When I first started reading and collecting comic books seriously around 1975, my diet was strictly war, horror and anything Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert were involved in. But on a summer day at Green Valley Drug in Hampden, MA I took my first leap into the world of superhero comics. Admittedly it wasn’t a huge leap because this comic took place during World War Two but featured the greats of the Golden Age; Captain America & Bucky, Human Torch & Toro and the Sub Mariner… collectively known as THE INVADERS!
INVADERS # 1 was an all-out blitz of fun and action that my brain never quite recovered from! As German bombers begin their assault on London, the Invaders show up to take out some planes until the RAF can scramble. The story was written by Roy Thomas who for me is one of the great writers in all comic history! His knowledge of history and love of these heroes made this book my favorite (even when we left the book) comic for its entire original 41 issues, one annual and a giant size! For the first two years the book was drawn by Frank Robbins whose style was perfect for capturing the action and the feel of a war comic and that bygone era.
Following a bunch of attempts to bring back the INVADERS (sometimes in name only), it was the Invaders / Avengers maxi series that made sense; reuniting the original team, now that Bucky was back for the ALL-NEW INVADERS! In 2013 writer James Robinson and artist Steve Pugh made a comic that made sense; using characters where they should be and putting them into situations that didn’t seem forced. Sadly after 15 issues, the series was brought to an end… but an amazing and exciting end. With the team now going their separate ways it isn’t hard to see there are BIG plans for Jim Hammond (the original Human Torch) in the post No-Fantastic Four world and on the final pages of the book we see Toro, who was always considered a mutant, now embracing his Inhuman birthright. How will this play out in the post No-Mutants world? Who knows…but that revelation alone is making me look forward to INHUMANS # 1.
Thank you James and Steve for adding an amazing ending to my favorite superhero team of all time!