The Invaders #13

   One of the things I really like about The Invaders is its strong connection to the history of the Marvel Universe - and that's a topic writer James Robinson has mastered.

   This issue, for example, starts out as a history lesson of Marvel's first super-team - Freedom's Five, a team of heroes who fought in the first World War.

   The team was mentioned briefly in an issue of the original Invaders comic, as written by series creator Roy Thomas - but here the team is faced with an invasion force unlike any other.

   It's the Martians, marching through London in their tripods and wreaking havoc and destruction - in 1917.

   You might this the team of (more or less) normal humans would be out of their league - and you'd be mostly correct - but that doesn't stop them from fighting back.

   The story also brings us to modern times, and we meet another classic Marvel hero - one who has a lot of experience with alien invaders.

   The art is quite good, being a mix of Barry Kitson, Marc Laming and P. Craig Russell on the flashback sequences, and Mark Laming on the present day art. (I'm not sure if the Lamings are related or if Mark or Marc is misspelled.)

   I like the use of these characters without (much) retrofitting going on, and I like the way the past is having an impact on the future.

   We've been waiting a few years for this storyline to pop up (it was first teased in the resurrection of Captain America), and it promises to have far-reaching affects on Marvel's titles. Maybe.

Grade: A-

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All-New Invaders #10

   There are a couple of interesting things about this issue of the All-New Invaders.

   For one, it actually makes reference to the conflict going on right now between Captain America's faction of the Avengers and the Illuminati, which includes Namor.

   It's just a fleeting mention, but kudos for not just ignoring the conflict.

   The other thing I'm enjoying is the focus on characters and concepts from some of Marvel's most interesting comics in the '70s - including Deathlok and War of the Worlds (which was teased years ago at the end of the "Death of Captain America" series). And oh, that last panel.

   It's also bringing in characters from the original Invaders series and giving them a modern twist.

   Writer James Robinson does his best work when he's dealing with this kind of sweeping comics history, and this is building nicely. I also like the artwork by Steve Pugh, a classic comics style with strong, clean storytelling.

   This series hasn't quite clicked yet - there have been some great moments, and a few lackluster ones  - but you get the sense that it's almost there. Hopefully!

Grade: B+

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All-New Invaders #2

   The first issue of this series was very promising, as it transplanted the classic World War II-era team into the modern setting with a story that established a new war for them to fight.

   This issue continues the action-packed trend as the team comes together (mostly) to face an attack by a powerful Kree warrior.

   But while Captain America, The (original) Human Torch and the Winter Soldier are fighting for their lives, they discover the secret behind the disappearance of the Sub-Mariner, and prepare to mount a different kind of invasion.

   It's a lot of fun to see these heroes back in action together, and the story includes some interesting flashbacks to a battle in the '40s (and an appearance by a favorite character from that era).

   The creative team is writer James Robinson and artist Steve Pugh, and they're doing excellent work, with sharp dialogue and excellent actions sequences.

   So far, this series continues to carry the banner of quality established by the original series. More like this, please!

Grade: A-

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All-New Invaders #1

   Through much of his recent DC work, I kept wondering, "What happened to James Robinson?"

   The writer who had done tremendous work on books like Starman and The Golden Age seemed to go missing. 

   So now he's migrated over to Marvel, and his first title to appear is All-New Invaders.

   That team featured five central characters - Captain America, Bucky, Namor, the Human Torch and Toro.

   At first I thought the book was going to be set during World War II, as with the original series (created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbin), but it's set in Marvel's modern day. 

   Robinson seems to have an affinity for Golden Age characters, and this issue focuses on one of my favorites (and one of the most neglected) - the Golden Age Human Torch.

   Jim Hammond has been enjoying a retirement of sorts, working in a small town as a mechanic - but when a Kree powerhouse shows up asking questions, he surges back into action, in a hoo-hah action sequence made all the better for the Torch's concern for the citizens of the town (a lesson a certain Man of Steel needed to learn in his latest movie).

   It's building up to a big story about gods and heroes - and so far, it's a heck of a lot of fun.

   The art by Steve Pugh is excellent, with powerful layouts and excellent character designs - his splash of the Torch swinging into action would make a great poster.

   So the good news is, for this issue at least, the old James Robinson is back! Here's hoping for more of the same.

Grade: A-

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The Classics: Giant-Size Invaders #1

Comics fans owe writer and editor Roy Thomas a huge debt of thanks.

Through his efforts, the Golden Age heroes of two companies - Marvel and DC - were given new life.

His first success was with this issue, printed in 1975 - Giant-Size Invaders, which immediately led to a regular series (they dropped the "Giant-Size" out of the title).

The idea seems obvious in retrospect - building a team out of the top heroes from the 1940s - Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, Bucky and Toro.

Having them work together to take on the ultimate evil - the Axis powers in World War II - made for endless story possibilities, and other heroes and super-teams were added along the way.

Thomas managed to incorporate Timely's continuity with actual historic events - it made for an entertaining series.

The only problem for me at the time was the art. Frank Robbins is acknowledged now as an innovative cartoonist, but his work then didn't seem a good fit for super-hero action. His figures were a bit rubbery and awkward.

They tried to make his work seem more heroic by having Vince Colletta ink it (heavily), but it still didn't feel like Marvel's usual art.

But whatever his failings, Robbins was an excellent storyteller, and his style actually gave the stories a Golden Age feel - so eventually, it worked for me.

Thomas would eventually move over to DC and revive the All-Star Squadron, but this was his first major effort at giving new life to classic heroes - and it was a great success.

Most comics companies seem happy to leave their past buried while they focus on what's new and flashy - but for a while, they celebrated their roots and reminded fans of the reason why these characters were - and still are - classics.

Grade: B+

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Avengers / Invaders #12 (of 12)

Usually, when you reach the end of a maxi-series like this, it's exciting to see how it all works out.

But not this time. We, the reader, have known for months how it was all going to wrap up, since everyone's favorite miracle machine, the Cosmic Cube, is involved.

Which is not to say that they didn't manage a surprise or two in there (and corrected a long-standing mistake by bringing back a character killed off poorly decades ago).

But those surprises weren't enough to make up for the incredible mediocrity of this series, which could have been told in four issues, but instead was dragged out to an even dozen.

And this is a series I looked forward to when it was first announced. Combining the modern Avengers with the World War II super-team, the Invaders, was a terrific idea - but one executed badly.

The series features some great covers by the excellent Alex Ross, and the interior art by Steve Sadowski and Jack Herbert has some good moments, but it can't make up for a story that's just loaded with sour notes, poor characterization and obvious plot turns.

The series succeeded in getting me to buy a copy of every issue, but that's just because I wanted to see if the story would ever turn things around and bring back the heroes I enjoyed reading so many years ago.

As it turns out, it didn't. Shows what I know!

Grade: C-

Avengers / Invaders #7 (of 12)

Some comic books are like a car wreck - something awful just happened, but if you're driving past it's almost impossible to resist slowing down to take a look at the carnage.

That's what it's like to read an issue of the 12-issue Avengers / Invaders comic.

The series seems like a terrific platform for a fun story of misunderstandings and superhero fights - or perhaps a meaningful one about the difference between the "Greatest Generation" and today's generation - or perhaps a personal one about time gone past and things you'd change if you could.

Instead, it's just a mess, with characters fighting for no reason, different teams of Avengers working at cross purposes, all based on storylines that are now months old. It's strange to see the Skrull Spider-Woman fighting alongside the good guys - or the now-deceased Wasp joking around with Tony Stark.

The problem is not the art Steve Sadowski and Patrick Berkenkotter. It's dark and some of the layouts are a bit off, but largely it's a solid, professional effort.

The problem is with the writing of Jim Krueger and Alex Ross. The story keeps taking turns into left field - for example, the Cosmic Cube turns up in this issue, along with an obscure villain - both with no explanation.

Another villain menaces the Invaders, but the writers or editors seem to forget that the same villain appeared just months ago in The Mighty Avengers.

There are so many odd plot points, so many characters to deal with, so many missed opportunities that it's just painful to read.

But the cover art is great!

Grade: D+

Avengers / Invaders #6 (of 12)

So here we are at the halfway point in this maxi-series, and I continue to be stunned by: 1) How good the cover art is; and 2) How bad the rest of the comic is.

And I'm a big fan of The Invaders! I should be loving the idea of seeing the real Captain America again, along with the criminally-underused original Human Torch, the also underused Namor, Bucky and Toro. Instead, I look at this comic and wonder where those characters are and who the imposters are in their place.

This issue focuses on the Human Torch, who has decided that SHIELD's army of LMDs (Life Model Decoys) equates to slavery, so he's decided to set them free. Somehow this desire on his part causes all the LMDs to immediately turn on SHIELD and the Mighty Avengers, and a big fight scene breaks out. The Torch seems awfully certain that no one's going to get hurt, especially considering the LMDs are all armed with big scary guns. Which they're firing. At humans.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Toro makes a shocking discovery - in the present, he's dead! Of course, he does the natural thing - he blames the Torch!

Maybe my expectations were too high for this series, or maybe it's just that the story can't live up to the great cover by Alex Ross.

Whatever the reason, writer Jim Kreuger's story continues to leave me cold, and even the interior art by Steve Sadowski and Patrick Berkenkotter seems rushed and uneven.

Maybe the story will be redeemed in the last half of the series by a shocking twist that'll bring it all together. But so far, it's just been very disappointing.

Grade: D+

Avengers / Invaders #5 (of 12)

This comic should be the equivalent of comics porn for longtime fans.

Anytime you provide a crossover between two super-teams, most superhero fans will start salivating. For a longtime Marvel fan, the idea of the modern-day Avengers meeting the World War II-era Invaders sounds fantastic! (Of course, it's happened before, and past events were fun.)

The comic has lots of great characters, lots of story possibilities - and it's the brainchild of painter Alex Ross, who sits at the top of most "fan favorite cover artist" lists.

So why am I not enjoying this comic? Where should I start?

The biggest problem is the plot, which is what's known as an "idiot plot." In other words, it only works if everyone involved keeps acting like an idiot. From the first meeting of the teams, it's been the old Marvel standard "heroes meet, have a misunderstanding, fight, then figure it out and work together." Unfortunately, five issues in and we're still stuck on level #3 (fighting). Let's move things along, shall we?

The story falls somewhere before the Secret Invasion, so you have the Mighty Avengers being opposed by the New Avengers - a storyline the Invasion has apparently put an end to, and none too soon - it was a weak idea. And it just rolls on and on in this story, adding yet another level of frustration to the events.

There are certainly lots of differences in America today, but it's scarcely commented on - wouldn't that have made for an interesting storyline? Surely tuning into what passes for television entertainment would be a shock to Cap's system. Maybe it was too obvious.

The main failing of all time travel stories is that we know, in the end, all will be put right, and in this story, we have Bucky and Namor meeting their modern-day counterparts, who say, "I remember this." Neither one seems particularly worried about the turn of events.

For time travel stories to work, the writer must keep track of all the time elements - so how does the original Human Torch remember events from 1945 when he was brought back in time from 1943?

Enough negatives - there are good things about this comic. The covers by Ross are great - this one captures that crowded feel of Golden Age covers nicely. The interior art by Steve Sadowski and Patrick Berkenkotter is also very good, and they manage to keep order despite a literal army of characters to deal with.

And while I haven't been crazy about Alex Ross and Jim Kreuger's story so far, the ending to this issue does introduce an interesting plotline involving the Torch.

So I'll keep buying the Avengers/Invaders comic - I just wish I enjoyed it more.

Grade: C-