Nick Fury from the Beginning (reviews by shaxper)

[shaxper]

Sgt Fury and His Howling Commandos #7

"The Court-Martial of Sgt. Fury"
writer: Stan Lee
pencils: Jack Kirby
inks: Geo Bell
letters: Art Simek
colors: ?

grade: B

Honestly, I expected more from this one. A court martial is grounds for intense excitement, but the only real drama in this trial was the fact that Nick conveniently got amnesia and couldn't remember his otherwise clearly justified reasons for his actions. I was expecting a murkier trial, one in which there was no obvious "out" for Nick waiting at the end (clearly, he was going to recover his memory at the last moment). And I can't help but feel the cover lied to me, promising, "If he's found guilty, it's the FIRING SQUAD for Nick Fury!" Would they really have executed Nick for striking and disobeying a commanding officer? I expected the case against Nick to have been something more dire than it proved to be. It almost seems like Lee and Kirby envisioned the cover first and then created a story to go with it, never stopping to realize the latter was nowhere near as exciting as the former.

Still, this issue provided some important background info for Nick that was worth seeing. We learn that Nick was an orphan from the wrong side of the tracks, quick to anger, but a good kid, hanging out in pool halls and never holding down a regular job.

We also meet Chaplin Lewis Hargrove, learn that his younger (unnamed) brother was Nick's boyhood friend, and that Nick became a commando in order to avenge his friend's death at Pearl Harbor. I'm not sure whether this means Fury was already in the Armed Forces and chose to become a commando or that he first enlisted in the armed forced because of this.

And speaking of first appearances, we also meet Sgt. Bull McGiveney, Fury's loud-mouthed rival, in this story, as well as "Cookie" (is this his nickname or just something Dino called him when he walked in?).

Finally, we learn that Able Company is the 1st Attack Squad. I don't know enough about the military to know if this means anything, but it's presented to us in the form of a paper in Fury's file.

Kirby's art is incredibly inconsistent and problematic again in this issue. For example, page 4, panel 4, should have been awesome, as Reb fires his Burp Gun as the Nazis are firing a mortar, but I can't tell what the heck is happening in the frame. A round appears to fly through the mortar without impacting it, and Reb's dialogue bubble comes from a completely different direction than the round. Then, on page 12, the defense attorney gets the weirdest four panels of sulking at the witness, constantly moving closer to him in the most creepy and unnecessary of ways, finally looking like he's going to kiss him. And, by page 17, the prosecuting attorney's features change so drastically between panels that the colorist mistakes him for two separate characters and attempts to better distinguish them from one another by giving them different colored hair. I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd say this, but I'm getting real tired of Jack's pencils on this book.


The minor details:

- Doodle-Bugs: what nasty weapons. How were they operated? I'm assuming the Nazis did not have the technology to operate them by remote.

- Fury reads their new orders over the course of two panels. In the first, they are getting into a car. In the second, Fury is still explaining the orders as if no time has passed, and yet they are already at the destination stated in the orders.

- Another tattered Nazi flag in the Howlers' bunker. I guess these really were war trophies to them or something.

- Gotta love Gabe blowing his horn just to rumble with McGiveney and his men. It's always all-out-war or nothing with the Howlers; no inbetween.

- On page 21, we'll see that Fury's Court-Martial was happening within running distance of the guardhouse where the Howlers were being detained for brawling, yet the Howlers hear the air raid siren on page 17, and it doesn't sound "at the site of the court martial" until page 19.

- Both the guard house and the site of the court martial are bombed, and yet Dino is the only Howler who walks away even slightly injured, even while virtually everyone else around them who isn't critical to the trial appears dead or severely injured.

- So Fury made a deal with a captured German Officer in order to get information from him that he never bothered to report to anyone, even a week after learning it? Surely, the entire mission Fury risked his career to stop never would have been ordered had Nick actually reported what he'd learned about the trap. What if he hadn't been sent on that mission? An entire platoon of men would have died needlessly because he neglected to share the intel he bargained so hard to learn.

- Can a German prisoner's word really be enough to save someone in a Court Martial? Fury's lawyer seems convinced that the case is won and it's all formality now, but I would expect some serious fact-checking before a military court would just take the guy's word and close the entire case on that alone.


The plot summary in one sentence: The Howlers are assigned to help the French Resistance in a raid, Fury randomly tries to stop the raid at the last moment, striking his commanding officer when he won't listen, they are bombed, Fury loses his memory and faces a court martial for his unexplained actions, info is provided about his past, the Howlers tussle with Sgt. McGiveney (who is maligning Fury behind his back), the Germans bomb the camp causing Fury to regain his memory, and he's able to provide a German Officer prisoner as a witness, proving that he had been trying to prevent the troops from walking into a trap.


A decent issue, overall. Not the hallmark levels of action, intensity, humor, nor boundary pushing I've come to expect from this title.

[The Confessor]

A lot of the stuff that sometimes seems silly to us when reading now -- like in the westerns when Rawhide Kid shoots the guns out of everybody's hands or whatever -- was done because the code required the changes.

Hmmm....I'm not sure I believe that wholly. I mean, I'm sure that you're right that the code forbade violent shootings, but the ol' "shooting the gun out of the baddie's hand" routine was a well established trope of Wild West Saturday morning movie serials and TV shows long before the comics code came along. I think it was as much a case of comics imitating what was done on TV and in cinema as much as anything else.

[shaxper]

Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #8

"The Death Ray of Dr. Zemo!"
writer: Stan Lee
art: Dick Ayers
inks: Geo Bell
letters: S. Rosen
colors: ?

grade: A+


Without a doubt, this has been my favorite Howlers adventure yet, and for many different reasons:


Reason 1 -- Universe Building

It's been astonishing watching the Marvel Universe develop in the background house ads throughout these issues, but it's no more apparent that the MU has finally arrived than in this issue, where this title (along with the other core Marvel titles this month) receives a letters column, and where the Howlers take on Baron Zemo, the very same villain concurrently debuting in this month's issue of the Avengers (though he technically first appeared, unnamed, four months earlier in Avengers #4). Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are off on a cosmic adventure with the Watcher this month, thoroughly expanding the limits of this new shared universe that the Sgt. Fury magazine has found itself squarely in the middle of. While I don't expect Fury and the Howlers to go off on a mission to battle the Skrulls anytime soon, the very idea that villains they encounter now can have an impact upon the superhero titles occurring in present time, two decades later, is pretty darn cool. In fact, in about half a year, we'll be seeing Fury in his own present day ongoing feature with S.H.I.E.L.D. in the pages of Strange Tales.


Reason two -- Jack's gone.

Stan promises Jack is just taking time off to stay on top of some other work, but I hope he's wrong. I do know both leave the title soon to stay on top of all the new titles popping out of the emerging MU. Now, if we were talking about any other book, I'd be espousing Jack's virtues and lamenting his departure, but I think he's done a very poor job on this title, often making each character look like one another, maintaining no consistency in appearances, and drawing some very confusing panels that are very hard to figure out.

In contrast, Dick Ayers is a welcome change. For the first time, each Howler has his own distinct face. If I couldn't see the color of their hair, I'd still absolutely know who each one was.


Reason 3 -- Percival Pinkerton

I frickin' love this guy. Not only is his laid back, non-intimidating demeanor tremendously fun when paired with his combat abilities, but he takes the title's push for equality one step further. We've come to accept the Irishmen, the Southerner, the African American, and the Jew, but now we have an apparent homosexual to contend with -- and, unlike the others, this guy isn't just like everyone else once you get past the label. Pinkerton is definitely different and comfortable being so. This issue makes it easy for us to be comfortable with him, as well.

Of course, continuing Stan's legacy of never outright saying certain things, we don't know for sure that Pinkerton is a homosexual, but the taunting soldiers he meets certainly imply as much, and Pinkerton does not feel the need to correct them. I wonder if Stan was going for the double meaning when Pinkerton declares, "And I associate only with Gentlemen!" on page 4. Either way, the idea of this rough, tough hot bed of alpha males working with, depending upon, and bunking with a homosexual was bold, bold stuff. It's impressive to see that, as soon as they see Pinkerton can fight, they never bother themselves with any other concerns about him.


Reason 4 -- Gabe and the tank

Gabe gets a pretty big moment in this issue, putting his own life on the line to single-handedly take out a German tank in order to save the rest of the Howlers. That, in itself is impressive, as is the fact that they finally color his face with a deep, dark African American complexion and pink eyes while undergoing his moment of glory (though they do color him white again later in the issue. This time, I'm relatively sure it was an error). However, what impresses me the most is that, after his moment of triumph, we watch the Howlers take turns carrying him all the way into the German city they're about to invade and even forestall they're fleeing from the pursuing German forces in order to get Gabe medical attention, and they do all of this reflexively and without a moment's thought. If there was any doubt left as to whether Gabe was an equal member of the team, there's your answer.

Reason 5 -- references to "back home"

It's a little thing, but both Gabe and Percy make references to the streets they grew up on in this issue, making them feel a little more real, and reminding us once again that the Howlers are really a cross section of America as a whole, each representing the towns, communities, and streets they came from. Even beyond that, Izzy refers to being from Brooklyn, Dino refers to his movie career, Reb refers to Carpetbaggers (reminding us of his Southern origins), and Dum-Dum jokes at his wife and mother-in-law's expenses, all reminding us that these are full-fleshed out characters with real identities and real roots. It makes their putting their lives on the line for our nation all the more impressive.

Reason 6 -- The Howlers believe in what they do.

We've seen this before, but I feel it received more prominence here. Gabe thinks of his debt to Uncle Sam while taking out the tank, Dino and Dum-Dum both consider how the Nazis' unwavering adherence to procedures and authority has weakened and blinded them, and Fury is willing to blow himself up with a stick of dynamite to make a point to the German doctor about the cowardice of Nazis and the determination of Americans. Without making these sentiments forced and over the top, a clear message is given that the Howlers don't really do this because they have to, nor because they love a good fight, nor even for revenge (and Fury, Dino, and Izzy all have good reasons for wanting revenge -- in fact, they all do when you think of Junior). At the heart of it all, they do this because they truly believe in the cause in a deep way that transcends labels and war-time propaganda.


Reason 7 -- Junior isn't forgotten.

It's both a great continuity move and a great way to give the Howlers a sense of history and a greater sense of peril as they push onward. Both Stan and Fury give a lot of attention to the memory of Junior in this issue, particularly as his spot is finally being filled in this issue. I respect that.


The minor details:

- All of the Howlers are passed up for promotion in this issue, even right after capturing an entire squad of SS soldiers. We know from issue #5 that Nick has refused promotion after promotion, but Izzy is genuinely offended by the fact that he was passed up, and Reb is resentful, two panels later, when he feels that Fury is still treating them like "Li'l ol' recruits". I wonder if Stan means to imply this has to do with their colorful ethnic backgrounds, or if it's just because they're square pegs in a round-holed army that believes in following orders and pleasing superior officers more than the rough tough determination that the Howlers display which channels the American Ideal. In a sense, one could argue that bureaucracy itself is a very Nazi concept.

- Page 4, panel 2, is priceless, as those soldiers taunt Percy and throw every possible insinuation of his being gay at the reader without Stan saying it.

- The house ad on the back of the front cover -- early inspiration for Pac Man?

- Fury rams a submarine periscope with a PT boat. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

- More rambling about the American Ideal/Dream -- Some scholars have argued that the reason Baseball is America's pasttime is because every player gets a chance to bat, just as the American Dream is supposed to guarantee every citizen a chance to succeed through their own ambition and hard work. In a similar manner, Dino, Gabe, and Dum-Dum all get a chance "at bat" in this issue, taking on absurd odds with the entire company depending upon their individual success. In that sense, it's actually an odd blending of the American Dream and communism -- the individual must succeed through his own efforts in order to benefit the community.

- The story makes it very clear that Zemo has (foolishly) developed only one Death Ray so that, when it's destroyed, so are any hopes of making more of them. Wouldn't Zemo still have blueprints and, even if those were blown up in the castle, wouldn't he be able to go back to the drawing board and use his intellect and memory to make another Death Ray within a reasonable span of time?

- On page 19, how did Fury know that they had succeeded in breaking Zemo's listening equipment? Maybe because he yelled "Ohhh!! My EARS!!" with the microphone still on? Ridiculous as that move was, it still isn't clear proof that the listening equipment was disabled.

- Ayers' only real penciling fails in this issue are on pages 19 and 22. On 19, it's impossible to tell why the Howlers are in danger from the wall that's closing in. Are they unable to run past it? It sure seems that the wall ends only about fifteen feet ahead of them (and, as a criticism to Stan, WHY would the controlling circuit breaker be accessible from within the trap?). Ayers other fail is on page 22 when I had no idea that the biplane was within the castle. The colorist added to this confusion by giving the completely unspecified blank background a sky blue coloring. The exhaust coming from the rear of the plane even looks like a cloud.

(continued...)

[shaxper]

(continued from above...)

The plot synopsis in one long sentence:

The Howlers are assigned Percival Pinkerton as a replacement for Junior, Percy quickly proves himself in spite of his flamboyant demeanor, the Howlers are sent to Germany to stop Baron Zemo and obtain or destroy the death ray he has invented, Gabe is injured while saving them along the way, they take a detour to get him healed, they take on Baron Zemo, force him to flee, and he remotely destroys the death ray.


Awesome, awesome issue full of action, humor, rich characterization, and more boundary pushing.

[Scott Harris]

For me, this is one of Stan's most innovative moments. Introducing baron Zemo in both the past and present simultaneously -- creating an unofficial crossover and instantly establishing Zemo as a major threat in the MU, not to mention some serious world-building continuity -- is just fantastic. Stan was really on the ball during this period, coming up with cool ideas left and right; his similarly trippy introduction/origin for Kang would come just a couple issues later in Avengers.

The lettercolumns are a must read, as Sgt. Fury had one of the most interesting letterclumns I've read in any title. You might be surprised to find that the feedback on this issue was fairly negative at the time, mainly because fans didn't like the sci-fi aspect of the death ray. Similarly, fans ended up being pretty split later on over the guest appearance of Captain America in #13 because they felt it ruined the gritty real life feel of the book, leading Stan and company to decide not to do those sorts of things any more.

It's kind of funny you disliked Jack's art so much in these issues as a lot of people think it's some of his best stuff in terms of energy and passion at least. But you're spot on regarding his faces, which seemed to be both totally random and unbelievably ugly. Luckily, he does keep doing covers for awhile, giving the world some really sweet covers including the iconic #13 and the maybe even better #16.

Percy Pinkerton being gay will remain an interesting point of some debate pretty much throughout the series, not that it really comes up that much. Stan has said in interviews that he intended Percy to be gay. Later writers seemed to be on the fence, as you'll see, having him say stuff randomly about being a swinging playboy with the ladies, but even then there are some segments that seem to pretty strongly hint at that being just guy chatter for the fellas. The fantastically awesome Sgt. Fury Annual #4 -- aka dan bailey's greatest comic ever -- has a wonderful sequence where all the Howler's take a moment to pause and reflect on Christmas, thinking about their loved ones on the homefront or lost loves or even, in Izzy's case, Hanukkah. Percy's panel in this sequence? Telling Eric Koenig (who hasn't joined the team yet) how sad he is that he can't bring Eric back home with him for the holidays to meet the family. It's pretty awesome.

[Cei-U!]

A few random comments and corrections:

The Howlers take on Baron Zemo, the very same villain concurrently debuting in this month's issue of the Avengers (though Wikipedia claims he first appeared, unnamed, two months earlier).

And Wiki is right: Zemo appears as a shadowy figure in the flashback sequence depicting Bucky's death in Avengers #4. However, it was four months earlier, the Wiki writer having forgotten that the title was bi-monthly at the time.

In fact, in about half a year, we'll finally see Nick Fury, himself, pop up in the present timeline, standing side by side with Tony Stark and sharing a book with Dr. Strange.

Fury had already been introduced to contemporary continuity as a CIA agent in Fantastic Four #21, which hit the stands between Sgt. Fury #s 4 and 5.

Stan promises Jack is just taking time off to stay on top of some other work, but I hope he's wrong. I do know both leave the title soon to stay on top of all the new titles popping out of the emerging MU.

Kirby returns for a last hurrah in #13, which teams the Howlers with Captain America and Bucky. Stan stays with the scripting chores for another 2 years and 3 months, until #28.

I wonder if Stan means to imply this has to do with their colorful ethnic backgrounds, or if it's just because they're square pegs in a round-holed army that believes in following orders and pleasing superior officers more than the rough tough determination that the Howlers display which channels the American Ideal.

I'm reasonably positive he meant the latter but who knows? Certainly not Stan "I can't remember shit without somebody to remind me" Lee...

The house ad on the back of the front cover -- early inspiration for Pac Man?

One sure sign I spend too much time reading comics: I know, sight unseen, exactly which ad you mean!

The story makes it very clear that Zemo has (foolishly) developed only one Death Ray so that, when it's destroyed, so are any hopes of making more of them. Wouldn't Zemo still have blueprints and, even if those were blown up in the castle, wouldn't he be able to go back to the drawing board and use his intellect and memory to make another Death Ray within a reasonable span of time?

He has indeed recreated it by Avengers #15. In fact,

spoilers:

the ray is the direct cause of his death in that issue.

end of spoilers

Keep up the great work, shax!

Cei-U!
I summon the thumbs up!

[shaxper]

The fantastically awesome Sgt. Fury Annual #4 -- aka dan bailey's greatest comic ever -- has a wonderful sequence where all the Howler's take a moment to pause and reflect on Christmas, thinking about their loved ones on the homefront or lost loves or even, in Izzy's case, Hanukkah. Percy's panel in this sequence? Telling Eric Koenig (who hasn't joined the team yet) how sad he is that he can't bring Eric back home with him for the holidays to meet the family. It's pretty awesome.

That's all sorts of awesome.

And Wiki is right: Zemo appears as a shadowy figure in the flashback sequence depicting Bucky's death in Avengers #4. However, it was four months earlier, the Wiki writer having forgotten that the title was bi-monthly at the time.

I really should have known that, considering that Stan announces in this very issue that the title is going monthly as of this issue. Thanks.

Fury had already been introduced to contemporary continuity as a CIA agent in Fantastic Four #21, which hit the stands between Sgt. Fury #s 4 and 5.

Yikes! I'd been meaning to grab that issue and didn't realize it had already passed. I need to pick it up quick and include it in these reviews. Did I miss much from that issue?

[Cei-U!]

I really should have known that, considering that Stan announces in this very issue that the title is going monthly as of this issue. Thanks.

I meant Avengers was still bi-monthly.

Yikes! I'd been meaning to grab that issue and didn't realize it had already passed. I need to pick it up quick and include it in these reviews. Did I miss much from that issue?

Not really. We learn that Fury survived the war, is now a colonel and works for the CIA. Oh, and he and Mr. Fantastic reminisce about the events of Sgt. Fury #3. (Incidently, that Fury issue was not the first mention of Reed's working for the OSS. It was first established in Fantastic Four #11). Still, it is a milestone in the character's history.

Cei-U!
I summon the follow-up!

[Scott Harris]

Yikes! I'd been meaning to grab that issue and didn't realize it had already passed. I need to pick it up quick and include it in these reviews. Did I miss much from that issue?

From a continuity standpoint it's pretty interesting, as it establishes Fury as a Colonel, but he's not yet in SHIELD nor is he wearing his signature eyepatch. It's also a great bit of cross-promotion, as I'm sure plenty of fans who weren't into war comics ended up buying Sgt. Fury after this to see more of Fury.

From a story standpoint, though, it's fantastic, no pun intended, as the FF all get their minds altered by the Hate Monger, leaving Fury to try and basically save/manipulate the team into doing his mission despite themselves. it's actually pretty awesome, as Stan pretty much sets up the modern super-savvy Nick Fury in one issue -- a personality pretty different from the younger, more gung-ho action version in Sgt. Fury at the time.

Plus, there's the infamous shocking reveal of the Hate Monger's secret identity. Very much worth the read. I need to get a real copy myself, right now I just have it in Essentials.

[Cei-U!]

While I'm here, I should correct something I said in an earlier post. The Howlers are the 1st Attack Squad, McGiveney's Maulers are the 2nd Attack Squad and Jim Morita's Niseis are the 5th Attack Squad, all with Happy Sam's Able Company.

Cei-U!
I summon the corrected command structure!

[shaxper]

While I'm here, I should correct something I said in an earlier post. The Howlers are the 1st Attack Squad, McGiveney's Maulers are the 2nd Attack Squad and Jim Morita's Niseis are the 5th Attack Squad, all with Happy Sam's Able Company.

Cei-U!
I summon the corrected command structure!

Forgive the novice question, but what do the "1st" "2nd" and "5th" designations indicate? The order in which they're sent into battle, a ranking, etc, or is it just an arbitrary designation like my street address?

[shaxper]

From a continuity standpoint it's pretty interesting, as it establishes Fury as a Colonel, but he's not yet in SHIELD nor is he wearing his signature eyepatch. It's also a great bit of cross-promotion, as I'm sure plenty of fans who weren't into war comics ended up buying Sgt. Fury after this to see more of Fury.

From a story standpoint, though, it's fantastic, no pun intended, as the FF all get their minds altered by the Hate Monger, leaving Fury to try and basically save/manipulate the team into doing his mission despite themselves. it's actually pretty awesome, as Stan pretty much sets up the modern super-savvy Nick Fury in one issue -- a personality pretty different from the younger, more gung-ho action version in Sgt. Fury at the time.

Plus, there's the infamous shocking reveal of the Hate Monger's secret identity. Very much worth the read. I need to get a real copy myself, right now I just have it in Essentials.

Just checked and saw what the original copies are going for on ebay, so I ordered the Essential edition instead.

That not-wearing-the-eye patch bit is going to make for quite the continuity error. Doesn't he get the patch while he's still with the Howlers?

[Cei-U!]

Forgive the novice question, but what do the "1st" "2nd" and "5th" designations indicate? The order in which they're sent into battle, a ranking, etc, or is it just an arbitrary designation like my street address?

I honestly don't have the faintest idea.

That not-wearing-the-eye patch bit is going to make for quite the continuity error. Doesn't he get the patch while he's still with the Howlers?

Nope. If you check Annual #1, where they reunite to fight in Korea, Fury's still patchless. He injures his eye in Sgt. Fury #27 but it takes 20 years for the vision in that eye to deteriorate enough to require the patch (which is there not for any cosmetic reason but to preserve the vision in his good eye).

Cei-U!
I summon the Arrow shirt!

[dan bailey]

The fantastically awesome Sgt. Fury Annual #4 -- aka dan bailey's greatest comic ever

The GCD listing's omission of this important distinction is absolutely baffling.

[dan bailey]

I summon the Arrow shirt!

I wonder how many people besides me are gonna get that reference?