How do you stretch out a long arch in your comics? You involve everyone! Not only Iron Man but the intrepid crew of government agents in SHIELD are feeling the effects of Civil War II. Agents of SHIELD #9 shows us what the characters millions have come to love from the hit television show Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD would do during the Civil War II storyline. We learn that Agent Coulson is on the outs with Director Maria Hill and now wanted by SHIELD. Tasked with finding Coulson is the assassin Elektra Natchios.
There are chases galore, and if you are a fan of the television show Agents of SHIELD then the run of the storyline of the comic is very similar to an episode of the ABC program.
My Opinion:
I am not a loyal fan of the television show, but I did like the consistency of the tone in Agents of SHIELD #9. Having read many other Civil War comics, it really feels like this story arch was well planned and can be incorporated into the whole Marvel brand.
That being said, there is a lack of meaningful action in this book. There is a lot of talking and referencing back to other books that seem interesting. We see the disagreement between Elektra and Agent Melina May because she is still angry at Elektra for her involvement in the destruction of a SHIELD helicarrier in a previous storyline, where many of May’s friends were killed. Coulson leads a rogue team to stop a bombing that the Inhuman Ulysses has predicted would happen. His capture is a forgone conclusion.
I was left wanting more. By the time the story ended I was left apathetic to the plight of Coulson and SHIELD. But if you are a fan of the show, you will no doubt like this comic. Some comics are fillers in long story lines. Agents of SHIELD #9 felt like that type of a comic to me, and there’s nothing wrong with that.