Secret Avengers is an excellent hybrid of the MCU (films) and the MU (comics). We have a Samuel L. Jackson -style AGENT Nick Fury (see 'Battle Scars' for where he came from), Agent Phil Coulson, Acting Director Maria Hill, Black Widow and Hawkeye derived from the film side of Marvel, seamlessly blending into the post-Dark Reign continuity with characters strictly from the Marvel Universe such as Daisy "Quake" Johnson from 'Secret Warriors' and Mockingbird. It's very well done and gives fans of the films a foothold in the comic world.

Though the title is Avengers, this is a SHIELD series. And it's dark and gritty as such a series should be. The hook here is that this team is sent on missions that they aren't even allowed to remember afterwards, via memory controlling nanite implants. This allows the characters to pop up in other Marvel Now series without any conflict. The story has a many twists and turns which keep it from being predictable. Plus, there is a power struggle between Daisy, the unconfirmed director, and the Acing Director, Maria Hill. I loved it!

Overall, fans of the films can easily jump into this series without reading anything else, but there's also a lot here for established comic fans. Note: this volume ends on a cliffhanger so you'll want to have Volume 2 handy! Highly recommended. ( )