Weekly Comic Book Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Billy Tan (Pencils), Matt Banning (Inks), and Justin Posner (Colorist)

What’s Going On: One month ago, after defeating him, the Hood starts busting his cronies out of SHIELD detention. Only the agents that are holding Madame Masque turn out to be Skrulls. The Hood drags the last surviving Skrull back to his hideout, where he and his evil minions torture the Skrull in an attempt to unveil the secret invasion plans.

What’s Good: Think the Secret Invasion is running out of steam? Did you see the Hood getting involved? I didn’t. And I sure didn’t foresee the power behind him rearing its ugly flaming head in the last panel.

What’s Not So Good: Enough with the homage covers already! Admittedly, this “Bring on the Bad Skrulls” painting is pretty cool, but enough’s enough. Also, of course we still have the problem that with months of infiltration into the highest levels of Earth’s organizations, the Skrulls still seem to have no more sophisticated plan than to sic a bunch of Super-Skrulls on Manhattan. Shouldn’t they have infiltrated our nuclear missile silos, at least?

What It All Boils Down To: This being Bendis, the issue is mostly tough guy talk, which Bendis loves. It works well, for the most part, though you’d think the Hood would be a little humbler now that the Avengers have kicked his ass once already. Like most of these Secret Invasion flashbacks, it’s solidly entertaining. And I still have faith that the eventual wrap up of the invasion will be worth the years we’ve waited for.

Grade: B

- Andrew C. Murphy

Filed under: DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Billy Tan, Brian Michael Bendis, Justin Posner, Madame Masque, Matt Banning, New Avengers, New Avengers #46, Secret Invasion, Skrulls, The Hood