SHIELD HC ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER

Review by: Jdudley
Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Dustin Weaver
Cover by Gerald Parel

Size: pages
Price: 24.99

About a year ago I picked up the first issue of this series. It was, without a doubt one of the best debut issues of a book I had ever read. It goes without question that Dustin Weaver’s art makes this a must-buy in and of itself but Hickman appeared to be telling a story truly worthy of such prolific art as well. Indeed, I was so blown away by that first issue that I decided to attempt the impossible: I was going to trade wait this bi-monthly released series so that I could some day sit and truly immerse myself in this fine work.

Welp, after I long tedious wait—in which I came to hear from many that the insanely high promise of the first issue held through the initial arc and, indeed, built upon its own brilliance exponentially as the series continued—I have now been rewarded for my patience and have had the opportunity to sit down and jump into the world of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This is an insanely ambitious work by both Hickman and Weaver. Such prolific works are rarely seen from the big two publishers and even more rarely are such far-reaching tales told with complete success. But I’m happy to report that this work truly surpasses any hope or expectation I had for it—even after having read the aforementioned exceptional setup issue. I won’t go into too much detail in this review but not because I don’t want to spoil the story: I simply could not do it justice. Suffice it to say, Hickman has redefined the entire history of the marvel universe and envisioned a secret society and world order which sets many well-known historical figures into both heroic and villainous light within the context of the larger historic marvel U. This is all meticulously structured and, indeed, its setting within the marvel universe, even as it further shapes said world, still manages to become inconsequential to the philosophical underpinnings of the work’s greater themes of both existence and creation.

As I said, the scope and drive of this story is quite literally astronomical in scale. Consequently, of the few criticisms I have heard of this series, the sacrifice of character development is the most noteworthy critique as it does have some merit. However, such criticisms are only hold true for the initial chapters of this tale. And I have to note that I simply cannot share these criticisms because those same chapters are filled with rich worldbuilding, and an utterly captivating philosophical drive—which is all complimented by the whimsical work of Dustin Weaver. This kind of setup broought this reader into this universe with a wide-eyed wonder that will leave most readers thoroughly plugged-in once the characters begin to take further personality as their roles within the forward thrust of the story’s world are revealed.

For those who have not yet picked up this amazing collection, or did not read it in issue form, trust me: by the time Da Vinci utters the words “…this is not how the world ends” with a knowing smile, the promise of the layers within layers of character and meaning to be found within this first arc of S.H.I.E.L.D will have your eyes and mind buzzing with delight. Then the story provides you with something even more incredible: it delivers on this promise. My world views may be wildly different from Hickman’s but the man uses the realms of sci-fi and fantasy in the best possible way: he challenges my very views on what “reality” is. And this is the most exciting response to have from any form of literature. Reading S.H.I.E.L.D challenged me even while I enjoyed each second of reading it more than the last—a truly impressive feat. And, to top it all off, Dustin Weaver makes this rich storytelling feel like a whole new reality that one can dive right into. Hats off.
This is, without question, my favorite book currently being published.

Side Notes: this oversized hardcover is insanely gorgeous.
The #1 thing I now want to see in the Avengers movie is Nick Fury, when the earth is most in peril, to simply utter the words: “…this is not how the world ends”
That little wink to this work would throw me into geek-out overload.

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent

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