Secret Invasion: Front Line #2 – Review

Brian Reed (Writer), GG Studios (Art), Marco Castiello (Pencils), Barbara Ciardo (Colorist), and Amerigo Pinelli (Asst. Colorist)

This second chapter of the Front Line story creates an interesting dilemma for me as a reviewer. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of the book and yet, I can easily think of a number of ways in which I can criticize it. Normally this would leave me at a mental stalemate as every positive matched up with a negative. In fact, I almost wrote a standard “C” review highlighting the positive and negatives in equal measure. But, while writing the review, I came to realize something: all the negatives I thought of stemmed directly from the positives. So, instead of writing a normal review, I figured I would explain why something with so many negatives can still receive the fairly high grade I give it.

Everything about the Secret Invasion: Front Line series is, so far, fairly standard. I was willing to give the first issue a bit of a pass considering that it had to establish the characters, but I can no longer overlook the generic characteristics of the story being told. This is the street level tale of what happens to people caught up in an unexpected alien invasion. There really is nothing in this issue that you haven’t seen before in some other science fiction piece. The characters are pretty cliché (a hot, but kind nurse, a cop going above and beyond his duty, a guy has a bad day that gets worse, a father/daughter in peril together… you get the point), the scenarios are fairly standard (driver abandons passengers, person examines dark area for someone in need, alien among the people), and the plot is about as predictable as it gets (so far). I want to hate it, but I can’t hate something that is done so well.

There is a reason the invasion story keeps being told – it just works. There is nothing particularly unique or interesting about this Front Line story and yet, I couldn’t be happier with how it is progressing. Brian Reed takes a comfortable framework and, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, keeps it familiar. The characters we can identify with because we have seen them before. The scenarios remain thrilling because they are thrilling when the characters involved can be identified with. The plot is predictable, yet still a rollercoaster ride in every way (the ride is always the same, yet you can’t help but go back on to relive the experience). It takes considerable skill to do what the creative team is doing here. Familiar as can be, yet as entertaining as anything on the shelves.

While I could nitpick about how the artwork is a bit inconsistent or how Reed may have too many characters to juggle, I will save it for an issue worthy of the criticism. I’m having way too much fun with this one. (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny