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Heroes with public identities have been attacked in and near their homes. Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate), discovers that a pack of supervillains have been organized and funded by Latveria, making them akin to terrorists when they wreak havoc in this country. The President refuses Nick Fury’s request for action. So, in a recruitment drive slightly reminiscent of his conscription of Spider-Man a couple years ago, Fury wages his own secret war using heroes he has worked with in the past, such as Captain America, Wolverine and the Black Widow.

The mystery: Why are the supercriminals banded together? The heroes find they have to fight defensively and reactively. They are at a disadvantage in predicting subsequent enemy action, as they don't know what is going on.

This is a potentially rewarding story. If the threads start getting tied together as we go downhill toward the end of the miniseries, then the big build-up will be worth it.

By the way, this story is completely dissimilar to the first “Secret Wars” and “Secret Wars II,” in case you've been avoiding it for that reason. There is no Beyonder and not so many characters — but still a lot — and no crossovers. And the action takes place here on Earth.

Brian Michael Bendis, whose work I almost always enjoy, writes his characters true to their individual traits. In a story such as this, a writer could easily slip into a narrator's voice that just alternates between characters.

The art is hand painted by Gabriele Dell'Otto, a native of Rome, Italy, whose work is appearing stateside for the first time in this series. His paintings appear grainier than those of Alex Ross — and darker. Dell'Otto's faces are very expressive and individualistic, while he portrays action dynamically. Look for a few panels with uncommon angles of perspective. And the two double-page spreads are chock full of characters that challenge you to name them all.

Back-up material in — where else — the back of the book adds one dimension to the story, but feels a little bit like page-filler.

One complaint I have is the darkness of the art. OK, we know it's a secret war, but let us see what is going on. The constant dark tone combines with the dialogue to make for some melancholy reading. Maybe that's what the creators are aiming for. Thankfully, Peter Parker's trademark tongue-in-cheekiness provides a refreshing contrast.

Quote of the Week: “Oh, I have nightmares all the time. Venom nightmares, Carnage nightmares, clone nightmares, Spider-Mobile nightmares…”