Normal Cover by Phil Jimenez and Wizard World Philadelphia Sketch Variant.
Marvel Comics – August, 2008 – $3.99 – 48pg – Color
This is a series of five short stories focusing on various characters that appear to be somewhat outlying in the overall scheme of the Marvel Universe, but perhaps their roles in the Secret Invasion (good or bad) will turn out to be quite the big deal later on in the event.
“Farewell” – Writer: Brian Reed, Artist: Lee Weeks
This is basically a prelude to the very short sequence in Secret Invasion #1 when Captain Marvel attacks Thunderbolts Mountain. Despite what he had apparently decided upon in the recent mini-series, Captain Marvel meets with some Skrulls and tell them he will aid their invasion. If you missed that mini-series, it was discovered that he is a Skrull agent, but the programing went wrong, wiping out the Skrull and leaving the identity of Mar-Vell instead. He is conflicted if he should be the Skrull agent he truly is, or the hero that Mar-Vell was. It ends with him standing outside T-Bolts Mountain, ready to attack.
Considering this issue came out after SI #1, I didn’t see much point in this story. We know he attacks T-Bolts Mountain and I assume it will be explained better when we find out what he and Norman Osborn talked about.
“In Plain Sight” – Writer: Mike Carey, Artist: Timothy Green III
This story focuses on Agent Brand directly after the Dum Dum Dugan Skrull blows up her S.W.O.R.D. headquarters in space. She is in the protective plasma or whatever, floating in space, thinking about how she got to this point. She remembers an encounter with the Skrull ambassador shortly after getting promoted withint S.W.O.R.D. and some of the things he said that should have tipped her off to the invasion. They have a division that monitors body language and despite her assistant being certain the ambassador was sending code within his tapping, she instinctually writes it off. Turns out he was tapping on a book: The Illiad, with a picture of the Trojan Horse on the front. She then apparently gets mooned by a Skrull within one of the passing armada ships, which does not make her happy.
I liked this one. I enjoyed the panels where she says, “this reminds me what my father used to say” and then cuts to her hiding under a table with a large roar and a blood splatter. It was recently revealed in Astonishing X-Men that she is an alien and her father was a big blue furry guy just like Beast (whom she is in love with).
“Seems Like Old Times” – Writer: Chritos Gage, Artist: Mike Perkins
During the dino attack in Secret Invasion #2, what we believe to be the true Wonder Man and the fake Beast fall down a hole, neither believing the other to be the real deal. They don’t have time to discuss it as they are attacked by giant bugs, however. They quickly fall into what appears to be their old routine of beating up monsters and cracking jokes mid-fight. It feel real to Wonder Man, though he is clearly skeptical. Upon escaping the cavern, Beast kicks Wonder Man back into the hole, declaring “If you could be a Skrull and not know it, I can’t take any chances.” Once again, one of the people from the ship believe themselves to be an original hero that was snatched many years ago.
Pretty good story, but they’ve been over the whole “some people on the ship are real and some aren’t” thing already with Mockingbird/Hawkeye in SI #2. I’d hate to see this be the real Beast, I love his cat-like look and his more serious but still witty humor. I could care less if both Wonder Mans (Wonder Men?) were fake or died though. Awful character.
“Master of the Cube” – Writer: Zeb Wells, Artist: Steve Kurth
The Cube is the capital city of the Kree empire and Marvel Boy is currently the overseer of it. He muses that his way of running things (though calm, rather than fear) will cultivate these prisoners into trusting and serving him. Soon a prisoner breaks programming and attacks Marvel Boy, a guard shooting the prisoner and the entire place devolving into chaos. Marvel Boy leaves the scene to find a Skrull in his office. The Skrull tells him his army is now ruined, so Marvel Boy decides he must handle it himself.
I have to be honest, I didn’t understand this story, but that’s what happened. I know nothing about Marvel Boy other than he is a Kree. I don’t Krees hates Skrulls, but they also hate Humans. So, is he just going to fight everyone?
“The Resistance” – Writer: Jeff Parker, Artist: Leonard Kirk
Namora is captured by some Skrull agents after having slain an Alpha Flight hybird Skrull. Two men approach as the Skrulls sedate the population with some sort of gas. They transform into Gorilla Man and the robot M-11 of the Agents of Atlas. They break Namora out of containment, capture a Skrull and high-tail it out of there. Their scientist Bob Grayson removes its head to let it watch them dissect its body. As the Skrulls counter-attack, Venus (a former Siren) uses her voice to attract the Skrulls into the ocean, but she stops when she feels they are not evil. Grayson confirms, reading the brainwaves to show their ultimate goal of a world free of war. However, James Woo (a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent) decides it best that they not be allowed to live, ordering M-11 to use his Death Ray and destroy them all.
Here’s another group I know nothing about. I understand these are some of the C/D-list Marvel heroes, but they’re bordering on irrelevant and I don’t see how they can be used in the main SI storyline. Interesting story, but overall not really all that enjoyable.
Overall, I was highly disappointed with this. I liked the Agent Brand portion and the Wonder Man/Beast team-up was cool, but the stories don’t feel like they could really be relevant to the main SI storyline.
Stories: 5.0 – Writing: 6.5 – Art: 7.0 – Cover: 7.5
Overall: 6.5
