Once An Invader, Always An Invader: Invaders #12 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Captain America reflects on when Namor found him in the ice as the Invaders rally for one last attack on Machan and his Atlantean acolytes. Cap, Namor, the Iron Torch, the Winter Soldier, Toro, and Spitfire are the only ones available to take on Machan, who is armed with the powerful Serpent Crown. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Earth’s Original Heroes make their last offensive. Unfortunately, Namor’s mind is all too vulnerable to Machan and the Serpent Crown.
Invaders #12 concludes Chip Zdarsky, Carlos Magno, and Butch Guice’s run on this latest iteration of the title. The Invaders have to halt the apocalyptic mess created by Namor and Professor Xavier that is Machan. It’s an epic final battle for “Earth’s Original Heroes,” with six of their number reuniting to save the world.
With all the pieces already in place, this comic is allowed to solely focus on that apocalyptic final battle between the Invaders and Machan. Cap and Namor receive the largest share of panel time, which makes sense. That said, I could always use more Winter Soldier in my life.
The ending surprisingly makes no allusions to the upcoming Atlantis Attacks story with the Agents of Atlas. That said, it does make Captain America look just a little too forgiving in regards to Namor–which, let’s be fair, is somewhat expected. However, it does feel like this comic should have ushered in a status quo change when it comes to Namor and Atlantis.
Magno and Guice once again knock it out of the park in the visuals department. This comic looks fantastic, and Magno really nails it in the large battle scenes. Alex Guimarães’ color artwork accentuates the drama and chaos of the comic with deep and dark tones matched by streaks of bright.
Invaders #12 brings the comic series to an exciting if somewhat unsatisfying ending. Namor is a Marvel classic, but it’s unfitting for things to “just go back to normal” at the end of this particular Invaders run. That said, it’s still a highly enjoyable read with brilliant visuals. As such, I can still give it a recommendation. Feel free to pick it up.
Invaders #12 comes to us from writer Chip Zdarsky, artists Carlos Magno and Butch Guice, color artist Alex Guimarães, letterer VC’s Travis Lanham, and cover artist Butch Guice with Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Final Score: 7.5/10
