crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
3.0
A messy introduction to the Secret Invasion storyline.
The volume begins with two stellar issues. The first, revolving around Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Bendis started their relationship during his founding run on Alias (AKA Jessica Jones) which inspired much of the Netflix Marvel Tv Universe., and he takes it to a spectacularly dramatic height here, as Jessica tries to convince Luke to abandon the New Avengers for the proper Mighty Avengers, using their baby as a bargaining chip. It's really well done. 5/5*
The second issue focuses on Wolverine and Maya Lopez as we discover yet another superhero (not either of them) is a Skrull, and, yes, they've been amanipulating things since before Civil War. This is Bendis at his best level of intrigue. 5/5*
Issue #40 is where it starts to get dicey. We see the lead up to the conflict through the eyes of the Skrulls. It's science vs prophecy as a segment of the Skrull population believes their home planet is destined to be destroyed, and that Earth is their next home planet. And, lo, their homeworld is destroyed, so ..... 3/5*. The best part of this book is the last page reveal of another skrull's identity.
Issue #41 is a mess. Now we're in the Savage Land. But it's before some things, and after others. And there are Skrulls there, and Avengers, and Captain Am...isn't he dead?..This is a terribly mangled issue of the series. Even long-time comic fans will find it difficult to follow. 2/5*
#42 doesn't get much better as we see the lead up to The Secret Invasion through the character revealed to be a Skrull at the end of issue #40. It's bumpy. It does tell an interesting story, but it's neither paced well nor clear what happens at the end. I *think* it infers the Skrulls were really the ones behind M-Day, and not The Scarlet Witch? If so, that definitely got retconned. 3.5*
It's also worth mentioning that the art in this entire volume is superb. From Gaydos revisiting his work on Alias, Mack revisiting his work on Daredevil, and Cheung and Tan just killing it because they can. The art is 4-5* all the way through.
Definitely worth reading before the TV version airs, even if it's a bit choppy.
The volume begins with two stellar issues. The first, revolving around Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Bendis started their relationship during his founding run on Alias (AKA Jessica Jones) which inspired much of the Netflix Marvel Tv Universe., and he takes it to a spectacularly dramatic height here, as Jessica tries to convince Luke to abandon the New Avengers for the proper Mighty Avengers, using their baby as a bargaining chip. It's really well done. 5/5*
The second issue focuses on Wolverine and Maya Lopez as we discover yet another superhero (not either of them) is a Skrull, and, yes, they've been amanipulating things since before Civil War. This is Bendis at his best level of intrigue. 5/5*
Issue #40 is where it starts to get dicey. We see the lead up to the conflict through the eyes of the Skrulls. It's science vs prophecy as a segment of the Skrull population believes their home planet is destined to be destroyed, and that Earth is their next home planet. And, lo, their homeworld is destroyed, so ..... 3/5*. The best part of this book is the last page reveal of another skrull's identity.
Issue #41 is a mess. Now we're in the Savage Land. But it's before some things, and after others. And there are Skrulls there, and Avengers, and Captain Am...isn't he dead?..This is a terribly mangled issue of the series. Even long-time comic fans will find it difficult to follow. 2/5*
#42 doesn't get much better as we see the lead up to The Secret Invasion through the character revealed to be a Skrull at the end of issue #40. It's bumpy. It does tell an interesting story, but it's neither paced well nor clear what happens at the end. I *think* it infers the Skrulls were really the ones behind M-Day, and not The Scarlet Witch? If so, that definitely got retconned. 3.5*
It's also worth mentioning that the art in this entire volume is superb. From Gaydos revisiting his work on Alias, Mack revisiting his work on Daredevil, and Cheung and Tan just killing it because they can. The art is 4-5* all the way through.
Definitely worth reading before the TV version airs, even if it's a bit choppy.
dkmode's review against another edition
Note: I'm copy-and-pasting my reviews for this and the Mighty Avengers Avengers tie-in, because even though their contents are different, they're functionally the same. Since I read these issues interchangeably on Marvel Unlimited, I can't remember which ones were which.
These volumes are emblematic of the problem with event comics. In an optimal world, you'd have the main contents going back and forth between the Avengers books, but Marvel needs to sell more books, so you get the event as a standalone miniseries, and Mighty and New are put on hold while the event plays out over the year.
The consequence is that everything in these tie-in issues fills in gaps that no one asked for. Sometimes they broach important questions - like, how long has Hank Pym been a Skrull for? - but the answers take way too long. This is Bendis after all, so everything is "decompressed", and takes a full issue when a more efficient writer would communicate the necessary parts in a couple panels.
It's not that the content is "bad" per se; it's the same middle-of-the-road quality level of Bendis' typical Avengers books, which means its easy to read and has some monologues that would be nice if the characters didn't all use the same "realistic" dialogue style. But it's certainly pointless.
These volumes are emblematic of the problem with event comics. In an optimal world, you'd have the main contents going back and forth between the Avengers books, but Marvel needs to sell more books, so you get the event as a standalone miniseries, and Mighty and New are put on hold while the event plays out over the year.
The consequence is that everything in these tie-in issues fills in gaps that no one asked for. Sometimes they broach important questions - like, how long has Hank Pym been a Skrull for? - but the answers take way too long. This is Bendis after all, so everything is "decompressed", and takes a full issue when a more efficient writer would communicate the necessary parts in a couple panels.
It's not that the content is "bad" per se; it's the same middle-of-the-road quality level of Bendis' typical Avengers books, which means its easy to read and has some monologues that would be nice if the characters didn't all use the same "realistic" dialogue style. But it's certainly pointless.
subhamroxx's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty cool volume and it is a tie in to the main event and we check back with where is everyone or rather you know what they doing.
Luke dealing with Jess after she registers and the drama there and that was exciting to read and you can feel the tension or the thing with Maya and how she fights a skrull and her chemistry with Hawkeye but before that maybe the return of Mockingbird and that was my favorite part. So much drama there and that means big things for them and these characters.
Plus finally we learn of how the Skrull plan came about and the Queen Veranke of it all and how she invaded this world and her ulterior plans and its brilliant..the exposition that Bendis gives explaining it and it leads right into the heart of the event and shows you that its been a long time coming and I love it and finally we see the fallout of it all!
This was a great volume and sure could be considered wordy but is required exposition and you get so much of whats happening and it increases the reading experience so much ore and the constant art changes are annoying though.
Luke dealing with Jess after she registers and the drama there and that was exciting to read and you can feel the tension or the thing with Maya and how she fights a skrull and her chemistry with Hawkeye but before that maybe the return of Mockingbird and that was my favorite part. So much drama there and that means big things for them and these characters.
Plus finally we learn of how the Skrull plan came about and the Queen Veranke of it all and how she invaded this world and her ulterior plans and its brilliant..the exposition that Bendis gives explaining it and it leads right into the heart of the event and shows you that its been a long time coming and I love it and finally we see the fallout of it all!
This was a great volume and sure could be considered wordy but is required exposition and you get so much of whats happening and it increases the reading experience so much ore and the constant art changes are annoying though.
mckinlay's review against another edition
3.0
i don't know, i spend 90% of my time confused when i'm reading comics, and then it all clicks. this is a big event so when i get to the end, i'm hoping it all comes together.
tabman678's review against another edition
4.0
Alright this collection doesn’t just focus on one group it focuses on a couple different things. The New Avengers pre Savage Land zero. Spider-Woman being swapped out. And Spider-Man with Kazar and his small army. And I enjoyed reading all of it. This is the Secret Invasion tie in to read.
The art is consistently good and it’s all written by Bendis. Better than the mighty Avengers book and a hell of a good time.
4 stars.
The art is consistently good and it’s all written by Bendis. Better than the mighty Avengers book and a hell of a good time.
4 stars.
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