Biff Bam Pow Comics

So we’ve hit the halfway point with Secret Invasion. But is it still the roller-coaster ride of previous months? Or is it starting to peter out a little?

***HEFTY SPOILER ALERT***

As you might expect after the cliffhanger ending of issue three (Nick Fury’s entrance / Spider-Woman messing with Iron Man’s mind) - the action picks up almost immediately, taking a quick moment out to link in some moments from the tie in books (The Sentry fleeing earth, Ms Marvel leaving a Skrull in space, Agent Brand in earth’s atmosphere, etc), before throwing us into the heat of the battle in Times Square.

Nick’s Commandos start kicking some ass and taking some names, and Phobos helps turn the tide of battle by turning the Skrulls against themselves. Not before Nick Fury blasts Ms Marvel into Skrull territory however.

Back in the Savage Land, Tony is still on the receiving end of Jessica Drew’s mind-games, which are doing their job in making him believe that he could be a Skrull. The Black Widow provides a timely intervention in the shape of an injection of adrenaline, but Spider-Woman appears to escape…

Over in Times Square, a flash of lightening can be seen, and from the heavens the outline of Thor descends - all watched by Captain America from a distance… But which Captain America?

Happily - Bendis and Yu show no signs of letting up with Secret Invasion, once again delivering a golden example of good storytelling and excellent artwork. Every month that goes by is a testament to the sheer brilliance of this double-act, which I hope (perhaps vainly) will continue far beyond this series.

On a slight downer - I couldn’t help but think that maybe it was time for the battle to change location. People are still fighting in Times Square and the Savage Land, and although this is only a few hours (or probably less) for everyone involved - its been nearly four months for us…

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(ongoing battle or no - still an excellent comic - recommended) 

Wow. What a stark difference to Final Crisis issue two.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Finally, Brian Michael Bendis has given us what we’ve all been crying out for - what happened to Spider-Woman, and what she’s been upto since she became all Skrull-tastic.

To say that this issue has some surprising moments (the Skrulls’ three main priorities for example) is an understatement. Jim Cheung effortlessly portrays some amazing moments, and some truly man-tastic scenes (naked Jessica Drew on a table).

Unsurprisingly - this is the best book in the Secret Invasion saga thusfar.

Pete’s Score: 5 out of 5
(if you’re looking for a good jumping on point to the Marvel Universe, and / or Secret Invasion - this is it)

What a great book. Since the start of Secret Invasion, there’s been a big old ‘how did Henry Pym get swapped for a Skrull’ question looming - and now, finally, its being answered.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Cast your minds back right to the dawn of the New Avengers, somewhere around the ‘Breakout’ storyline. Dr Pym is a lecturer on advanced genetic analysis, and his eyes fall on a girl… Janet and Henry break up, and naturally, our good Dr Pym runs to said woman’s arms, only to learn (much later down the line), that he ran to a Skrull…

As you might expect, Bendis does a truly fantastic job on the script. He interweaves plot moments from past issues of The New / Mighty Avengers effortlessly, and showcasing the more sinister intent of Henry, as he has been drifting through storylines almost unnoticed.

John Romita Jr (in partnership with Klaus Janson and Tom Palmer) does nothing less than you would expect in delivering a truly brilliant book, including a particularly grim moment in a student bedroom (you’ll know it when you see it).

Event in its spinoffs - Secret Invasion isn’t stopping to take a breath. It’s just ploughing on - creating quality all the way.

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(very very very close to being a full score - thoroughly recommended in every sense) 

Secret Invasion has up until now, been a brilliant rollercoaster ride - keeping fans and casual readers happy alike. But now that issue 3 is out, is the series starting to drag a little?

Hell no!

Issue 3 offers up some of the tastiest treats so far, with utterly superb artwork from Leinil Francis Yu, and a twisting, turning rollercoaster of a script delivered by Brian Michael Bendis.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The issue starts off on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, with Jarvis (of all characters) requesting agent Hill’s full and total surrender, and quickly runs over to Captain Marvel throwing Venom halfway across Colorado before sitting down over a drink with Norman Osborn.

Interest piqued much?

Battles shift between locations throughout the issue, but ultimately come to rest in Times Square, with heroes falling left right and centre (including a grisly death), until a forgotten friend steps into the limelight to battle the Skrulls…

As you might expect, this issue is a great book - but its impact will be lessened to those not picking the series up monthly. It is however, a perfectly good book to get you up to speed on where things are at the moment - so if this is your first Secret Invasion book - you’ll be well looked after.

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(well worth the price of admission)

Now here’s an interesting little book. Secret Invasion has piqued my interest over the past few months, and has managed to keep me pretty hooked in between issues thanks to excellent complimentary storylines within books like The Mighty Avengers, Ms Marvel and in this case - The New Avengers.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Remember waaaaaaaay back in issue 6 of The New Avengers, the team travelled to the Savage Land, only to see a bunch of rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agents strip mining vibranium?

It was one of those dangling plot lines that Bendis had left in the back of readers minds - and now it looks like we know why. They were Skrulls ladies and gentlemen - damn dirty Skrulls.

Most of issue 41 is told in flashback from the perspectives of Shanna The She-Devil and Ka-Zar, around the time of the Breakout storyline. The issue fills in some interesting gaps - all of which will make you wonder about the next issue of Secret Invasion - and just how far back Bendis has been laying seeds in the Marvel garden…

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(Bendis doesn’t fail to deliver - and Billy Tan reminds us all why he’s such a brilliant artist)

You can tell a comic is a good read when it inspires debate for 3 days after reading it. I picked this book up on Saturday, and I’ve been locked in a battle of possibilities with my brother ever since.

***SPOILER ALERT***

In a nutshell, this book gives an insight into how the Skrulls deal with the Sentry during Secret Invasion - namely by sending him more than a little off the deep end, bringing him face to face with his inner demon - the Void. Oooorrrr, rather, the Skrull version of the Void.

A pretty nasty insight into the ways Skrulls work - but a damn fine read nonetheless. Now - here’s where the 3 days of debating comes in. Right at the start of this book, there’s an explosion in outer space. The Sentry gets kicked into touch by an exploding Skrull ship, and wakes up in the Baxter Building.

Later in the book, after the Sentry goes a little bat-crazy and flies off into space, he spots something strange in what appears to be the ring around Saturn. Right here is where we begin to have different opinions.

My opinion: The Sentry sees ‘the Void’ in the ring of Saturn (where his mind has placed him), is horrified by the fact that he still exists, curls up into a ball and is consumed by him - then rockets back to earth to save Lindy (who I’m pretty sure is already dead - but that’s another story).

Dave’s (my brother’s) opinion: The Sentry has been a Skrull all along, but isn’t aware of it (a-la Captain Marvel), and he’s horrified to see his true self in the rings of Saturn, where he’s been all along (for reasons yet to be disclosed). A Void then returns to earth, to look after Lindy.

I’m pretty sure I’m right - but then so is Dave. What do you think? Add your comments below to let us know!

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(anything that gets you talking as much as this issue will, is worth $2.99 - recommended) 

It’s here - issue 2 of Secret Invasion is out - and just how does it measure up to the shock ending of issue 1?

***SPOILER ALERT***

Well - it isn’t a huge surprise to hear that it’s another powerhouse issue, with an excellent script from Bendis and spectacular artwork from Yu - but what does comes as a surprise is the sheer weight of nostalgic heroes that have emerged from that crashed spaceship.

Doing a really quick rollcall we have: The Invisible Woman, Iron Man, Phoenix, Scarlet Witch, Ms. Marvel, Emma Frost, Captain America, Vision, Luke Cage, Wolverine, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, Hawkeye and Thor - all with a funky 70s styling to them - all confusing the pants off both groups of Avengers.

As you’d expect, with that many skrull-perheroes and superheroes staring at each other, a bit of a shakedown kicks off. At the end of the fighting, there is one (possible) confirmation that a 70s hero (or heroine) isn’t a Skrull, but I won’t spoil that reveal for you - as it’s a genuinely warm moment in the book, giving one Avenger some much needed good news.

Most of the story focuses on the Savage Land confrontation - but the tail end of the book showcases the beginnings of the not-so-secret-but-rather-all-out Skrull invasion, with a mother ship landing just outside of the Baxter Building and introducing the earth to the new Super Skrulls…

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(as I’ve come to expect from any recent Marvel crossover - this book delivers in all areas - recommended)

Well - if you read my review of The Mighty Avengers issue 12 - you would already have known…

***SPOILER ALERT***

…that we’ve finally found out where Nick Fury has been hiding himself for the past year or so, and why. Nick found out all about the Skrulls on earth, and decided to start doing something about them…

Now - if you’ve read The Mighty Avengers issue 12, and are feeling pretty ‘@$£& yeah’ about Nick’s ideas - you might want to check out The New Avengers issue 40 before reading this issue, as it may very well put a bit of a spanner in the works for the ex-head of S.H.E.I.L.D…

But anyway - this issue carries on with Nick’s quest to save the earth, watching how he (through Daisy Johnson) assembles a surprising team of ‘unknowns’ to combat the impending Skrull threat, banking on the fact that as he was the only one to ever know about them, they well definitely be human.

Risky gamble to take in the first place - but even more risky when you learn that one of the ‘unknowns’ is none other than the son of Ares - Phobos, the god of fear (who also happens to be ten years old).

It’s obvious from the outset that these heroes are going to be asked to lay everything that they have on the line, with the very real possibility of losing it all in the process.

Something big is on the horizon…

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(the saga of “what Nick did with his time away” is essential reading for anyone who wants the full story behind Secret Invasion)