Secret Invasion

The Comicologist — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:20:33 +0000

Having just finished reading the latest Marvel super "event" Secret Invasion, I have to say, I hope they decide to wait a while before they launch in to the next major cross over event. In my opinion "Secret Invasion" collecting issues #1-8 of the Secret Invasion mini-series, felt forced and more than a little dull.

In case you haven't read a Marvel comic published in the last two year, Secret Invasion provides a conclusion of sorts the the slow building Skrull plot for world domination. The Skrull are an alien race of shape shifters, who, after conducting tests on a couple of high profile heroes, including Mr Fantastic, develop the perfect plan to infiltrate human kind and break down various superhero teams from the inside. Basically the Skrull kidnapped a series of super heroes and replaced them with Skrull's. Cunning.

When the New Avengers kill Elektra, only to find her turn out to be a Skrull, the plot is revealed and distrust within the super hero community builds. Will the fractured super community be able to band together, and trust one another, long enough to end the threat and repel the Skrull invasion? No points for guessing the answer to that one.

The whole Secret Invasion arc also seems to serve as a get out of jail free card for Marvel, allowing them to bring back character previously assumed as being dead, using the "they weren't really dead, they were just abducted by Skrulls" device.

Perhaps the most interesting element of Secret Invasion for me was the conclusion, with Norman Osbourne poised to play a more prominent, and interesting role in the Marvel universe.

The major problem with this series is the pacing of the plot. Flicking through the first few issues it feels very slow, as if not much is happening, then the pace picks up at the end, to the point where it's as if Bendis was trying to cram a lot in.

Secret Invasion was also clearly written to contain just enough detail to remain coherent, whilst leaving plenty of plot gaps ready to be filled by countless crossover tie-ins. Basically every Marvel title seems to have had at least one of its own Secret Invasion tie-ins. Secret Invasion is a perfect example of when good story telling gets taken over by comic commercialism. With all that said, this series did not grab me enough to encourage me to pick up any of the tie-ins.

Overall I'd give this mini-series a 3 out of 10.

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White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion

The Comicologist — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:31:03 +0000

White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion was written by Tamora Pierce and Timothy Liebe, and began it's 6 issue mini-series in 2006, but has since been released in trade paper back form, White Tiger #1-6.

The White Tiger mini-series follows the emergence of the White Tiger, Angela Del Toro. Fans of the Daredevil series would know that Del Toro first appeared in a number of issues of Daredevil, as an FBI agent drawn into the investigation of the Daredevil's true identity, as well as the investigation into the death of her uncle Hector, the previous White Tiger. In Daredevil, Del Toro quit the FBI when she realised the good she could do with her new found power, inherited via her uncle's Jade Tiger amulets, eventually taking on the White Tiger moniker.

White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion begins with Daredevil Matt Murdock in prison, leaving Del Toro seemingly on her own to figure out what to do with her new found power and responsibility. Del Toro, with the help of Black Widow, Luke Cage, Spider-Man and Iron Fist (who is doubling as Daredevil while Matt Murdock is in prison), eases herself into the role of White Tiger. While starting to clean up her neighbourhood, Del Toro finds herself investigating the shady activities of an organisation called Chaneyi.

In many respects White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion is a standard superhero tale. An FBI agent, inherits powers that improve her ability to fight crime. In that regard, there is nothing revolutionary or ground breaking going on, yet still, it's an enjoyable enough story. The story concluded as most comic arcs do, leaving the door wide open for a followup. It's a bit of a shame that Marvel didn't decide to take White Tiger further, but I guess they too didn't see enough to set the title apart from a host of other comics hitting the stands at the time.

Don't hold your breath for any Del Toro/White Tiger follow up either, as, from what I've read, White Tiger is killed by Lady Bullseye in a relatively recent issue of Daredevil.

Overall, I'd give White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion 6 out of 10