Featured Review: Secret Seven #1

Artist: Daniele Di Nicuolo

Color Artist: Walter Baiamonte

Color Assistance: Katia Ranalli

Letters: Ed Dukeshire

Cover: Di Nicuolo and Baiamonte

Secret Seven is about something. There are seven secrets that need protecting from someone called Amon and his lackies. What are those secrets? I have no idea. What can one do with those secrets? No idea. What is Amon’s goal beyond obtaining said secrets? No idea. Who is the protagonist of this story? No idea. At least some of those questions should be answered in the premiere of a new series. Despite the lack of any sense what this story is or what it is about, this comic is quite good and has me wanting more.

Full Spoilers for the issue. You’ve been warned.

 

This issue is narrated by what I can only presume is the protagonist from some point in the future. He is telling the story of his parents, Eva and Sigurd, with the current day story being intercut with the story of his birth and how it effected their lives as secret agents/protectors of the seventh secret—I assume its seventh because there’s a seven on the briefcase they’re protecting. It’s possible they are all labeled with a seven and, honestly, I hope that’s the case because its primo goofy comic book shit and I’m here for it.

An exceptionally goofy briefcase

Caspar, the aforementioned narrator, appears in two panels, immediately after he is born. That is all. Now, he has narration on nearly every page, so it isn’t like he isn’t present. I just don’t know why he is the narrator or what his role in the story is. Obviously, he’s important. The issue is focused on his birth and the death of one of his parents. Is he the central protagonist? He’s old enough to be, as the art indicates there has been a not insignificant amount of time between Caspar’s birth and Amon attacking whatever base Eva and Sigurd are in. If there were no narration, or it had been done by another character, all evidence would point to this being Eva’s story. And yet, it remains unclear

The other clear failure of this issue is that no effort is made to explain what the Seven Secrets are. It is just stated repeatedly that they are very secret and very important. They’re protected by a secret organization with incredible resources and each secretly is directly guarded by a Holder and a Keeper. What those roles are beyond ‘Protect the secret’ is unclear. We know that Eva and Sigurd fill those rolls but not which is which or what each does.

Having said all that, this comic is very good. It introduces a world with a sense of intrigue, interesting characters, and cool action. Eva and Sigurd’s relation is clearly, and well, defined. The art is fantastic. Coming off a lengthy run on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, this art team is firing on all cylinders. They create entertaining action while highlighting the quieter scenes like the moments just after Caspar’s birth.

They're very ostentatious for secret cabal.

The character designs here are fascinating. Outside of the council that leads the top-secret organization our heroes work form who wear ornate cloaks, everyone is just wearing clothes. But each outfit gives a clear idea of that character’s personality. Eva very much feels prepared for a multitude of situations, thus her utilitarian design featured tactical gear and combat boots. Sigurd gets two outfits, both of which feature pants and something over his shirt. The younger Sigurd wear jeans with a t-shirt and an unzipped jacket. Older Sigurd wear dress clothes, including a vest. That, and his grey hair, are a good way to show he has aged and likely gained wisdom. He also gives off incredibly strong Major Armstrong vibes.

I love him, and thus, I love Sigurd. RIP.

The last cool thing to not is that, no matter if Eva or Caspar is the star, this comic stars a POC character, likely two. One is a badass woman, the other a mixed-race man. That’s a big deal for what seems likely to be a big seller for Boom. Its not an uncommon thing for indie comics to have diverse casts—and creators--but those are often from less widely known creators than Tom Taylor so its nice to see what portends to be a major release have that kind of cast. Please give me more.

 

 

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