This project is a couple of months behind schedule, having originally been slated for release sometime in December, if memory serves. Is it worth the wait? Well, it's an entertaining opening chapter; B. Clay Moore, like many writers before him, offers a darker, mature take on super-heroes here that works despite its familiarity. And the art is solid overall, especially the colors. But there's a problem: Moore is so clearly writing an Invaders story -- not an homage to Marvel's World War II super-heroes, but the characters themselves -- that the thin veil is actually distracting. The similarities are too strong. This reads like an Invaders pitch that was adapted for publication outside of Marvel with as few changes as humanly possible.
It's the 1940s, and the world is at war. Aware the stakes are higher and a different kind of infantry will fight small parts of this war, America begins to assemble an elite platoon, made up of costumed mystery men, such as the Proud American and the super-swift Mr. Zip, as well as a nuclear-powered android and even a flashy hero from Great Britain. What's got the Americans worried at the moment is the discovery of a merman, possessed of incredible strength. He is the harbinger of an undersea race of super-men, but fortunately, the U.S. goverment has learned of an unusual vulnerability it can exploit.
Haun's work here evokes an easy comparison to the work of Tony Harris, not so much for his work on Ex Machina, but on Starman and JSA: The Liberty File. Haun's work here also reminds me of the style of Michael (Alias, Daredevil: Redemption) Gaydos. The figures are a bit stiff at times, but overall, he captures a strong sense of realism. I was most impressed with the designs for these Invader-esque characters (save for the Proud American's, whose design is so much like Captain America's, I have to wonder if there's not a trademark violation). Dave Bryant's dark and muted colors go a long way to establish a foreboding and unfortunate mood, off-setting the otherwise flashy nature of several of the characters.
Namor, Captain America, the Whizzer, Union Jack and the Human Torch. The Invaders, or the Liberty Legion, as they were sometimes called. Moore just doesn't do enough to make these characters his own. This reads like a Marvel book, and that non-storytelling aspect of the book distracts from the plot. Mind you, if this were an Invaders book, it would be one I'd want to read. It's certainly more accessible and entertaining than Marvel's current Invaders title.
What I did appreciate was Moore's emphasis of the android's lack of humanity. He's a shell, a chilling figure that exudes menace through its soullessness. The merman's seemingly alien nature is a welcome adjustment as well. These characters bring some of the freshness that this book desperately needs. 6/10
