Much like “Infinity Hunt”, the connection to the “Infinity” event book is tangential at best. Unlike “Infinity Hunt”, however, “Infinity Heist” manages to find room for both humor and a little more of a hook into the actual premise of the miniseries.
Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Al Barrionuevo• As the Marvel U prepares for Thanos, Spymaster and some of Marvel’s best baddies decided where there is chaos – there is opportunity!
• It’s the crime of the century and an alien invasion is all the cover they need – so why is BLIZZARD having doubts?
• Frank Tieri and Al Barrionuevo bring you the biggest score – it’s the Infinity Heist!
Though “Infinity Heist” is obviously being sold as an “Infinity” tie-in, it’s actually more like a sister-series to “The Superior Foes of Spider-Man” than it is any sort of necessary experience with regard to the ‘Infinity’ banner. Where “Superior Foes” chooses to examine a group of “born loser” C-list super villains and how they bumble through their everyday lives (hilariously), “Heist” takes a similar group and gives them a way to stand out while all of the Marvel heroes are out dealing with more menacing threats. “Heist” uses plenty of humor and makes no bones about the weakness of its central villains, but it’s not as idiosyncratic or self-deprecating as Nick Spencer & Steve Lieber’s Spidey title.
You see, whether it’s because all the heroes are gone or not, Blizzard and Whirlwind can clearly break in and out of a bank without embarrassment. It’s fun when the lamer villains in comics are treated like jokes. It’s also sometimes nice when they’re used in ways that don’t focus on the fact that they’re 3rd tier. Plus, Tieri writes these guys as social dicks as much as they are criminals, so it’s not as if we want to really root for them either. They’re written as the specific sorts of guys that would hang out at a secret villain nightclub, fist bumping, drinking, and chasing tail (all basically stuff that happens in this issue). Basically, where “Superior Foes” villain set seems to be “hard luck goofballs” – “Infinity Heist” is going for “drinking buddy bro-douches.” I’m not sure how self-aware “Infinity Heist”, but these guys are definitely a little obnoxious. If you’ve ever been out at the bars with your friends, and you’re all ribbing each other trying to outdo one another for sexual conquests – and also you’re all wearing a lot of Lacoste – then you’ll identify with what’s going on here. Okay, there guys are plenty obnoxious, but they’re villains – I guess they’re supposed to be.
It needs to be said that, like “Infinity Hunt”, “Heist” doesn’t get to the point of the story by the end of the issue. In fact, while there’s definitely character work being done in the set-up of the issue, this is another case where there’s not a whole lot going on in the way of plot. It’s likely a coincidence, but these ‘Infinity’ minis are really taking their time. Reading about low level bank-robbing and bar-hopping bad guys is a surprisingly fine way for the story to pass the time introducing everyone who’ll be involved in the big caper going forward.
It helps that Al Barrionuevo turns out some really interesting panels throughout the affair. Barrionuevo’s style is a slightly streamlined or simplified approach to “realism” in his characters. His work is comparable to Pasqual Ferry’s work on something like “Thor” (in fact, Thor makes an interesting appearance in the early goings and Ferry immediately came to mind). As far as linework goes, Barrionuevo is technically sound and draws characters capably and handsomely both humanoid and alien. “Infinity Heist” isn’t really an opportunity for him to shine with design-work and his work isn’t overly detailed. No, Barrionuevo truly shines in “Infinity Heist” by coming up with a variety of interesting perspectives and stagings for the various set pieces.
In the first half of the issue, Blizzard and Whirlwind make a mad dash into a bank vault, using a unique combination of their wind and ice powers. Barrionuevo keenly stages this as a two-pronged attack across one big long panel. His staging makes it clear that this happens in one fell swoop, but the layout allows the movement of the art to “flow” from left to right. This is a deceptively simple approach to a standard bank robbery scene, but rarely do you see a sequence like this handled this well. Similarly, the staging of the villain night club scenes act almost like a tracking shot taking you through the hive of scum and villainy. Barrionuevo populates the bar with characters, although perhaps not with as much colorful design work as one would expect or desire. Nevertheless, the movement of the characters through the night club acts as a clear blueprint for the place. That is, the night club immediately feels like a fully-realized locale with specific geography without laying it all out in one single spread. Again, that seems like a simple idea and the effect is subtle, but it can be appreciated if the reader gives the art their equal attention.
The mission statement of the various non-Hickman “Infinity” miniseries seems to be the creation of irreverent tales caused by ‘Infinity’, but not really related to ‘Infinity’ in many specific ways. Unlike “Avengers Vs. X-Men”, you won’t be using these tie-ins to get the bigger picture of smaller events seen or mentioned in the pages of Hickman’s overall narrative. I guess that makes putting the ‘Infinity’ banner on these an attempt at grabbing an audience. It’s probably even more appropriate to say that the existence of “Hunt” and “Heist” are to be quick cash grabs. However, thanks to some clever art choices from Barrionuevo and an in-your-face approach to some very minor villains, “Heist” is one superfluous tie-in that you can have enough fun picking up on a whim.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – Browse.
