Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 5 "Girl in the Flower Dress" Review

This has been a very entertaining series so far, as although not quite to the high level that I expected from Joss Whedon and Marvel, it has had some interesting development so far, and shows a lot of promise for the future, with the characters starting to grow on me even more with each episode.

Plot

When a man named that S.H.I.E.L.D. have been monitoring named Chan Ho Yin (who can produce fire from his hands) is suddenly kidnapped S.H.I.E.L.D. find a interesting culprit for their security leak.

Review

This was yet another good episode for the series, but it didn't personally appeal to me as much as the last four, feeling slightly dull and slow at times. It did however have some very interesting development points, and I mean interesting, but I'll talk a bit more on that further on in my review. It was also nice to see that the series has went back to adding some power sets to the series, as although I've enjoyed the more spy like feel the series has taken as of late, it is nice to see some of the stuff that makes comic book films and TV series different from others. It was also nice to see the episode tie-in with previous events in the series, and that it's set-up future developments,  as although there have been a couple of parts that I've expected more development from, until now there wasn't really any overall connection or continuing theme.

This episode would introduce another character with superpowers in the form of Chan Ho Yin played by Louis Ozawa Changchien. Chan's superpowers are the ability to produce flames from his hands, and it's these powers that get him kidnapped. Now I already said that I was happy to see more characters with superpowers, as it adds more of a comics book vibe to the series, but it was the kidnapping that interested me more, and why the kidnappers wanted Chan. It would be revealed later on in the episode who was behind this, and although I won't give away any spoilers I will say that this is one of the parts that is connected to a previous development point.

Now the person who was representing the group that kidnapped Chan would be called Raina played by Ruth Negga, and would also be the titled "girl in the flower dress". Now the series has had it's fair share of different antagonists and villains, but this one was probably the most interesting out of them all, as although there were others that added more excitement, and others that seemed more maniacal, it was the soft tone and mysterious nature of Raina that interested me the most. I also loved how throughout the episode we'd get to learn more of Raina's characteristics, and she would show that she was very versatile, doing whatever it took to get the job done without getting into any physical trouble herself.

Girl in the Flower Dress

The Rising Tide would have a role in this episode when S.H.I.E.L.D. learn that it is one of their hackers, Miles Lydon played by Austin Nichols. This would probably be the most interesting development in the episode as prior to learning the identity of the Rising Tide member it would add a lot of questions as to where Skye's loyalties lied, and whether she was the Rising Tide member that hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. Miles himself however was a very interesting character, as apart from his connection to Skye, he seemed the typical anti-government who was against everything that people like S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for, being slightly annoying with it. 

The character who's had the moat focus in this series so far has had to be Skye, and that would continue yet again in this issue, with there being tons of development points for her. The main development would be as I said the mistrust that S.H.I.E.L.D. had in her, questioning her loyalties, and whether she was a double agent or not. It would however not take long for even more to be revealed, as whilst S.H.I.E.L.D. was looking for Miles it would be Skye who coincidently found him, having tipped him off about S.H.I.E.L.D. looking for him. Besides this there would be a lot more developments to come from Skye in this episode, and although some would slow the episode down, they would all add something interesting to the episode, and I for one look forward to seeing how this influences the next episode.

Plenty of Development for Skye

Final Verdict

This was a good episode, but probably the worst in the series so far. Development wise it was probably the best, but it would have more slow and dull moments than the previous episodes, with it overall not feeling quite as exciting. The developments do however do a lot for the series, showing even more promise for it's future, and due to this I'd recommend watching this episode, especially due to the fact that there isn't going to be one next week.

Rating: 7/10

Secret Avengers: Reverie Review

Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist:  Luke Ross

Being a huge fan of the original Secret Avengers series I was disappointed that my budget wouldn't allow me to get this series. I have however decided to get the series in trade, and now that the first one is out I can see exactly why it has gotten so much praise since it started.

Plot

Maria Hill puts together a team of Avengers that go into missions that are that top secret that even the members themselves can't have any memories of them.

Review

This was a fantastic story, and a terrific introduction to the series. Nick Spencer isn't a writer that I'm overly familiar with, as although I've heard good things about some of his previous and current work having only read his minor work on the previous Secret Avengers series, as well as his work on Thief of Thieves and Ultimate Comics X-Men. His work on this story however was outstanding, and much better than anything that I've read from him before, being very unique and interesting. I also loved that it had the perfect espionage feel to it, as although that is expected from spy stories, a lot neglect that for more flashier content. There would also be a lot of mystery in this story, which Spencer handled perfectly, using it to make the story that much more suspenseful and dramatic. The follow of the story however could have been better, as the transitions between issues was very noticeable.

The artwork on this story was also fantastic, and Luke Ross did an outstanding job. I've seen Ross' artwork on a few stories in the past, but I have to say his artwork in this one was simply phenomenal, being very highly detailed throughout. I also felt that the layout of his art was also fantastic, as although not quite as unique or dynamic as other artists it did a brilliant job of adding drama and suspense to the story, setting the perfect tone and mood. The action sequences throughout the story would also be amazing, adding a lot of excitement and entertainment. Besides the brilliant detail it would be the spectacular way that Ross handled the characters facial expressions and emotions that would impress me, as it would help to add yet more depth to the story, making it feel more realistic. On top of that the colours from Matthew Wilson and Lee Loughridge would also help give tone and mood to the story as well.

Whenever a new team book starts it's always the team members that I'm most interested in. This series would have a perfect choice of characters, with Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury Jr., Phil Coulson, Mockingbird, and Hulk all being a part of the team, with Maria Hill and Daisy Johnson also being key characters in the story. Now the main character I was interested in was Nick Fury Jr., as although I've read him in other series he's more of a supporting character, whereas due to being a main character in this series he should have more depth. I also found Hawkeye working with his ex-wife Mokingbird to be very interesting, and the addition of the Hulk made me really happy, even if he was only in one issue.

The main concept in this was that the team members couldn't have any recollection of their missions, with the code word, "reverie" activating the mind wipe. Now the word itself already gave the clue that the story would have characters forgetting things, but the idea itself was very interesting, as it made it feel more mysterious, being the perfect concept for a spy story. I also found it very interesting to see the sneaky way that Coulson got Hawkeye and Black Widow to agree to the program, and how they were basically used as guinea pigs throughout the first issue.

The mains villains in the story would be A.I.M. who are lead by their newest Scientist Supreme Andrew Forson. Now A.I.M has been a very inconsistent team in my opinion, as there are times were they are very interesting, and other times were they aren't, feeling like pushovers. I did however enjoy this version of A.I.M. with their actions throughout the story making things even more interesting. I also found Forson himself to be very interesting, being very dark and mysterious. I also thought that Forson was the perfect type of villain for a spy story, as his characteristics was very similar to some of the James Bond villains, being similar to Dr. No.

The story would also reintroduce the Iron Patriot armour that was most famously worn by Norman Osborn during the Dark Reign, also being used by James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the Iron Man 3 film. Now in this story the Iron Patriot wouldn't have a human pilot, with it being run by A.I. software. Now although not necessarily original, this was a very interesting idea, and the way the story would develop it would become even more interesting. I also loved seeing the way that Daisy Johnson reacted when Senator Robert Ralston revealed the armour, with the fight that it would have with a certain character later on in the story being very exciting.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing story, being very appropriate to the series title. The story itself would also be extremely suspenseful and dramatic, having some exciting sequences. It was however the tone and mood of the story from both writer and artist that made it brilliant, with the unique style making it stand out. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this story and can't wait to read the next volume when it's released.

Rating: 8/10

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 4 "Eye Spy" Review

So far this has been overall a very enjoyable series, as although it hasn't quite hit the high marks that it should have, it is starting to show promise, focusing more on story plots than references. It does however still need some work to become as great as it should be, but it's definitely getting there.

Plot

When S.H.I.E.L.D. investigate a diamond robbery they land up going against a former agent.

Review

This was yet another amazing episode, as although near the start I was dreading that the series was starting to fall down in quality again, it managed to pick itself up in the latter parts of the episode. The story itself was brilliant, having a terrific pace, being perfectly structured. It was however slightly slow in places, though it would only have a negative affect near the start of the episode, as elsewhere there was suspense and humour to cover it up. The plot itself was also extremely interesting, with some exciting concepts, and I loved how the series has kept with the spy theme. I also found the team interaction to be very interesting, as apart from the fact that the team as a whole continues to grow on me, there were some conflicting moments that added a lot of tension and excitement to the episode.

This episode had a rather unique start than the others, and there was a point were I was questioning if this was the same show. I did however find this scene to be overall very interesting, as although it was slow, it had a very mysterious element to it, showing straight away that this wasn't a normal diamond robbery. The men who the diamonds were stolen from also were rather unique, and the fact that they all were wearing red masks added a very different tone to the scene. I also however loved the fact that these were the victims, as I was half expecting them to be plotting something originally.

The Men in Red Masks

S.H.I.E.L.D. would soon be at the crime scene, and not long after that the culprit would soon be revealed as a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Akela Amador. Now when this was revealed I really started to become interested in this story, as having originally questioned why S.H.I.E.L.D. would investigate a diamond robbery, this development would make it worthwhile. Amador herself as a character was also very interesting, as the ESP vibe that came off her near the start of the episode added some mystery to the episode. There would also be some interesting revelations about Amador in this episode, and the reaction that the team had to this was very interesting.

There would also be some action in this episode, as May would finally get a proper fight when she confronts Amador. Now I won't go into any details as to how the plot came to this point, but overall the scene was extremely exciting, also being very dramatic, and intense. The scene would also provide some very interesting revelations, and the dialogue between May and Amador would also help add more suspense and drama. Besides Ward would also have some very entertaining activities throughout the episode, with one part in particularly especially amusing me.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!

The reason I have put a spoiler warning here is as although this isn't necessarily a spoiler, I will be discussing a theory I've had for the last few episodes, and if I'm right it will spoil a future plot development. Final warning... The thing that I've been thinking about over the last few episodes is whether there is more to Coulson's revival that was originally revealed. I personally was expecting at the time for him to be some sort of android or something similar to the Life Model Decoy's that Nick Fury uses in the comics. I have however since came back to believing that this is in fact the case, and minor development have started to back that up, as in the last episode Coulson said that operating his gun should be muscle memory, something an android wouldn't have. Again this episode would also hint at this with Akela talking about Coulson's change, as she could have spotted that he was an android due to her x-ray vision eye. Now this isn't the only theory I have, as I believe that Marvel and Joss Whedon will take this even further, turning Coulson into the Vision.

Final Verdict

Although initially a bit slow, this episode started to gain momentum as it developed, and landed up being very enjoyable. The story was interesting, being brilliantly developed, and the way that the series has continued the spy theme has really appealed to me. There would also be some exciting and humorous moments throughout, with some mystery as well. Due to this I'd highly recommend watching this episode, as although not quite as good as the last couple, it was still amazing, and better than the pilot.

Rating: 8/10

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 3 "The Asset" Review

This has been a very entertaining and interesting TV series so far, as although it hasn't quite met the high expectations I had prior to the Pilot episode, it has still been a fantastic series, and continues to show a lot of promise, having some brilliant moments so far.

Plot

When a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist named Dr. Franklin Hall is kidnapped by a man named Ian Quinn it requires the team to travel to Malta.

Review

This was a fantastic episode, and although it didn't stand out from the previous two episodes it was just as good. It was however much better story wise than the last two episodes, being very well structured, with some brilliant developments. It was however not quite as exciting as the last episode, but it did make up for that by being much closer to the type of series I expected it to be. I say this as I was really expecting this to be a cross between a superhero and spy type series, and it's started to do that here, having a spy like style. This episode also helped the characters to grow, as with them just being introduced in the pilot, and having little time for development in the last episode this was their first chance to stand out, and although they do still need improvement, they are starting to become very interesting characters.

This episode would kick off with a S.H.I.E.L.D. transport lorry being attacked by an invisible threat, and the asset inside, Dr. Franklin Hall being kidnapped. Now this was a very interesting way of starting the episode, as although I found it very far fetched to see a lorry with the type of technology that this one had in it, the scene as a whole was very exciting and suspenseful. I also enjoyed seeing a huge lorry get pulled into thin air and dropped, especially considering it was by something invisible. On top of this it was also interesting to see Phil Coulson and the lorry driver question whether or not there was a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D., due to the efficiency of this kidnapping.

This episode would see the first proper comic book character introduced into the series in the form of Dr. Franklin Hall played by Ian Hart. Now non comic book fans won't know who Hall is, but anyone who does should know who he is, and the type of character he is. For anyone who doesn't I won't go into any details in my review, but I will say my thoughts on the adaptation of him. Now I was very happy to see this character used in this episode, as although he could have been used more, it was still nice to see him. I also loved how they kind of worked an origin story around him in this episode, and am very interested to see if how the series works off this.

Dr. Franklin Hall

The villain in this episode would be a man named Ian Quinn played by David Conrad, who wants Hall's work for himself. Now Quinn isn't the best villain ever, and some could even say that he wasn't really a villain at all. I did however feel that Quinn was a very interesting character, being very conniving and dastardly, and overall was the perfect villain for this episode. I also really enjoyed the interaction between Quinn and Hall, especially when trying to persuade him. On top of that I felt that Conrad's performance was very good, as although I'm not familiar with any of his previous roles, he didn't half play a brilliant bad guy in this episode.

This episode would also see a lot of development for Skye, with her training with Ward, as well as going into the field when S.H.I.E.L.D. can't. I really enjoyed these developments, as it allowed for a lot more depth to be added to her as a character. On top of that I also loved how there were questions throughout the episode as to what her motives were. I did however also like how there were parts of Skye's development at the start of the episode that would come full circle later on in the episode, showing that every development was for a reason. I also really enjoyed the interaction that Skye would have with different characters in this episode, and how she got to act like a spy.

Skye with Quinn

Final Verdict

This was a very good episode, and is showing along with the last episode has shown that this can be an exciting and interesting series. It also did a great job of introducing a new character, and kind of giving him an origin story. The episode also had a brilliant spy like vibe to it, feeling closer to the series that I originally expected it to be. Due to all this I'd highly recommend watching this episode, as well as the other two episodes of this series if possible.

Rating: 8/10

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 2 "0-8-4" Review

This is a series that I was looking forward to for quite some time, and although the first episode didn't wow me as much as I hoped it would, it was still very entertaining, introducing the characters brilliantly, and overall being a great start for the series. I do however hope that it gets better over time though.

Plot

S.H.I.E.L.D. head to Peru to investigate a 0-8-4 event.

Review

This was a very entertaining episode, and I personally preferred it ever so slightly over the pilot, with it being much better in certain areas. I'll start off by saying the best thing about this episode, and that was that it was extremely exciting. I found the last episode to be a bit slow at times, which is something that I couldn't complain about for this issue, as although there are some slower moments, most of the episode is at a quick and action packed pace, with the slower periods allowing time to for development. Where I personally felt this story lacked in was the plot, as although it was overall very interesting, it didn't seem too imaginative, with the action overtaking the plot. It did however have good character development throughout, with some brilliant interactions as well, and was overall a very enjoyable episode.

What is a 0-8-4? That would be answered very quickly, being the code for an object of unknown origin, much like Mjolnir was in Thor. Now it was that reference that I enjoyed most about this code, as it made me smile. When the codes meaning was revealed I was initially slightly disappointed, though I quickly became interested in the mystery of this unknown object. I also enjoyed how Fritz and Simmons reacted to this object, and loved how Ward kept asking them to, "speak English." I did however question whether it was realistic that a brand new team would go after such an item, but given the fact that all are apparently Level 7 Agents, as well as the fact that Phil Coulson is in charge makes it possible.

The 0-8-4

Whilst in Peru S.H.I.E.L.D. would be greeted by the army and eventually the rebels, with both of them at one point or another attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. I loved the suddenness of these appearances, and the excitement they added early on was very entertaining. I also loved the interaction that Coulson would have with the army's leader, Camilla Reyes, and I especially loved how it implied that these two characters had a prior relationship, without going into any details, thus leaving it as slightly mysterious. Besides the action between the army, the rebels, and S.H.I.E.L.D. at the 0-8-4 site there was yet more brilliant action scenes, as without going into any detail they were very dramatic and suspenseful, adding a lot of excitement as well.

This episode would also show some friction within Coulson's team, showing their different personalities clash. This would ultimately allow for a lot of character development, as although this showed the team to be slightly dysfunctional, it would also act as a learning curve for them, as they all are experience something new working in a team that makes them uncomfortable, so it's natural that they'd fall out. It is however how they improved on this throughout the episode, and how they got over these awkward situations, utilising each characters special skill sets to help them function as a team that made this such an interesting development point in my opinion, and I look forward to seeing them grow even more as a team throughout the season.

Teamwork

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!

There would also be a rather interesting cameo at the end of this episode, as although this spoiler was teased as a possibility I was very happy that it actually happened. Now if you don't know who the cameo was, and don't want to know you'll need to skip this paragraph as I'm about to talk about them. The cameo was of course Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. I loved this as although Jackson teased that he'd love to have a cameo I was happy that he did, and the circumstances for it were amazing. It also was a nice reminder of his first appearance in the Iron Man post credit scene, having a very similar tone to it. I did however think that it was a little early for a cameo from Fury, though I'm not complaining as I'd rather early than not at all.

Final Verdict

This was an extremely exciting episode, having plenty of action. It did however have a less imaginative plot line, but the brilliant pace, and character development made up for that. The episode also had some fantastic character interaction, and continued to give some amazing comic book references. Due to all this I'd highly recommend watching this episode, as even if you missed the pilot it's relatively easy to jump aboard now, though I would recommend watching the pilot as well if at all possible.

Rating: 8/10

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Episode 1 "Pilot" Review

This is a series that I've been excited by for quite a while now and I'm glad that it's finally out. Following the greatness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far I was slightly sceptical when I heard that they were developing films for stuff like S.H.I.E.L.D. as although I like S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't think it would work as a stand alone film. A TV series however is much more interesting as it can explore the more unique things that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents go through so I was happy to hear that they went down this route. 

Plot

With the emergence of a new superhuman called the Hooded Hero, Agent Phil Coulson puts a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents together to handle this Level 7 task.

Review

This was a very good episode and although it wasn't quite as good as I personally hoped for it was still outstanding, being one of the better opening issues that I've seen from a new TV series. The episode was however slightly slow paced, as although that is a good thing for an opening episode of a new series, it does take away from the excitement. I did however love how it tried to be comical, though I did question whether it was necessary at certain times. I also really enjoyed the comic references in this episode, and especially Journey Into Mystery getting dropped in as a line. I also felt that it was very well written and directed by Joss Whedon as although he has yet to match the brilliance he has produced in either The Avengers or his previous TV series', it is certain showing a lot of promise.

With this being the pilot episode it would see the main cast put together, also having some added cast members as well. The main cast would be Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May, Chloe Bennet as Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz, and Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons. All of these cast members played their roles brilliantly, though with most of them being new characters that would help, as there's nothing to base it on. The stand out cast member however was Clark Gregg as Coulson as he brought the same charm and humour that he added to the previous Coulson appearances. The other cast members included J. August Richards as Mike Peterson and Cobie Smulders making a cameo appearance as Maria Hill, one that I seriously hope she reprises in more episodes of this series.

The Team

The team that was created out of these characters were overall very interesting, as although none were quite as interesting as Coulson, this is only the first episode, and I'm sure I'll get like the others more as the series progresses. The main character that interested me however was a civilian hacker named Skye as she had an interesting nature to her, being mysterious yet wanting people to know the truth. I also found Ward, Fritz and Simmons interesting, with the Ward managing to seem both intelligent and naive at the same time, and Fritz and Simmons adding humour. I was however not too interested in the all round action agent May as although she added some brilliant action she didn't have a lot of personality.

One of the big questions about this episode has been how Coulson is still alive, as he died in The Avengers film. Now I won't detail how he came back but I will say that it wasn't a spectacular reason, being rather simple, and making his death seem slightly meaningless. I am however very happy that Coulson is back though, and can easily overlook the way that they brought him back, as he is such a great character, and I don't think that this series would last long without him.

The superhuman in this episode would be called the Hooded Hero, with the his real name being Mike Peterson. I found this character to be very interesting, and it's nice to see that the series is introducing some new superhuman's, even though they're not in the same league as Captain America or Thor. I also liked how there was a lot of depth to this character, and how there was more to him that we initially see. I also enjoyed seeing J. August Richards again as I enjoyed him in Angel, and it seems that Whedon hasn't wasted time adding his regular actors to this series.

The Hooded Hero

This episode would also hint to a group of villains, as although it doesn't go into much detail it would mention a group of people who are supplying the technology that is creating superhuman's. This is a brilliant development, leaving a mysterious development point for the series as I'm sure this questionable group will have a hand in future events in this series. It also leaves the speculation of whether this is a group that we know from the comics, or whether this is a new group for the series, either way it's a mystery that I look forward to seeing developed.

Final Verdict

A great opening episode to this new series as although it is slightly slow it introduces all the characters perfectly, showing off their characteristics throughout. The episode also had a lot of humour, as well as some interesting mysteries and some exciting action. It also shows a lot of promise for the future and I for one can't wait for the next episode and would highly recommend watching this, especially if you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rating: 8/10