Post by goldenfist on Oct 23, 2008 16:43:29 GMT -5
Here's what Ign.com had to say about Secret Invasion #7
Sometimes, the worst thing a writer can do is deliver exactly what you expected. Increasingly, that has become the central problem with Secret Invasion. I know exactly what to expect coming into each issue. There will be a lot of fighting, some nifty splash pages, a few oblique references to events going on in the tie-in books, and another round of fighting. That formula has changed very little in the penultimate issue. If anything, the formula has only been refined further.
The general consensus around the IGN offices is that people are tired of Skrulls and everything Secret Invasion-related. It's an understandable complaint, and one I've come to identify with more and more as the months have dragged on. A good event comic should provide enough twists and surprises to keep readers interested over the long run. Secret Invasion is failing in that regard. It's been said before, but most of the interesting developments have been and continue to take place in the ancillary books. Brian Michael Bendis originally conceived this book as a crossover within the Avengers titles, and it's clear it never quite made the transition to a standalone product.
As I noted last month, the series has followed an eerily similar story pace to Bendis' last event comic - House of M. That trend continues this month. Just as with House of M #7, Secret Invasion #7 presents the final, epic battle wherein the forces of the Marvel U. unite against a common foe. It's a spectacular artistic showcase for Leinil Yu, just as House of M was for Oliver Coipel. Even compared to previous installments, the sheer level of detail and the amount of characters crammed into each panel are impressive. Visually, this is one slick book, and issue #7 may well prove to be the centerpiece of the entire package.
But I didn't spend months eagerly anticipating this story just to gawk at pretty pictures. I wanted substance, and issue #7 hits an utter low point in terms of providing a meaningful story. In all honesty, there is no story at this point. "Heroes punching Skrulls" is not a story. Neither is "villains shooting Skrulls" or any other variation thereof. Bendis offers a series of isolated character moments that don't break up the fight so much as coalesce within it. Admittedly, some of these moments are quite well done. Hawkeye has a moment that will make you want to pump your fist in the air and cheer like a frat boy who just won a beer pong tournament. However, I have to credit Yu at least as much as I do Bendis for the Hawkeye moment, as it's his sense of framing and composition that make that segment succeed.
This issue parallels House of M down to the very end, as it also ends with a major cliffhanger. But whereas House of M had readers biting their nails for the ensuing month, this one seems likely to elicit a more mild series of reactions. It's not entirely clear what happened at the end, so I have no idea if I should be intrigued by what issue #8 may hold. At this point I don't feel much of a reason to. I've tried my best to stay optimistic with Secret Invasion, but this issue is finally the breaking point for me. I can only hope Dark Reign proves to be a killer payoff, because the road leading there has been bumpy and increasingly less entertaining.
Review Score: 6.8 Passable
Sometimes, the worst thing a writer can do is deliver exactly what you expected. Increasingly, that has become the central problem with Secret Invasion. I know exactly what to expect coming into each issue. There will be a lot of fighting, some nifty splash pages, a few oblique references to events going on in the tie-in books, and another round of fighting. That formula has changed very little in the penultimate issue. If anything, the formula has only been refined further.
The general consensus around the IGN offices is that people are tired of Skrulls and everything Secret Invasion-related. It's an understandable complaint, and one I've come to identify with more and more as the months have dragged on. A good event comic should provide enough twists and surprises to keep readers interested over the long run. Secret Invasion is failing in that regard. It's been said before, but most of the interesting developments have been and continue to take place in the ancillary books. Brian Michael Bendis originally conceived this book as a crossover within the Avengers titles, and it's clear it never quite made the transition to a standalone product.
As I noted last month, the series has followed an eerily similar story pace to Bendis' last event comic - House of M. That trend continues this month. Just as with House of M #7, Secret Invasion #7 presents the final, epic battle wherein the forces of the Marvel U. unite against a common foe. It's a spectacular artistic showcase for Leinil Yu, just as House of M was for Oliver Coipel. Even compared to previous installments, the sheer level of detail and the amount of characters crammed into each panel are impressive. Visually, this is one slick book, and issue #7 may well prove to be the centerpiece of the entire package.
But I didn't spend months eagerly anticipating this story just to gawk at pretty pictures. I wanted substance, and issue #7 hits an utter low point in terms of providing a meaningful story. In all honesty, there is no story at this point. "Heroes punching Skrulls" is not a story. Neither is "villains shooting Skrulls" or any other variation thereof. Bendis offers a series of isolated character moments that don't break up the fight so much as coalesce within it. Admittedly, some of these moments are quite well done. Hawkeye has a moment that will make you want to pump your fist in the air and cheer like a frat boy who just won a beer pong tournament. However, I have to credit Yu at least as much as I do Bendis for the Hawkeye moment, as it's his sense of framing and composition that make that segment succeed.
This issue parallels House of M down to the very end, as it also ends with a major cliffhanger. But whereas House of M had readers biting their nails for the ensuing month, this one seems likely to elicit a more mild series of reactions. It's not entirely clear what happened at the end, so I have no idea if I should be intrigued by what issue #8 may hold. At this point I don't feel much of a reason to. I've tried my best to stay optimistic with Secret Invasion, but this issue is finally the breaking point for me. I can only hope Dark Reign proves to be a killer payoff, because the road leading there has been bumpy and increasingly less entertaining.
Review Score: 6.8 Passable
