Invaders #7 - A Review

There are two things James Robinson does better than any writer I can think of.  The first is provide seamless exposition, which is fast becoming a lost art.  This is particularly true at Marvel Comics, where more writers seem to be emulating the Brian Michael Bendis style of decompressed storytelling while ignoring the Stan Lee dictum that every story should be written as if it were somebody's first issue.  Miraculously, despite being the second part of a story and a tie-in to the Original Sin crossover event, you can pick up Invaders #7 and read the story without the need of any other supporting material!


The other thing James Robinson does better than anyone is utilize the obscure superheroes of yesteryear.  The centerpiece of this issue is a flashback in which we see The Kid Commandos (created by Roy Thomas for his own 1970s' Invaders book) take on their mentors in a battle over the morality of The Invaders plan to stop the fighting in The Pacific by creating a tidal wave that will hurt innocent civilians as well as the Japanese navy!


I may dote on Robinson's writing, but the artwork of Mark Laming proves the equal of Robinson's script.  Lanning's style emulates the Marvel Comics of old, with figures aiming their attacks at the reader in the grand Jack Kirby tradition.  The final product is an impressive fusion of great writing and amazing artwork.