A Nick Fury spy caper that takes place in Vietnam during their war with the French, there is nary a costume in sight. I’ve heard that Ennis would write war comics all the time if he could and, although I don’t know if that’s the case or not, he has definitely found a way to write a was/espianoge comic and still tie it to a Marvel character. There isn’t any superheroics, there isn’t any magic, there aren’t any cosmic forces at work.

This is an engaging and entertaining story about a man stuck working for the U.S. government in Indochina in the mid-1950s, the U.S. relationship with the French colonizers, and the cast of characters he meets while trying (and failing) to stay cooly detached from the fighting. You can’t keep Nick Fury out of war, even if he doesn’t think the war can be won or should be fought.

Everything has come together for this comic. While Parlov’s style didn’t strike me as particularly “retro” in Punisher, it looks really good on a book that takes place 60 years ago. His expressive and emotive faces bring a welcome depth to the characters. Add a wonderful Dave Johnson cover that combines traditional war comic imagery with pop art and 50s pinups in an interesting way, and you’ve the the recipe for a really great issue.