All-New Invaders #1

All-New Invaders #1

So apparently this Invaders team is one of the oldest comic team-ups in Marvel. Actually when Deanpool went to the Comic Convention the other day, he saw a couple old Invaders comics that featured this team of Captain America, Namor, the original Human Torch, and Winter Solider (who back then was just Bucky). The revival of this team in Marvel Now became a bit more appealing to Deanpool knowing this isn’t just a strange slap together of characters to make another comic series to sell. Deanpool didn’t even know there was “another” Human Torch outside of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four. But it’s always fun learning new things in the comic world. This team was tied directly to the World War II era and punching Hitler, and more than enough Nazis, in the jaw. In fact, the first prototype for this team, All Winners Squad, was a part of the Golden Age comic: All Winners Comics. That team had the same roster as this Invaders cast too.

Covers to the classic All Winners Comics and Invaders.

Apparently, readers are at a disadvantage if they haven’t read All-New Marvel Now Point One. Deanpool didn’t but here we go with the review. The story centers around this original Human Torch, Jim Hammond, as it is revealed that he has tried to forget about his superhero days to live as a regular civilian as a mechanic in a small town. Good choice of character to center in on for the first issue as it reintroduces this Jim Hammond to its readers. From the character description excerpt in the first page, it gives information saying that Jim was the world's first synthetic human. This plays a big factor to Jim's personality as he is torn between realizing if he is actually human or just some sort of android. Anyways, his quiet life is disrupted by Tanalth, who is searching for pieces of a long-lost cosmic weapon and believes Hammond is hiding one. Though it is not clear why the Kree Empire (that Tanalth is working for) is looking for the pieces of this weapon, it doesn't take away from what this issue was intended to do. Jim Hammond turns up the heat in a heated battle against Tanalth to avenge the murder of the man he worked for (who wouldn't tell Tanalth where Jim was). Jim Hammond's Human Torch shows off his strengths, but is clearly not a match against Tanalth. The story gets really interesting when she uses a weapon to prods Hammond’s mind and memories in search for information which leads readers to a nice flashback to a Golden Age story from the team’s history. A feature that Deanpoool really appreciated.

Jim as a civilian. Return of the original Human Torch.

Jim puts up a good fight against. Tanalth. Tanalth the Pursuer.

The flashback reveals a lot about the team’s history like how there is actually a fifth member, Toro (supposedly Jim's sidekick), who isn’t present in the flashback. This may be the reasoning for this Toro character not being included in this series’ roster since it seems this particular past event is the main reason for the team reuniting. In this flashback, we see the Human Torch, Namor, Bucky, and some random fourth hero who went by the name of Major Liberty. Sounds a bit like Captain America but a lot lamer. His superpower is being able to channel the energy and strengths of the brave American dead of history... But thanks to Bucky's dialogue in the flashback, we learn that the two aren't a hero-sidekick tandem so it's likely that this Liberty character isn't too important. This Major Liberty character doesn't last long as he finds it smart to confront Death one-on-one. Not a smart move. Let's just say he joins the history of brave dead Americans.

Jim Hammond's flashback.

So much for Major Liberty.

The connection between the team's past to the present poses an interesting and appealing way to start off the series. With all the #1 issues that Deanpool has read this month and with this one also being a team up of characters, the issue didn’t follow the typical formula. It got right into the story and used the flashback to the team’s past to tell more of the team’s origins. No sense of recruitment, we don’t even see the rest of the team’s current members until the end when Captain America and Winter Soldier come to Hammond’s rescue. Namor, on the other hand, is being held captive by the Kree. With the reader following Hammond, both Hammond and the reader are clueless as to what this weapon can do, why the Kree are involved, and whether or not the other members of this old Invaders team know what's going on or if they just knew a friend was in need of help. Jim did allude to being able to feel both Bucky's and Namor's presence during the flashback as if all three of them were revisiting the same memory at the same time within the same mind. As if they were all watching with each other. For Jim Hammond, it was a new memory if that makes any sense. It's apart of his memory and obviously set int he past, but it was his first time ever seeing the event even though he himself was apart of it. One of Deanpool's theories is that all three of them (not Captain America) did actually watch the memory at the same time with the possibility that a Kree agent had gotten a hold of all three of them at the same time. We saw Namor already captured and still in custody of the Kree. We saw it happen to Jim. Maybe Captain America responded to the Winter Soldier when he was attacked by the Kree and after ol' Bucky informs Cap about what happened, he knows the next step would be to find Jim and Namor knowing they'll need help. But again, the bigger question left unanswered is... what are the Kree's motives in all of this?

That shield looks a little too big to Deanpool.

The series has become more interesting than Deanpool thought with their history playing a key role in this team’s purpose for coming together. It may have done just enough for Deanpool to at least see how this story arc plays out. Hammond seems like an appealing character that is fitting for a team with personalities like Captain America and Namor. It was an interesting first issue and shows potential to become more amusing when the team members finally reunite. For its debut, Deanpool gives it a 8/10 punches to Hitler’s jaw for old time’s sake. And don't forget to check out the other issues that Deanpool got from this Weekly Pick-Up that this issue was with too!