Secret Invasion #7 (OF 8)

I've read very little of Bendis' work outside of this event. House of M, maybe, which didn't offend me really.

But these 7 issues, and #7 in particular, have amounted to a pretty terrible story(if you could even call it that). It's not fun. It's not interesting. The potential themes implicit in the very premise (Who do you trust?!) that have been harped upon for a year leading up to the event have only been marginally explored; I think Dr. Seuss might get kids to think about things more complex than what Bendis has offered here. Sorry, that might sound harsh. Before I sound like an elistist snob, let me say that I wouldn't mind how shallow the story has been if it had been a solid adventure. That would have been just as rewarding. But it just isn't: 7 overprices issues in, the plot has maybe progressed a step beyond the premise.

Up to this point most of my enjoyment of the series has been drawn from Bendis' tongue-in-cheek affirmation (through the voices of his chracters) that he's running his "story" through various stigmata of event comics (whether it be downed Hellicarries or loads of second and third tier cahracters that have if the main characters asking "who the $#@% are they?").But even that joy has evaporated by the time I reach Spider-man lamely commenting that they're sure to be okay since the Watcher hasn't appeared, moments before it appears looming over them.

And then to drive the shank deeper, something important happens at the end of this issue, but I couldn't tell you what. Skrull-Hank triggers something that makes Wasp grow big and pulse with Kirby dots. The significance of it is vaguely recollected in a two panel flashback(Squeezed in amidst a sea of chaotic and confusing action-panels) which seems to have no bearing on anything that happened in the 6 previous issues.

I hate to play the DC vs Marvel card(But they BOTH had event issues this week, it's hard not to), but despite the frustrations involved Dc's event has beeen far more rewarding in each of its issues individually than Secret Invasion has been in its entirety so far. I'm never being caught up in the hype Marvel fuels in order to sell its comics ever again, thats for sure.