The Shield #2 Preview+Discussion (Spoilers)

[Karl O'Neill]

Heard really good things about the first issue of the shield and the art is really great.



More magog is always good IMHO

http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/13227_x.pdf

Discuss.

[ljacone]

Looking forward to picking this one up at the shop today. The Red Circle is developing into a very interesting little corner of the DCU.

[Lupek]

This was a very good superhero comic.

I liked the back and forth Army vs Marines thing Joe and Magog had going on.

I continue to be impressed with how Joe's war suit powers are depicted.

The artwork in both features is terrific. Nice cover too.

And....... Grodd. F@ck yeah. Kneel before Grodd!

[galactica]

Agreed with everything in the post above.

[Ian J.N.]

The Shield is awesome, and it provides a much needed variety in my pull list (because man cannot live on Geoff Johns alone). I'm also thrilled that Trautmann and Sturges are/will be taking point on the Red Circle titles. In my opinion, they're DC's two most rising-est stars. If they should happen to collaborate (hint!), I think they could make this new and uncharted corner of the DCU into something very special.

[ljacone]

Excellent issue all around. I really felt that, between the two features, I definitely got my money's worth. The two-page splash at the start was great. Really dug the back and forth between the two heroes (as mentioned by others), as well as their differing methods of going about the mission. The HUD imagery continues to be very cool as well. The second half of the story, where they infiltrate the compound was really well done. And the cliffhanger was excellent.

The backup with Inferno was pretty sweet as well. Getting a definite vibe of The Fugitive Meets The X-Files on this one. I am sure that the BC fans will not be happy with her being knocked down and then tricked, but it suited the story well. Inferno has what seems like a very basic power but it appears that he can more than hold his own.

The Red Circle has me very intrigued at this point and I find myself very much looking forward to the next issues of both The Shield and The Web.

[Sandy Hausler]

Heard really good things about the first issue of the shield and the art is really great.



More magog is always good IMHO

http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/13227_x.pdf

Discuss.

Magog is protrayed as an ass in JSA and Shield and he STILL gets his own book? I don't get it.

Sandy Hausler

[Dave Hackett]

I liked this one, but this is the first time the back-up feature is working against the title, IMHO. I'm really not liking Inferno, and I'm not sure I'm liking Shield enough to pay out $4 a month for it.

[C-Cool]

This and Power Girl are the only new comics I buy these days.

Awesome issue, and I feel that The Shield is a keeper in the DCU.

[big al]

I have not read any of this yet but I really hope that DC does the old Red Circle characters justice, there's no reason why some of these characters can't work in modern comics and there is no reason they should just sit on the sidelines like they have for so long.

The Shield is the most obvious choice to lead the way, I really look forward to grabbing this.

[Den]

Argh. Shipping mistake meant my favorite comic store didn't have it this week so I'll have to wait till next Wednesday.

[Desaad]

The Shield 2 - Eric Trautmann is the best new writing talent DC has. Between his various collaborations with Rucka, his solo Checkmate issue, his JSA Kobra and his Shield book, he's proven he's capable of doing great work in a number of genres and styles. His work with the Shield - like Giffen's work with Magog - is especially impressive, because he's given what I would call a cumbersome set up and a fairly useless character. And yet, like Giffen, he's able to turn out absolute gold. The work he is doing here is obviously very well thought out, as he balances the VERY tricky line between jingoistic propaganda and anti-american criticisms -- it's easy to go for one or the other when you're doing a story set in the war torn middle east, but Trautmann just lets the characters be who they are, take positions that are natural, and from that comes powerful stories and conflict. Joe Higgens, The Shield, is very much a Captain America of today, a true reinvention/revamp of that character. He's pure, honest, intelligent and gentle. He believes in the goodness of the US and the US military, but he sympthasizes and understands the viewpoint of the people he encounters. He doesn't need to overcompensate for anything. The young boy with him is bitter, but without being one note. He hates what has been done to his people and his culture, he has a negative view of the United States, but he's still a scared little boy who has seen more atrocity than any adult should have to witness. And then there is Magog, a stereotypical 'jarhead' gung ho warrior but with keen insight into the realities of the situation, if none of Higgin's compassion. They all play off each other brilliantly, really, Magog's realism clashing with Higgen's idealism as often as their army/marine backgrounds clash. The Magog we see here is actually significantly more in keeping with Giffen's take on the character than the Magog we see in JSA, less buffoonish but no less gruff. Trautmann does an impressive job of making all of these personalities work for the betterment of the story, without having to contort the characters unnaturally. It's impressive stuff, made all the more fun by the very Ellis-ish techno-babble as he explains the abilities of his suit, or as the suit itself functions. High quality work all around there....

But the real star here is Marco Rudy. This guy did a lot of fill in stuff for Final Crisis, and it was pretty good -- didn't blow me away, but I was impressed. He went on to do the first 3 issues of Escape, and what struck me there was his unique sense of page design and layout. Here, he takes that to a whole new level and, just in terms of layout, I'd say he's on par with JH Williams III. You really owe it to yourself to check out some of these incredible, inventive page layouts, because they are blowing me away. His rendering style is a little loose, I see a lot of Leonard Kirk in them, and I am digging them, but it's the layouts -- which remain clear and effective despite being off the way -- that really caught my attention.

[Clockan]

im shocked at how good this is. i had a feeling i would like it but not this much.
Eric you are the man.. and tell Marco Rudy he is too.
i really like the dynamic between the shield and magog. really great stuff. if they teamed up more in the future i wouldnt be upset. and with the future confrontation with the great ten im even more excited. this book was the first thing i read in a week where i spent close to 50 bucks on just DC. keep it coming eric im a loyal fan of this title and dont plan on jumping ship. and please please please dont jump off this book... i cant imagine it without you right now.

[CYOTI]

Trautmann needs to take over the Magog book along with JSA>

[Gavin G.]

I only started getting The Shield because of Magog popping up in the opening arc, but if #3 is as strong as these first two issues I can see myself staying on board for at least the next arc, if not the long haul. Trautmann's really impressed me between this and his JSA vs. Kobra mini. And I really feel he's doing the Magog character justice. Yeah, he's a hardliner who has his own methods and doesn't like playing with others, but he's not an idiot. I think Trautmann's captured him very well here, very much in line with Johns' and Giffen's portrayals, whereas in JSA proper I feel as though he's thus far been written too thuggish by Willingham and Sturges.

Anyway, really liking The Shield on its own merits, both the title and the character. Of all the Red Circle characters, he's the one I'm most interesting in reading more of, so I hope DC handles him with care and is able to utilize him in the DCU for years to come.

[Desaad]

Trautmann needs to take over the Magog book along with JSA>

No, Magog is quite good without Trautmann right now. Get him on a title that NEEDS it, or better yet allow him to create a new one.

[Clockan]

No, Magog is quite good without Trautmann right now. Get him on a title that NEEDS it, or better yet allow him to create a new one.

i wouldnt be against putting eric on green arrow.. that book needs somebody like trautmann in a hurry

[Den]

The Comic Store owner was nice enough to tuck away a copy of SHIELD #2 for me so I finally got to read it. Good stuff. Joe Higgins continues to be portrayed as a decent man who is both brave and resourceful. The interactions with Magog were amusing, and the art shines.

I may also end up eating crow as the Inferno was indeed better this time. I know some folks griped about Dinah being 'tricked', but seriously, how could she not be? It's not as if the unmasked Inferno looks anything like his alter ego.

[Clockan]

anybody els notice that there is going to be a 5th red circle hero in the shield # 5??

The Shield continues his search through the Brazilian jungles for the Nazi tech he encountered with the Great Ten. But another hero is on the hunt – the Jaguar!

the jaguar.. cant wait for it and am really excited to see the revamp

[CYOTI]

They are also introducing the Black Hood in the Web so it's six now.

[Clockan]

They are also introducing the Black Hood in the Web so it's six now.

oh cool... i liked the black hood... i hope they dont mess him up

[Clockan]

double post

[ljacone]

I believe there was an interview with Rachel Gluckstern over on Newsarama here she says that they were looking to introduce a second wave of Red Circle heroes.

"In that vein, I'd like to encourage readers to keep an eye out for the second wave of characters to cameo somewhere in issues #4-6 of the Shield and Web both. Each feature will have a new Red Circle hero popping up somewhere, but I'm not going to say where. It's going to be like a scavenger hunt, and the prizes are the Black Hood, the Jaguar, the Comet and Mr. Justice!"

So it should be fun to see this corner continue to grow.