Have you ever wondered what Nick Fury would be like if he wasn't held back by the constraints of Marvel Comics? Garth Ennis is ready to answer that questions as he returns to the MAX version of Nick Fury.
The Good
It's great to see the MAX titles and the mature take on the familiar characters. Garth Ennis is no stranger to giving a harder take on the Marvel characters and he's the logical choice for this series. The story is a flashback tale. Nick Fury is recording his history or memoirs and we journey back to 1954.
There are certain characters that do feel like they're holding back in the regular Marvel Universe. I don't feel that profanity and explicit content is absolutely necessary for comic book characters but it's good to know that they can exist. Nick Fury is a man of little patience when it comes to ineptitude. With everything he's seen and gone through, you can't expect him to have a kid-friendly way of speaking. Yes, Nick will say some naughty words here but like the other MAX titles, it's more than that. This series could give us the Nick Fury we were meant to see.
Being set in the past allows Ennis to go in some uncharted territory. With the PUNISHER MAX stories, it was accepted that it was a different continuity but here, we can pretend that it does happen in the proper Marvel Universe.
Who better to handle the art duties but Goran Parlov. With the number of PUNISHER MAX issues he's worked on, he should know exactly what Ennis will want in the script for each issue.
The Bad
Is it unfair that I wanted more from this issue than we got? There is some action and some explicit scenes but I felt like Nick wasn't given the chance to be fully unleashed as I had hoped he would be. I understand that this is only the first issue and I do see the potential present. Having Ennis and Parlov on board and this being a MAX title made me hope it would be a little more over the top.
The Verdict
For those concerned over the end of PUNISHER MAX, we now have another MAX title on the store shelves. Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov join forces again to bring us a harder look at Nick Fury's past. This issue does go along with the atmosphere of what we would expect but it felt as if the crazy Nick Fury action we might've hoped for has been held back a little. The stage has been set. Nick may have spent some time brooding a little here but from the end, it looks like the action will definitely pick up next issue. If you need something a little edgier in the Marvel Universe, this is the book you'll want to check out.
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