1. We get the history of SHIELD, from the era of their ruler Galileo to their current ruler, the almost certainly mad Sir Isaac Newton.
2. Yes, we’re getting super crazy science DaVinci vs. mad with power and super secrets Newton. I love comics.
3. The secrets of power are comic book science insanity, but each makes sense, and I especially like the turning back of Galactus and use of Nostradamus. Great, big ideas are this book’s bread and butter.
4. While I’d love to see this in Hickman’s graphic design style (get Nightly News and Pax Romana, really), I cannot at all complain about the art here. In fact, it’s stunning. The best of anything I’ve read all week… and I read an Alan Davis book.
5. The Deviant City is great and very likely to tie in with the cities in Hickman’s Fantastic Four. We clearly see how… indescent Newton can be as he considers sleeping with one of these creature’s women then stealing their secrets and burning the city to the ground suffering and indignity.
6. This contrasts strongly with the hope for the betterment of humanity that SHIELD would otherwise represent. This is going to be a book of big ideas sure, but at the core is betterment of humanity at what cost, something explored to great affect in the aforementioned Nightly News, Pax Romana, and Fantastic Four: Solve Everything with a different twist each time.
7. While this is a break for the plot, the backstory here was neccessary to give the big ideas context. Hopefully, however, the next issue comes out very soon to move things forward or give more revelations.
8. Someone help: where have I heard “this is not how the world ends” before? Is it Planetary?
9. Actually, now that I think of it, this is quite like Planetary and seems liek it might be an equally seminal work in comics. It’s doing for real history what Planetary did for superhero history on a whole different scale.
10. Rating: 10/10 – This is one of the best comics I’ve ever read and certainly the best Marvel or DC is producing right now. Huge ideas, historical figures in awesome situations, great characterization, a unique twist on the Marvel Universe, jaw dropping art, a compelling plot, a fully imagined backstory… Seriously, what more could you ask? Get this series. It is not something you want to miss out on.
