Supercrooks #2 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer), Leinil Yu (artist), Nacho Vigalondo (co-plotter), Gerry Alanguilan (inker), Clayton Cowles (letters) and Sunny Gho (colors)

The Story: The super-villains get the team together to pull a big heist.

Recap/Review (with minor SPOILERS): This comic is pretty entertaining while also a good example of how “there are no new stories.”  You could look at this comic and say, “Sheesh…it’s just a heist story with superpowers.  That’s been done a billion times before!”  Or…you could appreciate that the story is well-paced and the dialogue is pretty well written and that the pictures are pretty.  It isn’t a new story, but the execution is pretty good.

This is your basic “getting the team together” issue.  Continuing the story from issue #1, an old supervillain needs to repay a huge gambling debt and enlists his former proteges to help him out.   Obviously, it wouldn’t be a very fun story if the heist to repay the debt was a 2-man job, so our central characters have to round up a bunch of other villains.  The other villains they round up fill some of the standard slots: weather control, regeneration, etc.  All of this is pretty standard stuff and it’s easy to see the movie pitch that this could lead to (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).

Supercrooks #1 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer), Leinil Yu (art), Nacho Vigalondo (co-plotter), Gerry Alanguilan (inks), Sunny Gho (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters)

A Few Things: 

1. One of Millar’s “movie properties.” – It seems like Millar has two styles for these Millarworld comics.  On one side, you have things like Kick-Ass or Wanted or Nemesis that may be good comics, but are chock full of material that will never be able to go into a movie because Millar is pushing the envelope with over-the-top story elements.  That isn’t to say that those properties can’t be made into movies, but they have to change a bit and lose some of their edginess.  Then on the other side, you have properties like Superior or Supercrooks.  In this case, you can absolutely see this being a movie right now.  Supercrooks contains zero of the material that will make you squirm in your chair: villains made out of evil feces, sisters artificially inseminated by their brother, raped teenage girls, etc.  None of that here.  Millar could just send this to a movie studio “as is” and begin production.  Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I’m not a big fan of seeing failed movie pitches getting turned into comics (because they usually failed for a reason), but I’ve got no problem with a creator keeping an eye on both markets, especially when one is WAY more lucrative than the other.

2. Crime + Superpowers. – With both this series and the recently finished Superior (by the same creative team), Millar has taken a very basic and time-tested story and poured superpowers over the top.  Superior was a take on a faustian bargain.  Supercrooks is just a crime/mob story that asks the question, why commit crimes in New York City when that’s where all the superheroes are?  But, mixed into that idea is a story of a guy who gets caught ripping off a casino and is told that if he cannot come up with a huge amount of money, he’ll be a dead man.  How many times have we seen that story before?  It’s Tony Soprano telling the hardware store owner to pay up!  Mind you, derivative story isn’t necessarily a bad thing!  How many people will go to see “The Hunger Games” this weekend or have already read the books?  THAT isn’t a new story; there are NO new stories.  What makes a story special is how well the creators execute on them!  And here, Millar puts in very strong work in this #1 issue.  It is well-written and well-paced; I like the criminal characters and want them to “win,” and more than anything I want to see what happens next.

Superior #7 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan (inks), Sunny Gho (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters) & Nicole Boose (editor)

The Story: Will Simon/Superior make a deal with the devil to save Earth.

Four Things:

1. Has a popcorn-y summer movie feel. – I can totally see this being a summer movie and I’m sure Millar has either already signed with a producer or is hard at work securing such a deal.  That’s not a bad thing because this could be a lot of fun to see on the big screen.  The story is linear, doesn’t ask too much of the reader and has a happy ending.  This comic could be adapted without too much fuss.  Yay!

2. Great linework. – For me, the real star of this series has been the Yu/Alanguilan art team.  Even if the art is a much more realistic than I like, I can still appreciate what’s going on here.  The hard thing with realism is that you have to nail it and that takes special artists to not give us faces that fall apart when you stare at them for too long.  Yu and Alanguilan are up the challenge.  They also do a pretty good job of capturing the super-powered action, which is (again) hard for realistic artists to pull off (for the same reason a photograph almost never has the vitality of the real thing).  My only fear when I see a comic like this is that they’re inspiring other young artists….who are far less talented….to draw like them because this is NOT a style that looks good when it isn’t done well.

Superior #6 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan (inks), Javier Tartaglia (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters) & Nicole Boose (editor)

The Story: Now that we know the origin of the power that turned a little boy into Superior, we have to see what evil this Faustian bargain will bring.

Five things: 

1).  A well told story, even if it is a little predictable.  If you follow Mark Millar at all online, you see that most comments about him relate to the way he hypes his projects or how he often has movie deals lined up before the comic miniseries is finished.  It’s hard to imagine what’s so objectionable about a guy marketing his creator-owned material or a guy taking a movie studio’s money when they offer it to him (especially because I’m sure it puts money in the artists’ pockets too), but for some reason Millar’s behavior drives some fans to distraction.  That distraction is unfortunate because Millar really does write well.  There’s nothing too ground-breaking about the story in Superior, but the script is well-written and both this issue and series have hit all the appropriate dramatic beats at just the right time.  It’s easy to take professional story-telling for granted, but then you read a hot mess like Fear Itself and realize that this stuff is harder than it looks.

Superior #4 – Review

 

By: Mark Millar (writer/creator), Leinil Yu (pencils/creator), Gerry Alanguilan, Jason Paz & Jeff Huet (inks), Sunny Gho & Javier Tartaglia (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters) & Cory Levine (editor)

The Story: The cute reporter gets into the Superior game and the big bad villain is revealed (kinda).

What’s Good: I’ve enjoyed Superior and this is issue 4 out of 6, so it is naturally going to be a transitional issue.  If you understand that going in, you’ll be fine with the story as Millar and Yu are mostly moving the pieces around so that they can wrap up the story.  It is enlightening to see who and what the creators think are important.  There is a huge focus on the reporter, Maddie, who goes to great lengths to finally meet Superior.  But, I was a little surprised that our focus also drifted towards Simon/Superior’s parents and the actor who played Superior in the movies.  I honestly don’t know what role those folks are going to play, but I’m sure that Millar has something up his sleeve.

One very cool moment in this issue revolved around a role reversal between Simon/Superior and his buddy Chris.  If you remember back to the first issue of the series, Chris was the ONLY friend who stuck by Simon when he was wheelchair bound by disease and actively took up for Simon when the other kids teased him.  Here we get to see Simon/Superior return the favor when Chris runs into the neighborhood bullies.  One thing that I love about Simon/Superior is that he is super NICE.  Most stories where a young person gets power/fame/money have an obligatory portion of the story where they crap all over their friends and fall in with a bad crowd.  Sooooo glad that we aren’t forced to see that, but Millar is too good of a storyteller to go down that path.

And, the kinda shocking part of this issue happens right at the end when the space monkey shows back up.  Last issue there was an allusion that Simon may have unwittingly made a Faustian bargain to get his powers.  Here the monkey makes an offer to the head bully and it just reinforces that notion.  Of course, in true Millar fashion, he doesn’t beat around the bush by calling the source of power some vague “supreme evil” or anything like that.  He just goes for the “S”-word and in so doing will get his comic banned from Sunday School.  That’s kinda what I love about Millar: He is willing to push the envelope in his stories.  It doesn’t always work, but you don’t do new and exciting things by playing it safe.

The art is mostly a plus for me.  I love Yu’s layouts.  He always manages to put the viewer’s eye right where they need to be to appreciate that scene.  That’s really a gift that you appreciate when you see other comics doing it wrong.  Put this skill in the category of “harder than it looks” and “underappreciated”.  There are also huge kudos for the design of Superior himself.  I love that he’s drawn as a big, muscular dude who is wearing a uniform versus a nude man without genitals who just has a costume added by the colorist.  It’s also more work to do it that way because I’m sure that the rough layout had a basic human form onto which the costume is drawn.

Superior #3 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer/creator), Leinil Yu (penciler/creator), Gerry Alanguilan, Jason Paz & Jeff Huet (inkers), Sunny Gho & Javier Tartaglia (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters) & Cory Levine (editor)

The Story: Now that Simon Pooni has been transformed into Superior and kinda gotten a hold of his powers, it’s time for him to start getting into some heroic action.

What’s Good: This comic really has a big heart and I think it accurately depicts what would happen if a ~11 year old paraplegic boy suddenly did get super powers: He wouldn’t immediately just start proclaiming himself as Superior, puff out his chest and save the day while stopping to pose for the cameras.  He’d probably fix things and then hide from the resultant attention out of fear that he’d possibly done something wrong or that his parents would find out.  So, as we go though this issue, which is really an exploration of Simon’s coming to grips with his ability to save lives, it was a neat choice by Millar to not have it readily apparent how the space station was saved except for some blurry images on camera phones and the random eyewitness report.  I really enjoyed this approach much more than if Simon had posed at the scene of his heroic act and announced himself because it emphasizes that this is really a little boy in a superhero’s body.

Of course, this cannot simply be a comic about a little boy becoming a superhero…  There must be some conflict and drama!  For that we return to the mysterious Space Monkey who granted Simon’s wish to become Superior in the first place.  I don’t want to give away the very cool twist on the final page, but it looks like Simon might have gotten himself into a bigger situation than he originally bargained for.  Can’t wait to see how that shakes out.

The art in this issue is pretty strong.  One of the things I like about Yu’s pencils is that he draws Superior as a guy wearing a tight uniform as opposed to drawing a nude man who happens to get colored red later.  Superior still has bulgy muscles that show off anatomy, but he also has fabric bunching in all the right places.  Nice to see a little more realism in that regard that we usually do.  Yu also has a couple of scenes that allow him to just go crazy drawing architecture, space stations, submarines, etc.  Some of this looks like it might have been sampled from photos, but I don’t really care.  It is just nice to see an artist show commitment to excellent art extending beyond the main characters in the scene (although sometimes the “main character” is a submarine).  I’m unsure what Yu’s background is, but this is always something you see from artists who were trained as professional illustrators and it is sometimes missing in comics.

Superior #1 – Review

By: Mark Millar (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan (inks), Dave McCaig (colors) & Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: A young boy get’s his wish from a space monkey.

What’s Good: This is very good and understated Mark Millar.  Superior is absolutely nothing like his recent creator-owned projects such as Nemesis or Kick Ass.  There is no wanton violence, no ethnic slurs, no sexuality, etc.  This is just a nice little story about a hard-luck kid who gets his wish granted to him.

This is probably a minor spoiler, but the story revolves around a teenage boy who was a star athlete at his school until he develops multiple sclerosis.  The MS robs him of his ability to play sports and even the ability to walk, but what hurts most is that all but one of his friends drop him; not necessarily out of cruelty, but simply because kids are often too self-centered to make sure to include their handicapped old friend.  Then one evening, he wakes to find a space monkey on his bed who grants him one wish and before you know it, he has morphed into Superior (a Superman analog). Now what??

There are a LOT of ways that Millar can go with this story.  Will we learn more about that space monkey?  Will it play out like the movie Big, but with super-powers?  Will the kid go on a mission to save the world?  Will he beat up the bully?

However, the best part of this initial issue was Millar characterization of the boy’s last remaining friend.  We all know people like this kid, they’re just super nice people.  They stick by their friends even when it isn’t easy and we all wish we could be a little more like this nice kid.

Hulk #23 – Review

by Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness, Dale Keown, Sal Buscema, Mike Deodato, Herb Trimpe, Ian Churchill, John Romita Jr., Tim Sale, & Leinil Yu (artists)

SPOILER WARNING! If you’re a trade-waiter and haven’t read the issue before this, then you might not want to read this review.  Just sayin’.

————–

The Story: The curtain is finally pulled back as we get to see not only how and why General Thunderbolt Ross became the Red Hulk, but why he is the man he is today.  Meanwhile, the Red Hulk fights the Cosmic Hulk Robot.  (You know, that sentence alone would make me buy this issue.  A Red Hulk throwing down with a Cosmic Hulk Robot?!  Hello, awesome!  It’s not what’s awesome about this issue, though.)

What’s Good (and pretty awesome): Jeph Loeb finally slows down a second to tell an actual story and it only took him two years.  I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy the month after month big dumb fight scenes he was throwing my way every issue, but I can only eat so many corn flakes before I start getting a hankering for some eggs and bacon, if you catch my drift.  The scribe tells an engaging tale of Ross’ past, smartly starting nearly at the beginning, when the General was just sixteen years old.  It sets the stage for the rest of the character’s life, as we learn that he’s not only always had an indomitable will but that he also seems to have a knack for escaping the bony claws of the Grim Reaper time and again.  Loeb jumps around in the timeline of Ross’ life, mainly showcasing it in relation to Bruce Banner and the original Hulk.  By doing this, he’s able to explain why such a man who’s shown nothing but hatred for the rampaging monster that is the Hulk would allow himself to be transformed into a nearly identical being.  The desperation, ego, and envy that drive Ross to the depths that he falls to in Loeb’s script are believably conveyed by the writer.  The fact that Ross envies Banner, not only in the raw power that he possesses but in the love he receives from Betty, is a nice revelation that I don’t believe I’ve seen noted elsewhere.

This is a veritable who’s who of Hulk artists and that alone makes this issue a lot of fun to flip through.  In particularly fine form are Trimpe, Keown, Deodato and, of course, McGuinness.  The other artists certainly do a good, if not great, job with the interior art, but these four knock it out of the park.  Trimpe’s a classic artist, and the one page he pencils here (which opens the story) showcasing Ross’ adolescence just pulled me right in.  It’s a shame he could only supply one page of art.  Keown is, basically, MY Hulk artist, by which I mean that he was pencilling the title when I started reading it.  Bias aside, the artist’s double-page spread just screams strength and power as the savage Hulk wails on the U.S. Army.  My only complaint is that, regrettably, he doesn’t pencil the version of the Hulk  that he’s famous for.  That’s left to Churchill, which I though was odd, but oh well.  Deodato’s portion ties together a lot of the events we’ve seen before in the title’s earlier issues and fills in the blanks for us.  With this in mind, the penciller somewhat apes McGuinness’ style but still puts his particular stamp on it.  A risky move, but it completely works.  And then there’s McGuinness.  He’s possibly the only reason I’ve stuck with this title for so long.  He handles the present tale, which include the Red Hulk vs. Cosmic Hulk Robot scenes and they are dynamic as all hell.  He also supplies the visuals for the final showdown between our anti-hero and the Leader, with a down-pouring thunderstorm in the background.  You should buy this for the first page of that alone.  I’m not even kidding.

Secret Invasion #7 (of 8) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Leinil Yu (Pencils), Mark Morales (Inker), Laura Martin, and Emily Warren (Colorists)

The Story: The penultimate chapter of the Secret Invasion is all about the action. Heroes and villains from throughout the Marvel universe come together for an epic battle against the Skrull army. But this isn’t just a straight forward fight, the final seeds planted months ago by writer Brian Bendis finally come to fruition.

What’s (very) Good: The action. The artwork here is absolutely phenomenal. Each panel packs a punch and it seems as though every character involved in the fight gets a chance to shine. There is a LOT going on in this comic and the art team pulls it off spectacularly. As far as action goes, this is one epic fight that manages to live up to the hype. Hats of to Leinil Yu for delivering the goods!

What’s Not So Good: The dialogue. I know that I may sound a bit too critical here, but most of the battlefield dialogue just simply doesn’t work for me. The banter and catch-phrases, while (admittedly) fun, take away from the seriousness and scope of the battle at hand. I held on to some hope that the encounter would somehow be able to transcend above its summer blockbuster status, but it doesn’t. It is all very fun, but considering how seriously some of this story has been taken, I can’t help but feel the tone is a bit off. It just seems like some of the characters involved are having way too much fun.

Conclusion: For all out Marvel superhero action, you really can’t get much better than this. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not. Whether that is a positive or a negative is up to you, the reader, to decide.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

As short-changed as some might feel, this book doesn’t need the dialogue. Why? Because there’s really not much of a story here. It’s a full blown brawl fest — Marvel porn at its finest. Finally… finally some of those New Avengers and Mighty Avengers stories that were dismissed as “throwaways” make sense and carry more weight. The concept of Wasp being chosen to be the doomsday weapon is a bit silly, though. And why only infect her when you can infect others as a contingency plan? That logic throws me off a bit, but whatever. This once dreaded invasion is showing signs of fatigue. At least I now know why Marvel released that Marvel Boy hardcover a couple of weeks back.

At this point I just want this series to be over.

Grade: C

– J. Montes

Secret Invasion #6 (of 8) – Review

By Brian Bendis (story), Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

After coming off the high of last issue’s rousing cliffhanger, Secret Invasion #6 comes off as a disjointed mess. There’s plenty of stuff that happens in this issue, but the transitions that lead from Point A to Point B almost seem to be non-existent (at times). Leinil Yu’s artistic endurance is taxed beyond measure as he’s forced to draw big scene after big scene. He’s working in George Perez territory now, and I think due to the high demands of this issue, some of Yu’s storytelling ability was sacrificed or lost in the shuffle.

Many times I was forced to flip back and forth between pages just to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a page, because that’s what this issue feels like: it’s missing pages. It even feels a lot thinner than most of the comics I bought this week and those issues cost a dollar less! Still, at $3.99 you’ll be treated to a bevy of double-page splashes that’ll make your jaw drop.

Like I said, the story is disjointed, but there are some memorable scenes. Finally, we get to the street level with civilians actually buying into the Skrull manifesto. You’re going to love hating these people. In fact, I was hoping Nick Fury would tell his commandos to open fire on them (heh). As for the rest of the story, it basically all finally leads to what’s going to be the inevitable throw down between Earth’s mightiest and the Skrull Empire. And as much as I take issue with flow of the story, the last five pages go a long way in redeeming the rest of the book. When Nick Fury says, “Well my god has a hammer,” I couldn’t help but laugh… hard. Easily the greatest moment of this series thus far. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

As much as the Marvel fanboy in me enjoyed reading this latest chapter of Secret Invasion (the last few pages are the stuff fangasms are made of), the critic side of me can’t help but feel let down by the lack of forward movement and the surprising number of pages that felt almost completely unnecessary. For example, was there really a need to have three (admittedly awesome) splash scenes covering six pages when it seemed as though far too much was crammed onto certain pages? The pacing just felt off throughout the entire issue. The story was either meandering about or moving way too fast.

With that said however, Secret Invasion #6 is still a fun read. This is summer blockbuster styled entertainment and it makes no effort to really hide that fact. The writing is tight (and suitably cheesy at times), the action delivers (but has yet to actually begin), and the pieces are in place for one hell of a conclusion. The real battle is about to start and I simply can’t wait. (Grade: B-)

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Invasion #5 (of 8) – Review

By Brian Bendis (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

We all knew that, at some point, the heroes would find some traction to begin pushing back against the Skrull threat. What we didn’t know was that it would be the (comparatively) minor characters that would provide the spark. With Iron Man, The Avengers, and Reed Richards either out of commission, it’s up to people like Maria Hill, Agent Brand, and Norman Osbourne to step up the plate and attempt to regain control of a situation that continues to get more and more out of hand. That is Secret Invasion #5 in a nutshell and, let me tell you, it kicks all sorts of ass.

I honestly don’t think that this “turning point” chapter could have been executed any better. Nearly all of the major situations are addressed, many different characters get a chance to shine, and, most importantly, the flow of events is damn near perfect. With this issue, Secret Invasion truly achieves summer blockbuster status (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible). With the Skrulls well established as a threat and the world spiraling into complete chaos, the event has been in a desperate need of some “F*CK YEAH!” moments. I am happy to say that they are delivered in spades.

Well done Brian Bendis, you’ve crafted a story with action beats and momentum changes absolutely worth cheering for. Well done Leinil Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, and Emily Warren, you have all done an excellent job bringing this action epic to life with some fantastic visuals and solid choreography.

Secret Invasion is the real deal. If you aren’t reading it, you are missing out on one hell of a wild ride. This chapter makes it official: This is one event worth investing in. (Grade: A+)

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

Best issue of the series so far. Not a panel or page wasted (except for the cover which completely blows).

After four months of Skrulls kicking the snot out of Earth’s finest we’re treated to an emotional high as the heroes of the Marvel Universe finally turn things around and get their crap together. And who woulda thought the big catalyst for this change would be Agent Brand? Basically, this issue marks the beginning of the end and unless we see the Skrulls counter with some big secret weapon, our heroes are going to steamroll over their entire empire.

What fuels them? Rage. Pure rage. Reed Richards? Good lord, do not piss that guy off! In fact, don’t piss off Hawkeye, either. I can’t wait to see the rage unleashed on these alien scumbags!

Buy this issue. It’s coated with a series of reveals and counter measures we’ve all been clamoring for months. It’s a pay off story, and one of the best I’ve ever read. After months of languishing in near mediocrity, Secret Invasion is back and unfortunately proves that this story would be better read in trade format. But who wants to wait nearly a year for that? Gimmie the next issue now! (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Secret Invasion #4 (of 8) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

I’m going to out right say it: The first nine pages of this issue pretty much suck. All we get is the usual boring diatribe we’ve been fed time and again in just about any science fiction story where conquering aliens lecture the human race. It’s also the same stuff Brian Bendis has been spewing in our face for the last year or so. Is it necessary to regurgitate all this crap back to the readers even if this is the first time Tony Stark’s hearing it? Couldn’t this have been done off page, saving us nine pages of useless narrative?

Other than the rhetorical nonsense, the first nine pages do give us a decent, if not, fleeting view of Nick Fury and his team of Commandos in action (along with Reed Richard getting the torture treatment). Personally, after all the build up leading towards Fury’s return, I was rather disappointed with how little we see of him and his team. The hit and run tactics they use are smart, especially when dealing with overwhelming odds, but come on, I wanted to see of Nick’s huge gun in action! Oh, and poor Ms. Marvel.

Poor Ms. Marvel.

From the battlefront in New York, the story shifts gears and plays with the drama brewing between Spider-Woman and Iron Man. Just when it seems like Black Widow’s ready to save the day, the story cops out with an unruly distraction. Sure, a few more Skrull agents are dispatched, but was this really necessary? It’s a frustrating scene, but I understand that it’s probably just too early to “off” the Skrull Queen. Meanwhile, Agent Brand’s plot feels wasted as she finds a way aboard a Skrull ship and catches up on events. The Jarvis incident taking place in the Bermuda Triangle is given a measly one page. Even more annoying is what’s been more or less revealed months ago (through the Bendis hype machine) is redundantly touched upon with Jarvis dropping a bomb on Maria Hill. Again, nothing surprising.

Despite my litany of complaints, the book is well-paced and entertaining as any summer blockbuster should be. Other than the events taking place in the Savage Land, here’s little dialogue spoken in this issue. That leaves most of the heavy lifting to be done by Leinul Yu, who once again proves that he’s one of the best artists at Marvel. What this issue lacks in iconic scenery and double page splashes (there’s only one in this issue) is more than made up for with excellent storytelling.

As one would expect, all the good stuff is saved for the last three pages. Readers will be treated as to what the villains’ stance is in this war, and two heavy hitters finally show up to play. This is a good build up, but then again so was the return of Nick Fury. Hopefully, Bendis doesn’t drop the ball (again) next issue. I almost hate to say it, but for me, this book is becoming a victim of its own hype. That said, I think people who’ve ignored the Marvel propaganda and marketing machine will be happily entertained. (Grade: C+)

-J. Montes

A Second Opinion

Secret Invasion has, so far, been more hit than miss, but let me just get this out there right off the bat. This is the Secret Invasion issue everyone has been waiting for. It is a perfect blend of explosive action, fitting characterization, and solid storytelling that really works to elevate the event as a whole. For this one issue that actually manages to live up to the massive amount of hype and buildup.

My hat’s off to Brian Michael Bendis for his use of narration in this issue. While I agree with Jason that there is a definite sci-fi cliche at work, I was honestly having too much fun with this issue to care.  Bendis’ writing of the Skrull Queen’s narrative is, quite honestly, haunting at times and it works extremely well in framing the story within the Skrull viewpoint. Bendis shines outside of his use of narration as well. The dialogue is spot on as he uses dark humor and character moments to great effect. This was easily his strongest Secret Invasion showing yet and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next month. If I have one complaint it’s that there are still a few hanging plot threads, but I can’t let that weigh on my score much because I am fairly certain they will be covered in some future tie-in.

As for the art, the team has once again hit a new high mark as Leinil Yu’s pencils are the best it’s been thanks, in no small part, to some spectacular work by inker Mark Morales and colorist Laura Martin. Also, I must mention how well done the panel layout is as it manages to pack a whole lot into one standard sized issue. The chaotic action is well directed as well. High marks to everyone involved. This is one good looking book.

What else can I really say? I loved Secret Invasion #4.  Here’s to hoping the tie-ins do their job or else the wait for next month’s installment is going to seem endless. (Grade A)

– Kyle Posluszny

Secret Invasion #3 (of 8) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

It’s going to be hard to get into the heart of this issue since most of it’s a barrage of fight scenes. But, this is exactly what Secret Invasion #2 should have been. With StarkTech and SHIELD’s infrastructure crippled, we finally get to see the higher end results of the Skrull invasion. In a nutshell, they make short work of many of Earth’s heroes and defenses. There’s little in terms of plot payoffs, but the amount of heroes that get slaughtered is quite staggering. Also, Spider-Woman, feeling quite confident with her invasion plan comes out in the open and boy does she mess with Tony Stark.

Brian Bendis keeps things short with this issue. There’s minimal use of talking heads, banter, and useless dialogue. Instead he hands the reins over to Leinil Yu. The result of this is a more streamlined story that will be quickly digested. People may complain about this, but really, what do you expect? There’s only so much talking that can be done during a war (unless Spidey’s around).

By the way, Yu’s art is impeccable. It seems like he really took his time with this issue and focused his efforts into storytelling. Much of this can be witnessed when the Skrulls are communicating between themselves in their native tongue. Mark Morales has been doing a wonderful job inking over Yu’s pencils and reinforces the fact that Yu’s art must always be inked! The polish on display here is even more stunning than previously and Yu’s rendition of Spider-Woman’s to die for. The battles feel large in scale and the hits our heroes take are brutal. Credit must also be given to colorist Laura Martin who doesn’t wash out the art is moody tones or over-coloring. It all just feels perfect.

After dropping the ball with last issue, it’s nice to see this book back with its legs. We get minimal time with the Savage Land and more time with Earth’s other heroes. Plus, the reemergence of Nick Fury is grand. But what’s with the Rob Liefeld “bigger than me” gun? (Grade: A-)

Secret Invasion #1 – Advance Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors)

After months (even years) of anticipation, Secret Invasion is finally here. Now, I’ll readily admit I wasn’t a big fan of Brian Bendis’ last epics, House of M and Secret War. House of M felt like 90% set up and 10% payoff, and Secret War, well, it just didn’t seem to go anywhere at all. But with Secret Invasion, I’m beginning to see how Secret War is finally going to pay some dividends.

Brian Bendis wastes no time creating complete chaos with this first issue. I hate making comparisons, but it’s very reminiscent of the first 15 minutes of a summer blockbuster (ala Michael Bay). Potential confrontations are over before they even begin, and we get lots of damage on a planetary scale (not to mention explosions). The Skrulls make their move very quickly and everyone is pretty much caught off-guard. Even Tony Stark, the futurist, didn’t see this one coming – he’s held completely powerless to stop the onslaught. With the tone set at such a serious level, I found it even more hilarious when I came across slices of humorous dialogue. I literally laughed out loud when I read this stuff; the timing was just impeccable.

The production values are just as impressive. I think this is Leinil Yu’s best work since that Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk series he did a few years back. Bringing Mark Morales on board to ink his pencils was a touch of genius, too. Normally, I hate it when we get a book that’s digitally inked, but Yu’s one of the few artists that can pull it off. With Secret Invasion, however, his art is clearly takes a new shine with Morales’ inks. Laura Martin’s colors add to that shine, adding a lot of vibrancy to Yu’s art. In a way, this book looks like a brand new car you just bought off the lot. If only the cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto wasn’t so dreary.

It’s very hard to talk about this story without spoiling it, so I’ll just go into why the story works. The beginning gives us a good rationale as to what’s going on with the Skrulls. It’s moody, brooding, and all that dark stuff. From there, the story slowly builds up speed until it hits a sprinter’s pace around page 20. From here till around page 40 (the last page), it’s a non-stop ride of suspenseful moments that’ll leave your jaw on the floor. I just can’t believe we’ve gotta wait 30 more days for the next installment.

Secret Invasion is off to a dizzying start and like its pacing, it’ll leave you breathless. You did good this time, Bendis. You did good. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Ultimate Spider-Man #118 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Stuart Immonen (Pencils), Wade Von Grawbadger (Inks), Justin Ponsor (Colors)

I love Mark Bagley’s body of work on Ultimate Spider-Man. When I think of the title, his name will always be synonymous with it, much like Romita Sr. and Ditko and Amazing Spider-Man. But Stuart Immonen’s art, while drastically different than Bagley’s in style, knows how to flow with Brian Bendis’ script.

A look at the first page in Ultimate Spider-Man #118 clearly shows this. The way Pete can’t focus on his studies because of Harry’s death and how the shadows begin to set in his room really makes for a powerful opening. No words are needed because the panel speaks so powerfully for itself. The line work he puts in his characters remind me much of Leinil Yu (I think it’s the eyes, too), and his attention to detail, especially in the mall scene, is meticulous. Kudos to Justin Ponsor who does a great coloring job. His colors really amplify the mood of the book and bring a lot of life to Immonen’s work.

This issue marks the beginning of the “Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends” story arc, and it’s a perfect place for readers to jump on. Bendis does a ton of character work this issue and it’s such a good read. It’s all driven by the characters’ thoughts and there’s lots of “Aaaarghh’ss” to be read, but it’s hilarious. Everyone has their concerns and problems, and Bendis just nails the life of a young person. Johnny Storm arriving at school to cause trouble with everyone is downright hilarious and Firestar’s identity is sure to surprise! Month to month, Ultimate Spider-Man delivers. This issue is no different. (Grade: A)

– J.Montes