Secret Invasion: Front Line

Sally Floyd, Front Line #4

by Brian Reed, Marco Castiello (Illustrator)

The heroes battle the Skrull as their warships invade New York City.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Thriller

120 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2009

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Civil War: Front Line followed the press investigating possibly a conspiracy behind the Civil War, in this volume Frontline reporter Bill Ulrich is in the centre of Manhattan with the civilians hat get caught up in the event. A very human story as Bill retells the the days under invasion and occupation through a random cast including a taxi-driver, doctor, businessman and his daughter. Marvel at its best for me, telling human stories in a superpowered universe. 8.5 out of 12, Four Star read.

2023 read

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As Skrull warships fill the skies, and heroes battle for their very survival in the Savage Land, the citizens of New York struggle to survive the worst day of their lives."
The art was very digital but I liked it, it suited it...2 1/2 🌟
Really good, it was good the see the invasion from the street level, and the confliction in Ben was great, I would like to see a Front Line TV series, loved it...3 1/2 🌟
Relevance to SI, 3 🌟 So overall for this TPB 3 🌟

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvel had success with the Civil War Front Line title, so I guess that it was inevitable that they did so again with Secret Invasion. Ben Urich is, as usual, a good character, and the idea of seeing how the common civilians in the street deal with another apocalypse (remember that line from Buffy about needing to know the plural for apocalypse!) is still fun, if familiar. I thought some of the transitions in continuity in this volume were a bit confusing, and the ending seemed to come out of left field a bit just to set up another title, but it's a pretty well written book with decent art. Reading a superhero book with no superheroes is still a novelty.

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this normal point of view of those superheroics events, it really added to the tridimensionality of the Marvel universe.

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of two Secret Invasion books that focus on the point of view of non-superheroes, there is a lot to like in this collection. Ben Urich of one of Marvel's great background characters, particularly when he shows up in Daredevil. Here, he's doing an interview when the Skrull invasion hits and has to reckon with his mortality, his relationship with his wife, and his commitment to his job. We also see a police officer trying to do the right thing and a daughter trying to connect with her father during the crisis.

There are a few great emotional beats in this story. It does suffer from some of that good old accidental racism of early 2000s comics. Why do we need to have a gang pop up in the middle of this story? Why do they have to be black? What purpose does that story tell that couldn't have been more compelling if it were a group of skinheads or just a random assortment of people consumed by the chaos of the invasion? It took me out of the story for a few pages as I thought about why that particular storyline needed to be injected into this narrative.

That's not the main reason why this is a three star book and not a four or five star book. Basically, this is a decent story but the scattered narrative that sort of comes together in the end is a little jarring for most of the story, as we don't really know most of these characters or have reasons to care about them other than They Are New Yorkers In A Tragedy (c)Marvel.

If you enjoy stories with Ben Urich, or just want to explore the Marvel Universe from a regular person's point of view, this is a solid read.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutley adored the Front Line comics for Civil War so I was very excited to get to this trade. I think Front Line's biggest strength is that it follows the common human dealing with superhuman events. We see the humans struggle with the chaos of the invasion, all the while hoping that they'll be saved by supers but knowing that they have to do something on their own. I loved the depictions here of those that fled and those that became heroes in their own right. I also really enjoyed the discussion at the end of how everyone dealt with the aftermath and moved on from the event. Powerful.

This collection can definitely come across as chaotic since it jumps from one narrative to the other, especially when the images are before the invasion but the narration boxes are from after the invasion. I can see this being a little confusing for some readers, but I found that it worked well with the overall story and Ben's struggle to write the narrative. I found the end of the invasion itself to be quite abrupt. I'm sure that this is covered more in other editions, but it didn't make a lot of sense here by itself.

For: fans of superheroes/comics; readers wanting a comic that show the POV of the Everyman.

Possible red flags: characters in peril; violence; blood; death; invasion and hostile takeovers; brief depiction of infidelity; property damage; medical emergencies; suicide bomber; gang violence; murder.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading New Avengers for some reason and got up to the Secret Invasion storyline and said, “Hey, I have the Mavel Unlimited app, why don’t I just read the entire Secret Invasion storyline? I’d be really interested because I know that the MCU is going to come out with a movie pretty soon.” Great idea, right?

Ugh, that thing is 99 issues long and just starts to d r a g in the middle as Marvel tried to cash in by incorporating as many titles as possible. But I was committed, and I read every single issue. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. Am I glad I read it? I’m not sad, but I wish that Marvel had done a better job writing with concise storytelling. Or that I had not made the decision to read the whole blamed thing.

But, you know, in for a penny, and for a pound. And it’s red and I will never have to read it again and I can enjoy the movie when it comes out. So I’m just going to copy and paste this review in every single trade paperback that contains the secret invasion, storyline and call it a day.

if anyone reads this review, I recommend you just read the essential story itself without all of the side issues.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among the best volumes of the extended Secret Invasion event, this five issue story focuses on journalist Ben Urich and a handful of other ordinary civilians caught in the chaos of the Skrulls' invasion of Manhattan. Shifting the focus of the story onto the most vulnerable people - those without any powers and helpless in the face of a gang of shape-shifting, superpowered aliens - makes a great change of pace, ramps up the stakes and the danger. It mostly works, with Urich fighting his own emotional battles and trying to document events and a group trapped inside the lower levels of Stark Tower being hunted by a Skrull and heroism of a taxi driver and a policeman. It's all hugely compelling for the first four issues but ends flatly with a time jump weeks ahead and only passing references to how the invasion actually ended. Still, a great concept done well.

[David Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid art work and a great premise (what happens to regular people during an epic superhero battle). I really liked the way they focused on everyday people and how many of them rose to the occasion to become heroes. However I felt the ending was a little unfulfilling as it left many questions unanswered as to how the ultimate battle was “won” by the heroes. Nonetheless Ben Urich is a great protagonist to the story as he feels authentic, sympathetic, and easy to relate to.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid street level view of the Secret Invasion, from the eyes of non-superheroes. You don't need to be a diehard Marvel fan to jump into this read. Multiple viewpoints and stellar art made this a great read.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this, following around the 'normal' people during secret invasion? But the character of Ben Ulrich, especially the closer we got to the end, was worth it.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, still totally fucking wrecks me. It wasn't quite as good or as big as I remember it being since reading it when it was first coming out, but damn.

Damn.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the other Front Lines, but not bad.

[matt murdock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Emily C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked seeing the peoples side of things and the despair and the tragedies that normal people in the Marvel universe go through on a daily basis. So sad, but such a good story.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good look at what the ordinary, non-superheroes were doing during the Skrull Invasion!
TW for death, violence, war, mentions of divorce, grief.

[Terry Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine sideline storytelling, pointing the camera at more human stories, as the Front Line books have a habit of doing. Reed does impressive stuff at getting you to care about the characters and painting an unflinching look at how brutal the Skrulls are with civilians.

But the pencils are the true saving grace of the title. Subtle and not overdone, it lends an oddly journalistic flair to everything. I'd love to find more from this artist

[J'aime · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Front Line trades show Marvel crossover events from the ground-eye view of common people, via intrepid report Ben Urich. Usually, it shows how the normal people are seeing the superheroes. This Secret Invasion tie-in is a little bit different.

Since superheroes often die and come back, the impact of death for them is minimized on the reader. This trade reinforces that war is ugly and brutal, especially for "non-combatants". When NYC is attacked, some people are trapped in Stark Tower, and a Skrull starts killing them one by one - leaving a traumatized teenager the only survivor. Meanwhile, a cabbie and a brave cop take it upon themselves to shepherd people out of the line of fire into the subway, only to be confronted with gang members who want to rob them. Through it all, even while recording the stories of these people, Ben thinks about his wife Doris. He can't reach her and doesn't know if she's alive or dead. There are a couple of pages where Ben stumbles upon our usual superheroes engaged in battle with the Skrulls, but for almost all of the book they are absent. This story reminds us that these heroes are supposed to be in the "real world" and there are real causalities in war.

Overall, this is an excellent tie-in to the crossover which gives the war a more visceral meaning. Though it does not expand the big picture for Secret Invasion, it does reinforce that the stakes are incredibly high for our heroes, and for the civilians they try to protect. Highly recommended.

[Lynn Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume, we follow the lives of everyday people as the Skrull invasion takes place.

This was a really interesting story. The characters are far more relatable than the superheroes which is what makes this story so strong. I always enjoy stories that put regular people into life or death situations and love to see how they react. Will they be a hero, a coward or something much worse?

I enjoyed the artwork in the volume. It was simple and very effective.

As with many successful superhero stories, it’s their humanity that makes them interesting. On the flip side with ordinary people, it’s seeing whether they can be extraordinary or not.

The more books I read from this series the more I am sucked in. Great stuff!

[Matej · Rating 2 out of 5]

Secret Invasion: Front Line is a Secret Invasion Tie-in from the perspective of a reporter, that is mostly irrelevant, and brings little to nothing to the Secret Invasion story line.
The story has a few too many time jumps, that do not build up to some important moment, but rather only serve the purpose of a non-linear storytelling, that ends abruptly with a pretty anticlimactic ending.
The art reminds me of indie cartoons, and keeps getting better throughout the book.
All in all a pretty forgettable read.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Secret Invasion: Front Line #1-5. Ben Urich tells the story of survivors during the Skrulls invasion of New York City. The Secret Invasion storyline was convoluted, drawn out, and anticlimatic. This story was better. It followed an Astro City or Marvels style of storytelling by sidelining heroes and focusing on everyday people in a heroes' world. The story tries to have multiple threads converging on one point and doesn't quite succeed, but comes close.

[Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now for something completely different. Front Line covers the Secret Invasion from the perspective of New York citizens who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, it reads like a horror story with main characters dying one by one, though it showed the best and worst of humanity in the time of crisis.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using the characters out of Civil war:frontline makes it feel like a sequel. But there's more to it than that. People trapped in bildings, brave cops fighting against odds, the story of how normal people survive these big battles.

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was kind of the non-powered drama of secret invasion, and it was ok. Ben urich has kind of been doing this stuff a bit too long though- world weary and remorseful, i would have hoped he'd have just moved out to Australia or jamaica by now. Or at least kot be all remorseful ALL the time.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reed's attempt to tell a non-linear story ends up a little too fractured, but nonetheless he manages to offer an interesting, human story, not quite up to the high standard that Jenkins had set.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this.
This was really good.
I am in love with the "Front Line" concept.
Everyone, I have enjoyed.

Ben Urich is a fun charecter.
I am glad they are using him as the reader's lens.

[Paul Manlulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly recommend this book because I like how they survive when the alien attack the city and invaded the world it remained me of a apocalypse.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Urich on the event, people died, Osborn's in charge, and "Dark Reign" is coined as phrase...3.5 stars

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the story but not a big fan of the art.