To quote Roy Orbison: "It's Oooooooooooover!"

Normally, mini-series follow patterns. If you're really lucky, you will get a superb collection that starts out strong and finishes that way--Legends. On the flipside, either the books turn out to be uniformly bad--Our Worlds at War--or they fizzle in the end--Armageddon 2001. I cannot remember a mini-series that soured so quickly during its second half. Avengers/Invaders should have been six issues.

There are a few interesting twists in the story. The Cosmic Cube is alive, and it is plural. I always thought there was only one Cosmic Cube, and Captain Marvel had shattered it.

Alex Ross and Jim Krueger express a love for Captain America that I think is unmatched. They understand the character. They write some stirring dialogue that doesn't sound preachy, and you wish that you could see more of their work in Captain America.

Despite my lack of feeling for Bucky, I must admit that his last act in Avengers/Invaders is truly selfless. It does more for the character than a million bad Captain America costumes can.

While the artwork in Avengers/Invaders cannot compare to Alex Ross' cover, there's still some good stuff in these pages. Bucky's moments actually look dramatic and heroic. Cap's confrontation against the Red Skull is memorable. The double page spread of all the old Marvel heroes such as Red Raven and Miss America impresses, and the flames of the Torch and Toro ignite the panels.

The time travel plot is superficial at best. The book's other problems lie in the continuity. I should feel something when the Skull kills Janet Van Dyne, but I can't. It has nothing to do with the cosmic reset potential. It has everything to do with her siding with Iron Douche. She's not the Wasp I remember and I used to think of her as one of the definitive Avengers.

Avengers/Invaders started out beautifully. It indicted Iron Man and his flunkies. It ridiculed the Sentry. It should have ended with the resistance Avengers rescuing the All Winners from the SHIELD Helicarrier, and Dr. Strange sending them back to their proper time. Perhaps, Iron Man could shake a fist at them as they depart. This added part two was just unnecessary.

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