The Marvel Universe grows darker still.
This is technically the fourth chapter of Nick Spencer's Secret Empire saga, counting the #0 prologue and the FCBD special. By now readers have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this event, and the outlook is rosy. Secret Empire shows every sign that it'll deliver where most events fail, even if the series is failing to strike a very cohesive visual tone.
Issue #2 is much more direct about laying out the nature of the conflict and the seriously uphill battle Earth's remaining defenders face going forward. That incldues a clsoer look inside the hellish wasteland that is New York and the losing battle being waged by its heroes. Rarely have the odds felt so stacked against the Avengers, which is exactly what a book like this should be striving for.
Spencer is better than most when it comes to crafting event comics because he's so skilled at blending epic superhero spectacle with intimate character drama. That balance is very much in effect here. Even as the world buckles under the weight of Hydra, much of the focus remains on the inner pain facing characters on both sides. On one hand, you have Hawkeye and Black Widow arguing over the future of their ragtag team and whether there's still room for morality and decency in a world where even Steve Rogers is a villain. As for Steve himself, he's clearly feeling the weight of his actions and lamenting the terrible toll Hydra's brand of peace has already taken. As far as the character has fallen, at least he's more than a mere mustache-twirling Benedict Arnold.
It may frustrate readers to see Secret Empire developing into another tale of heroes battling heroes rather than the true villains. But in this case, the Black Widow/Hawkeye feud serves an important purpose. They're fighting over something fundamental and important - the notion that some ideals can never be compromised, even in the face of Armageddon (as Rorschach would say). As grim as Secret Empire is now, there's a clear sense that Spencer is building towards a rousing crescendo, one that will finally usher in the brighter, more hopeful era fans have been clamoring for.
The series undergoes a drastic visual shift in this issue, switching from the clean, sleek line-work of Steve McNiven, to the moody, surreal styling stylings of Andrea Sorrentino. Sorrentino's use of color and shadow and generally striking design work all result in one eye-popping book. But there are some weird quirks that pop up as Sorrentino reuses certain character poses and struggles with more outlandish characters like Amadeus Cho. The washed-out colors create their own problems in quieter scenes. For instance, there's little indication in the art that the Tony Stark in this story is a holographic A.I. unit, not the flesh-and-blood Tony.
There's also the problem that there's just too little cohesiveness to the story when it comes to the art. I find myself wishing that Marvel had taken a page from the Infinity playbook and tasked each artist with drawing specific portions of the storyline rather than individual issues. Sorrentino is perfectly suited for the scenes set in the Dark Dimension, but less so those set in the Avengers' base. Secret Empire wold be that much better as a whole if McNiven, Sorrentino and Leinil Yu were working in tandem.
The Verdict
Secret Empire has a few presentation issues in the switch from one artist to the next, but otherwise this is one event that looks to deliver on the hype. This issue manages to both convey the full scope of Hydra's takeover while keeping the focus intimate and relatable. Things are looking bleak for the Avengers, but there's also a ray of light on the horizon as the race against time begins.
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