Comic Info
Comic Name: The Invaders/Marvel Premiere
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Frank Robbins/Rich Buckler/Dick Ayers/Don Heck
# of Issues: 12
Release Date: 2007
Invaders #8
Reprints Giant-Size Invaders #1, The Invaders #1-9, and Marvel Premiere #29-30 (June 1975-October 1976). World War II is raging and the Allies greatest heroes Captain America, the Human Torch, and Namor the Sub-Mariner plus their young sidekicks Toro and Bucky have joined together to fight the growing Nazi forces. In battle with villains like the Red Skull and Baron Blood, the Invaders find themselves at odd with the Liberty Legion and finding new allies in the World War I hero Union Jack.
Written by Roy Thomas and mostly penciled by Frank Robbins, The Invaders Classic—Volume 1 collects most of the Invaders early appearances. The series presents them in a nice recolored version, but the edition is currently out-of-print.
I like the Invaders. They first appeared in a time-travelling adventure in Avengers (1) #71 (December 1969) and unfortunately, that issue isn’t collected here. The team is kind of a reworking of the All-Winners Squad which included Captain America, Bucky, Human Torch, Toro, Sub-Mariner, Whizzer, Miss America, Blonde Phantom, and Angel. Here both Whizzer and Miss America become members of the Liberty Legion who first appear in this collection in Marvel Premiere #29 (April 1976). Since the Invaders however, the All-Winner’s Squadron has kind of been reconned into existence in various Marvel titles.
Marvel Premiere #29
Union Jack is a particular favorite of mine. The character’s basic costume is fun and I always wish some version of him would catch on in a regular modern title. In Volume 1, Falworth’s identity as Union Jack is introduced in The Invaders #7 (July 1976) and revealed to be a World War I hero…which of course leaves him too old to be a regular character for the series. He returns (briefly) and is quickly decommissioned. This problem was rectified in The Invaders—Classic Volume 2.
Frank Robbins was an artist during the classic age of comics and brings this sense of classic style to a series based in the Golden Age of comics. His art’s style and weight help this series feel like it could have existed in the Golden Age…though such fleshed out writing wasn’t the norm in the 1940s when this comic is set.
The Invaders Classic—Volume 1 is a great addition to fans of classic Marvel Comics. The series is full of fun characters that are familiar, yet different from those which exist today. The Invaders Classic Volume 1 is followed by The Invaders Classic—Volume 2 which contains the next series of The Invaders comics.
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