{"id":3907,"date":"2009-08-28T06:00:54","date_gmt":"2009-08-28T06:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=3907"},"modified":"2009-09-23T15:15:26","modified_gmt":"2009-09-23T15:15:26","slug":"avengersinvaders-uk-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2009\/08\/28\/avengersinvaders-uk-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Avengers\/Invaders – UK Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Alex Ross<\/strong>, Jim Kreuger<\/strong>, Steven Sadowski, Patrick Berkenkotter<\/strong> & Jack Herbert<\/strong> (Marvel\/Panini Publishing UK)
\nISBN: 978-1-84653-413-3<\/p>\n

I’ve mentioned before my innate antipathy to time-travel stories, which can too often simply be an excuse for empty posturing and flamboyant stunts without impacting on a profitable brand.<\/p>\n

It’s all true, and I stand by my view but every so often an exception comes along to shake my surly foundations and Avengers\/Invaders<\/strong> happily falls into that rare category.<\/p>\n

Released as a 12 part limited series this is a classy and well thought out romp set in the post Civil War<\/a><\/strong> Marvel Universe with renegade heroes on the run from the government (represented by superhero technocrat Iron Man,) for refusing to submit to federal registration and licensing.<\/p>\n

In 1943 war-time super-team the Invaders<\/strong> (Captain America & Bucky, Human Torch & Toro, Sub-Mariner, Spitfire and Union Jack) is battling its way into Hitler’s Fortress Europe when a cosmic mishap sucks most of them to New York in our era. Disoriented and wary they encounter a battle between government-sponsored heroes and the unlicensed outlaw Spider-Man, and jump to the uncomfortable but logical conclusion that the Nazis won World War II!<\/p>\n

They soon come into conflict with Iron Man’s Avengers and battle is joined…<\/p>\n

And that’s just the start of a compelling epic which combines chilling mystery and a universe-rending threat with sheer, bravura comicbook shtick as childhood icons battle in spectacular manner, whilst the plot contains many twists and surprises to keep the accent on action and suspense.<\/p>\n

Even though this sprawling epic contains a host of guest-stars the creators never forget the cardinal rule that every comic is somebody’s first one; meaning that even the freshest reader can happily navigate these continuity-packed pages with comforting ease, particularly in the extended sub-plot concerning Cap meeting the mystery man who replaced him (sorry, no spoiler hints from me!). This makes Avengers\/Invaders<\/strong> a magnificently accessible tale for all lovers of the superhero genre in its most primal form.<\/p>\n

Also included in this volume is the Sketchbook issue containing Alex Ross and the greatly underrated Steve Sadowski’s working drawings and un-inked artwork, plus a gallery of the many cover variants that graced the original comicbook releases.<\/p>\n