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SECRET AVENGERS #4

The fate of one hero and the birth of another will be decided here, as the Secret Avengers true enemy is finally exposed!

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Mike Deodato
Covers by Marko Djurdjevic and Mike Deodato

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 1.5%

Reviews

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origamikid08/20/10YesRead Review
markish08/20/10NoRead Review
TheNextChampion08/18/10NoRead Review
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Avg Rating: 3.7
 
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Comments

  1. Avatar photo jdudhead says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:00 pm

    This series has—to my surprise—only been decent so far—but the cover of this issue alone has me sold! 

  2. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    Man, did I want to like this series. Afterall, it featured one of my favorite writers, characters who I enjoy, and a premise that sounded interesting. Lo and behold, however, how fast it dropped down to become the most pedestrian and uninspired Avenger book on the stands. Despite having a fun premise, the script is anything but. Plus, Deodato’s art vacuums the joy out of anything potentially exciting.

    I might pick this up, but it will be a snap judgement decision. I have no interest in seeing where this story goes, so it will probably just be out of curiosity.

  3. Avatar photo Malecema says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    This is the last issue of this arc, right?  I hope they do more with the characters in the next one – seems like there’s no point for half these guys to even be on the team so far.

  4. Avatar photo Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    I mut be the only person who loves SECRET AVENGERS. It feels just like the old school Avengers books I read as a kid.

    It’s my favorite of the new Avengers books.

  5. Avatar photo Franktiger says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Was almost going to drop this book, but the fight scene in the last ish was sweet, and excited to see how they deal with this evil snake crown endowed Nova, I guess the cover tells it all.

  6. Avatar photo oldmanlogan88 says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    i love this book but that cover scares me

  7. Avatar photo Xeno says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    Compared to the other Avengers books, this for me is the best. The it seems to be losing steam little by little with every issue but this upcoming one, I think will be picking it up again. This is the comic I’m most excited about this week. Steve Rogers having the Nova force = sold!

  8. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    @Conor I’m loving it too

  9. Avatar photo USPUNX says:
    August 16, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    I think the dialogue in this has been pretty bad. Kind of cheesy and uninspired. I was going to buy this to at least finish the arc but I’ve decided to save the money and just drop it.

  10. Avatar photo TexasZombie99 says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    For me this one is a toss up between Secret Avengers and New Avengers as top Avengers title for me.  Both of them are quite different, though.

  11. MisterJ says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    I didn’t like the first issue, but I really liked the second issue, so I hope that the trend continues

  12. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:26 pm

    I really loved issues 1 and 2, but 3 felt kind of hampered by the longwinded, over-the-top exposition. The issue was middle heavy and the few good bits were crammed to the front and back to make room for lots of inanity. I hope to finish out the arc, but… this might be a make or break issue. Though I admit, that Nova #1 tribute cover is awesome.

  13. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    I am loving this. I’ve dropped Academy and may drop New, but Brubaker on this is fantastic.

    Looking forward to rereading the first four issues after this arc is done.

  14. Avatar photo RahUniQue says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    This series started with a bang for me and quickly descended to the endangered list. I hope it picks up soon, otherwise I’m dropping it.

  15. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    August 16, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    This book is polarising.

  16. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    I’m with you conor, this has been the best Avengers book for me. It’s fun and exciting plus inthink Deodato is doing some of his best work. The cover alone for this issue makes me excited.

  17. Avatar photo canuckster says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    I’m liking this book a lot myself I still am confused on some of the line up choices though like war machine and valkyrie.  I wouldn’t associate those two with anything secret.  if their going to cram wolverine into two avengers teams he should be in this.  So I would trade out war machine and valkyrie for mockingbird and wolverine.

  18. Avatar photo Minion says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    The $4 price point is hurting on this book but I’ve just started getting into the latest Nova series and I LOVE it so far so I can’t give this up yet.

  19. Avatar photo SamMorgan says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    This is so so bad. Issue #2 of this was one of the worst comics I have read in recent years. It truly amazes me that people are still buying/reading/pulling this drivel.

  20. Avatar photo JimBilly4 says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:47 pm

    Issue three stumbled a bit, most of the characters got lost, the plot was muddy, and Archon seemed semi-pointless. But I loved issue #1 and issue #2 was very solid. No reason (at this point) to think issue 4 won’t deliver. Weekly comic readers are fickle folks, ready to jump at one bad issue. Then again, I like Deodato. If you don’t like Deodato you probably shouldn’t have started down this road.

  21. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    August 16, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    the last issue only came out three weeks ago.  well done, Deodato!  his exciting layouts and Brubaker’s wackily awesome plots are making this a winner in my book.

  22. Avatar photo Scruffy says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    I really liked the first issue of this but #2 and #3 weren’t that great. I like the cast of characters though and Deodato’s art is fantastic so i’m hoping for a strong end to this arc.

  23. Avatar photo zattaric says:
    August 16, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    I like it.  

  24. Avatar photo glwarm76 says:
    August 16, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    I loved issue 1 but 2 was just ok and 3 was terrible. Im dropping it after issue 5. As much as I love Brubaker, I refuse to read a sub-par Avengers book. 

  25. Avatar photo RahUniQue says:
    August 16, 2010 at 7:44 pm

    I also like the cast, its very diverse. But issue 3 left me dumbfounded, scratching my head and really believing that the series might work better as a trade. Deodato is take it or leave it with me. I never really liked him. His Dark Avengers work was decent to good. But this series seems rushed, to me.

  26. Avatar photo Peterparker18102 says:
    August 16, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    @conor I really like it as well, @minion I LOVED nova, I started at like issue 18 and plowing through those first 18 was a great time!

  27. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    August 16, 2010 at 8:14 pm

    2nd best avengers series, next to Thunderbolts. Mike Deodato has made me a fan.

  28. Avatar photo Scrawl says:
    August 17, 2010 at 12:01 am

    Liking it, cover is great!  (except the heroic age banner)

  29. Avatar photo vadamowens says:
    August 17, 2010 at 12:02 am

    @amircat I agree.

  30. Avatar photo Templar17 says:
    August 17, 2010 at 2:37 am

    @conor you are not alone in your love of this series. I think it’s great. I don’t get the “shadow avengers” tag or the complaints about mis-use of characters. It’s moving along at a nice pace and it is always top of my stack the week it comes out.

  31. Avatar photo MegaPhilip says:
    August 17, 2010 at 3:39 am

    I’m really loving this series as well! Only Avenger book I’m picking up at the moment.

  32. Avatar photo player1 says:
    August 17, 2010 at 10:07 am

    It’s only issue 4, people. Give the guy a few issues to get a title going. Sheesh. 😛

  33. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 17, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    @player1 You say that, but I am well and truely caught up in Avengers Academy and New Avengers so why shouldn’t secret Avengers do the same? If im gonna splash the cash every month it needs to grab me from the start and then it gets some latitude later if the quality drops off.

    I tried this book, but really was on a hiding to nothing with deodato on art. Such terrible, heavily shadowed cheesecake. Also, to (illadvisably) dial into the new avengers thread, Nova should not be in the avengers!

  34. Avatar photo Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
    August 17, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    @har13quin: Why not? He was a New Warrior which, at the time, was basically Minor League Avengers.

  35. MisterJ says:
    August 17, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Any hero should be able to be on any team.  Except the X-teams, because they have a racist policy 🙂

  36. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 17, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    @Conor: I get the new warrior thing, but the way I see it Nova has had a niche carved in the cosmic part of MU which he fills admirably.

    Obviously Nova can go where he likes and will I’m sure, I just can’t see a character who is the leader of the cosmic police and kicker of annihilus’ ass as a mere member of a (relatively) earthbound team. He’s a big boy now and has a lot on his plate!

     

  37. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 17, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    @MisterJ: Clearly any character can be on any team and I would not begrudge a writer putting anyone anywhere if he/she so chose. Its just in my mind, certain characters have certain niches which they work best in, I will disagree if they get put somewhere that doesn’t seem right to me, but I’m not gonna loose sleep over it.

  38. Avatar photo Minion says:
    August 17, 2010 at 4:24 pm

    On a completely random note is Nova’s brother still a Nova?

  39. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 17, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    I believe so.

  40. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    August 17, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    @har13quin- this thread has a long way to go

  41. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 17, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    well yes, I don’t think it will ever get to new avengers proportions! And nor should it, we don’t all want to fall out again do we?! 😉

  42. MountNJ says:
    August 17, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    As long as Moon Knight is back on the Avengers, this book is a go for me!

  43. Avatar photo ibagree says:
    August 17, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    I am in Conor’s camp here. This is my favorite ongoing Avengers book. I’ve dropped all the others except New and Prime. And New is probably next to go.

  44. Avatar photo Bendrix says:
    August 18, 2010 at 4:01 am

    Love it. My favourite Avengers book.

  45. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:
    August 18, 2010 at 4:11 am

    @MisterJ … The X-Men don’t serve mutantkind to the exclusion of humans. When they fight it is the opposite of racism. 

  46. Avatar photo har13quin says:
    August 18, 2010 at 4:59 am

    @pymslap: when the x-men fight it is in opposition to racism, but they dont accept non mutants do they? They are well racialist mate. We should proabably boycott their produce and not allow them into the olympic games.

  47. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:
    August 18, 2010 at 5:23 am

    Apocryphal! The X-Men enrolling a 100% mutant class doesn’t mean they’re mutant supremacists. The school is for students that couldn’t get an education anywhere else. Disapproving of it’s admissions is like taking issue with a school for the deaf.

  48. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    August 18, 2010 at 7:26 am

    Didn’t Grant Morrison do an arc where they opened the school up to humans. I don’t remember it going well. I think it’s more a case of why would a non-powered character want to go to that school. They’d have trouble in the danger room exercises and the school gets blown up every week.

    I think a lot of people have taken this "team" situation the wrong way. I don’t think that anyone is saying Character X isn’t heroic or deserving to be on Team Y, just that the way Character X is protrayed (i.e as a loner) seems to go against being part of a team. I liked the idea of Wolverine being the "in case of emergency break glass" character, but the idea of him sitting at the dinner table having coffee is kind of funny.

  49. MisterJ says:
    August 18, 2010 at 9:24 am

    @Pymslap-Does membership in the X-teams require one to be of the mutant race?  If so, that is a racist policy as they are discriminating based on race.  It doesn’t have to be supremacist to be racist. And by comparing them to a school to the deaf are you saying that the X-gene is a disability?  That they need a special school so that they can keep up with us ‘normals’?  Well sir, Logan would gut you for your disparaging coments.  🙂  

    Also, as this is the internet, I have to write out that I do not really care, I just find it personally amusing that there is a set of superhero teams that have a racist entrance policy.

  50. Avatar photo xrcst says:
    August 18, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    I thought this was an interesting lineup for the team, but thats kind of what I like in my team books. A mish-mash of different heroes and seeing how they play out.  This was the only new batch of avengers books I picked up and Im glad I chose this one. I have been happy thus far with it. For me it does everything an Avengers book should.

  51. Avatar photo jdudhead says:
    August 18, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    I’ll admit that this was probably a poor choice for the first arc on brubaker’s part. That being said, the story itself has been a great time—despite the lack of characterization thus far. I have full faith in Brubaker’s ability to draw out compelling characters. In my opinoin, the "bru doesnt know how to write team books" complaint doesnt hold any water because in reality, Captain America has been a team book all along!! Cap, Sharon Carter, Bucky, Falcon have been functioning as a team for his whole run. I think that, in retrospect, after Bru has a slightly more grounded arc or two with this team together, this arc will be looked at more fondly. In the meantime, the explosive action and overall craziness of it all is definitely keeping me entertained. Steve Rogers: Nova Prime as drawn by Deodato???? Can’t pass that up

  52. Avatar photo MegaPhilip says:
    August 18, 2010 at 5:10 pm

    Just read it and really liked it. I was never familiar with Valkyrie but she’s great and the whole team dynamic I’m really digging. It looks like Brubaker’s got another good (potentially great) book on his hands.

  53. Avatar photo BornIn1142 says:
    August 18, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    …Nova came off across as horrible in this arc, and I’m not using that word lightly. It’s like his growth since Annihilation had never happened.

  54. Avatar photo Minion says:
    August 18, 2010 at 6:22 pm

    The end to this arc did not disappoint I didn’t get all the Nova I was hoping for but the fact that they acknowledged that Nova is going to be too busy for them at the end was a good touch thrown in that I was hoping would come. I loved the idea of Nova on an Avengers team but if we are talking about characters with no time there is no one busier than Nova. 

    Long Live Ant-Man.

    @Bornin Well did he have more than one or two lines? He was taken over pretty quickly by the Serpent Crown.

  55. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    August 18, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    This isn’t even the end of the arc, we still have one more issue to go. Which is strange because this felt like an end didn’t it? Everything (except for the Fury bits) have been concluded so the pacing for this felt strange.

    Other then that this was another strong issue for the series. Still proving, to me at least, this is the best book with Avengers on the title. The art was solid, and the fighting in this was great. Just give me one thing though Brubaker: Give me a Steve Rogers as a Nova Corps member mini-series. I want to see that so badly because of this issue.

    4/5 

  56. Avatar photo Minion says:
    August 18, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    @TNC Title page said 4 of 4.

  57. Avatar photo ResurrectionFlan says:
    August 18, 2010 at 10:05 pm

    The best part about this series is Ant-Man.

     The worst part is that it is kind of uninteresting considering all the personalities at play, none seem to really clash, pop, or offer anything unique to the team despite the variance. Be it perspectives, dialogue, fighting style, thought process, or whatever. Not since the first issue at least.

    For such a random assortment of heroes team this book is painfully bland and homogenous.

  58. Avatar photo Evangelion11 says:
    August 18, 2010 at 10:20 pm

    Just wanna say that for someone who knows nothing about marvel, this book is making wanna know more about the marvel universe, i did feel the ending was kind of like hitting a brick wall but i loved the stuff with ant man and im totaly in for the next arc, i wanna know why nick fury looks like hes wearing roulettes costume ha

  59. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    August 18, 2010 at 11:47 pm

    @Minion: It does? That’s weird….Cause the cover for next issue and the solicitation makes it look like it isn’t over.

  60. Avatar photo Minion says:
    August 19, 2010 at 3:01 am

    @TNC All it means is that there is an overarching storyline probably for the first year or so.

  61. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    August 19, 2010 at 10:27 am

    The way Brubaker writes Ant-Man is awesome and it really shows what it would be like for someone to be new at this whole superhero game. The part where he’s just thinking "Oy my god!" over and over was awesome

  62. Avatar photo Malecema says:
    August 19, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    @RoiVampire: I agree, I got a kick out of Ant-Man not really knowing what he was doing just flying by the seat of his pants.  Also, the Cap/Nova costume mash up was pretty awesome.

  63. Avatar photo DamonS23 says:
    August 19, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    @MisterJ The one of reasons for the X-men was to point out the discrimination that was being encountered in day to day life in non-white america.  The X-men will let anyone in who wants to join…but why would you want to join and constantly be discriminated against? 

  64. MisterJ says:
    August 20, 2010 at 11:13 am

    @DamonS23-Ask Spider-Man if they will let anyone join….

  65. Avatar photo DamonS23 says:
    August 20, 2010 at 5:45 pm

    @MisterJ Lol they weren’t excepting new members at the time….at least that is the excuse that Professor X gave at the time.

  66. Avatar photo tschafer says:
    August 23, 2010 at 4:16 pm

    Gave it a shot…..garbage. 

    Secret Avengers is not for me. 

    Still have The Avenger title in my pull list.  Love that!

  67. Avatar photo cromulent says:
    August 24, 2010 at 1:53 am

    AntMan was pretty awesome in this. The rest of it was pretty standard fare and I can live without.

  68. Avatar photo TheTaken says:
    September 2, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    I am not digging this book at all.  First story arc just seemed like an excuse to have steve rogers get to wield the nova force – cause steve rogers is cool.  He is the new wolverine, in that he is in too many titles.  I’ve never really cared for him – he has almost no personality beyond ‘boy scout’.

    Deodato’s art is not great.  Naked people with costumes drawn on them.  Never mind they are in SPACE in skin tight spandex. 

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