S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects Of Forever (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Every time I read a book by Jonathan Hickman my brain hurts. I turn the last page, close the book, and try to figure out what I just read.That being said, this is just a fascinating concept. Combines steampunk, history, and superheroes. I didn't fully understand half of Hickman's concepts, like the Human Machine and the Five-Fold Understanding, but they felt big and weighty and made me feel like this was a book to reread and think about and try to understand better.I really wish volume 2 had been completed so I could immediately jump into that. Hickman always lays out these long term plots, and I'm sure part of the reason I'm struggling to understand is because there are answers to come in later volumes. Rumors on the Internet indicate that he's working on the next issue right now, although I worry about whether it will be published after such a long gap. I hope it does, because I will be very interested to read more. This could be three stars or it could be five, it depends entirely on the follow up.The art is gorgeous, and Hickman once again does an excellent job of bringing Big Damn Ideas into the Marvel Universe. It is immensely rewarding to read how Tesla, Da Vinci, Newton and others all fit into the convoluted history of the Marvel Universe. I also enjoyed seeing Howard Stark and Nathanial Richards (the fathers' of Iron Man and Mr Fantastic respectively) engage in some 1950's era adventuring.However, Hickman's greatest weakness is in the follow through to his grand ideas. This volume is all set-up and very little meat. The story has a lot of promise, but it is only after reading future volumes that I'll be able to truly judge its merits.
What do You think about S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects Of Forever (2011)?
Beautiful artwork, but the story was disjointed and hard to follow.
—ruthralston32
It has some nice pictures, but the story is terrible
—Dana12345
