"MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. SEASON ONE DECLASSIFIED"
BY TROY BENJAMIN
For more on how this project came about and some words from Troy on its creation, check out this blog entry from the July 29, 2014 release date.
Official Synopsis
Learn the secrets of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. in this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Marvel’s first live-action TV show! Hear from the cast, creators and crew as they reveal never-before-shared details from the first season. This deluxe keepsake volume offers an insider’s look into the making of the blockbuster espionage series on ABC produced by Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon and Jeffrey Bell; and starring Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennett, Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge.
Review from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fansite SHIELDTV.net:
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 Declassified is a must have for any fan of the show, no.. really, I’m not just saying that!
Each episode has a feature that spans several pages and includes basic details, a “Mission Briefing” summary, “Field-Op Notes” which include interesting trivia like connections with comic roots and “Running Behavioral Observations”. Writer of the book Troy Benjamin takes readers on a journey through each episode and includes discussion with cast and crew and covers topics like writing, comic tie ins, visual effects and set building.
I had high expectations for this book from the moment I heard about it but I’m delighted to say its more detailed and interesting than I had anticipated and a thoroughly enjoyable read. There sheer volume of information in this book will keep readers engaged for hours, this is definitely a must have for any fan of the show. I look forward with anticipation to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Declassified books for the coming seasons!
REVIEW FROM JOBLO.COM:
While the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season One Declassified is equally beautiful in design and execution, it is not a mere art book. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivering over 20 hours of Marvel goodness, this book serves more as an episode guide for the freshman season. The opening chapters give a background on the origin of the series with comic book history for the organization. There is also a nice section on the return of Phil Coulson and how Clark Gregg's portrayal has permeated the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Each chapter covers an episode of the season, giving a synopsis of the plot, key easter eggs you may have missed, and even the running behavioral themes from each character that you may have missed on first viewing. The biggest perk of this book is learning all of the Marvel Comics references that were peppered through each episode. We may have seen the character references and appearances from Deathlok and Graviton, but there were numerous other ones you may have missed.
In addition, almost every episode comes with a schematic, map, or diagram of a key scene from that episode. These are very cool treats for fans of the show as they can both see how the show developed these intricate scenes as well as a nice way to delve deeper into the series. The layout fo the book acts as if it is a S.H.I.E.L.D. computer, so everything appears encoded and gives the impression that the reader is accessing this top secret database of information.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got a lot of criticism for having an unbalanced debut season. While it didn't quite find its legs until the final half dozen episodes, this book supports that the showrunners and producers had a definite idea of where they wanted the show to go. There are few hints at where the upcoming second season my go, but if they plan to put one of these books out every season, it would be well worth the investment for fans.
REVIEW FROM BETWEEN DISNEY:
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified by Troy Benjamin reads like a S.H.I.E.L.D. report that you must be properly clearanced to access. Luckily Level Seven agents are cleared to review this report. // I mentally file Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified into the art book category. So generally this means my expectation is low word count with maximum visuals. The book does completely win over the reader with images which include production photos and concept art, like one expects. And the book design as a S.H.I.E.L.D. file by Nelson Riberio puts the reader into the proper spy frame of mind. There is no denying the book looks great in its slipcover sitting on the book shelve. But the real win for me was the large amount of text found in the book. Benjamin provides his readers massive amounts of intelligence on the show. I have found some art books in the past rely on massive amounts of dead space to help frame the prized images. Here text pages are rarely sparse but instead densely packed with information for the fact loving fanboy (like me). // I fully admit it, I am the audience of this book. Though the price tag is pretty high. So I can understand if you have to pass. But if you are going to spend your money on a Disney/Marvel art book, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified is the type of book to consider with its balance of great art and facts about production. It made me a hot mess and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it, and plan to return to it again as a reference in my fandom.
Review from Teoh Yi Chie on Parka Blogs/Amazon:
The 240-page hardcover is designed sort of a like a dossier. It starts off with an introduction that looks back at the comics that the series was inspired by. You get to read about Phil Coulson and the the character profiles for the other agents. Because Phil Coulson's character started off from the movies, there's quite a bit to read on his part in the movies as well.
The main bulk of the book looks at the production of each episode in the series. The detailed writeup talks about how filming was done, the sets and the story. It's accompanied by lots of behind the scenes photography, graphics for the set and props, and nice little profile of the crew members and their responsibilities. It's an insightful read that should delight viewers who like the little details, easter eggs, especially when Marvel is trying to link everything together in the Marvel Universe...
This is a good informative companion for those who like the TV series and would want to learn more about the actual filming and interesting stories during production. - (5/5 Stars)
