Post by goldenfist on Aug 28, 2008 9:43:22 GMT -5
Here's what Ign.com thought about New Avengers #44.
As I pointed out in my Mighty Avengers review this week, I'm starting to grow a bit tired of these Secret Invasion tie-ins. Yes, the very same ones I once heralded as the strongest aspects of the entire event. It just seems that as the event progresses, and Bendis adds more meat onto the bones of the actual miniseries' story, both the purpose and contribution of these Avengers' tie-ins grow thinner. In most cases, each of these issues adds only one interesting story beat or morsel of information to the bigger picture, and only rarely pushes the event's overall plot forward in a significant fashion. This was the case with Mighty Avengers #17, and it is again the case with New Avengers #44.
Now to be fair, this week's New Avengers isn't nearly as insignificant and thin as Mighty Avengers #17 was, and actually got around to telling a fairly compelling story composed of some very creepy and sinister moments. Still, like the recent Mighty Avengers, the entire issue is essentially composed around one concept that we're already somewhat familiar with. It also happens to be one of the Secret Invasion story's flimsiest components – the idea that the Skrulls have the ability to create near perfect replicas of certain Marvel heroes. So near perfect, in fact, that the clones not only think they're the actual heroes, but share all their knowledge, powers and expertise as well. So near perfect, in fact, that the Skrulls made a Reed Richards clone just so he (or it) could think of the very plan they'll eventually use to invade Earth in 2008's summer blockbuster crossover.
Now let's think about this for a while, even if it's perhaps best not to. The Skrulls can replicate Reed Richards so well that the clone shares all the real Reed's limitless intellect and know-how (a God-like ability if there ever was one), but can neither figure out an effective solution to their problem on their own, or figure out a way to learn the clone Reed's plan that doesn't include trickery and what amounts to Oscar-worthy acting? It seems to me like Bendis' desire to elevate the threat of the Skrulls by giving them these frightening new technological abilities - cloning, genuinely replicating superpowers, cloaking themselves from Wolverine's nostrils and Spiderman's Spidey sense - has caused him to construct a story atop some seriously questionable logic. At times in this event, the Skrulls are little more than little green men from space. At others, they have the power of creation and God himself. Like I said, it's probably better not to think about this stuff, but I can't help myself. The more Secret Invasion's story progresses, the less it holds up to any scrutiny.
Anyway, if you do manage to keep yourself from asking logical questions about this issue, and Bendis' plot in general, there are still some strong moments to enjoy. The Skrulls' efforts to trick their clone Reed Richards into telling them his deepest secrets (say that past phrase aloud and try not to laugh) all end in exceedingly brutal ways. Actually, the way the Skrulls treated their experiments immediately reminded me of the image of the Cylon "chop-shop" seen in the Battlestar Galactica: Razor movie – you know, the one the Cylons presumably used to perfect the eventual "skin-job" model? Yeah, it's gruesome stuff, to be sure, and artist Billy Tan does a nice job hammering home the creepiness of it all.
Now let's move beyond my complaints about the inconsistencies in the Skrulls' new abilities and return to the topic of my growing wariness with these tie-ins. Initially, these issues of Mighty and New Avengers were compelling because they filled in the back-story of how the Skrulls infiltrated Earth so masterfully. Now that the battle is raging on, however, and we have a solid idea of how the Skrull's pulled the invasion off, I'm becoming less and less interested in learning the exact specifics and minutiae of their scheme. We get it – the Skrulls got their act together and caught us off guard. Let's move on. The more Bendis explains the invasion, the less I'm able to accept it.
Review Score: 6.7 Passable
As I pointed out in my Mighty Avengers review this week, I'm starting to grow a bit tired of these Secret Invasion tie-ins. Yes, the very same ones I once heralded as the strongest aspects of the entire event. It just seems that as the event progresses, and Bendis adds more meat onto the bones of the actual miniseries' story, both the purpose and contribution of these Avengers' tie-ins grow thinner. In most cases, each of these issues adds only one interesting story beat or morsel of information to the bigger picture, and only rarely pushes the event's overall plot forward in a significant fashion. This was the case with Mighty Avengers #17, and it is again the case with New Avengers #44.
Now to be fair, this week's New Avengers isn't nearly as insignificant and thin as Mighty Avengers #17 was, and actually got around to telling a fairly compelling story composed of some very creepy and sinister moments. Still, like the recent Mighty Avengers, the entire issue is essentially composed around one concept that we're already somewhat familiar with. It also happens to be one of the Secret Invasion story's flimsiest components – the idea that the Skrulls have the ability to create near perfect replicas of certain Marvel heroes. So near perfect, in fact, that the clones not only think they're the actual heroes, but share all their knowledge, powers and expertise as well. So near perfect, in fact, that the Skrulls made a Reed Richards clone just so he (or it) could think of the very plan they'll eventually use to invade Earth in 2008's summer blockbuster crossover.
Now let's think about this for a while, even if it's perhaps best not to. The Skrulls can replicate Reed Richards so well that the clone shares all the real Reed's limitless intellect and know-how (a God-like ability if there ever was one), but can neither figure out an effective solution to their problem on their own, or figure out a way to learn the clone Reed's plan that doesn't include trickery and what amounts to Oscar-worthy acting? It seems to me like Bendis' desire to elevate the threat of the Skrulls by giving them these frightening new technological abilities - cloning, genuinely replicating superpowers, cloaking themselves from Wolverine's nostrils and Spiderman's Spidey sense - has caused him to construct a story atop some seriously questionable logic. At times in this event, the Skrulls are little more than little green men from space. At others, they have the power of creation and God himself. Like I said, it's probably better not to think about this stuff, but I can't help myself. The more Secret Invasion's story progresses, the less it holds up to any scrutiny.
Anyway, if you do manage to keep yourself from asking logical questions about this issue, and Bendis' plot in general, there are still some strong moments to enjoy. The Skrulls' efforts to trick their clone Reed Richards into telling them his deepest secrets (say that past phrase aloud and try not to laugh) all end in exceedingly brutal ways. Actually, the way the Skrulls treated their experiments immediately reminded me of the image of the Cylon "chop-shop" seen in the Battlestar Galactica: Razor movie – you know, the one the Cylons presumably used to perfect the eventual "skin-job" model? Yeah, it's gruesome stuff, to be sure, and artist Billy Tan does a nice job hammering home the creepiness of it all.
Now let's move beyond my complaints about the inconsistencies in the Skrulls' new abilities and return to the topic of my growing wariness with these tie-ins. Initially, these issues of Mighty and New Avengers were compelling because they filled in the back-story of how the Skrulls infiltrated Earth so masterfully. Now that the battle is raging on, however, and we have a solid idea of how the Skrull's pulled the invasion off, I'm becoming less and less interested in learning the exact specifics and minutiae of their scheme. We get it – the Skrulls got their act together and caught us off guard. Let's move on. The more Bendis explains the invasion, the less I'm able to accept it.
Review Score: 6.7 Passable
