Posted by Richard Pulfer on Apr 22nd, 2008
Yes, the inevitable/impossible (take your pick) has happened. The final issue of Captain Marvel revealed the secret behind his resurrection: he’s a Skrull! The classic Marvel hero appeared in the last days of Civil War to all the bustling fanfare of “Wha-huh?!” Even after his resurrection, no one expected him to stay long - it was assumed if he traveled through time, he’d still have the cancer which eventually killed him. Well, good news! He’s not dying. He’s a Skrull! Way to go Marvel for totally sidestepping the issue!
In other news, Nova still rocks - I read the last tie-in to Annihilation Conquest and promptly decided “All 12 issues have been great! I’m getting a subscription.” Oh yeah, they don’t have them. Sure, Marvel has subscriptions - just not for Nova. At first I thought, “Well, maybe Nova hasn’t run for enough issues to warrant a subscription service - but “Young X-Men”, which just released its first issue last week, does have its own subscription week. Well, maybe it’s because Nova isn’t a name-brand like Spider-Man and X-Men, but if that’s true, why do “Thunderbolts” and “New Exiles” get their own subscription. It certainly can’t be because Nova isn’t good enough - it’s the only book that has received raved reviews from IGN to A’int it Cool News week after week!
Well, that’s enough ranting out of me. Here’s this week’s comics. Mighty Avengers ties in with Secret Invasion (surprise surprise) and brings back Nick Fury, assuming he’s not a Skrull. The ad reads “A major new Skrull reveal happen in these pages!” Let’s hope it’s better than Hank freakin’ Pym last issue!
Ms. Marvel also ties into Secret Invasion as Tony Stark, convinced Ms. Marvel is the Skrull (and not Hank freaking Pym!) is the infiltrator and levels her own team against her. The book includes classic obscure heroes like Nextwave’s Machine Man, so I’m sorely tempted to pick this one up. Plus, Ms. Marvel just seems like a more engaging character to me nowadays.
The selling-out “Divided We Stand” is starting to look more like a sell-out. “Uncanny X-Men #497″ has White Queen and Cyclops traveling to San Francisco to save Angel and the entire city from a strange phenomenon which convinces the inhabitants they are in the 1960’s. I’m starting to wonder how and why this is the story that will reunite the X-Men. On the other hand, if you want to see what Angel, Emma and Scott look like as hippie, check out the cover.
The Vision takes center stage in Young Avengers #4, and also guest starts Stature, the controversial Young Avenger who joined the Intiative when the others apparently did not (despite all indications of the opposite on several covers). The Vision has always been one of my favorite characters, so I’d definitely recommend picking this one up - but I’m just hoping this mini-series leads to the real deal of the long-awaited “Young Avengers Volume 2″ somewhere down the line.
On the DC side, I’ve heard good things about Sean McKeever’s Birds of Prey, but I haven’t been able to find the cash to pick an issue up yet (darn gas prices!). With no characters like Misfit and Manhunter joining the ranks, it looks to be an interesting team at the very least.
Countdown to Final Crisis #1hits in the final issue of the reverse order series. From all indications, I’ve heard its just as bad - if not worst - than 52, and that’s quite a let-down. But maybe the last bit of the series will have some redeeming quality - if you want to see what the road to Final Crisis looks like, give it a read.
I’m really let-down by Super Friends - I was expecting DC to at least come up with a nostalgic kiddy ride into the old cartoons, but apparently they aren’t even rising to Wonder Twin levels. In this issue, the Super Friends fight Dinosaurs. And that’s all that happens apparently.
It’s a slow week for DC.
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Devin de Gruyl
April 23, 2008 at 9:51 am
I read the last four words of this headline and froze.
They did it. They actually went and did it.
If I were Jim Starlin right now, I’d be pissed. …Matter of fact, I think I am anyway.
Though on the one hand, I guess it’s better than bringing the character back to life in the first place (since even that violated Marvel’s long-standing if unofficial taboo against tinkering with Mar-Vell’s death). Even so, undermining one of the most powerful, well-told farewells in comic history just for the sake of propping up a dubious summer-crossover storyline that very few people outside the company offices even take seriously in the first place…
I have a really foul taste in my mouth right about now.
Richard
April 23, 2008 at 10:53 am
You’re going to hate me for telling you this, but I wrote it just for you, Devin.
You mentioned it last time and that got me to check out the last issue and look what happened!
I do agree. It makes very little difference, but Captain Marvel does turn out to be a “good” Skrull, who rebels against his orders and fights the Secret Invasion. But it still makes Captain Marvel’s so-called return to the M.U. one of the faintest yet annoying crossover tie’in’s to date.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Captain Marvel as a “good” alien invader who rebels against his superiors? Yeah, that’s never been done before… ;^)