S.H.I.E.L.D.: Secret History

S.H.I.E.L.D. 50th Anniversary

by Kathryn Immonen, Patrick Kindlon (Text), Chelsea Cain (Text)

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of S.H.I.E.L.D. with 5 action packed tales! Learn why Quake makes the perfect agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. See what happens when Mockingbird is forced to take matters into her own hands after someone close to her is murdered. Then find out if Nick Fury of the present can work alongside his father in a team-up that's 50 years in the making. Also, when Agent May leads a team of new recruits on a training mission, will she be able to save the day when everything goes wrong? Plus: Agent Carter is back in an all-new adventure that reveals her secret history with S.H.I.E.L.D.!

COLLECTING: AGENT CARTER: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1, THE CALVARY: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1, FURY: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1, MOCKINGBIRD: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1, QUAKE: S.H.I.E.L.D. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1, SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS 1, BATTLE SCARS 6, MATERIAL FROM STRANGE TALES (1951) 135

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

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2016

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book collects a bunch of one-shots that each focus on a particular SHIELD agent. Like a lot of anthology-style books, it's a pretty mixed bag.

All of the tales here are action-packed and easy to read. A nice introduction to SHIELD for any newbies out there and a reasonably entertaining ride for us old-timers.

The most notable development in the book is in the Howling Commandos story. Anybody who wasn't happy with the revelation about Dum Dum from Original Sin will probably be quite excited about developments in this little tale.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories and there for awhile this collection was definitely on a girl power kick which was neat. And then we had the "older" story reprints and I Just gotta say...boy they really loved their exclamation points back in the day. So many exclamation points.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bulk of this collection are 50th anniversary issues to commemorate characters who have been important to S.H.I.E.L.D. like Nick Fury, Agent Carter and Mocking Bird among others. The best of these is probably the Mockingbird issue. Chelsea Cain has a real feel for the character and the story along with Joelle Jones remarkable art really lean into Jim Steranko's run with Nick Fury with a few touches of Fraction's Hawkeye thrown in. Fury #1 does it's best to retcon the two Nick Fury characters into a Hatemonger story that involves a young and unnamed but who are we fooling here, Barack Obama. The issue bites off WAY more than it can chew in 20 some pages and should be a mini or maxi series but David F. Walker gives it his best shot. Also, why hasn't Hatemonger been in more stuff lately? He's basically the perfect villain of 2019.
After the new stuff we get a few reprints starting with Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos number 1 which is fun war throwback, the Strange Tales story where Commander Fury joins S.H.I.E.L.D. and issue 6 of the Battle Scars mini series that seems like it directly contradicts the Fury issue earlier in the collection.

[Alex Sarll]

There's a definite sense of slim pickings at Marvel lately – only three books I'm buying, all relatively long-running; a handful more I'll read from the library, but a general feeling of the ideas running short and the best creators moving on without a new generation having been established to replace them. Hell, even Al Ewing's best current series is at DC. But this does make for a gap where I'm finally getting around to stuff I've had in my backlog since before Amazon merked Comixology. Case in point: a collection from a decade ago, celebrating half a century of Marvel's top spy-fi organisation during one of the increasingly rare interludes where it wasn't shut down or subverted. Each one-shot focuses on a different member of the team, with the short straws drawn by the poor sods who have to try to make characters from TV's Agents Of SHIELD (and not even the good ones) interesting. But Peggy Carter teaming up with Sif is a delight, and Chelsea Cain offers a reminder of how fun her much-maligned Mockingbird run could be, assisted by gorgeous Joelle Jones art. Best of all, though, is Nick Fury Jr thrown back in time to team up with his dad during the early days of SHIELD, a concept I'd probably have appreciated even had I read it then, but which time has rendered much more poignant. See, the foe they're united against is the Hate-Monger, whose superpower is racism, and who as of 2015 "has threatened the life of the President more times than I can count". Whereas in 2025 he'd probably be in his successor's cabinet. Similarly, the two old issues in the back, with the debuts of SHIELD and previous Fury operation the Howling Commandos, are as hammy as any other Lee/Kirby collaboration (a French Resistance leader called Monsieur LaBrave, FFS), and certainly not on a par with top tier war comics like Battle, but still a surprisingly muscular reminder of a time when America knew the correct response to a Nazi was not 'elect him'.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The secret history of SHIELD is that the characters from TV show exist in the comics. The Peggy Carter story was a little too ridiculous for me. Melinda May was meh. Nick Fury, Jr. wasn't bad. Mockingbird and Quake, the actual Marvel Comics characters, had the best writing and art.

There's a lot of extras. The first issue of Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos. The first Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD story from Strange Tales. And the story which introduces Nick Fury, Jr. and Phil Coulson to the Marvel Comics Universe.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the cinematic universe bleeding into the comics. (Did you know Jimmy Olsen was originally from the Superman radio show?) But even when I was watching the movies, I couldn't understand why I was supposed to care about Phil Coulson, and Agents of SHIELD was boring as shit. And these characters make for some boring as shit comics.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I am now tired, I spent literally years raging against the Movie industry for the use of Samuel Jackson to be Nick Fury, for what appeared to me to be Political Correctness. Samuel Jackson played the part very well to be fair, but Nick Fury was one of the most amazing marvel characters, He had a career from Sgt Fury in WW2, To Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Then the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I was so mad that for a movie they would just throw away such a well known comic character just for PC. Now I have read this book and it is explained that the new Fury is the Son of the old Fury. Nicholas Fury Jr. So now I feel like that rampaging Emily Litella from Saturday Night Live who finished her misunderstood diatribe with "Never Mind" This was a Good Read.

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. I never got wrapped up in the later episodes of SHIELD and I always wondered about why Marvel cast Samuel L Jackson as Fury. Now I understand. Jackson's Fury is actually the original Fury's son. For those who knew this then again I refer to the previous statement about my lack of comics and graphic novels. It's not a spoiler unless you're out of the loop. I was.

Great retrospect piece with the history of some great Agents of SHIELD. Also a reprint of Fury and his Howling Commandos.

Waa Hooooo!

Great read.

[Michael Alford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This TPB has 2 high points. One is an explanation of why Nick Fury is now black. The other is a reprint of Nick Fury's early days as the head of the Howling Commandos.

The rest is a bunch of stories about female SHIELD agents who are faster/stronger/braver/more clever/more accurate with a weapon/better fighter than her male male counterparts.

Sigh.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 2 out of 5]

A compilation of mostly meh stories.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standalone 50th anniversary issues, one each for Peggy Carter, Mockingbird, Melinda May, Nick Fury and Quake, with some historic issues.

I'd already bought the Agent Carter one when it came out, obvs. It's set in the 60s, with her looking just like she did in the 40s, and involves Sif and Shield/Fury testing her. It's a weird story and I wish it had been better. Though the ending was perfect. <3

Mockingbird's made me SO excited to read her standalone series, which is from an all female team. Joelle Jones of Lady Killer does the art, and I love it. It's funny, snarky, and has a really great panel of Clint and Lance as mistakes A and B, ha--romantic smart-asses with ties to shadowy government agencies and nice abs. She has a type. This story was a mystery surrounding the death of the woman who changed her life, and was pretty good.

Quake's was a prequel, her first time going out with the Avengers and unsure of her role and what they needed from her. I really loved Steve at the end--she was exactly who he had hoped she'd be, the team conscience, doing what was right even when it wasn't what she was supposed to do.

Fury's had time travel and a very unexpected cameo, and was pretty interesting, with original Fury and Marcus Fury meeting and going on a mission to save the future. Cavalry's was about an unexpected Hydra attack on a shield baby-agent test, and that was pretty cool.

Overall, pretty fun. I wish Peggy would get a different writer, I haven't much enjoyed Immomen's take on her, but I can't wait for Bobbi's first trade this month. And I'm glad they collected these into one trade for easy reading!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad they collected these special anniversary issues from the last year into one trade. I wish that Peggy would get a different writer; her story was weird, but the end was great. Fury's was fun with time travel and how Marcus Johnson (Nick Fury Jr.) and Phil Coulson teamed up to become the new leaders of SHIELD, and Cavalry's was totally fun with a HYDRA attack on a baby agent training exercise and made me want to go back to watching the Agents of SHIELD TV series. The vintage issues were also interesting, but the one I really loved was Mockingbird's. Joelle Jones of Lady Killer did the art and it is fantastic--I think she's right up there with Matt Fraction as a favorite creator now.

[Austin J Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel! I stumbled across this when I was looking for another book about Marvel's Agent Carter. My favorite story was the one with Melinda May a.k.a. The Calvary (don't call her that!) and seeing how the cadets she was testing rose to the occasion when things did not go according to plan. My other two favorite stories were the ones with Director Fury and Daisy Johnson. I especially liked Daisy's story because it shows a great example of how to pick your battles and knowing when it's time not to fight. I enjoyed seeing new faces and plot lines from this novel and cannot wait for more to come!

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Public library copy.

I'm not a fan of the Marvel Agents of Shield show, I like Phil Colson, but my like ends there. I record the show for my wife, because she likes it, but I'll multi-task on the computer or build Lego while it's on. This book is a great companion for fans wanting to read stories of the television character, but, for me, the best thing about it were the Stan Lee & Jack Kirby classic Nick Fury tales. I thought there were some unusual writer and artist pairings, often when the writing is good the art falls short, or vice versa.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically a bunch of disconnected stories. All in all, not bad. Sure the reprint of a Howling Commando story was kind of annoying, but could easily have been worse. But the rest, including Nick Fury being appointed head of SHIELD were pretty good. And the two Nick Fury, Jr stories filled in some blanks. And the stories semi-inspired from the tv show were worth reading, including seeing Melinda May in print. Curious to see more.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with most of these companion books or combined special issue stories, there’s no real substance, and no real reason to read them. This appears to be Marvels attempt to force the movie/TV version of SHIELD into the comic universe, and while I liked the movie stuff just fine, I never felt like any of it belonged in the books.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Uneven. Some stories were 3 stars, others 2.

[Ch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. SOme betther delivered than the others but still enjoyable.

[natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

daisy, may & bobbi were mothering so hard

[Ace Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh was alright

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good anthology of origin stories about the key SHIELD agents. Entertaining, but don’t expect an in depth insight into any of the characters.