The Revolution found Secret Invasion #1 to be a slightly above average read. Bendis started off slowly, but he slowly gained some steam and delivered a pretty good ending to the debut issue of this big event. I expect Secret Invasion #2 to be a good read that provides some nice cotton candy for the brain. Let’s go ahead and do this review.
Creative Team
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Leinel Yu
Inks: Mark Morales
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5.5 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with the 1970’s characters squared off against the combined forces of the Mighty Avengers and the Secret Avengers. The 1970’s characters think the modern day characters are Skrulls while the modern day characters think the 1970’s characters are Skrulls. (Oh boy, it’s like an old episode of Three’s Company!) Ares tells the Mighty Avengers and the Secret Avengers to leave immediately. Ares says that this is a trap. Ares says that he will handle the 1970’s heroes himself. Ares reminds everyone that he is the god of war and that this is not the fight. That this is a trap. Of course, everyone is a moron and nobody leaves.
Luke Cage trash talks the 1970’s version of Luke Cage which basically de-evolves into banter that consists of the 1970’s Luke Cage incapable of saying anything else other than “Word!” over and over. And we get the present day Luke Cage countering with his inability to walk away from the 1970’s Luke Cage’s “disrespect.” (I think I just lost about 20 IQ points after reading that scene.)
The two sets of characters then begin brawling. Ms. Marvel carries Iron Man away from the fight scene. During the brawl, the Sentry begins to hallucinate that the Vision is really the Void. The Void tells the Sentry that Bob caused all of this to happen. That Bob is getting his revenge on all the heroes for them forgetting about Bob when he needed them the most. The Sentry is reduced to a blubbering mess and flies away from the scene.
Hawkeye steals the bow and arrows from the 1970’s Hawkeye. Our current Hawkeye then starts shooting the various 1970’s heroes. Our current Hawkeye then begins to think that maybe the 1970’s Captain America is the real deal and not a Skrull. Just then a giant dinosaur busts onto the scene and rampages through all the heroes.
We cut to Ms. Marvel and Iron Man arriving at the Mutate Citadel. Tony says that there was a laboratory here once upon a time. Unfortunately, the Citadel is in ruins. Ms. Marvel asks what Tony plans on doing. Tony replies that the Skrulls have infected his armor with an alien virus. Therefore, Tony is going to rebuild his armor from scratch.
Tony tells Ms. Marvel to fly back to the mainland and find out what has happened and then to gather everyone who’s left. Tony says that he built his first armor out of less than what he has in the Citadel’s bombed out lab. That Tony is going to do the one thing Skrulls can’t imitate. Use his brain.
We cut to the fight scene where the dinosaur effectively stomped all over several of the 1970’s heroes and killed them. We see that the 1970’s Spider-Man has reverted to his original Skrull form. (Damn. No such hope that the current Spider-Man is a Skrull.) Our current Wolverine and our current Luke Cage then square off against each other and have another “You’re a Skrull! No, you’re a Skrull” debate. (These two have the brainpower to light a single light bulb. Maybe.)
Wolverine figures out that the Skrulls must want to keep Earth intact and only want to kill the humans. That this entire battle was just a way for the Skrulls to torture them. This battle was just an attempt by the Skrulls to get them to distrust each other and kill each other. Wolverine then says that they fell for it. (Well, if you had listened to Ares you wouldn’t have been in this mess.) Luke replies “I didn’t see the scope of this. I didn’t see them taking Stark out.” (You don’t say. Dumbass.) Wolverine replies if Stark is even really him and not a Skrull. (Oh god, just give it a rest already.) Wolverine says that the 1970’s heroes were Skrulls on a suicide mission.
Wolverine then spies Mockingbird sitting next to the 1970’s Hawkeye’s corpse. The 1970’s Hawkeye has reverted back to his Skrull form. Mockingbird comments that they knew they had a Skrull or two in their group before they crashed. Wolverine charges Mockingbird only to get shot with an arrow into his arm.
Clint steps forward and tells Wolverine to back off. Mockingbird claims that she is not a Skrull. Clint asks her to tell him something about October 12. Mockingbird says that they had a miscarriage and they never told anyone. That they figured their baby’s birthday would have been October 12.
Clint tells Wolverine that nobody else in the world knew about that. Clint says that Mockingbird must really be herself. Mockingbird and Clint kiss each other. Clint says to Mockingbird that she died. Mockingbird responds that she didn’t.
Wolverine is less than pleased and says that Mockingbird still could be a Skrull. Wolverine says that for all they know that Clint could be a Skrull. (Yes! Can we play the “You’re a Skrull! No, you’re a Skrull” game again, Daddy? Please?)
Mockingbird then comments that Captain America is definitely the real version. That he is the one who got them back to Earth.
We cut to Manhattan where the Young Avengers are among the crowd of people watching the Baxter Building getting sucked into the Negative Zone. Suddenly, the Skrull armada arrives. The Skrull ships start blasting the office buildings. Then we see an army of Super Skrulls beam down from the ships and begin to attack Manhattan. End of issue.
Comments
The Good: Secret Invasion #2 was a disappointing read. However, I can still satisfy The Revolution’s Rule of Positivity with this issue. I loved the scene with Tony and Ms. Marvel in the lab at the Citadel. Tony displayed his trademark ingenuity, his iron will and refusal to ever give up. I dig that Tony’s only weapon that the Skrull’s can’t imitate is his mind. That was pretty cool. It was stunningly refreshing and enjoyable to see Bendis use Tony’s character for something else other than a punching bag.
Even though I was dissatisfied with the vast majority of Secret Invasion #2, I have to give Bendis credit for delivering a great hook ending. The dramatic appearance of an army of Super Skrulls definitely grabbed my attention. We should be in store for one hell of a fight with the next issue.
It is amazing how Bendis can completely bore me for an entire issue and then deliver such an excellent hook ending that immediately makes me want to read the next issue. That is simply evil.
I have to admit that this was some of the best artwork that Yu has delivered in a long time. However, Yu’s artwork is still below the standard of the type of artwork that I expect from a big event storyline. And I guess that Yu didn’t get the memo that Iron Man’s repulsor rays shoot from his palms not his fingertips. Still, I have to give Yu credit for a gorgeous double page splash shot of the Super Skrulls. What a way to end an issue.
The Bad: Secret Invasion #2 was a slow and dull read. Not surprisingly, Bendis gags up a poorly paced issue. Pacing continues to be Bendis’ biggest Achilles’ heel on New Avengers and I was waiting for it to show up on this title. The fact is that nothing really happens at all in this issue. We get plenty of the same old “You’re a Skrull! No, you’re a Skrull!” game that we have gotten ad nauseum over on New Avengers for the past year. I am so over it already. Honestly, this entire concept has become horribly stale like that piece of pizza that you find hiding in the back of your refrigerator from a party a month ago.
Secret Invasion #2 was a poorly paced issue. This issue had an awkward flow to it. The beginning of the issue drug on like a two legged horse. Then we got a poorly choreographed fight scene that was surprisingly unexciting. Then we have the convenient plot device of a random dinosaur come crashing through the fight scene to kill a few of the 1970’s heroes and expose that they are really Skrulls. Then the issue slowed down and drug once again until the final couple of pages that delivered the nice hook ending.
Secret Invasion #2 feels a bit unfocused and retreads well worn ground with the same old debates that we have gotten on New Avengers for the past year. It is no secret that Bendis struggles when writing a team comic book. Bendis shines when handling a solo title. Bendis is able to focus his stories and deliver a strong read when he only has to deal with one main character. However, a team dynamic causes Bendis to rapidly lose his focus and purpose. And these weaknesses with his writing are only magnified when dealing with a cast of characters much larger than a single team like what we have on Secret Invasion.
Bendis makes a big deal with our heroes debating with bated breath about if the 1970’s Captain America is truly him or just a Skrull. The problem is that this is a plotline that has no legs. The reader already knows that the 1970’s Captain America has to be a Skrull. Why? Because we have already seen Steve’s dead body over on Captain America and it never reverted into a Skrull. That means the Captain America who died is the real one and this 1970’s Captain America has to be a Skrull. Therefore, this plotline completely fails to generate any tension or interest in me.
Now, let’s touch on the “big” and “shocking” reveal in this issue that Mockingbird is not a Skrull and is no longer dead. I guess that this reveal would have had more impact on me if it was a character that I actually cared about. Seriously, I didn’t know that there were any fans out there clamoring for the return of the great Mockingbird.
Don’t get me wrong. Clint has been dealt a rough hand as of late and certainly deserves a bit of happiness. But, bringing back Mockingbird isn’t what I really thought was necessary. And doesn’t this move pretty much junk the whole budding romance between Hawkeye and Maya that Bendis spent so much effort into creating? Of course, Mockingbird could still be a Skrull. Oh, the fun never ends with this “Who is a Skrull?” game.
The dialogue varied between average to downright mind numbingly poor. None of the characters have a well developed or unique exterior voice. We either get a bland generic voice or we get “Bendis speak.” There is also a noticeable lack of chemistry between the characters in this issue.
The “banter” between the current Luke and the 1970’s Luke as well as the dialogue between Luke and Wolverine only served to make me view all three characters as unbelievable dumb. It was actually irritating how Bendis consistently delivers such stupid versions of Luke and Wolverine. The scary thing is that I don’t believe that Bendis is trying to write these characters as incredibly dumb people.
And speaking of stupid, it was annoying how nobody seemed to heed Ares’ advice about the 1970’s characters. Hello? God of War, people. You think he might know a thing or two about war and the tactics that are employed. Instead of everyone leaving to go check back at the mainland to see what the real threat is, they engage in a mindless brawl. Our heroes really aren’t that smart. It will be a miracle if they ever manage to get their shit together and defeat the Skrull invasion.
Character work is practically non-existent in this issue. Of course, that is not a surprise since Bendis has failed to engage in any character work during his run on New Avengers or Mighty Avengers. There was no reason for me to expect that we would see any character work on a title like Secret Invasion that is going to rely on mindless action scenes to carry the story.
And don’t get me wrong, I love a good brawlfest as much as the next person. I have no problems with an issue that is a straight up action issue with very little character work at all. However, to be a good action themed issue, the fight scenes must be well choreographed and have good psychology. Bendis fails to do that with the big fight scene in Secret Invasion #2.
Overall: It is odd, but I actually find the Secret Invasion tie-in issues over on Mighty Avengers and New Avengers to be vastly superior to what Bendis is giving us in Secret Invasion. That rarely happens during big events. But, that is the case with Secret Invasion. Bendis is giving us stories with much more substance with the tie-in issues. We are getting the actual meat and potatoes of the Secret Invasion story and learning all the new information on the tie-in issues while Secret Invasion itself is just delivering all the fight scenes.
Secret Invasion #2 was a pretty thin read. This issue lacked any substance or depth. This story definitely felt like your typical Hollywood blockbuster movie. Bendis is relying solely on big fight scenes and “shocking” Skrull reveals rather than a strong plot and complex story to carry this big event.
Of course, if you enjoy what Bendis has been delivering on New Avengers then I definitely recommend that you pick up Secret Invasion #2. You will certainly enjoy this issue. And readers who just want some popcorn for the brain will also probably enjoy Secret Invasion #2. Readers who are looking for a more complex and intriguing story will probably be a bit disappointed in what Bendis is delivering with Secret Invasion.
10 thoughts on “Comic Book Review: Secret Invasion #2”
Comments are closed.
Yes, Clint, Mockingbird knowing about that definitely proves she’s the real deal, because there is no chance whatsoever that the Skrulls have telepathic powers and could be reading your mind to find out what the correct answer is. How does he think they’ve managed to successfully impersonate people so often? (there’s also the purely reader-obvious issue that Mockingbird was dead way before “Enemy of the State”, which seems to be around the time of the earliest prong of the Invasion).
I agree, kind of a banal second issue; Bendis can do a one-shot story with the best of them, but when he does a multi-parter he pretty much always goes for a novelistic approach, rather than a serial one. In this case, after the enjoyable scope of the first issue, we spend basically the whole time following the Avengers running around the Savage Land.
Iron Man deciding to build new armour from scratch was cool.
I do like the end, though, since I’m a big Young Avengers fan.
I dont think that the jungle scene was THAT bad, the dialogue certainly left room for more to be desired but i thought it was cool how ronin stole hawkeyes bow and quiver and started sniping off people from the woods. The iron man scene in the lab was really good and i liked how he immediately sent ms marvel back to the mainland. I did think it was really frustrating how ares is just yelling “go back to the mainland you idiots!” and nobody listens. What nobody seems to have realized other than ares is that now, all of the “real” avengers and the “fake” avengers are all dispersed and so nobody knows who is who anymore so even if one of the new or mighty avengers wasnt a skrull going into that fight, they very well could be now.
-Hobosk8er
I don’t like the art,but this doesn’t seem too bad.( I get my comics monthly, so I haven’t read the issues,yet)Something is bothering me,however. How would The Skrulls replicate Mjolnir,Dr.Strange’s cloak or the Phoenix force for that matter. Wolverine would be able to tell right away that isn’t the real Phoenix force.Also, Dr. Strange doesn’t have “magic powers” He gets his power from belief and study. In that way, the mystic arts are like the martial arts.(I remeber a pretty cool FF story where Reed had to learn magic really fast to defeat Dr.Doom,awesome)If the skrulls wanted a mystic pick a skrull and send him to the library.Dissecting Dr. Strange won’t do any good.I understand that you have to take him off the table,but since he doesn’t have his own book,he could have disappeared on an emergency months ago with no explanation beyond that necessary.I am also left cold by the return of Mockingbird,I just have no real feeling for the character.
Once again, I am back-seat editing,but I would not have any Captain America in play at all. It detracts from what is going on in his main book, which I think is pretty special.
I liked the part where the skrulls used their incredible powers, technology and subversive skills to quietly plant and detonate nuclear bombs right under the noses of the heroes, killing them all without announcing their presence.
Just kidding! I didn’t bother to buy it after the first issue. From what I gathered from your review it’s going to be the typical Nu-Marvel Event. Interesting Premise, followed by several issues of filler, sprinkled with stunt ‘shocks’ that won’t be followed up, and ending with a deus ex machina.
“Hey, Joe… I’ve got this great idea for a comic book…”
Is it just me or does Marvel subscribe to the “throw as much as we can at the wall and see what sticks” approach. DC does too, but DC at least has a hit now and then.
the problem with qwert jrs hypothesis is that the skrulls clearly want the planet, not just to get the heroes out of the way, that means that simply annihilating everyone on earth with nuclear weapons at the cost of the actual planet is out of the question.
-hobosk8er
You seem to have found SECRET INVASION #2 as badly written, as I did, which is nice to see in an online review.
Re the virus: Stark says, “All my tech is damaged. S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers Tower. . . I have to rebuild from scratch,” That’s ridiculous, of course, since computer viruses, even “alien” ones, are software that corrupt and destroy files, not equipment. If a virus erased files on a hard drive or even at an extreme (as I recall was the case years ago) could cause a hard drive to malfunction, would the victim junk his system and buy a new one, instead of replacing the hard drive? Could a virus force Stark to have to “rebuild” Avengers Tower? That might not be what Bendis meant, but that’s what he had Stark say.
Re Mockingbird: She can’t be real, for the same reason that Cap can’t be real. She died quite publicly and obviously in AWC #100 and was seen in Hell later on. I have seen several readers object to the “October 12th” bit on the basis of telepathy, which is a bit strange, because there is no telepathy evident. Since the miscarriage is fabricated history, and Mockingbird *cannot* be real anyway, that’s reason enough to find the sequence bad. Bringing in telepathy later on as the reason the imposter was able to trick Barton would be evidence of incompetence of a detestable sort.
Despite all the claims made in online promotions about SI being years in the making, the ending to SI #2 (and NEW AVENGERS #40) makes ILLUMINATI #1 absolutely essential to the storyline. Without that issue, there are no combo Skrulls sporting the powers of the Illuminati, no great cloning effort (however incoherently that was described in NA #40), and no real threat to the Earth. Since ILLUMINATI #1 was dependent on an idiot plot, that’s sufficient reason to scorn SI as a writing effort (even if the ridiculous notion that magical ability is tied to DNA, as Bendis seems to think in writing Wanda, Strange and Druid’s “son,” makes things worse).
It remains to be seen whether anyone will wonder whether the ‘70s version of Wanda could alter reality.
I’m not going to buy the INCREDIBLE HERCULES tie-in, but if Skrull personifications are going to appear now, then why didn’t they appear at any point previously when Skrulls were threatened?
SRS
Shin-Goji here, I have to say something about Mockingbird. I read the Hellcat four issue mini series, and she’s suffering in Purgatori fighting other heroes and villians, because she killed the original Ghost Rider. So someone forgot about that issue entirely.
I have personally Loved both issues so far, but I havent been reading a lot of avengers issues this past year. I don’t care much about wether mocking bird is alive or dead, but having CAP. there is a huge twist. What if a skrull had played cap all along? Another thought is Beast. Beast gave up on an antidote to fix the mutant problem… because he’s a skrull?
Interesting…
Unless one of the major characters that we have been following for years turns out to be a skrull this is all a waste of time.
If in the end, the only heroes the Skrulls have impersonated are Spider-Woman, Mockingbirds, Pym, Black Bolt and Sue Richards, who was ambushed fairly recently not years ago, then this story falls very flat.
There have been at least three Sue Storms, the real one ambushed in the latest edition of FF.
Lyja, who posed as her and sent the Baxter Building into the Negative Zone and now the one in the Savage Land.
Also, None of the heroes ever stop to question which Spider-Man got squashed was it the one that came from the ship or the modern day version.
By the time people were saying “Word” Luke was long out of the Yellow silk shirt and the metal headband.