Saturday, May 26, 2012

Secret Avengers #27

Back in the '80s when the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series was released, DC quickly tried to tie all its titles into that runaway hit.

Many of those tie-ins had just marginal connections to the event, and became known as "red sky" comics, since that was the only actual connection for a few of them - characters noted the color of the sky as it was depicted in Crisis.

In Secret Avengers, we have another red sky comic.

While Avengers vs. X-Men is a runaway hit, titles like this are only connected by a tenuous thread. Back on Earth everyone is worrying about saving Hope and keeping the Phoenix Force from destroying the planet.

Meanwhile, the Secret Avengers were dispatched to deep space to try to stop the Phoenix - and now they find themselves on the Kree homeworld Hala, trying to save that planet from the Phoenix Force.

In the meantime, more than one of their teammates has gone traitor, the others are recovering from their encounter with the Phoenix, and the Kree are all acting crazy.

Oh, and Captain Marvel (as in the Kree Captain Mar-Vell) is apparently back from the dead and also a traitor.

As a big fan of the original (Marvel version) Captain Marvel, I'm glad to see him back, though I suspect he's just here to hand his title over to Carol Danvers, so she can drop the "Miz" and become the newest and latest (and hopefully last) Captain Marvel.

But the whole issue is a mess - except for that terrific Alan Davis cover. The interior art by Renato Guedes just seems a poor match for this title. He's a strong artist, but his style is more suited to alternative work - not mainstream superheroes. The characters all seem "off," in awkward poses.

I can't recommend this one - the story just rambles all over and never really gets anywhere. Even the occasional glimpse of the Phoenix - in the sky, no less - can't jump start this one.

Grade: C+

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