Secret Invasion has certainly ramped up in the last couple of weeks, and with the release of Secret Invasion #5, the proverbial dookie has hit the proverbial fan. But what’s going on with the rest of the Marvel U?

Thor, Captain Britain, X-Men, and more all have their own Mini Series and Story Arcs dealing with the invading hordes of Skrulls. There are so many in fact, that I present an all Secret Invasion edition of the Checklist.

Secret Invasion #5 (of 8 )

“The Earth is now part of The Skrull Empire.”

That pretty much sums it up as Issue #5 of this incredible series takes off. Captain Marvel, Skrull-Jarvis, and Nick Fury’s band of Commandos all make vital appearances, but the real story is Agent Brand freeing the real Reed Richards (I assume) from Skrull captivity. Richards makes a weapon that can return Skrulls to their true form, which makes sorting things out in the Savage Land much, much easier. Earth’s heroes are starting to regroup, and they are maaaaaaaaaaaaaad. But what will they do against an Empire who is “here to save” us? Anyone who says that this book doesn’t set a new standard for “event” comics either doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or… doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

Secret Invasion: Frontline #2 (of 5)
First off, this book has a great cover. I didn’t enjoy the World War Hulk Frontline series because I felt that it wasn’t telling the real front-line stories enough. This is not the case with SI: Frontline. We are being taken through three stories of average people dealing with invading hordes, and it’s a great story so far. The only thing I was kind of confused by was the Skrull in the office building chowing down on some humans. I didn’t think they did that.

Secret Invasion: Inhumans #1 (of 4)
One of the biggest questions being asked since the Illuminati mini-series wrapped up has been “where is Black Bolt? Well this series answers that question, but how and when he got there remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, The Inhumans now know they are at war with the Skrulls, and are ready to wreck shop. But who among them is a Skrull? Based on this issue, a lot more than they think. It’s a great book because it takes the feelings of paranoia and uncertainty that were so great in the early stages of the Invasion, and ramps them back up.

Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #2 (of 3)
What can I say? I love these kids. All of them. We finally get a feeling as to the role that Hulkling, the Young Avenger’s half-Kree, half-Skrull member was supposed to play in the history of the Skrull Empire. Essentially, if he had played ball, the whole invasion could have been avoided. That’s a lot to take on one’s shoulders, so I am really interested to see how he deals with it. It also says to me that Hulkling will probably end up playing a big role in the Secret Invasion title itself, and it could have some lasting repercussions on his team.

Secret Invasion: Thor #1 (of 3)
This book was great, but mainly because it had very little to do with Thor, and a whole lot to do with Beta Ray Bill. I’ve got a huge soft spot for BRB, and with Thor’s alter-ego out of the picture delivering a baby (hey, someone’s got to do it), he’s the best choice to lead the Asgardians against the Skrulls. I also liked how the Skrulls aren’t looking to assimilate Asgard like the rest of the world, they want to destroy it. This book as the making of a great series, and I’m stoked to see BRB and Thor fighting side-by-side eventually.

Secret Invasion: X-Men #1 (of 4)
I wasn’t initially going to buy this because I am so bored of the current state of the X-Men, but it was in the pile so I figured, why not? To my surprise it was actually a decent book. Apparently the Skrulls missed the “Divided We Stand” arc because they didn’t know the X-Men have moved to San Francisco. Imagine their surprise when they launched their attack on SF. I like how Cyclops is finally being treated as the military leader he was born to be, so as long as that kind of tone continues this might actually turn into a decent mini-series.

Captain Britain & MI-13 #4
The first of the Secret Invasion tie-in arcs to wrap up does so here in fine fashion. This was a surprisingly good book, and sets the stage for the ongoing series to follow. I don’t know if I will be picking said ongoing up, but I can say that the Secret Invasion arc was really well done, telling the story of the Skrull’s attempt to acquire and wield Earth’s magic. The death and resurrection of Captain Britain may have been a bit over the top, but in the end a decent story and will probably be a great mini-trade.

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