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Title: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Jim Steranko, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee ISBN: 0-7851-0747-9 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Jim Steranko tranforms Nick Fury into Comic Book "Pop Art"
Comment: I know I could never tell you where Jim Steranko came from before he started drawing Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division), in Marvel's "Strange Tales" comic book in 1966. Actually, way back when, I was more interested in Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystical Arts. Besides, it was hard to believe Nick Fury, from "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos," was a one-eyed spymaster. But the development of Steranko's signature style as an artist became THE reason for bothering with a comic that was, in many regards, the bottom of the line at Marvel. Steranko began by doing the finished artwork over layouts by Jack "King" Kirby and ended up not only drawing the series but scripting it as well. The rest was most definitely comic history.
Included in this collection are "Strange Tales" 150-168, which provides one of the greatest examples of artistic growth ever seen in the field of comic books (Barry Windsor-Smith's legendary run on "Conan the Barbarian" is the only other example on the same plateau). Here we have Nick Fury's one-man assault on Hydra and the epic battle with the Yellow Claw. Early in the Sixties Marvel had labeled its comics as "Pop Art," in a feeble attempt to market themselves as more than just comics for kids. Well, when Steranko started incorporating elements from the psychedelic films and art of the time you could argue he achieved "Pop Art" in comics. Steranko used photography, optical art effects and unorthodox page designs to create his own unique style. Ultimately, his work had much more to do with cutting-edge cinema than it did with traditional comic books, which is why his reputation endures.
It is hard not to look at these Steranko's striking designs in these super spy stories and find yourself thinking more of "Bladerunner" and "The Matrix" more than James Bond. But as much as we admire Steranko's use of fine, defined ink line we also need to pay attention to his use of pacing, which is undeniably cinematic. I heard Steranko went on to do storyboards for movies, including "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula," which is fitting, but also rather ironic. Speaking of irony, Steranko's best work in comics, both with Nick Fury and other characters (most notably Captain America and The X-Men) was yet to come. So while this collection does not represent Steranko's best work, it does capture the evolution of a major talent in comics. Besides, it will probably cost you more than the price of this collection to pick up just ONE of the comics reprinted within.
Rating: 5
Summary: WHAT?!?
Comment: Reading level: ages 4-8. Ages 4 to 8?!?! Come on, Amazon, how many four year olds are going to pick up a 60's mod spy books? Have some common sense, please. I'm twenty-two and these books aren't exactly "Goodnight Moon". Why America has such a disrespect for graphic storytelling, when it is highly respected in essentially the rest of the world, is beyond me. [...]
Rating: 5
Summary: Nick Fury - Slightly Ahead Of Its Time
Comment: Nick Fury, Agent Of SHIELD is a great collection of Jim Steranko tales done for Strange Tales. It is amazing that these were written and drawn in the mid-60s. You can see the growth of Steranko as an artist as you turn the pages from basic comic book artist to the futuristic styles mimicked by many of today's comics artists. Steranko's style is very cinematic and I would not be surprised if many moviemakers of today did not read these stories in their youth. As beautiful as the artwork is, the stories are exciting and quickly paced (the Fury segment in Strange Tales was usually 10 to 11 pages long). Hope to see more of Steranko's work reprinted, particularly his Captain America, X-Men, and other Nick Fury stories. Too bad he left the series after the Scorpio saga and left monthly comics shortly thereafter. I loved his work while I was growing up and felt that every character he touched stepped up to a higher level.
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Title: Nick Fury: Scorpio by Jim Steranko ISBN: 0785107665 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Nick Fury, Agent of Shield: Empyre by Will Murray ISBN: 0425168166 Publisher: Boulevard (Mass Market) Pub. Date: 08 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Fury ("Max Comics"--Cover) by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson ISBN: 0785108785 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: May, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Essential Captain America by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, George Tuska, Dick Ayers, John Romita, Jack Sparling ISBN: 0785107401 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Daredevil Visionaries Volume 2 by Frank Miller ISBN: 0785107711 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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