Post by goldenfist on Aug 14, 2008 14:16:24 GMT -5
Read what Ign.com had to say about Secret Invasion #5.
Allow me to echo a 3-month old review by once again saying - that was it? Secret Invasion has a habit of leaving me wanting for more, and not necessarily in a good way. Much like issue #2, this one offers entirely too little to tide me over until next month. Pacing problems continue to be the bane of Brian Michael Bendis' event books, even if the core storyline continue to draw me in each month.
Honestly, this issue would score higher if it had a number three or four attached to the title instead. There's plenty to like here. In particular, smaller characters like Agents Brand and Hill get their chance to shine. Both Bendis and Mike Carey have left me craving an Agent Brand-centric book thanks to her portrayal during Invasion. I also enjoyed Bendis' take on Norman Osborn, a man whose wits have become as effective as his pumpkin bombs of late. These background characters are doing a great job of holding up the series, which is fortunate considering the rest of them aren't.
The bulk of the big name heroes are still marooned in the Savage Land. That would be fine if this were still the second or third issue, but the series is now half over and surprisingly little progress has taken place. Heroes are still fighting with their Skrull counterparts in the jungle. Characters like Maria Hill open this issue literally standing in the exact same spot they were three months ago. Secret Invasion is a good concept that's being very nearly ruined by lousy pacing. Knowing that Bendis originally planned this event to take place solely in the pages of New and Mighty Avengers makes it worse. Those two books succeed with the concept of a Skrull invasion much more than the core mini-series is. It's pretty clear at this point that the concept isn't cut out to be presented in a highly structured book like this.
And I say that knowing full well there's a lot to like amidst the flaws and terrible pacing. The art continues to bowl me over every month. I think just about every Marvel comic needs to be colored by Laura Martin. Many of the character interactions are terrific and showcase Bendis at his finest. But it's also hard to deny that the best stories are being told in the tie-ins rather than the main series. This week in particular, with five different tie-in books, is proof plenty of that fact. With five issues down now, the most I can hope for is that SI follows after House of M and kicks up several notches in the final issues. A strong start means nothing when a series is still starting four months later.
Review Score: 7.4 Decent
Allow me to echo a 3-month old review by once again saying - that was it? Secret Invasion has a habit of leaving me wanting for more, and not necessarily in a good way. Much like issue #2, this one offers entirely too little to tide me over until next month. Pacing problems continue to be the bane of Brian Michael Bendis' event books, even if the core storyline continue to draw me in each month.
Honestly, this issue would score higher if it had a number three or four attached to the title instead. There's plenty to like here. In particular, smaller characters like Agents Brand and Hill get their chance to shine. Both Bendis and Mike Carey have left me craving an Agent Brand-centric book thanks to her portrayal during Invasion. I also enjoyed Bendis' take on Norman Osborn, a man whose wits have become as effective as his pumpkin bombs of late. These background characters are doing a great job of holding up the series, which is fortunate considering the rest of them aren't.
The bulk of the big name heroes are still marooned in the Savage Land. That would be fine if this were still the second or third issue, but the series is now half over and surprisingly little progress has taken place. Heroes are still fighting with their Skrull counterparts in the jungle. Characters like Maria Hill open this issue literally standing in the exact same spot they were three months ago. Secret Invasion is a good concept that's being very nearly ruined by lousy pacing. Knowing that Bendis originally planned this event to take place solely in the pages of New and Mighty Avengers makes it worse. Those two books succeed with the concept of a Skrull invasion much more than the core mini-series is. It's pretty clear at this point that the concept isn't cut out to be presented in a highly structured book like this.
And I say that knowing full well there's a lot to like amidst the flaws and terrible pacing. The art continues to bowl me over every month. I think just about every Marvel comic needs to be colored by Laura Martin. Many of the character interactions are terrific and showcase Bendis at his finest. But it's also hard to deny that the best stories are being told in the tie-ins rather than the main series. This week in particular, with five different tie-in books, is proof plenty of that fact. With five issues down now, the most I can hope for is that SI follows after House of M and kicks up several notches in the final issues. A strong start means nothing when a series is still starting four months later.
Review Score: 7.4 Decent