The Starting Gun - Secret Invasion #1
« Previous | April 3rd, 2008 | Next »
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Lenil Francis Yu
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Initially, I was going to write about Wolverine: First Class in this week’s Starting Gun. The more I thought about it though, pretty much only one book came out this week, and it deserves some attention. In case you were wondering, Wolverine: First Class is a great book, fun and well executed. But on to bigger things: Secret Invasion.
Now I know that I wrote about Secret Invasion in this week’s Future-Casting, but it’s more than deserving a second look now that i have actually read the book. Secret Invasion is worth every bit of the hype, and every second of the wait.
First off, kudos to Marvel for making the excellent Secret Invasion: Saga available for free. This full-length book reprints art from some of the most memorable Skrull moments in the Marvel U, all the while weaving the tale of their origins and interests in Earth. The recap takes us right to the doorstep of Secret Invasion #1. This was a great move by Marvel, and should be available for free at your favourite comic shop when you head out to buy Secret Invasion #1.
In terms of the art in this book, I was floored. I think Lenil Yu’s art compliments Bendis’ writing in a way that I haven’t seen since Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s run on Preacher. My Podcasting Co-hort mentioned this, and I have to agree; Mark Morales’ inks look incredible over Yu’s pencils, and bring his unique line work to life. The way he draws the Skrull reveals in this book are so subtle that you aren’t even sure they happened until there is a full transformation. It gave me that great feeling I got when I first figured out movies like The Sixth Sense.
The Story? Bendis at his best. He has spent the last 4 years crafting this story, keeping spoilers and Easter-eggs a secret, and now here it is. The story leaps right into action with four huge Skrull reveals, and two huge questions posed about other character’s loyalties. Bendis managed to fool me on 3 out of 4 of these reveals, which just gets me more excited at the prospect of more in the next issue. While not all my questions were answered right away, the fifth-to-last page proved to ask one huge question that will change the Marvel U for ever. I know that kind of talk gets tossed around a lot, but in this case I believe it.
There is a whole lot more to say about this landmark issue, and you can expect full Secret Invasion coverage and breakdowns on The Watchtower next week. To sum up here, all I can say is I am already counting the days to Secret Invasion #2.
-JM
April 5th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Wow. You were so on the money about this. I was floored by the last page of #1. They are really reaching far back for this setup and my mind is reeling with possible directions they might go with it. I’m very much looking forward to the next issue.
Later