I wanted desperately to give this book a 5 star rating but, in all good conscience, I just can’t.  The only way I could go was to write a quick review so that I can give appropriate grades to the story and art separately.  To be honest, if the point of the script was just to give Leon cool stuff to draw, then it would be reasonable to say it was a success.  However, for me, it failed on all the other levels.  We’ve been spoiled by the work of guys like Garth Ennis, who writes the most emotional, impactive and well researched World War 2 stories around and I know it’s unfair to judge this the same way since we’re talking about a Nick Fury book, but I just can’t help it.  I love Nick and the Commandos, but this story was bland and cliched with very little point.

Unlike the art which was PHENOMENAL!!!!  Leon is one of the best at work now, but new books from him are far too rare.  It’s more of the same sort of stuff he turned in for Wintermen, Ex Machina and Scalped and it left me drooling. It’s gorgeous, the man can do absolutely no wrong and it’s enough to make me forgive everything else.  The only regret it left was the fact that he couldn’t have done the story with one of those great writers that he has worked so well with in the past.  Imagine if you will…Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos, pencilled by John Paul Leon and written by Jason Aaron…..now that I could give five stars to.