.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

なかなか面白かったと思う。
巻末のデアデビルというかマードックがホークアイがハルクを殺した件での裁判の弁護をする話も面白かった。

面白かったけどヒーロー内輪モメの構図がよく飲み込めないというか。Civil Warはお約束イベントなのかもしれないけどスタークさんとダーンバースのモメごとに巻き込まれてたコールソンという流れで、結局直接的には関係ないみたいな話の組み込み方はマーベルコミックならではな感じなのかな。コマの隅に注釈つけてくれてたからかろうじて理解できたけどそうでなかったらなんか読み飛ばしたかもーと悩みまくってそう。これも慣れの問題なのかな。

でも完読できたのは嬉しい！

[Ernest · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself largely indifferent to the story being told here and after some of the story choices that seemed a bit forced, I didn’t find myself really desiring to think about or read any more of it (the series being later cancelled somewhat vindicated my feelings).

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The main arc was breezy to the point that it will shortly waft from my memory, but the Accused one-shot was a cool Daredevil and Hawkeye story. I liked it. Some really nice art in this volume.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow enjoyed these last issues more than the first and read each one the day it came out just so I could see what happened next.

[Bryce Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent storyline in this one but it was cut far too short by the overarching Civil War event and then the book was canned.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember this one at all. This is the volume 2 without Ms. Marvel, I guess. I guess?

[natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

my family😭😭😭😭

[maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

deathlok dr. jemma simmons was something i never knew i needed

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little confused. I'm glad it ended with Phil being okay, but what the heck was Electra doing in this story? I liked the story at the end, with Clint on trial.