Rorschach
06-20-2007, 02:31 PM
via a NEW AVENGERS review at AICN Comics:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33067
MEGA SPOILERS!
NEW AVENGERS #31 and various Skrullated issues
Writer: some Bendis guy
Artist: Leinil Yu
Publisher: Marcel Comics
Reviewer: Rock-Me Amodeo
I have to say that, up until now, I have been very underwhelmed by the current storyline. I’m used to the classic Avengers, where they take on threats like Kang, Ultron, the Squadron Supreme…not ninjas. Last issue, I couldn’t believe the mundanity of the cliffhanger: “Dr. Strange has been stabbed!” Holy crap, it’s fricking ARMAGEDDON! Not.
But with this issue, we are seeing the tip of an iceberg that goes all the way back to issue #1. More on that in a minute. For now, I liked that banter-war between Spidey and “Ronin”; I liked the action; I liked this issue’s cliffhanger. I don’t like the fact that there seems to be no clear field leader – de facto, it’s Wolverine’s position, but that’s really not something you want to leave up to a mid-battle referendum.
It also seems that Yu’s artwork has become increasingly sketchy and confusing. I would blame the inker, but that’s Yu, too. And it’s not just the hashmarks on everyone and everything. Some of these characters have feet so big, Yu seems like the second coming of Gene Colan (who always drew some monster feet). Check out Spiderwoman’s gunboats on page 14 – makes me think she’s a Skrull, too. When Yu first began on this series, his art was crisp and stylish. Now, it seems rushed. It’s still nice, but harder to follow. Just my opinion – “but am it art?” is a question I can’t answer for anyone but me.
As for the ending: so how long was Electra actually Skrullectra? And what is the deal with Jessica and the baby? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “breastfeeding” even as a throwaway line in Avengers, so clearly there is some issue about Skrulls and lactating. We know they can, but I won’t even hazard a guess as to which one of them is a Skrull.
But I will offer a full spectral analysis for frequent (and casual) readers on the significance of this reveal, and why I’m excited about it. For me, this answers a lot of questions.
Possible SPOILERS Ahead!
1) We never did find out who was the mysterious party that hired Electro to bust Lykos out of prison in the very first issue. Oh sure, it was the Savage Land Mutates, who somehow gained the expertise to come over to the US and negotiate backroom deals. And SHIELD put them up to it? Or they put SHIELD up to it? I don’t believe either. There is a mysterious party pulling the strings. I’m guessing it’s the Skrulls (but this DOES beget the question of why Lykos was SO important that his return to the Savage Land was necessary. I mean, that one action drives the first six issues).
2.) In issue #6, more evidence of this with the screwy “splinter cell” business, where Yelena Belova issues the odd line throwaway line “this is not a world of men.” In the same issue, “Saaron” survives a headshot due to picking up Wolverine’s powers (which is not how Lykos’ powers work), even though Wolverine stays conscious after his power feeds Sauron (which IS how Lykos’ powers are supposed to work, but do not) and then fries Belova (before she can talk) with a flame blast from his mouth (which he has never done before, to my knowledge.). Both Skrulls? I dunno.
3.) In issue 12, we learn that whatever has corrupted SHIELD has also taken over Hydra. Guess who?
4.) Now we see that there is a good possibility that the Hand has also been taken over, or infiltrated at the very least. Since Ms. Marvel has Kree origins and a presence in the Avengers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that her recent troubles with AIM are Skrull related, or “skrullated” to coin a word.
It all seems to point to a massive Skrull takeover, and somehow they are no longer susceptible to detection by smell, psionics, or even magic (perhaps due to Prof. X’s and Dr. Strange’s brief capture by the Skrulls?). This would explain why Nick Fury is so far underground – he may have suspected this as far back as his Secret War. It explains why Maria Hill was appointed director of SHIELD, even though there were 75 other more qualified candidates – someone hoped she would be too inept to see what was going on. It explains why Tony Stark signed on so quickly to the Registration Act – as we saw in the Illuminati series, he saw a need to create a way to quickly mobilize a huge fighting force. Not only has the Act done that, and provided training as well, but it also gave him a way to keep tabs on all the capes. So maybe he isn’t the world’s biggest jerk – or he’s a jerk trying to save the planet, and guided events (that were already in motion) to help move the need for a global meta-militia forward.
It also explains why we keep seeing references to Skrull activity in other places. Hulkling of the Young Avengers was recently dealing with Skrull throne issues. Heroes for Hire recently busted a Skrull organ harvesting ring. Where were all those Skrull organs coming from? It also explains why Bendis has had so many “Kree/Skrull war” references and odd lines in this book, i.e., Dr. Doom hasn’t washed his cape since the Kree/Skrull war, etc. He’s got Skrulls on the brain.
So, who is a Skrull and when were they replaced? Well, Skrullectra obviously. Since the Hand was infiltrated, she was probably replaced just before or just after that nasty “Enemy of the State” business when the Hand resurrected her. Bendis has said to look for people who are out of character or have shaky resurrections. Mar-Vell immediately comes to mind (shaky). Hawkeye, too, but he seems like the real deal to me. But (out of character) Tigra? Skrull. And Orka, who seemed to die too ignominious a death for a 40 year old property, if the Skrulls have learned of some special way to occasionally avoid changing back into Skrulls upon death. If that is true, then maybe Bill Foster isn’t dead either (though that would raise the ugly, but not insurmountable, specter of why Skrullectra DID revert back upon her death).
I haven’t reread the whole CIVIL WAR, but I would look for anyone who seemed uninterested in the fact that lots of heroes could die by their actions, or perhaps manipulated loved ones into combat (cough*Shroud*cough).
And one more person that I can think of – Professor X. In the ILLUMINATI issue where they were captured by the Skrulls, they said that the Prof’s DNA would be the easiest to analyze. Then an ailing Tony Stark takes on half-a-dozen warrior shapeshifters and beats them up? Really? No – they were deliberately allowed to escape. And if you look carefully when the Prof is rescued, there is another Skrull on his knees saying “stop…no…”. My guess is that this was the Professor, on his knees, left behind.
So it will be interesting to see where this goes. In my opinion, this is not a retcon of the past two years of plots. Not at all. It’s an overreaching arc, and one that I can appreciate. In my own fiction, I want people to pick up stuff on the second and third reading and see the clues that were dropped along the way. Bendis has said that this is exactly what he is doing, and so I totally dig it. Some stuff was planned from the beginning. Other events, he has woven into the overall scheme of things. I know some people can’t stand Bendis, but I really appreciate what he is trying to do, and the fact that he has been working toward this for so long from so many angles is nothing short of impressive.
So let’s see how this all plays out. I, for one, am hooked.
A whole "The Skrull's did it" storyline kinda tickles me. The Skrulls have always been kind of a goofy race in Marvel. I never took them seriously. But now, Bendis has given them the Nasty Implications they deserve. Kinda like how the Dominion got more and more scary as Star Trek:Deep Space 9 went from season to season.
Wow.
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33067
MEGA SPOILERS!
NEW AVENGERS #31 and various Skrullated issues
Writer: some Bendis guy
Artist: Leinil Yu
Publisher: Marcel Comics
Reviewer: Rock-Me Amodeo
I have to say that, up until now, I have been very underwhelmed by the current storyline. I’m used to the classic Avengers, where they take on threats like Kang, Ultron, the Squadron Supreme…not ninjas. Last issue, I couldn’t believe the mundanity of the cliffhanger: “Dr. Strange has been stabbed!” Holy crap, it’s fricking ARMAGEDDON! Not.
But with this issue, we are seeing the tip of an iceberg that goes all the way back to issue #1. More on that in a minute. For now, I liked that banter-war between Spidey and “Ronin”; I liked the action; I liked this issue’s cliffhanger. I don’t like the fact that there seems to be no clear field leader – de facto, it’s Wolverine’s position, but that’s really not something you want to leave up to a mid-battle referendum.
It also seems that Yu’s artwork has become increasingly sketchy and confusing. I would blame the inker, but that’s Yu, too. And it’s not just the hashmarks on everyone and everything. Some of these characters have feet so big, Yu seems like the second coming of Gene Colan (who always drew some monster feet). Check out Spiderwoman’s gunboats on page 14 – makes me think she’s a Skrull, too. When Yu first began on this series, his art was crisp and stylish. Now, it seems rushed. It’s still nice, but harder to follow. Just my opinion – “but am it art?” is a question I can’t answer for anyone but me.
As for the ending: so how long was Electra actually Skrullectra? And what is the deal with Jessica and the baby? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “breastfeeding” even as a throwaway line in Avengers, so clearly there is some issue about Skrulls and lactating. We know they can, but I won’t even hazard a guess as to which one of them is a Skrull.
But I will offer a full spectral analysis for frequent (and casual) readers on the significance of this reveal, and why I’m excited about it. For me, this answers a lot of questions.
Possible SPOILERS Ahead!
1) We never did find out who was the mysterious party that hired Electro to bust Lykos out of prison in the very first issue. Oh sure, it was the Savage Land Mutates, who somehow gained the expertise to come over to the US and negotiate backroom deals. And SHIELD put them up to it? Or they put SHIELD up to it? I don’t believe either. There is a mysterious party pulling the strings. I’m guessing it’s the Skrulls (but this DOES beget the question of why Lykos was SO important that his return to the Savage Land was necessary. I mean, that one action drives the first six issues).
2.) In issue #6, more evidence of this with the screwy “splinter cell” business, where Yelena Belova issues the odd line throwaway line “this is not a world of men.” In the same issue, “Saaron” survives a headshot due to picking up Wolverine’s powers (which is not how Lykos’ powers work), even though Wolverine stays conscious after his power feeds Sauron (which IS how Lykos’ powers are supposed to work, but do not) and then fries Belova (before she can talk) with a flame blast from his mouth (which he has never done before, to my knowledge.). Both Skrulls? I dunno.
3.) In issue 12, we learn that whatever has corrupted SHIELD has also taken over Hydra. Guess who?
4.) Now we see that there is a good possibility that the Hand has also been taken over, or infiltrated at the very least. Since Ms. Marvel has Kree origins and a presence in the Avengers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that her recent troubles with AIM are Skrull related, or “skrullated” to coin a word.
It all seems to point to a massive Skrull takeover, and somehow they are no longer susceptible to detection by smell, psionics, or even magic (perhaps due to Prof. X’s and Dr. Strange’s brief capture by the Skrulls?). This would explain why Nick Fury is so far underground – he may have suspected this as far back as his Secret War. It explains why Maria Hill was appointed director of SHIELD, even though there were 75 other more qualified candidates – someone hoped she would be too inept to see what was going on. It explains why Tony Stark signed on so quickly to the Registration Act – as we saw in the Illuminati series, he saw a need to create a way to quickly mobilize a huge fighting force. Not only has the Act done that, and provided training as well, but it also gave him a way to keep tabs on all the capes. So maybe he isn’t the world’s biggest jerk – or he’s a jerk trying to save the planet, and guided events (that were already in motion) to help move the need for a global meta-militia forward.
It also explains why we keep seeing references to Skrull activity in other places. Hulkling of the Young Avengers was recently dealing with Skrull throne issues. Heroes for Hire recently busted a Skrull organ harvesting ring. Where were all those Skrull organs coming from? It also explains why Bendis has had so many “Kree/Skrull war” references and odd lines in this book, i.e., Dr. Doom hasn’t washed his cape since the Kree/Skrull war, etc. He’s got Skrulls on the brain.
So, who is a Skrull and when were they replaced? Well, Skrullectra obviously. Since the Hand was infiltrated, she was probably replaced just before or just after that nasty “Enemy of the State” business when the Hand resurrected her. Bendis has said to look for people who are out of character or have shaky resurrections. Mar-Vell immediately comes to mind (shaky). Hawkeye, too, but he seems like the real deal to me. But (out of character) Tigra? Skrull. And Orka, who seemed to die too ignominious a death for a 40 year old property, if the Skrulls have learned of some special way to occasionally avoid changing back into Skrulls upon death. If that is true, then maybe Bill Foster isn’t dead either (though that would raise the ugly, but not insurmountable, specter of why Skrullectra DID revert back upon her death).
I haven’t reread the whole CIVIL WAR, but I would look for anyone who seemed uninterested in the fact that lots of heroes could die by their actions, or perhaps manipulated loved ones into combat (cough*Shroud*cough).
And one more person that I can think of – Professor X. In the ILLUMINATI issue where they were captured by the Skrulls, they said that the Prof’s DNA would be the easiest to analyze. Then an ailing Tony Stark takes on half-a-dozen warrior shapeshifters and beats them up? Really? No – they were deliberately allowed to escape. And if you look carefully when the Prof is rescued, there is another Skrull on his knees saying “stop…no…”. My guess is that this was the Professor, on his knees, left behind.
So it will be interesting to see where this goes. In my opinion, this is not a retcon of the past two years of plots. Not at all. It’s an overreaching arc, and one that I can appreciate. In my own fiction, I want people to pick up stuff on the second and third reading and see the clues that were dropped along the way. Bendis has said that this is exactly what he is doing, and so I totally dig it. Some stuff was planned from the beginning. Other events, he has woven into the overall scheme of things. I know some people can’t stand Bendis, but I really appreciate what he is trying to do, and the fact that he has been working toward this for so long from so many angles is nothing short of impressive.
So let’s see how this all plays out. I, for one, am hooked.
A whole "The Skrull's did it" storyline kinda tickles me. The Skrulls have always been kind of a goofy race in Marvel. I never took them seriously. But now, Bendis has given them the Nasty Implications they deserve. Kinda like how the Dominion got more and more scary as Star Trek:Deep Space 9 went from season to season.
Wow.