Uber: Invasion #7 - Avatar Press

UBER: INVASION No. 7, June 2017

Kieron Gillen was quite right when he later wrote that the storyline to Issue Seven of “Uber: Invasion” “was a strange one to see come into existence”, for despite the comic containing plenty of the truly gratuitous mutilation for which “Avatar Press” publications are synonymous with, this particular twenty-two page periodical reads more like a medical text book for performing a major operation, than a comic book depicting the fall of Siegfried - the “First Nazi Battleship Fatality.” Certainly, it’s hard to detect any glimmer of emotion in the narrator’s ‘voice’ as they matter-of-factly recount the heroic self-sacrifice of African-American soldier Charles Rivers, and the pin-point precision attack by the “Zephyr” upon Markus’ throat and right eye ball with “diamond-edged blades”.

Arguably, such a monotone, “hyper-slow motion erosion” of the National Socialist monster, “sliver of flesh by sliver of flesh”, could have become quite a tediously gory read for this title’s 4,277 followers, with the assault on the German’s sight alone requiring a staggering nine frames in order to depict the cutting of his cornea and the subsequent self-rupturing halo activation which instantly disintegrates a third of the still-conscious Nazi’s head. However, that definitely is not the case here, as the text proves a more than compelling read by realistically describing the combatants’ options, considerations and consequences, almost as if they were authentic historical figures.

Gillen’s unexpected introduction of the red-suited super-swift Zephyr also ensures a surprising change to events from those anticipated when Razor’s ‘sneak attack’ upon a “fully-developed” Battleship causes no discernible damage whatsoever. Indeed, before “the initial five enhanced humans” somewhat nonchalantly stroll up to the sadistic Siegfried’s stationary, mid-punch form and take him apart piece by bloody piece, it momentarily appears that U.S.S. Colossus II is about to suffer an even more ignominiously fatal defeat than his older brother did in Paris.     

Topping off this clinical conclusion to the “first year of Uber Invasion”, is Daniel Getes’ vivid artwork. The penciller really manages to nail the sense of “speed with no kineticism” when illustrating the latest additions to the Allied super-human arsenal, by resisting the temptation to “try and get that Kirby-velocity” and simply capturing each “moment in the hyper-detail” instead. Little wonder therefore that this title’s British writer praise’s the “perfect” artist’s contribution in the magazine’s afterword.

The regular cover art of "UBER: INVASION" No. 7 by Daniel Gete