Marvel Comics‘ “Secret Invasion” by the Skrull is in full swing and the first family of Marvel is definitely in the thick of it. The FF were the first humans to encounter Skrull in the Marvel U. and those meetings have always gone bad for the green meanies of the galaxy.

This title will follow what the FF is up to throughout the Invasion. The ending of issue #1 has a big reveal but you won’t be seeing it here.

Issue #65 is the conclusion of the “Get Mystique” storyline in Marvel Comics‘ Wolverine. For those who’ve been waiting for a knock-down-drag-out between Wolvie and a neekid Mystique, this’ll fit the bill.

Ms. Marvel keep trying to become the best hero she can be in the Marvel Comics title. This month’s issue is a tie in to the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline. Take a look.

Marvel Comics‘ Fantastic Four #556 sees the FF squaring off against a mechanical menace sans Reed Richards. While the company has been primarily portraying Reed as a lab rat with little to no real knowledge of the real world, this teaming of Mark Miller and Bryan Hitch as storytellers seems to be reviving the luster of Marvel’s premier superhero team.

Wolverine #64 is the second to last issue, from Marvel Comics, focusing on Wolvie hunting down Mystique to get revenge for her betrayal of the X-Men. The story is by Jason Aaron and art by Ron Garney.

This week we’ll be focusing on a trio of strong women characters. One that’s had a long and constantly changing role in the Marvel Universe (Ms. Marvel), one that’s had a long role but has changed very little (She-Hulk) and a fairly new character that I’m expecting big things from (Echo).

She-Hulk continues her search for the guy that set her up for an explosion and deals with the aftermath of her actions.

This week we’ll be focusing on a trio of strong women characters. One that’s had a long and constantly changing role in the Marvel Universe (Ms. Marvel), one that’s had a long role but has changed very little (She-Hulk) and a fairly new character that I’m expecting big things from (Echo).

Echo is proving to be a very interesting character. The only real problem I have with her is that her deafness is often ignored when writing her making it inconsistent. Still, this is a character to watch and her team-up with Wolvie in this issue is pretty cool.

This week we’ll be focusing on a trio of strong women characters. One that’s had a long and constantly changing role in the Marvel Universe (Ms. Marvel), one that’s had a long role but has changed very little (She-Hulk) and a fairly new character that I’m expecting big things from (Echo).

Ms. Marvel #25 showcases Carol Danvers’ past and present with the Skrull. My review will be in Wednesdays paper, but take a look at some of the pages now.

I have to say, I’ve been a fan of Peter David for a number of years now. He creates interesting plot lines and his stories are never short on witty repartee.

That’s actually part of the problem though.

You’d be pretty hard pressed to find a Peter David comic book where someone doesn’t make a witty, uber-contemporary remark and another character seems unaware of the joke.

Having seen a couple of Peter David interviews, the man lives up to the hype. He’s quick witted and so up to date on the now that he’s probably talking in the tomorrow. But why does every character have to speak like him. Or at least the lead always does. Don’t believe me, pick up the latest issue of She-Hulk.

The character has always been funny but under David’s pen she’s constantly making witty, uber-contemporary remarks and another character seems unaware of the jokes. By the way you She-Hulk fans who remember the early days of the Savage She-Hulk, both of you, yes she was funny then as Marvel wanted a Hulk-y hottie and so she was never quite either one in the early days.

I’m a little discouraged by the fact that David is issue 3 into his tenure on Shulkie’s comic and why the heroine is no longer a heroine is just starting to come up, but that’s not a major problem.

His storytelling skills are prodigious, I just wish that all his characters weren’t the same two characters.

Female characters have long been under utilized and mis-served in comic books. While Wonder Woman has remained a staple, the character has undergone serious changes and still remains one of the few.

Almost all women in comics are looked at, primarily, as objects of desire by fellow heroes to a point of comical proportions … pun unintended but appreciated.

Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman, is possibly one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel stable of characters, but often the story-lines that showcase her the most are dealing with unrequited love from Namor the Submariner.

As a father, I’d like to believe that my girls will grow to womanhood in a world where skill is the primary factor in their professional lives. But in my beloved world of comics, this isn’t the case. The fantasy world is more of a depiction of the real world in that respect.

So, due to women getting short shrift, I focused my column this week on the current plight of Tigra and the indignities that the character has had to face. In the coming days and weeks, this will be a recurring theme in my blog as well.

I will focus individual postings on Tigra, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, Ms. Marvel and Black Canary to name a few.

I’m also currently seeking interviews with some women that work in the comic book industry and hope to bolster the blogs and upcoming columns with such.

But for now, I’m interested in what you have to say. Whom would you like me to focus on?

Is She-Hulk a character that interests you? Maybe you prefer Storm or even an non-superpowered woman in comics like Spider-Man’s wife Mary Jane. Let me know and I’ll do what I can.

I look forward to reading your suggestions, and hope that the results answer your questions.

Shawn Munguia does graphics and layout for the Valley Morning Star. He can be reached at 956-421-9870 or you can e-mail him at  shawnm at valleystar.com.