Siege: Secret Warriors Oneshot + Secret Warriors #17-19 "The Last Ride of the Howling Commandos"
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Alessandro Vitti
Color Artist: Imaginary Friends Studio
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Cover Artist: Jim Cheung, Mark Morales & Justin Ponsor

Fury and his Secret Warriors, sans Phobos, join Captain America in attacking Asgard. During the battle, Fury invites Rogers to come to the upcoming Howler reunion.

The Howling Commandos gather for thier latest reunion, with Captain America and a few grandkids of the original members. Old war stories are swapped and Gabe Jones leads the honor roll, commerating thier fallen brothers.

Some time later, the Howling Commandos PMC launch an attack on a Chinese Hydra base and destroy it. Afterwards they are ambushed by Gorgon and more Hydra forces, bringing down the stolen helicarriers and leaving Sitwell and Dum Dum Dugan as sole survivors.

Dugan and Sitwell are questioned by a secret United Nations committee and they bring to light that Hydra and Leviathan are waging a shadow war around the world. Fury returns to the site of the last reunion and drinks a solitary toast to the fallen.

  • Continuity Notes
  • Appearance by Alexander Goodwin Pierce
  • Gabe Jones and Eric Koenig are killed in action in issue #19
  • The Howling Commandos reunion confirms Pinky Pinkerton, Clay Quatermain, and Dino Maneli are deceased.
  • Howling commandos present at the reunion include Gabe Jones, Eric Koenig, Dum Dum Dugan, Izzy Cohen, and Senator Reb "Rebel" Ralston.
  • Honorary members also present include Steve Rogers (with Sharon Carter), Jasper Sitwell, and John Garrett.
  • Reprinted in:
    • Secret Warriors: The Last Ride of the Howling Commandos TPB and hardcover
    • Secret Warriors: The Complete Collection Volume 2.

Review:
Probably the best three issues in the series, it has everything long-time Fury fans could want and no doubt will bring a tear to the eye. The creative team unfold the story with a shifting time line, offering tantilizing hints as to what the Howling Commando's last stand was like. The reunion scenes adds lots of emotional wieight to the story as this band of soldiers gather together to pay respect to characters long gone. Some continuity is laid down as we learn that Pinky and Dino have passed away (last seen together in the pages of S.H.I.E.L.D. (V2) as well as Clay Quartermain (last seen in pages of Alias and Cable)

There's plenty of continuity nuggets thrown around in this issue that are sure to thrill long time fans. Alexander Pierce returns to action and is seen leading one of Fury's caterpillar teams. Dugan's "golden boy" comment is certainly a nod to the character's heyday in the 90s during the second S.H.I.E.L.D. series. Howling Commando fans are treated to a couple of flashbacks with Captain America and the Howlers, as well as a great moment between Fury and Rogers that captures perfectly the relationship between these two characters. Over the years, the Cap/Fury dynamic has been portrayed a number of different ways, ranging from the familiar to the antagonistic, but here Hickman delivers some defining moments between them that builds on the long history they share. One surprise is John Garrett's inclusion at the reunion and Fury's inner circle. Certainly there's been little prior evidence in the Elektra stories that Garrett was that tight with Fury, but here and future issues will showcase him as a trusted confidante. Maybe Fury has a thing for guys with unashamedly bushy mustaches, a visual that makes for some confusion between him and Dugan, no matter how excellent the art is by Vitto and company.

The art continues to stun, and Vitto and crew render some exciting action setpieces with the helicarriers that are truely cinematic in how the panels unfold. As I've said before, the Gorgon is perhaps the standout villain in this whole piece and his full page intro as his squadron arrives for battle is as menacing as anything you'll see in these pages.

The battle where the helicarriers go down is harrowing and tense. When old favorites go down, it doesn't feel cheap like so many comic book deaths one reads, but it feels impactful and genuine. As a long-time Fury fan, I was saddened by the deaths, but they were handled well and added emotional heft to the story.
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