Secret Avengers, Volume 1: Let's Have a Problem

Secret Avengers (2014)

by Aleš Kot (Writer), Michael Walsh (Illustrator)

The new Secret Avengers are ready to get started...but can they be the world's most effective secret squad? Or will their personal issues tear them apart? Why not both? Three missions kick off at the same time, and nobody is ready except the bad guys! Earth is endangered by falling S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites! A post-nuclear warhead goes missing in the Middle East! And the Fury...yes, the unstoppable super hero-killing machine from Captain Britain...reappears deep inside Chinese territory! Can Hawkeye, Black Widow and Spider-Woman save Nick Fury and Phil Coulson from dying horribly in space? Will a wounded Maria Hill figure out what her uneasy ally M.O.D.O.K. is up to? Do the Secret Avengers have a prayer against the Fury? As death hits the Helicarrier, Black Widow faces Lady Bullseye...and Coulson goes rogue!

Collecting: Secret Avengers 1-5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Aleš Kot is a post-Chernobyl, pre-revolution, Czech-born, California-based writer/producer who started in graphic novels and now makes films, television, and an occasional novella.

A. believe in art and community.
A. doesn't believe in borders nor cops.
A. believes in love, which they know is a very Libra answer. And what about it?

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Yep, yep, yep! This was very cool!
Not sure why I haven't heard much about this one, but it's really good. It's got the same vibe as Hawkeye, but the premise is like a toned down version of the X-force for Avengers...if that even makes sense.



Maria Hill has decided to put together a Top Secret group of heroes to take on Top Secret threats. Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, and (unbeknownst to everyone on the team) M.O.D.O.K. make up the team.



Oh, and Hawkeye ends up accidentally making the roster.
He's the Problem that the title refers to.



Let's Have a Problem was just fun to read.
There's a rampaging Death-machine (ironically called Fury), satellites falling from the sky (???), a self-aware an bomb (who wants to try gelato), an assassination attempt on Hill (she probably deserved it), and a murder in M.O.D.O.K.'s mad science lab (because...shit happens).



I didn't realize it until I decided to look this guy up, but Ales Kot was the guy who wrote the only volume of Suicide Squad that I thought was worth a shit. And after reading this, I can say without a doubt I'll be stalking whatever he decides to do next.
Highly Recommended!

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[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, this is it. My favorite Avengers title in years and probably the BEST Secret Avengers stuff ever. Kot has that “Matt Fraction” thing down. Great action with just enough silly. This book starts off right after Nick Spenser’s run on Secret Avengers, but I don’t think you really need to read that run to enjoy this. Maybe just the 3rd volume (cuz it’s good).



Ales’ team consists of Nick Fury, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, Phil Coulson, and a tag-a-long by the name of Clint Barton. Oh, yeah and the Mental/Mobil/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. He’s great and also a professional egoist. After this series I’m buying a M.O.D.O.K. t-shirt. He is awesome in this book. Maria Hill sparkles too and she really has her hands full with this crowd. That, and she gets hands on. Dig her.



A.I.M. continues to make itself an annoyance to the gang in this collection, but there’s also a couple of new villains that show up to shit in our heroes cereal. A crazed poet and arms dealer named Artaud, a killing machine called “The Fury”, Lady Bullseye, and an artificially intelligent bomb by the name of Vladimir just to name a few. The quirkiness of this title is just so fun.



Michael Walsh is the perfect illustrator for this one too. He’s got a "Matt Wagner" vibe that I love. Wonderfully drawn simple, but distinctive characters and backgrounds that nail it. Mike’s got a new fan in this guy. I’ll be hittin’ his shit up again down the road. Travis Moore, of “Luther Strode” fame, provides some sweet cover art as well. Money.



Could’ve done without the Original Sin tie-in included at the end of the book. I get that it was collected since Ales wrote it and it wasn’t bad, just didn’t flow or really have anything to do with the rest of the story. And the art was meh.



This kinda weirdness is usually not my thing, but Ales is able to sell me on it for some reason. I would imagine it’s sorta like folks that appreciate Grant Morrison’s uniqueness. I don’t, but I think Ales’ odd style is a bit more digestible to the blue collar comic fan than Grant’s. Odd without the obscure references and mind-boggling plot lines that Morrison typically baffles me with. A recommend to anyone that’s enjoying Fraction’s Hawkeye or is a fan of any of the characters. Kot and Walsh killed it.

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[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Avengers return. Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson fight a machine in space

while Black Widow, Spider-Woman, and Hawkeye have an awkward moment.

Maria Hill is running the Secret Avengers and manipulating everyone in the process.


I initially stayed away from this because of the goofy artwork. I saw some positive reviews so I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately the story was a bit too goofy in it's artwork and dialogue. I do like to laugh, but there is a long list of story types I don't find funny. The comedy seems to be the main feature of this series, but I didn't find it funny.

Let's Have a Problem didn't do anything for me personally, but I can see why some people would enjoy it.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea this was going to be so much fun. If I had known that Kot was going to be taking his cues for Hawkeye from Fraction's incredibly good take on the character, I might not have been so surprised. And I really liked Kot's criminally short run on Suicide Squad. Maybe I should have expected that this book would just be so much fun to read. There's a lot of humor mixed in with the serious action, and it really works for the book, especially with this cast.

I like the way these characters play off each other, even if they do tend to split into two groups: Coulson and Fury, Natasha and Clint and Jessica. Which makes a certain type of sense anyways. These are meant to be basically covert missions, and even a group of five is a little big for an infiltration team. Then there's Maria Hill, who's coming off as being particularly shady here, and M.O.D.O.K., who ends up being far more interesting than I'd thought he would be.

The action part is pretty good, too. The pace can be a little weird in spots, but it's still exciting to read. There's plenty of collateral damage and the stakes feel legitimately high, even knowing that, in comics, everything will always be fine in the end. So yes, it's really an awful lot like Fraction's Hawkeye, which is high praise for a comic book.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty fun if not a tad bit confusing. I'll admit, I never read a secret avengers title. There's enough freaking Avengers titles to read and catch up on before getting to the "SECRET" avengers. Plus I heard their previous runs been meh. So I said screw it. But then people said this one was a lot of fun and I said 'Sure why not. Marvel Unlimited let's do it" and glad I did. This was pretty dang good!

What I liked: The artwork reminded me of Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. I really thought it all flowed together nice and easy to see the action. The dialog was pretty fun and goofy. Things happened at a very fast paced and one minute you're on earth the next you're in space. I liked the pace just because I was never bored and I did get a few laughs for sure.

What I didn't like: The story is all over the place. Sometimes I couldn't even keep up with what was happening. The first few issues I stayed confused but by the end I was starting to see the bigger picture. The ending was pretty exciting for the future of this series.

So I had a lot of fun reading this. I will def check out volume 2 down the line. Let's hope it keeps up the fun times!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maria Hill has put together a small unit of Avengers for some smaller ops. Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Black Widow, Spidergirl... NOT Hawkeye but somehow he ends up tagging along anyway. They're tracking down a weapon called The Fury - not to be confused with Nick Fury - with the aid of M.O.D.O.K., a creepy big-headed creature now working for SHIELD.

The comradery between Fury and Coulson is fun, and it seems Matt Fraction's Hawkeye has carried over into yet another comic. This had a very similar art style and I really enjoyed the interactions between Hawkeye and his "ex-girlfriends" Natasha and Jess. (I don't really consider Natasha to be Clint's ex, but whatever). Coulson's PTSD was an interesting addition. I thought Black Widow came off a little bitchy, I never really saw her as having a problem with Maria like this, although Maria herself isn't exactly the hero of this one and acts pretty shady most of the time. The final issue in this collection was from an online issue of Original Sin (I think?). I didn't so much see it as having much to do with the rest of the volume.

[Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a work of art--funny, intelligent and vivid. In some ways it reminds me of The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy(which if you know me, is a huge compliment!). I've never read any thing by this writer before, but I think it's safe to say he has gained a life long fan, if this is an example of what he can do.

Ales Kot brings a very unlikely group of heroes together. And not a Wolverine, Captain America, or Spider-Man in sight! I especially loved Modoc, never thought I'd say that! He also brought a new character Vladimir to the Marvel Universe. I can say with out a doubt that he is one of the most original characters I've seen in years, I hope to see a lot more of him in the future.

Simply put I can't wait to read the next graphic novel in this series.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

2017 review
I enjoyed this, but I'm dropping it down to three stars on reread. Still fun though, and I will be carrying on with the series this time! Read for the 7-in-7-readathon!

2016 review
Book number 1 for the #GetGraphic challenge: a new to you series
4 stars!
This was so much fun! I'm really looking forward to continuing!

[Sonic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, off the wall, and refreshing, I even enjoyed the art for the most part except the last chapter where it just felt like the artist was not able to keep up with the concepts of the writer.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this version of Secret Avengers. Actually, I don't really recall having read any Secret Avengers before, but I read a lot of comics, so I may have forgotten. At the very least, this is the most memorable version of the team. How's that?

What makes this memorable for me is Ales Kot's writing. I've been hearing good things about his run, and I was not disappointed. There's a breezy humor that's very refreshing. The characterizations and plotting are solid, but the banter and slightly flippant tone are what make it sing. I love seeing an enthusiastic MODOK running his lab, and Hawkeye along for the ride with two ex-girlfriends. I love the scene of Spider-Woman trying to talk a sentient, suicidal bomb out of detonating. And the evil poet. This book just packs a sizeable dollop of fun all around. Definitely looking forward to volume 2 ...

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the main series. A zany, convoluted and yet all intertwining look at the Marvel Universe, and a new look at superhero-ing combined with espionage. Kot's plot twists and insane ideas are well at home, and his MODOK and Maria Hill are written perfectly. The art from Michael Walsh compliments everything storywise too, and is very consistent with the previous volume's artists whilst retaining its own style.
Unfortunately the Infinite Comic in the back is just odd. Either it doesn't translate well into the flat, non-moving format, or there's some dialogue missing, because it's just really poorly structured and difficult to follow. The artwork's great, but the story doesn't flow properly at all, and it brings this down from 5 to 4 stars.

[Funfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I'm a huge fan of Fraction's Hawkeye I gave Secret Avengers a chance.
Although I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, it didn't quite click for me JUST YET! Adding the great art by Walsh I definitely left volume 1 wanting more.

I still "only" gave it three stars, because I found the short missions featured in "Let's Have a Problem" to be a bit too anticlimactic and not as charming as Fraction's Hawkeye stuff.

It's a solid start to say the least ;)

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado todo. El humor me recuerda a Fraction, el dibujo me recuerda a Aja; pero la historia tiene su propia identidad, es divertida, engancha, tiene puyas al MCU y... al Arrowverse!! Me he reído en voz alta varias veces. Ahora necesito leer el resto de la serie, con un volumen no me basta 😃

[Kris Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Widow, Spider-Woman, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson (son of Coul), and Hawkeye.
Yeee
M.O.D.O.K. -really?

[Tom Ewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A third stab at making the Secret Avengers title work for Marvel - this one a S.H.I.E.L.D. book in all but name, picking up some of the cast but none of the tone of Nick Spencer's suspenseful run. Ales Kot's approach has been compared to Hawkeye - it has Hawkeye in it, and he acts a bit like he does in the Matt Fraction book - but Secret Avengers reminds me of a whole stew of titles. Michael Walsh's quirky, diagrammatic art is in line with Chip Zdarsky's approach on Sex Criminals or Steve Lieber's on Superior Foes Of Spider-Man, and Kot's flip tone isn't far off Superior Foes either. But there's a commitment to stylish, near-future weirdness (a sentient bomb built by an art terrorist, to pick an idea that catches the tone nicely) that recalls Grant Morrison, or the grandfather of Marvel spy cool, Steranko.

That's a strong list of notes to hit, and Kot is one of the more exciting and ambitious writers Marvel have found lately. Secret Avengers isn't as good as his independent work, but it offers hip, smart, fairly sophisticated fun. It's not quite cohering yet, though - some characters still feel like they're in it by decree rather than need, the references can be a touch too on the nose, the situations hotter in concept than execution. But Kot writes a good Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, and Clint Barton and he's the first writer to make the new Nick Fury seem like a good idea. In a character- and idea-driven book, that's a fine strikerate.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collects Secret Avengers issues #1-5 and Original Sin: Secret Avengers Infinite Comics #1-2

This volume was almost flawless, save for the two Infinite Comics that were added to the end of this collection. The main series has a great story combined with great artwork. This new volume of "Secret Avengers" adds in a strong humor element to go along with the fun, spy thriller action.

I mentioned the two Infinite Comics above. These issues were a stand-alone story that was originally released in the digital comic format. They stuck them in this collection because it made the most sense to put them here, but they heavily interrupted the emotional flow that the ending of Issue #5 had.

I don't want to say too much about the actual story because I enjoyed it so much. I'll just say that I give it my highest recommendation for people that enjoy spy stories, conspiracies, and mysteries.

For those interested in the roster, this new team of Secret Avengers is made up of:

-S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill
-Nick Fury Jr.
-Agent Phil Coulson
-Black Widow
-Spider-Woman
-Hawkeye
-M.O.D.O.K.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Avengers are just launching and it's already going to hell - Coulson and Fury are dying in space, Hill isn't sure can trust new ally MODOK, and Hawkeye isn't even part of them but he's still swept away with Widow and Spider-Woman on their mission to save Nick and Phil from The Fury. You guys, this is so so so fun and awesome. It opens with Nat and Jess bonding with the best massage therapist ever and I adore them, and Phil and Nick have great banter, Hawkeye is perfect, and I love Natasha working through her trust issues. I want to learn more about Jess/Spider-Woman and can't wait for the next trade. I'm less sold on morally dubious (and that's generous) Hill and MODOK, but I'm still very interested to see where that goes, and what happens to Phil now. All over great characterizations, interesting plots, follows in Fraction's Hawkeye steps.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was ready to give up on the constantly-rebooting Secret Avengers title, but I heard enough good things about Kot's run that I decided to give it a try ... and I'm glad I did. What we have here isn't quite Fraction's Hawkeye, but it's clearly in the same wheelhouse, with non-traditional storytelling, humor, and deep characterization. We also get some fun, secretive espionage. Overall, a terrific comic; too bad it's already going away!

The Infinite Comic that finishes things off isn't nearly as good. In fact, it's a little incomprehensible, and not in a good way, so consider my rating for the main arc of #1-5 only.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and great character development. The camaraderie between Natasha and Jessica is easy to love, so is the companionship between Nick Fury and Phil Coulson. Conversations and storyline flow well between characters and panels that jump between missions a lot.
I haven't seen Maria Hill developed before as anything other than a hard ass (in a negative way) but in this volume she seems simply a devoted and perhaps over bearing hard ass in a good way. Not that I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. or Avengers expert, but I've read a bit around her.

Didn't really care for the Original Sin issues #1 & 2 at the end.

[Alex Sarll]

Yet another attempt at firing up the corner of the Avengers franchise that never quite seems to take. The digital-first comic included at the end recalls my favourite Kot, the Grant Morrison-inspired headfuck Wild Children; the series proper seems basically to be Nextwave, which is no bad thing. But I suspect those Manics quotes, inventive brutalities and depressed talking bombs might have been better served by a less grounded, more cartoonish art style; Tradd Moore's covers seem a much better fit than Michael Walsh's interiors.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story, and I enjoyed it, but it's also...bizarre. You have an intelligent suicidal bomb, M.O.D.O.K., whacked humor, random events, M.O.D.O.K., some huge conspiracy involving telepaths and alternate dimensions, and let us not forget M.O.D.O.K.

I obviously walked into the middle of a story line here, so I'm a little confused as to what exactly is going on. (The 'Vol 1' addendum had me fooled.) I like that there's a nice mix of characters, and I love, love, LOVE that Coulson is a comic book character and he's just as awesome on the page as onscreen.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

So yeah, this happened. I was never a big fan of the first Secret Avengers series from Marvel Now and dropped it after two issues but this is one of my favourite Marvel ongoing series right now. So good!

[Haniel Barbosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

How great is Ales Kot? Really, really great. His Secret Avengers are thrilling and fun as hell. The plot, thickening bit by bit, also appears to be pretty awesome. As is the art (specially for M.O.D.O.K.). So yeah, I'm hooked. Let's have a problem.

[Jason Ragle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ales Kot is the new Warren Ellis.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Zany, but hard to follow the storyline.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite artwork but fun - love the banter and asides.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the meta touches & the suicidal sentient bomb, but, otherwise? Meh...

[Christal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style of this book, but I feel like it lost its way towards the end. I'll still check out the next trade though.

[Lionel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good start for an author i never read beofre. Kind of same style as hawkeye, and i really like the premises o secret avengers, compared to plain avengers which i really don't like

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Cómo no conocía de la existencia de este cómic? Sí, es habitual perderse entre tantas cabeceras y propuestas de formaciones superheroicas en La Casa de las Ideas. Justamente los Secret Avengers ya habían tenido unas cuantas iteraciones antes de que Ales Kot llegase para darle el verdadero y total sentido a esta propuesta de unos "Avengers" totalmente controlados por SHIELD (o más bien, por la directora Maria Hill). El hijo de Nick Furia, Phil Coulson, Viuda Negra, Spider Woman, el Clint Burton hermanado con la esplendorosa etapa de Matt Fraction y David Aja... ¿Y M.O.D.O.K.? Justo con este último personaje se empieza a marcar un estilo y tono bastante atractivos. Porque el cabezón genio tecno asesino y terrorista forma parte de este grupo a espaldas de la mayoría de sus miembros por mandato de Maria Hill, quien lo tiene oculto "en el desván", donde poder tenerlo "controlado" y cuidando y monopolizando las creaciones que antaño podían poner las cosas difíciles a SHIELD. M.O.D.O.K. está en ese perfil entre desternillante y caricaturesco personaje paranoide y un potencial maestro titiritero que bien podría estar manipulando toda la situación empezando por su estoica carcelera.

Los Secret Avengers de Ales Kot transitan entre esas conocidas tramas de super espionaje iniciadas por el Nick Furia de Steranko y unas demenciales ideas y conceptos marcianos de guion que pueden recordar al NextWave de Warren Ellis y Immonen. Como puede ser el de tener una bomba autoconsciente de su existencia y que tener que evitar sus "lógicas" tendencias suicidas. Pero el grueso de este primer arco argumental tiene que ver con el retorno de La Furia. Un terrorífico y letal ciborg tecnorgánico procedente de otra dimensión que casi acabó con la existencia del Capitán Britania. Todos los pasajes que implican este ser, rondan por el puro thriller (incluso de terror) y sus implicaciones son más que serias. Quizás es en este intento de equilibrio tonal donde el conjunto pueda resentirse ante muchos lectores. Pues el arte de Michael Walsh está más enfocado a dar una consistencia a la apuesta irreverente a lo esperado, y deja a deslucir todo intento de Kot por ofrecer un espectáculo más usual de super comic book (como lo anteriormente citado con La Furia).