Captain America lights the way for Marvel's heroes.
They say it's always darkest before the dawn, and we're at the point in Secret Empire now where the crushing blackness of night has to finally make way for the first rays of sunshine. Issue #8 serves as a rousing call to action for the beleaguered Avengers, one that sets the stage for an epic final showdown in the remaining two issues.
Fittingly, that tonal shift comes just as artist Daniel Acuna steps aboard the Secret Empire train. Acuna's sleek visuals and vivid colors make for a welcome change of pace from the grim, moody approach of recent issues. Not to mention that Acuna ha splayed in important part in building up this multi-year Captain America storyline, so it's only fair that he be there at the moment when Sam Wilson finally wields the shield again and hope returns to the Marvel Universe. Acuna renders some of the finest pages of the series to date, thanks to his emotionally rich characters, his strong use of light and shadow and his knack for bringing an epic sense of scale to the page.
Acuna's style clashes a great deal with fill-in artist Sean Izaakse, unfortunately. The general lack of visual consistency to this series has been frustrating, but at least the highs are very memorable.
Nick Spencer's script expertly captures the changing tone of the conflict. The narration, heavy-handed though it may be at times, highlights the desperation and newfound optimism felt by Marvel's heroes as Captain America makes his brave stand and fights to unite a divided community once again. There's an emotional weight and resonance to this issue that feels earned given everything Spencer has put his characters through in recent months. That's probably Secret Empire's greatest strength - it matters in a way too few crossover events really do these days.
There are complaints to be lodged against the structure of this issue. There's a bit of awkwardness as Spencer suddenly begins working in developments from several other tie-in books. It's becoming an annoying hassle trying to figure out in what order to read the various tie-ins, and the main book is no longer as successful as it once was in terms of telling a complete, cohesive story. Even so, this issue packs a strong punch and suggests that Secret Empire won't be the sort of conflict that falls apart in the final stretch.
The Verdict
Secret Empire #8 has its flaws. The art quality isn't entirely consistent , and the overarching narrative is becoming messier the more Nick Spencer works to reflect the many tie-in books. But those problems are secondary to the sheer satisfaction earned from reading this pivotal new chapter. Daniel Acuna's pages are gorgeous, and he and Spencer effectively shift the tone of the series as a resurgent Sam Wilson lights the way for Marvel's heroes.
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