Written by: Ales Kot
Art by: Michael Walsh
Publisher: Marvel
Secret Avengers #5 is the continuation of Marvel’s new storyline in which Maria Hill is running a secret S.H.I.E.L.D group. The members of this secret team are Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and M.O.D.O.K. Their mission is to develop new weapons and stop terrorism without anyone ever finding out. The only problem is that someone knows and is trying to destroy the Secret Avengers, leading to an attempted assassination on Agent Hill’s life. Secret Avengers #5 is set after this attempted assassination, when Hill is regrouping with M.O.D.O.K., Spider-Woman is connecting with a sentient, suicidal bomb, and Agent Coulson is seemingly losing his mind.
This issue is enjoyable to a point, but certain aspects are honestly pretty dumb. Secret Avengers #5 introduces a sentient bomb that is somehow suicidal. Thankfully, it hasn’t killed itself and everyone around because Spider-Woman has been working hard at connecting with the bomb through emotions. This seems like a very cheesy and cartoony thing to feature in an issue that is otherwise very serious. Most of Secret Avengers #5 is is focused on figuring out why Coulson is acting so strange and why someone tried to assassinate Hill. At one point, a prominent member of the Secret Avengers is seriously injured because of their investigations, which sends the team into a panic.
While these serious events are happening,the writer Ales Kot is throwing in little jokes that seem forced at times. For example, the first time Hawkeye is shown, a lower third in the panel makes a joke about how Hawkeye is similar to the green guy on TV, only cooler. The same panel also makes a joke about how no one knows who Nick Fury is. This would be fine, but a later panel shows Nick Fury again with a lower third that says “We were kidding earlier. We totally know who this is. It’s Nick Fury! Hill’s right hand!” At this moment I expected Kot to pop out of my page and yell, “Get it? I made a joke about Nick Fury! I totally got you earlier. Wait, where are you going? Don’t leave!”
That may have sounded harsh, but I just don’t understand what tone Kot is going for with Secret Avengers #5. I am honestly intrigued by the story of Secret Avengers, but the attempts at humor are just terrible. Hopefully, he can dial it back for future issues and create a more focused story.
