All New Invaders #12 - A Review

Fans of James Robinson's Times Past stories from his classic Starman series would do well to pick up this issue of All New Invaders.  In truth this issue isn't about The Invaders, instead centering upon another classic hero team of yesteryear - Freedom's Five.  The WWI equivalent of The Invaders, this flashback issue is all about four of The Five teaming with the Iron Fist of that era against an even greater menace than The Central Powers - Martians!


This sort of story is Robinson's bread and butter and he weaves new details into the history of the Marvel Universe even as he delivers a ripping yarn.  One nice touch is that The Crimson Cavalier - a French hero who was never given an official history - is retconned as being an ancestor of the mercenary Batroc The Leaper.  Similar development is given to the equally obscure Sir Steel - a British hero whom Robinson reveals was a blacksmith rewarded with the legendary magic armor of England's greatest knight!


The artwork of this issue is something to behold.  Marc Laming teams with Barry Kitson on the pencils for the flashback scenes that take up most of the issue, their usual styles subverted into something that more closely resembles the comics of The Golden Age than their usual solo work.  P. Craig Russell lends a hand with the inks, crafting a finished project that is truly amazing!