Avengers/Invaders (TPB) – Revuew

Plot by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, Written by Jim Krueger, Penciled by Steve Sadowki, Patrick Berkenkotter, Alex Ross, and Jack Herbert

We’ve all gotten those miniseries or events that have just too many issues and there’s easily one or even two issues that didn’t even need to be there. Avengers/Invaders is not one of those series. There is just a ton of stuff happening in this graphic novel that if anything, there’s so much going that there’s no room to breathe.

So what is Avengers/Invaders about? A lot. It starts with the American people so distraught over Cap’s death (this is after Civil War, before Secret Invasion) that their psyches, channeling though the villain D’Spayre, manipulate the cosmic cube and pull Captain America, along with Namor, Bucky, the Human Torch, Toro, and some poor soldier named Pau Anselm, out of World War Two and into present day. Their arrival is frickin’ amazing. They land right in New York interfering with a fight between Spider-Man and the Thunderbolts and the Invaders tear the Thunderbolts apart. Krueger’s script isn’t exactly cinematic, because if as much happened in these twelve chapters (and they do call them chapters) happened in a movie, I think the cast, crew, and director would commit mass suicide. It’s more like season for Lost, when they had to shorten the season due to the writer’s strike, so shit happened every single episode (except for that one crappy Juliet episode). In fact, Avengers/Invaders is much like Lost but with superheroes and you get answers at the end. The Invaders are stranded in our time, and then someone tries to change the past, screwing up even more than they fixed. But where it is most like Lost is in the character interaction. This series has a huge cast. The New Avengers (Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ronin, and Echo), Mighty Avengers (Iron Man, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, Ares, Sentry, Ms. Marvel, Wasp, and Wonder Man), and the Invaders (the ones listed before as well as Union Jack and Spitfire) are all represented and each member of the team truly get at least one moment to shine, one of my favorites being when Echo takes down D’Spayre. D’Spayre’s power is based on manipulating his opponent’s fear by basically telling them everything they don’t want to hear. As it turns out, Echo can’t hear anything and just walks up to him and punches him in the dick. Okay, so maybe it doesn’t quite happen like that, but you get the idea. Sure, some characters get a little more love than others, but none of them get robbed in any way. The only part of the story that I thought could be scaled back a little was the Life Model Decoy attack on the Avengers. I’d go more into why and who was behind it but, though it’s kind of obvious who it is, I don’t want to spoil it.

Avengers/Invaders #6 (of 12) – Review

By Alex Ross (Plot), Jim Krueger (Plot & Script), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencils), and InLight Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m going to be honest here and just admit that the only thing that made me purchase this issue is the fact that I already own the first five. I figured I might as well at least finish out what I presume to be the first trade volume before dropping the series. While visually impressive at times and interesting enough, the overall plot has yet to hook me in any serious way. Also, I can’t shake the feeling that nothing of consequence is ultimately going to come out of Avengers/Invaders, despite reports that it will have an impact on Marvel continuity. With all that said,  somehow, I still hold a small bit of hope that the halfway point will prove to be a turning point for the series.

The Story: Dr. Strange and the rest of the underground New Avengers find the past and present versions of Paul Anselm, the regular soldier pulled into the time travel, in an effort to sort out what exactly caused the time disruption. Meanwhile on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where the Mighty Avengers are trying to take control of the situation, Human Torch of the Invaders begins a Life Model Decoy revolt over the nature of the L.M.D.’s.

What’s Good: As a student of philosophy, I’d be lying if I acted like I didn’t enjoy the concepts thrown around regarding the nature of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Life Model Decoys. It brought an interesting (if somewhat throwaway) dimension to the superhero battle. Also compelling is the way the plot is really starting to tie into the death of Captain America and touch upon some of the inherent (though generic) problems/consequences of time-travel. As for the visuals, they continue to feature a nice level of detail and solid direction.

What’s Not So Good: As with the other issues in the series, Avengers/Invaders #6 suffers because it never really brings the various ideas together in a way that forms a well-rounded package. The emotional drama feels a bit heavy handed, and it occasionally falls a bit flat. On top of that, the philosophical crusade of the Human Torch, while interesting, feels like nothing more than a distracting addition to the overall plot. Also, there is still very little indication that anything of consequence will result from this storyline. I expected something relevant to the current state of the Marvel universe to have happened by now. Disappointingly, that is not the case.

Conclusion: The problem with the series falls on the idea that far too many characters are in play to make a single chapter feel satisfying. It really drags the entire project down and makes the plot move at an extremely slow pace, despite characters expressing the urgency of the situation. That is why I am going to consider this latest chapter to be my jumping off point. As for Avengers/Invaders #6? It is entertaining and decent enough to look at, but far from a must read. As such, it is worth picking up if you have stuck around this long, but I doubt many will feel the need to see this series to its end.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers/Invaders #5 – Review

By Alex Ross & Jim Krueger (Writers), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencilers), and inLight Studios (Colorists)

The Story: The beginning of the book is the same as it was for the first four issues, where the Invaders have been brought forward in time. And as it inevitably happens in these situations, they get into a big fight with the Avengers. In this issue, Iron Man and Captain America are finally talking to each other and working things out, while Doctor Strange focuses on sending the Invaders back where they belong.

What’s Good: With the Avengers and the Invaders starting to reconcile, Krueger and Ross throw in a bizarre twist toward the end of the book. I won’t spoil it, and I’m not even sure it will work, but it’s certainly intriguing. A link between SHIELD and the Holocaust was the last thing I was expecting.

What’s Not So Good: Well first of all, you read the credits right, there’s no inker on this book. Some artists are so tight and so good that scanning directly from their pencils can work (take Frank Quitely on All-Star Superman for instance). As for Sadowski’s and Berkenkotter’s pencils, unfortunately they are simply not that good. In fact, I think this is the ugliest artwork in a mainstream comic today. I know others will disagree with me, but I hold comic art to a high standard, I recognize it’s a visual medium. A comic can survive mediocre writing, but not mediocre art. Secondly, as with the Earth X and Justice books, Krueger’s script is full of sweeping generalizations and awkward non-sequitors. If not for Ross’s beautiful covers, it would be easy to mistake this for fan fiction.

Conclusion: Krueger writes with the subtly of a sledge hammer. Look at the third panel of the next-to-last page. It’s ridiculous, unlikely, and unnecessary. But this book has the Avengers, the Invaders, and SHIELD; and if you love the Marvel Universe, you kind of have to buy it. It remains to be seen, however, if this series will be remembered fondly once it’s over, or if we’ll all want to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible.

Grade: C+

– Andrew C. Murphy

Avengers/Invaders #2 – Review

By Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (Writers), Steve Sadowski (Pencils), and inLight Studios (Colors)

This issue succeeds in building on the promised outlook we received last time around. The story is broken down into three main parts: The inevitable fight between The Invaders and the Mighty Avengers, the build up to the fight, and the reactions to the fight. In the opening, we see Iron Man and Ms. Marvel discussing what needs to be done with the returned Invaders. Of course, the conclusion they come to is that they must be detained and sent back to their own time as soon as possible. As the story turns to The Invaders, we see them questioning whether this new world around them is actually real, or a Nazi trick. Eventually these two teams meet, and when Captain America mistakes the Avengers attempt to detain them (he sees this as a Nazi ploy to recapture them), the battle ensues.

I won’t reveal the outcome, but an all out battle between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the war superheroes of yesteryear is sure to draw attention, and any public doubts to The Invaders return are squashed. Perhaps the most interesting reactions are the New Avengers, who surely mean well, but their hinted plan certainly looks to throw a wrench into getting The Invaders back where they belong.

Even more ominous than this, we see that the actions of one of the common soldiers brought through time. This may have huge consequences on the time line. On a lighter note, we get a touching (albeit brief) scene with Bucky learning about his old partner’s return. I also think this is the first time New Cap has appeared outside his own book. Hopefully, he will play a bigger role in this series as it moves on! So in terms of plot, we get a great balance between “talking heads” and action.

As for the art, Steve Sadowski’s pencils are simply stunning. Whether it is his conveyance of action, or the looks of each individual character, his work is more than satisfactory throughout. I can also honestly say that he draws the best Ms. Marvel that I have yet seen! Get this man to work on Mighty Avengers immediately! His artwork really seems to be all about the characters, with each person getting a significant amount of detail. All together, this issue picks up steam from last month, and I’m certainly aboard this train to see what comes next! (Grade: B+)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

This is definitely a better issue. The pacing is just right, the story is entertaining (with the exception to the end), and the art isn’t muddled down with darkened night scenes or that gritty, brown war look. There’s quite a lot of color throughout this book, and because of that, the characters shine. M. Staples is right on the money when he says Steve Sadowski painstakingly makes each character look unique. All his interpretations are pure eye candy except for Namor who seems to always look like his head’s about to explode (heh).

I still have big time reservations regarding the continuity of this book. While I enjoy this story taking place within current Marvel continuity with many nods to Civil War and other events, it still feels out of whack. The other problem I have is the pollution of the time line. Cap and Namor seeing the Avengers is sure to cause problems down the line, right? And the lone soldier meeting his older self? That can’t be good.

Jim Krueger’s script is tight, overall, and he works hard to make us believe that this book is “dated” correctly. But he overdoes it a few times like when the World War II version of Bucky says, “I’d give my right arm to fight with Cap again!”. Awful pun, Jim. I don’t care what year these guys were from.

The fight is really the highlight of this issue, and it’s handled very well. The Avengers make short work of The Invaders and that’s how it should be. What’s bound to happen next issue seems very forced and I’m actually not looking forward to it. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Avengers / Invaders #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot), Jim Krueger (plot, story), Steve Sadowski (pencils), inLight Studios (colors)

Other than knowing that it takes place sometime after Captain America’s death, I’m not sure where this series falls in Marvel continuity. Is it post-Brand New Day or pre-Brand New Day? Is it before Secret Invasion or during? There’s so many questions, and because Marvel’s not really cared about keeping continuity tight, this issue feels like a mess. But the mess doesn’t go to writer Jim Krueger, but Marvel editorial. Let me explain…

The Invaders amidst their campaign in Europe during World War II are in search of a time altering artifact that Hitler has his eyes on. As they close in on the Nazis (along with their group of Allied soldiers), they run into a mist that transports them all to modern day New York City. Now why this time traveling device would take them from Europe to New York City is beyond me. And why only The Invaders were transported and not the soldiers that came along with them is another inconsistency. But whatever, I can live with that. The problem I have is Spider-Man fighting The Thunderbolts. From what we’ve been told about Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day” is that he will not be tackling the Thunderbolts for months down the road. Yet, in this issue, he’s fighting against the whole team.

Eventually, word gets back to Iron Man that the Invaders are in the present and the ghost of Captain America begins to loom over Tony once more. If this is a pre-Secret Invasion book, why hasn’t this been addressed in any of the core books? It all just seems out of whack.

Now, all that aside, if I were to take the book at face value, I’d find it to be an average opening issue. We get your run of the mill introductions to the characters, the plot devices, and questions on how this team that’s “out of time” will interact with the modern world. The Twelve, this book is not, so don’t expect anything mind blowing. What you’re in for is lots of fighting as The Invaders make very short work of the Thunderbolts (which I honestly found to be too easy). Bucky acts as the narrator, giving us the profiles on Golden Age heroes as well as a humanistic point of view. Spider-Man tries to ham it up, but ends up being a bit overwritten. His reactions to Captain America, however, feel genuine. But the heart of the story is saved for the end: How will Tony Stark react to having one of his best friends return.

Steve Sadowski’s art hasn’t lost a beat. Like his work in Project Superpowers #0, his storytelling is top notch and his characters beautiful. He, along with Alex Ross’ covers are definitely the selling points of this series (thus far). So, if you’re like me and frustrated by Marvel’s muddled continuity, this book will do nothing but further that frustration. If you can look past the editorial problems, you’re in for an average opening story. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

I am going to have to echo Jason a lot with this second opinion. There is no doubt that this book needs to have some clarity as to when, exactly, it is taking place. There are a few hints, but not enough to get a solid handle on where everyone stands as the Captain America lead Invaders are transported into modern times.

As you already know the basics of the story, let me just take the time to talk about what works and what doesn’t with this premier issue.

The art is incredibly dynamic and the characters look fantastic, especially, in my opinion, Venom and Captain America. The World War II scenes do a good job putting the brutality of battle on the page and the running narration by Bucky keeps things moving at a solid pace. I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but found the second half to be incredibly rocky for a couple of reasons.

Letting Spiderman take over storytelling duties was an odd choice in my opinion. He is, as Jason said, overwritten, and it made me wish Bucky was our point of view for the entire story. I understand why they would break from Bucky, but the whole story would have improved had Spidey been toned down a bit. Another issue I have is how easily the Thunderbolts are disposed of, especially considering what we have seen them capable of since Warren Ellis took over. The final problem is the lack of subtlety once the time travel aspect kicks in. This was meant to be a blockbuster event, I get it, but The Twelve has shown that great things can be done with this type of story beyond slam bang action.

The Twelve is doing great things with the “heroes in the wrong time period” story by putting a premium on personality, emotion, and subtlety. Avengers/Invaders, on the other hand, seems to be much more concerned with the chaos of the event as a whole. It will be interesting to see where the creative team goes from here, but I am honestly disappointed how things went off the rails after such a solid start to the story. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Project Superpowers #2 – Review

By Jim Krueger (story), Alex Ross (art direction, Carlos Paul (art), Debora Carita (colors)

I’ve been digging Project Superpowers until now. This issue just falls victim to trying to do too much at once. So far, Jim Krueger has balanced this story perfectly, introducing us to an ensemble cast one at a time. With issue #2, we’re shown too many characters who don’t get enough screen time. To make matters worse, they’re scattered all over the globe which is now giving me the impression that this’ll be one of those, “let’s travel the world and find our old buddies” stories. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but given the context of the first two issues (plus issue #0), I thought this series would be anything but.

I’ll admit I was really confused by this story in general. Krueger quick cuts all throughout the issue making it hard to figure out what’s happening. All I know is there’s some major buttkicking taking place all over but the reasons aren’t explained. And poor Bruce Carter (AKA the Fighting Yank). It seems like everyone manhandles him at every opportunity. I get the point – he’s pissed a lot of people off – but the slapping around of him is getting almost comical (which it shouldn’t). I also don’t like how anticlimactic the scene is on Dynamic Man’s rooftop. We have this big fight going on and then Green Lama grows some plants and whisps them away?! Ugh.

I’m hoping this series rights itself back on course. It doesn’t hurt much when you start a series from issue #1 and it’s a crappy book. But when you start a series off as spectacularly as this one did and hit a rock with the storyline, well, it’s a complete downer. Carlos Paul and Alex Ross deliver the goods on art, once again – no complaints there. But this story needs a fixing. (Grade: D+)

– J. Montes

Project Superpowers #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot, art direction), Jim Krueger (writer), Carlos Paul (art), Debora Carita (colors)

Project Superpowers #0 was one of those books that came out of left field and surprised me. It was full of old Golden Age characters, a fantastic plot, and excellent art. Plus, is was only $1.00. If you haven’t picked up issue #0, I highly suggest hitting up your local comic store immediately. It’s such a treat.

With the foundation for the series laid down, issue #1 wastes no time getting the reader involved in the Fighting Yank’s quest. With his age catching up to him, Yank searches out the Green Lama in hopes of getting assistance with the Urn of Pandora’s retrieval. When he finds him, he’s surprised to see that he’s not aged in the 50 years they’ve been apart. Green Lama gives a sound explanation for this youthfulness and the two head to New York.

In New York, Dynamic Man sits atop a high skyscraper, admiring his handiwork. Clearly deluded, he claims credit for the progressions of society. When Fighting Yank and Green Lama come to visit, they pompously ridicules them, secretly knowing why they’ve arrived. He gives them them exactly what they seek, plus a little more than they bargained for. The only thing that bothered me is how the Black Terror, freed from his prison, seems a little more cheesy than seriously upset.

Krueger is careful not to introduce too many characters at once this issue. Because of this, we really get a grasp on what drives Dynamic Man and Green Lama. We’re also given a small dossier at the end of the issue giving us a little character history. Carlos Paul, working off of Alex Ross’ breakdowns produces some excellent. While this issue’s story is no where near as “epic” as last issue, it’s entertaining, nonetheless. I’m not *dying* to read the next issue, but I am satisfied with what I got out of this one. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Project Superpowers #0 – Review

By: Jim Krueger (Writer), Alex Ross (Art Direction, Cover), Stephen Sadowski (Art)

This week’s new releases have been nothing but great read after read. I thought something had to give. Usually when I pay $1.00 for a comic book (these days), I expect to get maybe five pages of story, some dossier files and some character sketches. Not this time!

Project Superpowers caught me completely off guard. I expected some Golden Age silliness and mayhem, but what I got was a well crafted story and a character in the form of the Fighting Yank who is probably more fleshed out than his original character of yesteryear. It’s an explosive tale that centers around World War II where it’s believed that Hitler and his obsession with the occult has uncovered Pandora’s Box. Now, I’m not going to go on about the rest of the story, but it’s a really good read and the ghost that haunts the modern Fighting Yank (now in his old age), makes you wonder if he was delusional or if he was doing the right thing.

Like Marvel’s new series, The Twelve, Project Superpowers shines a new light on old characters, giving them a more dark and interesting modern spin. Shame on me for underestimating Alex Ross and Jim Krueger. Don’t be fooled by the price tag on this book, you get a full 20+ pages of fantastic story and beautiful art. Easily the most bang you’ll get for your buck this week. (Grade: A)