Issue(s): Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #4
Cover Date: Sep 68
Title: "And now it begins..."
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Frank Springer - Penciler
Frank Springer - Inker

Review/plot:
As a placeholder during what was thought at the time to just be a brief gap in Jim Steranko's Nick Fury run, Roy Thomas and Frank Springer do a straight retelling of the SHIELD origin story from Strange Tales #135.

What's most interesting about the issue is the way Frank Springer tries to mimic the style of Steranko (but of course if you're reading through this site in order you haven't even gotten to the Steranko stuff yet). Springer was chosen because he had "co-create the 'edgy' spy comic feature Phoebe Zeit-Geist for the Evergreen Review magazine" (quote from Roy Thomas' intro to the Marvel Masterworks volume where this was reprinted).

Springer (and the uncredited colorist; Steranko had been coloring his own issues) manages to superficially create the Steranko look. Lots of angled panels and a vaguely psychedelic feel. But it's clearly not Steranko, and according to Thomas' Masterworks intro it didn't satisfy fans. Nonetheless, after next issue turned out to be Steranko's last, Springer became the regular artist on the title.

Thomas and Springer had twice as many pages to fill since the original story was published in a split book, but they manage to expand the story without adding much in the way of new content. The biggest new scene is where Nick Fury discovers the undercover agent that planted the bomb on the Helicarrier.

Beyond that, the additional page count is made up with a quick recap of Fury's Sgt. Fury days...

...and, mainly, through bigger panels.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: I've placed this directly after Strange Tales #135 since it's a retelling of the same story.

References:

• This is a retelling of Strange Tales #135.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: Marvel Masterworks: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD vol. 3