Why is James Robinson writing the All-New Invaders like they are the Fantastic Four?

I like James Robinson. A lot. I guess I am a fan, obsessed with his run on Starman. I still re-read his "Talking With David" and "Tales of Times Past" issues. Every now and again, I'll re-read "Sins of the Father". His The Golden Age is classic. I enjoyed his run on Justice Society. I still try to like his Justice League: Cry for Justice, and his run on Justice League following the late, great Dwayne McDuffie. Justice Titans. There was nothing about Superman that was compelling enough to get me to pick up New Krypton or War of the Supermen. There are very few people that can write Superman anymore.

When Robinson left DC and it was announced that he would be writing The Invaders, I was excited. I thought, Okay, he didn't really get to do what he wanted with the Justice Society in Earth 2, we'll see more of what he wants to do in The Invaders! I have not read Avengers/Invaders, or Invaders Now!, so I'm not really sure what has changed since I last read them with Roy Thomas and Irv Novick in the '70's. I sure would not have imagined the first two issues that Robinson has written. I would not have imagined soldiers fighting aliens. That's how I picture The Invaders. They're colorful soldiers that fought the Axis in Europe during World War II. The DC heroes - the JSA and the All-Star Squadron - could not fight the Axis, because of the enchanted talisman that they possessed. I'm not sure what Mussolini, or Hirohito had, but Hitler had the Spear of Destiny, the spear that pierced Christ's heart, and that kept heroes like Superman, and maybe Dr. Fate and The Spectre at bay. So, the five heroes of The Invaders fought in Europe and all of the Golden-Age DC heroes fought domestic terrorists and sympathizers.

I remember The Invaders fighting Master Man, Baron Blood and The Red Skull. Nothing like the menace they face in the first two issues of All-New Invaders. The story is plausible, and makes sense. Kinda. I do have a few "spoilerish" questions though.

STOP READING NOW, if you have not read either the first or second issue of All-New Invaders.

First of all, why is it the Kree that want God's Whisper? Why not some guy who wants to rule a country or take over the world? Has that been worn out? If it has, then what's the point of the book? I see The Invaders today as Batman and the Outsiders. That first arc, where Lucius Fox was taken captive in Markovia. By Baron Bedlam. That's what The Invaders are all about. A James Bond-style villain. Like The Red Skull or Baron Bedlam, and they have to go in and Invade. I like the idea that some despot would like to get his hands on an artifact like God's Whisper and use it for nefarious means. How and why would an alien race like the Kree hear about an Earth artifact like that and think that they can use it to rule the universe?

That's probably the key to the whole thing. I can see The Invaders facing Hela. I didn't read it but they fought Thor during the war. I can see God's Whisper being part of that mission. I still wonder why a Norse goddess of death would be involved with a Christian talisman, but okay. The other question I have is, how is this mission one that Captain America is not part of, but Bucky is? He's fighting Nazi's and Hela with Namor and the Human Torch. Toro doesn't seem to be part of the mission either. But, some Captain America analogue, Major Liberty is part of the mission. He dies. Was that the point? To kill off this character; and, it not be Captain America? Where is Toro? I've not read Torch or kept up with what's been going on; so, not seeing him here makes me wonder.

Third, the Kree have already captured Namor. Now, that is a fight I would have like to see! Namor versus the Kree. Why wasn't that upfront? Why do we get a Mayberry destroyed battle between the Human Torch and the main rogue? That part of the story just feels rushed, even though the whole story seems distended for trade paperback collection.

Mostly, here's what I'm wondering: The Invaders have a Human Torch, Jim Hammond. The Fantastic Four have a Human Torch, Johnny Storm. What if, where Robinson is going with both books ends up being a cosmic crossover team-up? It could happen.

Here's what I would want to see, though. I would want to see a Batman and The Outsiders/New Teen Titans; or Justice League/New Teen Titans; or Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans; or even JLA/Avengers. Like I said, I haven't read Avengers/Invaders. I guess it had something to do with the Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube. So, have the Invaders face somebody like a Baron Bedlam or Zemo; someone like that, then elevate it to cosmic proportions with the Fantastic Four.

I wasn't so much disappointed in the first two issues, as much as I think they could have been as good as Starman or Justice Society. I don't see that as apples and oranges. Good is good. I don't see where it's out of place to compare good work on Earth 2, All-New Invaders and Fantastic Four with Starman, Leave It To Chance and WildC.A.T.s. It's all about knowing the characters, concept and team. Robinson knew Opal City and all the characters in Starman. He had the Justice Society down. Even to the point where he was the right person to re-imagine the team. I guess what I was expecting was very much different from what was delivered. Kind of the same thing I was expecting from his Earth 2, Justice Society reboot. I was expecting a group of characters joining together to fight a common foe - common to Earth. I could see The Invaders fighting in outer space, kinda like I could see Jack Knight rocketing into the stars to find William Payton; traveling to Krypton, then Rann, then the future where the Legion of Super-Heroes on his way. It was something he built up over time and over several issues. Not the first shot, right from the start.

I still want to see where he's going with The Invaders. I'm still curious about what he's bringing to the book and the team, and where he's taking them. It could be an enjoyable, fun ride.