NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI # 5
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Jim Cheung
Alright, I held off posting my review for the Illuminati because I wanted to specifically talk about the big reveal on who was the Skrull and didn't want to spoil it for anyone. If you still haven't read this issue, skip down to the next one because there'll be plenty of spoilers in the rest of this review.
With that said, this was an incredible issue. Easily the best comic this week for me. However, even with the action throughout this issue, it's still a Bendis book, so there's lots of talking heads, which doesn't bother me in the least, but could be a concern for others.
As for the big reveal, it came as the Illuminati were discussing back and forth what to do with the corpse and what it actually meant in the grand scheme of things. Did it signal an invasion? Were Skrulls involved in all the random events over the past year or two? Was it just a single Skrull acting on his own? Before they can answer these questions, Blackbolt begins to speak, confirming he is a Skrull, and tells the Illuminati their world is forfeit as he destroys the complex they were meeting in. It was an awesome reveal and seeing the Skrull casually speak as Blackbolt, not caring if it revealed him as a Skrull, before attacking was a huge 'Oh sh--!' moment for me. The entire scene pretty much blew me away.
What follows this huge reveal is an all out battle royale with the Illuminati that sees Dr Strange's powers barely working yet again as the team is nearly taken down by the lone Skrull mimicking all of the groups powers. Another huge surprise was that Namor eventually ends up killing the Skrull only to have two more Skrulls bust in before the team can even catch their breath. These two arrive wearing clothes and using the powers of Thor and Colossus. Iron Man has the Dr Strange teleport the Illuminati away as he uses his Extremis powers to tap into nearby nuclear power plants as he basically nukes the two Skrulls into oblivion.
The entire issue was perfect in my opinion. If you weren't excited about the Skrull invasion by now, this issue is sure to get the adrenaline pumping and you can be sure that the internet will be talking about this issue for months to come.
However, it's not all fun and games with this issue. While the reveal for Blackbolt was handled incredibly well, it still poses the question of how and when the hell did they replace arguably the most powerful being on Earth (well, the Moon if you want to be technical)? Marvel has some explaining to do. My only guess is they'll make it after WWH and Silent War. There's no way this is the same Blackbolt that fought the Hulk or was in Silent War. Also, why would the Skrull reveal himself at this time? It made no sense in my opinion. He couldn't honestly expect to kill the entire Illuminati and he had a much better chance picking them off one by one than taking them all on at the same time. The book posed more questions than it answered if you ask me.
One other thing I'd like to point out is Dr Strange's behaviour. At the beginning of the issue he specifically tells Blackbolt that they are waiting for the others after Tony arrives with the body. Blackbolt looks like he's ready to fight but Strange simply tells him again that they are waiting with a stern look that seems to cause Blackbolt to settle down. Combine this with his later non-functioning powers during the fight and he's still looking very much like a second sleeper Skrull. If he does end up a Skrull, it would basically make my top two choices for Skrulls come true, as seen in my Usual Skrullspects post.
Verdict - Must Read. Explosive conclusion to the Illuminati series that actually manages to deliver on all the hype surrounding the issue. This basically overshadowed every other issue this week, pushing things like Conquest or Messiah Complex on the backburner in terms of hype and reader interest. If you intend on reading Marvel comics in the next year, you need this issue as it sets up the major event that will most likely touch every comic in the months to come.
With that said, this was an incredible issue. Easily the best comic this week for me. However, even with the action throughout this issue, it's still a Bendis book, so there's lots of talking heads, which doesn't bother me in the least, but could be a concern for others.
As for the big reveal, it came as the Illuminati were discussing back and forth what to do with the corpse and what it actually meant in the grand scheme of things. Did it signal an invasion? Were Skrulls involved in all the random events over the past year or two? Was it just a single Skrull acting on his own? Before they can answer these questions, Blackbolt begins to speak, confirming he is a Skrull, and tells the Illuminati their world is forfeit as he destroys the complex they were meeting in. It was an awesome reveal and seeing the Skrull casually speak as Blackbolt, not caring if it revealed him as a Skrull, before attacking was a huge 'Oh sh--!' moment for me. The entire scene pretty much blew me away.
What follows this huge reveal is an all out battle royale with the Illuminati that sees Dr Strange's powers barely working yet again as the team is nearly taken down by the lone Skrull mimicking all of the groups powers. Another huge surprise was that Namor eventually ends up killing the Skrull only to have two more Skrulls bust in before the team can even catch their breath. These two arrive wearing clothes and using the powers of Thor and Colossus. Iron Man has the Dr Strange teleport the Illuminati away as he uses his Extremis powers to tap into nearby nuclear power plants as he basically nukes the two Skrulls into oblivion.
The entire issue was perfect in my opinion. If you weren't excited about the Skrull invasion by now, this issue is sure to get the adrenaline pumping and you can be sure that the internet will be talking about this issue for months to come.
However, it's not all fun and games with this issue. While the reveal for Blackbolt was handled incredibly well, it still poses the question of how and when the hell did they replace arguably the most powerful being on Earth (well, the Moon if you want to be technical)? Marvel has some explaining to do. My only guess is they'll make it after WWH and Silent War. There's no way this is the same Blackbolt that fought the Hulk or was in Silent War. Also, why would the Skrull reveal himself at this time? It made no sense in my opinion. He couldn't honestly expect to kill the entire Illuminati and he had a much better chance picking them off one by one than taking them all on at the same time. The book posed more questions than it answered if you ask me.
One other thing I'd like to point out is Dr Strange's behaviour. At the beginning of the issue he specifically tells Blackbolt that they are waiting for the others after Tony arrives with the body. Blackbolt looks like he's ready to fight but Strange simply tells him again that they are waiting with a stern look that seems to cause Blackbolt to settle down. Combine this with his later non-functioning powers during the fight and he's still looking very much like a second sleeper Skrull. If he does end up a Skrull, it would basically make my top two choices for Skrulls come true, as seen in my Usual Skrullspects post.
Verdict - Must Read. Explosive conclusion to the Illuminati series that actually manages to deliver on all the hype surrounding the issue. This basically overshadowed every other issue this week, pushing things like Conquest or Messiah Complex on the backburner in terms of hype and reader interest. If you intend on reading Marvel comics in the next year, you need this issue as it sets up the major event that will most likely touch every comic in the months to come.
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