Secret Invasion #2 Review

Secret Invasion #2 (of 8 )

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Leinil Francis Yu
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Laura Martin

Plot: The Invasion is here!! The Marvel Universe is in shambles. The Skrull Empire’s plan has birthed itself into perfection. It is hero versus hero!! Resurrections and reunions!! Is Tony Stark a Skrull? And is that actually Captain America leading the heroes into a new era?? EXPECT CHANGE!!

Thoughts: Ok let me first get something out of the way. I am a bit ticked off that the whole Fantastic Four (well 2 of them anyway) being stuck in the Negative Zone was done to set up the F4 mini series! I mean I understand they couldn’t tell everything in the main mini but come on! That feels a bit like a cop out.

Alright that being said this was a great issue! It really continued on from where the last issue left off! We are still stuck off wondering who, if any, from the ship is legit and which are skrulls! So 2 Definite skrulls and one maybe. The two definites are Web-pits Spidey (come on guys did you REALLY think they’d undo the recent retcont already by having the current one be a skrull?) and Hawkeye. The Maybe is Monkingbird! Why I say it’s a maybe? Because while it gives a convincing way of proving she very well may be the real deal (kudos to Bendis for such a clever move) there’s just too munch set up in prior continuity to contradict it! I mean you expect me to believe the Monkingbird that we’ve seen many times in the afterlife (the most recent for me being the GLA Mini) was a Skrull that was so determined to continue the mission that he/she kept going as a ghost? Nuh-uh, not going to buy it! But, then again, Bendis is one of those guys who occasionally ignores continuity to fit his stories.

Enough about Skrull revelations, does this issue continue the action and story momentum of the previous issue? Heck yeah it does! This issue has got it all! Marvel heroes vs Copies of themselves, a T-Rex battle thrown in for good measure, and cap it off with an awesome cliffhanger of an army of Super-Super Skrulls (why I call the Skrulls being used to replace the heroes since they’re a huge step beyond the Super Skrulls) attacking a nearly defenseless New York City! I mean yeah sure the Young Avengers are there but, come on, what can they do…right?

Now I’ve already said my two cents about the artwork of this mini in the last review. It’s just not Event-worthy art! But, for what it’s worth, it IS the best I’ve seen out of Yu in a long time (he’s a lot like John Byrne in that, give him a quality inker, his work looks great! Have him do it on his own and it suffers severly)

Fav Quote:Patriot: “Everyone bring a costume?” Hulkling (I think): “We’re gonna need more than costumes…”

Rating:4.5 out of 5.0. A Great second issue that was nearly flawless! Now I promised not to knock off points for the art after the first issue, but that’s not why it’s not a perfect 5. The reason being is the stuff with Mockingbird! Now if it’s revealed she IS a skrull than alright, I’m happy. but if she’s to be the real deal…and it’s obvious Bendis won’t explain her afterlife apperances, than I am not a happy camper