General Information
Title: Secret Invasion: Inhumans
Author: Joe Pokaski
Illustrator(s): Tom Raney (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Guru eFX (colours)
Cover Date: October 2008 - January 2009
Cover Price: $2.99 US, $3.05 Can for 1-3, and $2.99 in both countries for issue 4.
Detailed coverage of all applicable issues of all Secret Invasion related titles can be found at this address.
Premise
Iron Man reveals the Black Bolt skrull to Medusa a few hours before meeting with Reed and Hank Pym, as depicted in the first issue of "Secret Invasion." This tips the Inhumans off to the infiltration, who then find themselves facing a skrull attack of their own.
High Point
The handling of Black Bolt. I've always liked the character, who has incredibly dangerous power. Unlike Superman, this amount of power makes day to day living difficult. Here, we see both his strengths and his vulnerabilities play out very nicely. (We also learn when he was replaced, and it's right when I hoped it would be.)
Low Point
Getting Black Bolt's name wrong. His full name is Blackagar Boltagon, not "Blackagon" as it is written in the earlier issues. That reads like a shoddily researched and inadequately edited script. It gives me the impression that the writer (who hasn't done much for Marvel comics, though he's certainly done a lot of writing) was running by memory and not fact checking.
The Scores
This is, ultimately, an original journey for the Inhumans, even if it doesn't start out that way. I give it 4 out of 6.
The artwork is great, featuring a team that consistently delivers quality and clarity. This is a dependable team that hasn't failed me yet. I give it 5 out of 6.
The story is logically consistent, and interesting in terms of the past and future of the Inhumans. They were essentially created by the Kree to destroy the Skrulls, and that history hasn't been forgotten here. This nicely bridges the events of Silent War with the upcoming War of Kings. I give it 5 out of 6.
The characterization shows through very nicely. Each Inhuman is as distinct as their powers, and we see how they react in these unusual situations with that level of differentiation. We see the family bonds as clearly as the family frictions, and watch as they move toward a common goal along different paths. Crystal in particular has some nice moments during combat, as does Medusa. I give it 5 out of 6.
The emotional response is strong, particularly for those of us who are already fans of the characters. We see their strengths and weaknesses on display, and combat like this definitely counts as a strength. I give it 5 out of 6.
The flow is smooth for those of us who have followed the Inhumans lately. If you aren't aware of the events of Silent War and World War Hulk, some of these moments will be a bit confusing. I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, it's a solid bridging chapter between "Silent War" and "War of Kings," using the Secret Invasion as the perfect backdrop to get from one to the other. I give it 5 out of 6.
In total, Secret Invasion: Inhumans receives 34 out of 42.
Secret Invasion Review Checklists
Background reviews:
Infiltration reviews:
Main Event reviews (including date the last issue should be available):
- Secret Invasion #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8: December 3, full series: December 3
- Avengers: The Intiative #14-19: December 10
- Black Panther #39-41
- Captain Britain and MI 13 #1, #2, #3, and #4.
- Deadpool #1-3
- Guardians of the Galaxy #4-6
- Incredible Hercules #117, #118-120
- Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. / War Machine: Weapon of S.H.I.E.L.D. #33-35
- Mighty Avengers #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, 17-20: December 17
- Ms. Marvel #28-30
- New Avengers #40, #41, #42-47: December 3
- New Warriors #14-15
- Nova #16-18
- Punisher: War Journal #24-25
- Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #1-3
- Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1, #2, and #3.
- Secret Invasion: Frontline #1-5: December 3
- Secret Invasion: Home Invasion (online only)
- Secret Invasion: Inhumans #1-4: November 26
- Secret Invasion: Runaways / Young Avengers #1-3
- Secret Invasion: Thor #1-3
- Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?
- Secret Invasion: X-Men #1-4: November 26
- Thunderbolts #122-125
- X-Factor #33-34, She-Hulk #31-33
Aftermath (Dark Reign) reviews:
- Agents of Atlas #1+
- Avengers: The Iniative #20-22+
- Black Panther #1+
- Dark Reign: New Nation
- Deadpool #(4-5), 6-7+
- Invincible Iron Man #8-10+
- Mighty Avengers #20-22+
- Ms. Marvel #34-36+
- New Avengers #48-50+
- Punisher #1-2+
- Secret Invasion: Dark Reign: December 10
- Secret Invasion: Requiem #1: December 24
- Secret Warriors #1+
- Thunderbolts #126-129+
- Uncanny X-Men Annual #2
- War Machine #1-3+
- Wolverine Origins #33+
- several unannounced titles, I'm sure
