Avengers Invaders #1 (OF 12)

Going into this book, I had really mixed feelings. On the upside, I love WWII-era Marvel. The characters were great (especially Namor, who was well ahead of his time), and Marvel (or what would become Marvel) was hit really hard by the post-WWII anti-superhero backlash. Thus, there are stories involving these characters that remain to be told. On the other hand, Marvel deserves a bit of a 'Dude WTF?' for the timing of this series. How does it fit into the timeline - especially noting that it is 12 monthly issues? One answer might be - if not now, when?

So with the exciting prospect of seeing the Invaders rough it up with today's Avengers, I tore into this book. The first thing one notices is fantastic art - perfect pencils, gritty inking, strong colors. Later, it becomes easy to note the transition from the WWII battlefield to contemporary NYC.

The story starts with an intro to the Invaders provided by Bucky. I was thrilled to learn that Union Jack and Spitfire were included in the intro, and disappointed to learn that they were absent from the later part of the book. There is a fantastic frame in which Union Jack has just killed a Nazi with a knife in his left hand and has his revolver out in his right hand - great wartime savagery in the best sense. The Invaders have been ordered to investigate the Nazi 'Operation Time Ghost'. Upon arrival, they are surrounded by a green mist, which transports them to the future. A mist? Wow, how original. Happens every day - mists always transport people into the future. Lame, lame, lame. No explanation (I am sure one will come), but a mist? Someone could have come up with something better than that - I hope.

Flash forward to contemporary New York. Spider-Man is being hunted by the Thunderbolts, in what appears to be the time immediately following Civil War (and is certainly after the Avengers/New Avengers schism). Spidey is characterized well, deftly avoiding capture while taunting the heck out of the 'bolts. I must say - I have not liked the Thunderbolts in the past, but they are great here. Why? Because the Invaders arrive, assume the Thunderbolts are Nazi agents, and kick their asses. Bad. I had never realized how powerful the original Human Torch (and Toro) could be, but they really kick tail. Obviously, Cap is tough, and it is important to recognize that he is a relatively new hero. He is like a young star who has just established himself and seems to have a chance to be a hall-of-famer. If last year's pre-assassination cap was Albert Pujols or Derek Jeter, the Invaders version is Chase Utley or David Wright. If the writers get it right, Cap will be more about action and less about leadership.

The battle scene was great, but other than that, nothing really happened. Nothing explained how stepping into some mist gets us from there to here, and that's a hole in the plot. If the reveals take several issues, some readers will assume that this comic is being written for trade, and that's a failure. I want to love this book. For the series opener, I will say I liked it, but not as much as I expected.