Editor's Note: S.W.O.R.D. #1 arrives in stores tomorrow, November 11.

"S.W.O.R.D.: No Time to Breathe"
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Steven Sanders (p), Craig Yeung (i)

"Not Yet"
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Jamie McKelvie

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to say about the debut issue of S.W.O.R.D.. On one hand, it's a nicely done piece of work. It's fast-paced, clever, and seems to have an interesting long-view plot in place. On the other hand, it's also a little too light-hearted for my tastes and I found the art to be a little too cartoonish.

And, yes, gentle readers, I, too, hate using "cartoonish" as an adjective.

But there it is. Sanders' art isn't bad at all. Although the characters are a little stiff and the action doesn't really flow from panel to panel. Visually, I felt like I was reading a children's book, illustrated with stills from an animated television series geared toward a very young audience. If you're into that sort of look, then this is the book for you.

I really miss the visual creativity that Timothy Green II brought to the Agent Brand short story in the Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? one-shot last year.

The story isn't really aimed at younger readers, though, so that helps, overall. I appreciate Gillen's intent to write the witty banter of a pair of romantically involved adventurers, but it comes at the sacrifice of Beast's character. This isn't the Dr. Henry McCoy that appears in other titles. I see that Gillen is trying to present a side of his personality that we don't see in those other books - the romantic boyfriend side – but I don't really care for it.

As with the art, it's a characterization that seems a little over-simplified.

I guess what it all boils down to is this: S.W.O.R.D. is the place where Marvel can really go wild with the science fiction, while keeping it closer to the mainstream Marvel Universe than the Space Opera escapism of the current crop of cosmic titles. But, as with Gillen's other recent Marvel "sci-fi" work, it just doesn't feel substantial. It's cotton candy sci-fi.

There's not enough original story to make this interesting, and the personalities of the characters are not exciting enough to keep my interest. Which is sad, because Hank and Brand are two of my favorite characters these days, particularly with the way they've been written in both Uncanny and Astonishing X-Men.

This first issue is just an opportunity wasted, to me.

However, if you like your science fiction action-adventure to be of a more light-hearted variety, then this might be your thing. Be warned, though. This is more of a Noises Off-style farce than a Thin Man-style comic adventure.

And just to be clear, I love The Thin Man, but can't stand Noises Off.

The appearance of cult icon, Death's Head, might also sway you toward enjoying this, but he really didn't make much of an impression on me. Neither did the strange new "villain," Unit.

I also just wasn't as entertained by the drunken bad-boy version of Lockheed as I should have been. Again, the approach to the character is a little too flippant to take seriously. Instead of actually seeming troubled, the character just comes off as comic relief. Until, that is, he begins operating with his own agenda. But even then, it feels like it's not taken seriously by Gillen.

The art on the back-up story by Gillen and McKelvie is much better, but the story itself suffers the same tonal problems as the main story.

I was really looking forward to this, but I'm clearly not in the target audience. S.W.O.R.D. is everything I'm not looking for in a comic, while using characters and basic situations that are everything I'm looking for in a comic. I want to love it, but am instead, entirely disinterested in it. It's not bad, but it's nothing that I want to keep reading. Although I understand Marvel Boy and Beta Ray Bill will be showing up soon. That might get me to stick around for a little while at least.

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