Mighty Avengers #18
Writer – Brian Michael Bendis
Artist – Stefano Casseli

Over the course of Marvel’s Secret Invasion storyline we’ve been introduced to Nick Fury’s team of young commando recruits, dubbed the Secret Warriors, a group who’s creation was necessitated by Fury not knowing whom he could trust. When in doubt, train some noobs and you’re guaranteed they’re not Skrulls.

This issue starts with Fury telling his young team (made up of Phobos, Yo-Yo, Druid, Stonewall, Quake, and Hellfire) that their first real mission will be a snatch-and-grab. The target is none other that the current head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Maria Hill. Not the piece of cake that some of the youngsters were hoping for, and the doubt about being able to pull it off is voiced by more that one of the team members, particularly Hellfire, a young “hillbilly” as Fury calls him.

Fury and his training methods are called into question by the team, with Fury being the pissy, war-hardened, ass-kicker that he is telling them that that’s how it is. If you don’t like it you’re welcome to head “back behind the 7-11 counter where you belong.” Nick, always the realist. The mission goes down with a twist or two and we see the team take a step forward in their progression to being full-on superheroes. I did have to pull out a couple other comics, Secret Invasion issues particularly, to figure out that this story takes place before the happenings of the SI mini-series. Good to know going in.

Bendis seems to be regularly doing these one issue stories that tie into the overall Secret Invasion storyline, moving characters and situations forward, while still keeping things nice and tight and confined to one issue. Casseli is an artist I’m not familiar with, but his style fits. His anatomy is good, and his faces are especially expressive. I picked up flashes of J. Scott Campbell at times. A tasty little nugget of a story that fits nicely into the Secret Invasion arc.

You will nearly probably, almost most definitely, think this book kicks ass! –Slugtron