Killed in Action

Parts of this collection are a set-up for Secret Invasion as one of the big-time Skrulls is secretly one of the main cast. Even with that aside, the mysteries presented in The Initiative are intriguing and allow subplots that keep the reader attuned to what's going on. Most of these characters are not big names, but you gain an interest in their lives. It will be interesting to see how many are left after the Invasion and how many might grow into their own titles some day. The writing is good and the art is above average - I like it!

I really enjoyed this book, it's not a must have, but I definetly recommended it. If you liked the volume one, you're definetly gonna like this one. I loved the new characters and you get to see more on the old one's background. I can't wait for volume 3 (allready ordered it).

The long story short, with the Initiative (skip the paragraph, if you already know): The tipping point was when the New Warriors made a mess of their superheroics and inadvertently caused part of Stamford, Connecticut to blow up, the explosion resulting in over 600 fatalities. Bring on the Civil War (Marvel Comics) event, the fallout of which is the ratification of a law requiring costumed and super-powered beings to register themselves with the federal government. Which led to the 50 State Initiative, a program vowing to provide a superhero team for each state. Erected on the very ground on which the New Warriors fell, Camp Hammond is a specialized training facility, a boot camp for super-powered recruits... But just peel away the Initiative's public epidermis and, already, you might see something rotten underneath. Criminy, does history teach us blah blah blah? It never, ever pays to have scurvy, duplicitous nogoodniks on your payroll. To wit, key staffers Henry Gyrich and Baron von Blitzschlag have begun to bend the rules and to twist the ideals of the Initiative. Writers Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage do a bang-up job with bringing the Initiative to life. For a grip of issues now, they've managed to juggle complex storylines and a huge and ever growing cast, and every now and then they throw in some comic relief. The main characters are found in the recruits, with Trauma and Cloud 9 as particular stand-outs. And, being a Spidey fan, I was intrigued (and a bit outraged) with the Scarlet Spiders. Issue #7 showcases the Spiders, as they become public, which ticks off the original wallcrawler. And if you've been wondering how Dan Slott was gonna reconciliate his Spider-Man: Brand New Day stuff with Marvel continuity, well, this issue gives a clue. If you're curious about these other newbies, the Annual lays out some origin stories, although I guess it's too early for the big reveal on the mysterious Mutant Zero (oh, more of her, please!). By the way, established heroes like War Machine and Yellowjacket do get turns in the spotlight, as well as ex-members of the New Warriors. AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE Vol. 2: KILLED IN ACTION collects issues #7-13 of the monthly and its first Annual. In these pages, Slott and Gage put the Initiative thru its paces like they got a grudge against them. Gyrich and von Blitzschalg's dubious shenanigans aside, first there was the World War Hulk crossover (see Avengers: The Initiative, Vol. 1: Basic Training), wherein various capes were beaten down like street urchins. Now the "Secret Invasion" crossover event begins to manifest in this series. Can you guess who the Skrull is? Hint: There's more than one here. Naturally, that's not the only infiltration going on. Constant readers are already aware of the double agent status of one of the recruits, although, in these issues, the mole is pretty much on stand by mode. With the Gauntlet out of commission (again, see Vol. 1: BASIC TRAINING), the cadets get a new drill in

Avengers: The Initiative was originally conceived as a mini-series, but the longer that the series goes on, the better it seems to get. In the chaotic Killed in Action, with drill instructor Gauntlet out of comission, the recruits get the Taskmaster as their new instructor, and that's only the beginning. MVP's clone (of which there are many) sets out for revenge against everyone involved with the original's death, and the effects of Secret Invasion are felt as Skrull revelations occur. Writer Dan Slott (She-Hulk, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) manages to not only keep things interesting, but actually make you care about the fates of the characters instead of just offing them for the sake of offing them. Stefano Caselli's artwork may be an acquired taste at first, but it will grow on you in time, as will this series. All in all, Killed in Action is a high-octane and chaotic chapter in the Avengers: The Initiative series, and if you've been missing out on it, now is the time to check it out.