The Good
At first it might seem a little odd that S.H.I.E.L.D. might try to infiltrate a high school. They’re a government agency and wouldn’t they have bigger things to do and worry about? The more you think about it, it makes sense. In the Marvel, superpowers and deadly threats are almost everywhere. If a suspected dangerous situation arouse, even in a school, it makes sense to send in qualified people to investigate.
That’s where the idea of a S.H.I.E.L.D. comic could work. Someone needs to investigate and police dangerous situations. Local authorities won’t necessarily be suitable for the possible dangers that could erupt. In the old days, a S.H.I.E.L.D. comic may have had a more spy/cold war feel to it. Those days are behind us. We could still have stealth and subterfuge missions. I'd be curious to see how S.H.I.E.L.D. might go about investigating different areas and developments. We've seen some of this in SECRET AVENGERS and this could open up different areas of the Marvel Universe. Having Mark Waid write/lead these investigation would be great to see.
Where this issue differs from the first is the action is scaled back a little. As fantastic as it was to see all the characters involved in the battle last issue, here, we get more of a focus on Coulson and (new to the Marvel Universe but familiar to TV viewers) Jemma Simmons. We need to get to know the "new" characters if we're to grow attached to them. Also, rather than cram in a deluge of Marvel superheroes, we get to see Ms. Marvel get some time in the spotlight. It’s a great way to give her a firmer place in the Marvel Universe. We’ve seen her interact with the likes of Wolverine and Spider-Man in the past and now we have S.H.I.E.L.D. acknowledging what she’s capable of.
Humberto Ramos' art captures the big action as well as the high school setting. There's a nice mix between the calm moments and when the chaos is unleashed. His style really works with Ms. Marvel as well.
The Bad
This comic will have a different mission in each issue. That makes it great for people to jump right in but also means things will, most likely, be tied up neatly within the same issue. That isn't necessarily a overly bad thing but hopefully we'll see some thread carry across issues in the background. With the conversation Jemma has in the intro, perhaps we're already seeing that. The adventure we get here is a fun one. There's just the question of will this impact future events in the series? Will we see Ms. Marvel again?
I really dig Humberto Ramos' art but there are a couple moments some scenes feel a tiny bit over exaggerated.
As a former high school teacher, I was distracted by some little things like S.H.I.E.L.D. inserting an undercover agent into the substitute teacher system. They are the government and could pull strings but I would question how the school would feel about armed agents being on the school campus and what parent reaction would be after they found out. All that fun school politics stuff. Also, are we really to believe a school cafeteria would actually make FRESH pizza from scratch?
I'm still unsure how this series fits in with Coulson's depiction in SECRET AVENGERS.
The Verdict
Mark Waid's second issue of S.H.I.E.L.D. is here and there is an interesting change in formula and feel from the first issue. This type of mixed up variation could keep readers on their toes and keep them engage. The first issue had some pretty big action while this issue tones its focus down a little to Agents Coulson and Simmons along with just one superhero, Ms. Marvel. Having this change shows the type of variation we could expect and we won't have to worry about the book following a strict pattern. On the other hand, having the story nicely wrapped up within the issue could be a deterrent to others. Humberto Ramos' art works well with the action scenes and in showcasing Ms. Marvel's abilities. If you're looking for a different view of the Marvel Universe, this book is the answer. We're seeing a good integration of the Cinematic Universe characters and expecting the unexpected gives me something to look forward to.