Post by goldenfist on Dec 11, 2008 13:23:43 GMT -5
Read what Ign.com had to say about Secret Invasion:Dark Reign
Secret Invasion was a significant disappointment to me as a reader. It was a disjointed event where the visceral action and the emotional core seemed to be perpetually divorced from one another. Looking back at issue #8, the most that can be said for Invasion is that the ending offers plenty of potential for quality storytelling from the Marvel crew. The trick is capitalizing on that potential. I had every hope that Brian Michael Bendis would be able to do just that with Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1. After all, he's always seemed most at home with quieter, dialogue-centric stories. This issue has plenty of that going on. Even better is the fact that Bendis is reunited with Alex Maleev. Together, the duo capped off Civil War beautifully with Civil War: The Confession. Why would anyone assume Secret Invasion: Dark Reign would be any different?
Taking all assumptions out of the picture, this issue was something of a disappointment. It's not slow so much as it is laid back and uninterested in presenting more than the bare minimum of what constitutes a story. It also demonstrates that, as much as Bendis has directed the flow of the Marvel U. in the past decade, he doesn't have the greatest handle on all of its characters. However this issue does offer much of what I'd come to love about Bendis. Most of his talky issues are slow and bare bones, but that doesn't make them uninteresting. And while he may stumble in his depictions of some characters, others practically jump off the page. Dark Reign #1 is a whopper of a mixed bag in a way I never expected from Bendis.
This issue essentially picks up right where Invasion #8 left off, though it begins by showing how the various members of Osborn's new cabal arrived at their meeting place. From there, Osborn lays out his vision for the new world and how he sees the likes of Doctor Doom, Namor, Emma Frost, Loki, and The Hood fitting into it. Bendis has assembled an interesting cast to serve as his anti-Illuminati. It's worth noting that no mention is made of the other group, and only one person in the room is even aware of their existence. Bendis doesn't fall into the trap of trying to draw a direct parallel between the two.
One of the first questions that popped into my mind was how Bendis would justify bringing these six figures together. Why would Doom or Loki even deign to be summoned by Osborn? What does Emma Frost have in common with these villains? She's a pregnant dog, but it's been some 15 or 20 years since anyone would label her as a villain. Bendis does a reasonable job answering these questions. Arguments can certainly be made that Character X belongs in the group more than Character Y, but none of these six stick out like a sore thumb.
It's in his depictions of these characters that Bendis finds both rousing success and some pretty resounding failure. I've never entirely approved of his portrayal of The Hood, but he never annoyed me in the way he does here. Parker Robbins makes an annoying entrance, and he never actually proves he has the inner fortitude to sit with the likes of Doom. His position in the Marvel U. justifies his inclusion more than his character. Emma is a problematic character in that no two writers can seem to agree on just how cold and wicked she should be. Bendis writes her as a troubled and sympathetic teacher... perhaps a little too sympathetic. He also draws on certain elements of her character that I felt had no real place in the issue. They certainly have no effect on Dark Reign. Bendis seems to step on the toes of several books, as a matter of fact. As a Thunderbolts fan, I was flat out annoyed with one the issue's later scenes.
But other characters shine more brightly. Bendis writes a spectacular Doom and Namor. They work particularly well as a team. Those who bothered to read Cristopher Priest's Black Panther will remember the two once had a separate cabal going along with Panther and Magneto. Readers get a sense of that long, shared history. The two aren't friends by any stretch of the imagination, but it's amusing to see them depicted as kindred spirits. Bendis is no slouch with Osborn, either. Osborn is really the crux of the issue, and it would have fallen hard without a decent portrayal of Marvel's new top dog.
Unfortunately, I'm forced to admit that the real weak point of the issue is Alex Maleev. I had my worries after seeing the cover a few weeks ago, and it's clear they were justified. While Maleev's style is drastically different inside, many of the same glaring inaccuracies persist. I'm convinced that Marvel is going to have to hire a full-time editor to monitor how Osborn's hair is depicted. It was a problem in "New Ways to Die," and it's a problem here. Worse by far - by far - is Namor. I assume Maleev used a model as a photo reference, and I sincerely hope he never relies on this person again. Namor looks like nothing if not a balding, overweight cosplayer at a fantasy convention. Imagine the Lord of the Rings movies if Hugo Weaving's Elrond swallowed a hobbit and decided to become an '80s porn star. Maleev also managed to make The Hood look like a bum dressed for the harsh cold of winter.
Nothing else about the art is quite so offensive to the eyes, but this is easily the worst work I've ever seen from Maleev. That signature mood he always injects into his work isn't quite there. I know he has a tendency to alter his style on almost every project, so I'd urge Maleev to stick with what works. Daredevil worked. Civil War: the Confession worked. This most assuredly doesn't. With as many missteps as both writer and artist make, Secret Invasion: Dark Reign is nearly as disappointing as the event that spawned it. It's not a good start for Dark Reign, and I sincerely hope it's not an indication of things to come. Fortunately, the numerous previews at the end suggest it won't be.
Review Score: 6.9 Passable
Secret Invasion was a significant disappointment to me as a reader. It was a disjointed event where the visceral action and the emotional core seemed to be perpetually divorced from one another. Looking back at issue #8, the most that can be said for Invasion is that the ending offers plenty of potential for quality storytelling from the Marvel crew. The trick is capitalizing on that potential. I had every hope that Brian Michael Bendis would be able to do just that with Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1. After all, he's always seemed most at home with quieter, dialogue-centric stories. This issue has plenty of that going on. Even better is the fact that Bendis is reunited with Alex Maleev. Together, the duo capped off Civil War beautifully with Civil War: The Confession. Why would anyone assume Secret Invasion: Dark Reign would be any different?
Taking all assumptions out of the picture, this issue was something of a disappointment. It's not slow so much as it is laid back and uninterested in presenting more than the bare minimum of what constitutes a story. It also demonstrates that, as much as Bendis has directed the flow of the Marvel U. in the past decade, he doesn't have the greatest handle on all of its characters. However this issue does offer much of what I'd come to love about Bendis. Most of his talky issues are slow and bare bones, but that doesn't make them uninteresting. And while he may stumble in his depictions of some characters, others practically jump off the page. Dark Reign #1 is a whopper of a mixed bag in a way I never expected from Bendis.
This issue essentially picks up right where Invasion #8 left off, though it begins by showing how the various members of Osborn's new cabal arrived at their meeting place. From there, Osborn lays out his vision for the new world and how he sees the likes of Doctor Doom, Namor, Emma Frost, Loki, and The Hood fitting into it. Bendis has assembled an interesting cast to serve as his anti-Illuminati. It's worth noting that no mention is made of the other group, and only one person in the room is even aware of their existence. Bendis doesn't fall into the trap of trying to draw a direct parallel between the two.
One of the first questions that popped into my mind was how Bendis would justify bringing these six figures together. Why would Doom or Loki even deign to be summoned by Osborn? What does Emma Frost have in common with these villains? She's a pregnant dog, but it's been some 15 or 20 years since anyone would label her as a villain. Bendis does a reasonable job answering these questions. Arguments can certainly be made that Character X belongs in the group more than Character Y, but none of these six stick out like a sore thumb.
It's in his depictions of these characters that Bendis finds both rousing success and some pretty resounding failure. I've never entirely approved of his portrayal of The Hood, but he never annoyed me in the way he does here. Parker Robbins makes an annoying entrance, and he never actually proves he has the inner fortitude to sit with the likes of Doom. His position in the Marvel U. justifies his inclusion more than his character. Emma is a problematic character in that no two writers can seem to agree on just how cold and wicked she should be. Bendis writes her as a troubled and sympathetic teacher... perhaps a little too sympathetic. He also draws on certain elements of her character that I felt had no real place in the issue. They certainly have no effect on Dark Reign. Bendis seems to step on the toes of several books, as a matter of fact. As a Thunderbolts fan, I was flat out annoyed with one the issue's later scenes.
But other characters shine more brightly. Bendis writes a spectacular Doom and Namor. They work particularly well as a team. Those who bothered to read Cristopher Priest's Black Panther will remember the two once had a separate cabal going along with Panther and Magneto. Readers get a sense of that long, shared history. The two aren't friends by any stretch of the imagination, but it's amusing to see them depicted as kindred spirits. Bendis is no slouch with Osborn, either. Osborn is really the crux of the issue, and it would have fallen hard without a decent portrayal of Marvel's new top dog.
Unfortunately, I'm forced to admit that the real weak point of the issue is Alex Maleev. I had my worries after seeing the cover a few weeks ago, and it's clear they were justified. While Maleev's style is drastically different inside, many of the same glaring inaccuracies persist. I'm convinced that Marvel is going to have to hire a full-time editor to monitor how Osborn's hair is depicted. It was a problem in "New Ways to Die," and it's a problem here. Worse by far - by far - is Namor. I assume Maleev used a model as a photo reference, and I sincerely hope he never relies on this person again. Namor looks like nothing if not a balding, overweight cosplayer at a fantasy convention. Imagine the Lord of the Rings movies if Hugo Weaving's Elrond swallowed a hobbit and decided to become an '80s porn star. Maleev also managed to make The Hood look like a bum dressed for the harsh cold of winter.
Nothing else about the art is quite so offensive to the eyes, but this is easily the worst work I've ever seen from Maleev. That signature mood he always injects into his work isn't quite there. I know he has a tendency to alter his style on almost every project, so I'd urge Maleev to stick with what works. Daredevil worked. Civil War: the Confession worked. This most assuredly doesn't. With as many missteps as both writer and artist make, Secret Invasion: Dark Reign is nearly as disappointing as the event that spawned it. It's not a good start for Dark Reign, and I sincerely hope it's not an indication of things to come. Fortunately, the numerous previews at the end suggest it won't be.
Review Score: 6.9 Passable
