SHIELD by Jim Steranko: The Complete Collection

S.H.I.E.L.D. by Jim Steranko: The Complete Collection by Jim Steranko
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, battles HYDRA and other menaces. This omnibus collects all of the SHIELD tales with art, and sometimes writing as well, by Jim Steranko.

Honestly, I wasn't impressed with the first three issues. Steranko did the art over Jack Kirby's layouts so it looked like the average Marvel art from the time period. Once Steranko did his own layouts, the book really took off.

Steranko had some crazy panels, especially for the time period. He used some unusual perspectives, angles, and panel shapes and placements, stuff that's still being imitated today. He put Fury in the body suit with zippers and things that SHIELD agents still wear in the comics today. His use of silent sequences is something else I see imitated at times. He wasn't afraid to be experimental, something that's lacking in comics a lot of the time.

I'd never read any Nick Fury solo comics before. He's usually just a supporting character. In this book, he's like a combination of James Bond and Captain America but with the personality of Ben Grimm. I wonder how much Fury's gruff manner was based on Jack Kirby. The stories themselves are interesting but nothing spectacular for the time period. Then again, they probably weren't meant to be binged in two evenings, either.

Would these comics be as legendary if Jim Steranko had done more? Somehow, I kind of doubt it. While they're revolutionary at times, the style is still rooted in the Marvel house style at the time. If you're expecting a style like Neal Adams', this isn't it. Not only that, sometimes the perspectives were kind of confusing and Steranko's figures looked a little off at times.

All that being said, I can see why these are highly regarded comics and I'm glad I read them. They might not have lived up to the hype for me but the artwork is still great to look at. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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