Started up as one of Joe Quesada's attempts to bring Marvel back to health, the MAX imprint was, like Epic before it and Epic afterwards to produce more mature-orientated content. Much of this was based on out of continuity and on extant characters, especially from the darker edges of the universe - Nick Fury, the Punisher, the Black Widow, Blade. Generally it was standard establishment-cynical quasi-realism with lots of gore, swearing and the occasional gratuitous nipple. Aside from Brian Michael Bendis' Alias few of the earlier titles made much of an impression beyond getting called for their brattishness.
One relative success was U.S. War Machine, written by one Chuck Austen. Up to that point he had cut a somewhat eclectic path; he had been the first American artist on Alan Moore's heavyweight Miracleman for an issue or so before his work was destroyed by a flood at Eclipse's offices; after getting to do the covering frame sequence for the eighth issue (including a cameo for himself and the usual self promotion from Eclipse EiC and cartoon screechy feminist Cat Yronwoode) under birth name Chuck Beckum before being moved over for Rick Veitch. He then began working under his mother's name for several minor publishers, also writing and drawing porn comics and the adaptation of Disney's The Little Mermaid.
War Machine meanwhile had been span out of Iron Man after a heavily-armed black and silver suit had gone down well with readers. Long-time supporting character Jim Rhodes had performed one of his cover stints in the suit so when Tony Stark and the red & gold returned made a natural subject for a solo series. War Machine was hot as Hell for about 12 months before the concept ran out of steam, an alien armour upgrade being one of the last throws of the dice before Rhodes quit superhero work (i.e. got cancelled) and returned to Iron Man's supporting cast. He's since come back into vogue with the films, though.
Austen's concept has the War Machine as a prototype product developed by Stark but kept for his bodyguard only after he and Rhodes get involved in a disastrous test run in Latveria. This Stark baulks at the idea of his tech being used in bloodshed; Rhodes stays on as one of the bodyguards along with Happy Hogan and Bethany Cabe until he's fired for summarily executing an AIM soldier live on TV after the terrorist executes a hostage.
Rhodes is then recruited by SHIELD to head up their own team of reverse-engineered War Machines in the fight against AIM. What follows next is basically a Michael Bay style action film, with off the shelf characters, lots of violence and much macho. The team is made up of loose cannon Parnell, amiable hick Nathan, capable Shiva and Dum-Dum Duggan. Parnell is somewhat dicey, an angry man who refers to Rhodes as an Oreo in an uncomfortable moment that's a typically Austen near-the-knuckle thread that's just on the edge between frankness and insensitivity. His pregnant wife, an AIM hostage, adds a bit of drama. Nathan is wide-eyed whitebread who eventually makes friends with Larne while Shiva doesn't do much beyond being reliable and female, plus getting caught topless by Rhodes during her introduction. Generally though the book is less horny than a lot of Austen's later Marvel work. Duggan meanwhile provides soldier talk and a little comic relief, customising his War Machine suit to have a bowler hat.
Nick Fury only really appears as a stern superior officer and Stark as an occasional presence dealing with the fallout of Rhodes' actions. Fun comes from cameos from MODOK, ousted and left skeletal by AIM and now a weird part of SHIELD's arsenal, Darkhawk as a captured insane alien kept sedated by a virtual program that convinces him he's part of the West Coast Avengers. AIM meanwhile are extended to genuine nastiness; the main plot involves SHIELD attempting to stop them using eugenic viruses designed to destroy all non-whites on the planet.
The art is also by Austen, and in black-and-white. Technically his work is fine if stiff, though the latter sometimes even works well, allowing for sudden bursts of violence. The lack of colour is more of a problem; it suits the story but the problem is that even after the team customise their suits it's not difficult to tell them apart.
Shortly after the first volume finished Austen was on hand to take over writing Uncanny X-Men after Ian Casey failed to gel, and after a moderately promising start went off the rails badly. Despite Quesada's inexplicable patience and decision to also give him the Avengers at the precise point everyone started hating his X-Men stuff. Austen rapidly took over Bill Jemas' role of industry joke with inexplicable influence at Marvel until he was finally fired.
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