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Jul 25, 2014 Web Exclusive By Zach Hollwedel

Grant Miller works for a high-level security organization that is very good at making problems disappear. The problem is, he’s just discovered that one of the problems he’s working on traces back to his employer. Working with his soon-to-be ex-wife Veronica, and his recently released ex-con brother Marcus, Grant tries to put together the pieces of a giant, secret theft. Who stole millions of dollars, and where did the money come from? Why is his own agency now out to get him? How can he escape the situation in anything but a body bag?

Collecting the first seven issues of Jonathan Hickman and Ryan Bodenheim’s new series, Secret, this self-titled trade is a throwback to Cold War espionage thrillers. The “bad guys” are Russian, but they’re no better or worse than the Americans. The lines between the sides blur into mutually beneficial, illegal, dangerous alliances that, as in many Cold War-era spy tales, are as circuitous as they are perilous.

Hickman’s writing keeps the story moving at a fast clip with enough teased out to keep the reader turning the page in an attempt to put the puzzle together before Grant does. The details of the actual criminal plots get a little murky, but that too feels intrinsic to the nature of the story. Further, with current tensions between Russia and the U.S. (among many other countries), the spy thriller will feel much more current than if global events weren’t causing some to speculate that a second cold war might be on the horizon. Secret is unlikely to make a huge dent in the comic book history books, but it is a fun and fast read for fans seeking something outside the superhero genre. (www.imagecomics.com/comics/releases/secret-vol.-1-never-get-caught-tp)

Author rating: 6.5/10