Rating: 4/5 – There is no secret, Secret is great!
It has been well over 3 months since the release of Secret #2. While I enjoyed the last issue of the series very much, the delay had really hurt the story momentum as it took me a while to get back up to speed. That being said, Secret #3 is a great book.
Jonathan Hickman is really stretching his writing chops on this series, and it is really unlike anything else he has written. There are no high concept science fiction clichés, no pictograms, and no time travel. It is a straight up corporate espionage / spy story. It is rooted in the real world and feels fresh and new. If you did not like any of Hickman’s previous creator owned series, try this one.
One can simply pick up, read and enjoy Secret #3 without having read the previous two issues. The story centers on the life of Thomas and his unfortunate demise. The story is well told and moves the overall plot forward at an effective pace.
The colors of this book are used to wonderful effect. Colorist Michael Garland deserves high praise for his work. It takes real skill to pull off what he did in this book. His colors almost become a character and really grounded the story.
Ryan Bodenheim’s artwork is great. He does an excellent job changing the lay out from page to page. His 9 panel grid on page 7 was exceptionally well put together. I would love to know the process the art team uses to communicate the structure of the book. The synergy they have is fantastic.
Overall, Secret is the best ongoing title written by Hickman, and I cannot wait until the next issue. If you enjoy spy / espionage stories with a human touch you need to try out this book.
Reviewed by: Hank Johnson – hank@comicspectrum.com
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I had given up on this series with the extreme delay since #2 killed my momentum/interest in the book, but reading your review, I’ll have to give #3 a look.