I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Marvel’s Nick Fury. There was always something too simplistic about the character that never worked for me, and I don’t think anyone really bothered to explore what’s behind the eye patch in any positive way until Nick Fury vs S.H.I.E.L.D., the 1986 miniseries. Even then, he had always been the character to randomly pop up and either seek assistance from a superhero or offer a quick fix. I really enjoyed what Garth Ennis did with the character in the 2001 Fury miniseries, though that book seemed to turn off more people than it turned on.

That said, Brian Michael Bendis went out of his way to push Nick Fury out of S.H.I.E.L.D. since he started at Marvel, and in doing so, he got Fury out of his comfort zone (much like he did recently with Dr. Strange). Bendis saw what the rest of us would eventually figure out: removed from the usual trappings and gimmicks, Fury offers an awful lot as a character.

I credit Jonathan Hickman for finding the right balance of ruthlessness and cynicism for Nick Fury in the monthly Secret Warriors. I also give him credit for creating one of the best Nick Fury moments in recent memory.

In order to appreciate page 22 of Secret Warriors #4, I have to post the last panel from the preceding page:

Secret Warriors has surprised me in many ways. The biggest surprise is how patient Hickman has been in putting the pieces together. A slow burn, Secret Warriors doesn’t really kick into high gear until issue #5, and I don’t know if that’s a testament to Hickman’s confidence as a writer or Marvel’s confidence with the book itself. Still, it’s nice to see a book take its time instead of dumping every hook it can into the first issue.

By the way, Stefano Caselli offers some nice clean art to go with Hickman’s story, and I think a large part of the book’s success has been his contribution to the book. I don’t think enough people stress that.