Remember that scene in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure where Pee-Wee comes up on a pet shop that’s on fire and while he rescues all the animals, he keeps going by that tank of snakes and shuddering? He wants to save the pets, but snakes are creepy! He can’t stand the thought of touching them! What will he do? Well, in the end, there’s Pee-Wee Herman with a handful of snakes, horrified and yet satisfied that no stone has been left unturned.
Secret Invasion is my tank of snakes.
There’s just no way I could be the only one, too. It’s been a solid what- three years of earth-shaking, cataclysmic nothing-will-ever-be-the-same-ness from the fine folks at Marvel and while it certainly keeps the reader on their toes and guessing every which way, it can also certainly feel a little stressful at times. Not every story has to end an era, not every hero has to lose it all. But here we are. By now, the first issue of Secret Invasion has been lovingly taken out of the Diamond boxes and spread before the awaiting public like that rare exotic fish that can kill you if you don’t eat it right. Dangerous, but man… that’s some exciting stuff.
WARNING: Secret Invasion secrets to follow. Go grab a copy of the hot new #1 and read along!
Over on the mothership, Bendis took some time to give us a handy-dandy list of 15 Fun Secret Invasion Facts, all of which seem to be the kind of fare we’re used to as far as ‘non-answers’s go. Some people may be Skrulls, some people may NOT be Skrulls! Everyone’s going to want to fight the Skrulls, but yet not everyone because some of them will in fact, be Skrulls themselves. The guessing game continues. Spoilers are a tricky thing, a double edged sword of wetting the appetite for story and completely ruining the meal. The Bullpen’s been pretty regular on not telling you… really anything you couldn’t have figured out yourself should you be internet savvy or a long time reader. Nick Fury is coming back out of hiding to fight the Skrulls? Heard it before. These Skrulls are stronger, smarter, faster, and better genetically bred than the Skrulls of yore? Well, yeah. Considering what’s already gotten in print, it’s a fairly easy guess that the old tropes of Skrull battling aren’t going to work like they used to.
So I come to you, dear reader, on my lunch break from a hard day at the comic shop to let you know that I indeed hold snakes in my hands and I feel better for it. Well-paced, just enough information to keep you engaged but not too little that you get aggravated to think that you have no idea what’s going on. It’s one of the benefits of Marvel reading: most of these big events can be summed up in a quickie little phrase that can entice (as well as cause some groans). Civil War? Heroes Fighting Heroes! World War Hulk? Hulk Fights Everyone. And now Secret Invasion? Alien Shapeshifters Invade. It’s practically ‘Nuff Said worthy and that’s really where we gotta go with these events: get straight to the point and focus on the details after. Sure, any Marvel Maniac can spot a few inconsistencies and bad moves (what is it about Ms. Marvel’s Avengers that just can’t seem to catch their underground counterparts anyways?), but I’m really sticking to my guns on the idea that Marvel is in the storytelling business above all.
So far, in our first issue, the first shots have been fired, a few infiltrations are in place that make a lot of sense (to an alien invader, I should note) and we have an uphill climb to get to. It’s one of the charms of the Annihilation series that we get our heroes in peril right off the bat instead of the slow burn that was Civil War and I’m glad to see it here. I’m sure there will be a few fans who will be hoping for a Skrull impersonator with their favorite character as, rather like ‘death’, it’s going to give a good opportunity to wipe the slate clean and get some guys back to basics. That lovely splash page towards the end there of some of our favorite heroes is practically a big bucket of plot hooks just waiting to be plumbed, whether or not what we see is what we’re getting.
So, where does this leave us? Can we really judge an event like this on the first issue? The media blitz? That gut feeling of indegestion that we’re in for another wild ride of a summer blockbuster event? It’s unsteady ground to stand on when we know that … well, nothing we know is right and everything will never be the same again, etc. etc. But let’s look at something else: right now, should one head to their local comic shop and pick up a Secret Invasion checklist, you’ll notice that this only goes up to July. The future really is uncertain, especially since tie-ins seem to be bouncing around as (another cliché) shockwaves are sent across the Marvel Universe.
And then there’s this: isn’t there a certain sense of satisfaction when you finally learn the truth, for good or bad? Isn’t there just a need to know out of fandom that, no matter how ludicrous the storyline or pitch, needs to find the answer?
Aren’t we all holding handfuls of snakes in the end?
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Isn’t there just a need to know out of fandom that, no matter how ludicrous the storyline or pitch, needs to find the answer?
Not anymore. I now care less about Marvel’s events than I ever have, thanks precisely to stories like this. I’m so glad I haven’t paid money for a comic book in over a year.
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I usually hate crossover events. This one? I think it’s pretty cool. Of course, it’s just started, so the final verdict’s still out.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
what k-box said.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
“I’m so glad I haven’t paid money for a comic book in over a year.” - Kirk Boxleitner
Then why are you still reading them? Seriously. If you hate them that much, why don’t you just find something else to read?
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Not a fan of Bendis. Won’t buy it
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:53 pm
It’s off to a great start.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Doesn’t this stink of “WOW! HOW COOL IS BATTLE STAR GALACTICA!” to anyone else?
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
“Sure, any Marvel Maniac can spot a few inconsistencies and bad moves (what is it about Ms. Marvel’s Avengers that just can’t seem to catch their underground counterparts anyways?), but I’m really sticking to my guns on the idea that Marvel is in the storytelling business above all.”
If that was truly the case a lot of these stories would have so much mischaracterization, rely on Deus Ex Machinas, or at the very least make sense within the confines of their own books. Now we have an event written by the guy whose books for the past five years or so (save for two) have been NOTHING BUT these tropes in charge of the entire line. This isn’t an event so much as a way to mask the writer’s shortcomings and make money off of it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
You no doubt know I meant to type “wouldn’t” in there right?
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
There’s a basic flaw in the “Secret Invasion” concept, indicating that nobody involved thought about basic biology.
If Skrulls revert to normal upon death, the same principle has to apply to bodily substances. And since any cells removed from the body will die within seconds–all an investigator has to do is take a sample of skin, hair, blood, even a fingernail clipping. The sample will become Skrullish, rather than human, in less than, say, two minutes. Looking at the sample with a microscope or doing DNA tests wouldn’t even be necessary. The claim in SECRET INVASION #1 that impersonation is undetectable is even more untrue than the “Avengers” and ILLUMINATI stories to date would indicate.
If one wants to get a little technical, all defecation from a Skrull impersonator would have to be secret, he/she couldn’t spit or have any sort of bloody injury, etc., or the impersonation would be revealed.
SRS
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
Unless the Skrulls have some sort of morphogenetic field which connects them with all of their biological detritus, and keeps it appropriately disguised while the Skrull is alive.
Its SF science/fantasy. There could be plenty of explanations.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
“Unless the Skrulls have some sort of morphogenetic field which connects them with all of their biological detritus, and keeps it appropriately disguised while the Skrull is alive.”
You’ve got to be kidding. You’re going to suppose that there’s a “morphogenetic field” that enables a Skrull to keep track of *individual cells* which are shed (involuntarily) and keeps them from reverting? SI isn’t worth that sort of first-grader rationalization, given that Bendis has already had Stark say incorrectly in SI #1 that “technologies” and magic can’t detect impersonation.
Since most Skrulls are hairless, a Skrull impersonator would have to fake the hair and fake hair growth. A haircut would unavoidably give him/her away.
This isn’t the typical “If you drill down too far into the details, the concept falls apart” situation. Bendis has used scientific terms and concepts incorrectly and badly in NEW AVENGERS and MIGHTY AVENGERS from the start. I doubt that he gave any thought to how someone might actually go about trying to uncover impersonation.
SRS
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Dude. We’re talking about science in a story with MAGIC in it. ANYTHING is possible. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s fine. But you’re picking nits.
Enjoy your not enjoying it, though. I hear that’s a big hobby online.