The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: New Avengers: Illuminati #5 (of 5)

The two sweetest words in the English language: de-fault! The only book in the pile this week was the fifth and final issue of New Avengers: Illuminati by Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed, and Jim Cheung. The whole series was an interesting retcon to show how the "illuminati" (Iron Man, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, and Namor) have secretly had a hand in some of the major events in Marvel history. But this wasn't just a quaint little history lesson. This series, primarily the first and last issues, set the stage for Secret Invasion, which is Marvel's big to-do for next year. Skrulls, disguised as humans, have infiltrated Earth. Who are they? How long have they been here? What do they control? What's their objective? Who can be trusted? The drama's been building for years and comes to a head when the mini-series kicks off next spring.

I, for one, am excited about it. House of M, Civil War, World War Hulk, and the coming Secret Invasion have flowed together very well for the most part. All the Marvel books I'm reading have told their own good stories in between these events while still tying into the overall universe. It might not all fit together absolutely perfectly but it makes sense and it all flows right into Secret Invasion. And it doesn't seem like too much, too fast like DC's Final Crisis.

Tune in next week when the pickins will be much slim. A lot of books I'm looking forward to such as Booster Gold, Green Arrow and Black Canary, Avengers: The Initiative, and New Avengers.