Mighty Avengers #17

This issue, following a Skrull Pym who goes rogue, was an enjoyable read. By showing the plight of the Skrull who is starting to lose his mind to Pym's, Brian Bendis does a couple of things with this issue to enrich the entire Secret Invasion storyline.

First, he gives the Skrulls more depth by showing this Skrull starting to have doubts about his mission. It makes them more relatable, instead of showing them all as single-minded and commited to their cause. Like the Black Panther issue that showed the Skrull commander that was on his last mission (but less of a cliche), showing that all the Skrulls may not be on the same page gives them some humanity (or Skrullmanity?). This Skrull believes he's doing what's best for the empire, which is admirable if you disregard the fact that they're the enemy. There's no treachery in his motivation and this one Skrull's actions remind us that, to them, they're doing the right thing.

Second, it plants a seed that I think Bendis will pick up on later. By stating that the Skrulls have had a problem with Skrulls replacing Pym, I think Bendis is laying groundwork for the Skrull Pym to turn on the other Skrulls, giving a payoff much like Nick Fury's scene with Maria Hill in Mighty Avengers #12 paid off in Secret Invasion #5.

This issue has the feel of an Astro City story, kind of a between the cracks story of the greater Secret Invasion storyline. With a combination of good story and good art, this works both as a stand alone issue and as a supplement to the greater Secret Invasion storyline.