[Comic Book Review] MEET THE SKRULLS #1 (of 5) from Marvel Comics

Comic Previews, Comic Reviews, New Comic Book Day

[Comic Book Review] MEET THE SKRULLS #1 (of 5) from Marvel Comics

Adrian Care

March 6, 2019

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PopCultHQ received an advance review copy of MEET THE SKRULLS #1 (of 5) from Marvel Comics. Available March 6th, 2019, the creative team for this issue features writing from Robbie Thompson, art from Niko Henrichon, color assists by Laurent Grossat, and lettering from VC’s Travis Lanham.

Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…

Meet the Skrulls #1 (of 5)

Writer: Robbie Thompson
Art: Niko Henrichon
Color Assists: Laurent Grossat
Letters: Travis Lanham

Main Cover Artist: Marcos Martín

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

The Warners are your typical family. Dad works at Stark. Mom works in a senator’s office. Jennifer and Alice are students at Stamford High School. The only thing that makes them different is that they’re shape-shifting Skrulls and have infiltrated our society to pave the way for a Skrull invasion.

Robbie Thompson (SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL) and Niko Henrichon (DOCTOR STRANGE, Pride of Baghdad) bring the Marvel Universe down to earth with a bold new look at the Skrulls that will test even YOUR loyalty.

PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
MEET THE SKRULLS #1

The Warners are a normal all-American family. The parents are career driven, dedicated figureheads of the small family. Oldest daughter Madison is in with the in-crowd and younger Alice is your typical apathetic, rebellious teen. Behind this picture perfect, suburban dream lies a secret. The Warners are Skrull agents, infiltrators with a mission to complete.

Writing:

The writer of Spider-Man/Deadpool, Venom, and Silk outshines all previous work and evolves into a completely different type of writer. Robbie Thompson does a simply remarkable job of borrowing ideas and themes in the vein of tv series The Americans or movie Meet the Applegates to show us a Skrull invasion from a completely new perspective. If tackling that concept wasn’t admirable enough, Thompson absolutely nails the depiction of a family carrying loss, competing for ascendancy, and challenging societal norms. This is a story with a lot to say, so much so that the superhero fare becomes third string. The family dynamic is heart-warming and heart-wrenching. The leads of the story are instantly relatable, which is such an amazing accomplishment considering they’re Skrulls and their human faces are just cover. The dialogue is so authentic you’ll feel you’ve been invited to a friend’s place for dinner. The commentary on fitting in could have easily been on the nose but it’s handled with such intelligence that it hits home without having to spell it out. The mystery is a deliberate undercurrent of tension, rather than spell it out, it’s a slow burn. I can’t wait to see where the set-up in this story goes in coming issues. I’m already disappointed this kind of writing will conclude in five issues. That is exactly what a great mini-series should make you feel.

Art:

Recently of Doctor Strange, Niko Henrichon brings a style to the visuals that are so suitably fluid that, in a story about shapeshifters, it must be by design. It’s genius. The style makes subtle shifts depending on which family member the spotlight is on. Playing up the quirks to show the awkwardness and alienation of Alice’s day. Looking more chic and cutting edge for Madison’s Mean Girls-like experiences. The Skrulls themselves will recall the look and feel of Leniel Yu’s Secret Invasion work but the attention to detail, layout, and design of every setting and the facial and body language of all the characters are instantly distinctive. Assisted on colors by relatively inexperienced Laurent Grossat, the idyllic suburban and urban scenes are aptly washed over with tones that increase the unsettling undertones permeating through the story’s facade. Colorful where needed but otherwise subdued, the color work ably aids the overall artificial nature to creepy, impactful, effect.

Letters:

Travis Lanham’s having a consistent month. Already covered in my review of Conan the Barbarian #4 this week, Lanham creates a real feel for how a Skrull dinner-table conversation should be. He also creates a clear distinction between the Skrull interactions and that of the humans (and seemingly human) figures in the issue. There isn’t a single notable sound effect moment in this book that relies heavily on dialogue. It speaks loudly to Lanham’s work, that the work of the lettering in this issue supports the quality of the rest of the creative team with distinction.

PopCultHQ’s overall assessment:

A fantastic surprise from a mostly unexplored corner of the Marvel universe. This is what happens when the potential of a great idea is matched by the work of the creative team. Between this and the current Winter Soldier, Marvel has turned back the clock and made the mini-series a relevant factor again. The storytelling, both written and visual, work in great tandem. If you’re in the mood for something a little bit different this week, you should seriously throw your support behind Meet the Skrulls.