Confused by all the hype going on? Want a quick run down of the big stories Marvel and DC are coming out with this year? Does the Skrull Invasion sound like an exotic bee species you think will interrupt your planned summer Bar-B-Q’s?

Well, thanks to Wizard Magazine you don’t have to keep guessing, thanks to them, we have the full lowdown on what’s going on and where for Marvel’s Skrull Invasion event and DC’s Final Crisis!

Check out a full breakdown after the jump of both events!

It’s no Secret a Crisis approaches. Between Marvel’s Secret Invasion and DC’s Final Crisis, how will fans handle the sheer amount of raw awesomeness headed for their favorite comic titles? Secret Invasion hits Earth in April, while Final Crisis sends the DCU to hell in a handbasket a month later in May.

In order to survive the oncoming onslaught, here’s the 411 on everything you need to know for the Big Two’s big events. Start selling that lemonade for spending money, prep your bags and boards, and get ready for the biggest nerdgasms of the summer—because Crossover Season is here!

BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER EVENT: SECRET INVASION (8 issues)

MONTLY SHIPPING BEGINS: April 2008

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers). The bald-headed creator’s clever quips, humanizing dialogue and knack for blowing sh– up makes him more popular with the fans than Emma Frost in her New X-Men costume on a cold day.

ARTIST: Leinil Yu (New Avengers, Superman: Birthright). Yu’s “sketchy” style is perfect for the darker quality of the this story. He’s also a master of the kinetic fight scene and rapid-fire action sequences.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: The Skrulls invade Earth! With roots tracing back to Bendis’ own “Avengers: Disassembled” storyline several years ago, this mega-event stars the entire Marvel U., and will shock fans with bitter betrayals and surprising resurrections.

WORD OF MOUTH: “Because it’s me, people assume that most of the Skrull reveals will be in issue #7 of eight,” said Bendis. “There are quite a few right off the bat, right away. A lot happens in issue #1. We come out swinging.”

TIE-INS: (April-July):

• Mighty Avengers (#12-#15)
• New Avengers (#40-#43)
• Ms. Marvel (#28-#30)
• Avengers: The Initiative (#14-#15)
• Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four (#1-#3)
• Secret Invasion: Runaways (#1-#2)
• Incredible Hercules (#117-#119)
• Captain Britain & MI: 13 (#1-#3)
• Black Panther (#39)
• New Warriors (#14)
• She-Hulk (#31)
• Thunderbolts (#122)
• X-Factor (#33)

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SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER EVENT: FINAL CRISIS (8 issues) MONTHLY SHIPPING BEGINS: May 2000WRITER: Grant Morrison (All Star Superman, New X-Men, JLA). Responsible for some of the most groundbreaking runs in comic history, the also-bald Morrison doesn’t settle for reinventing the wheel—he gets rid of it and makes a hover-car.ARTIST: J.G. Jones (Marvel Boy, Wanted). Known for some of the most exquisite covers in comics (see 52), Jones’ interior pencils sport a detailed style that keeps elements of realism while still maintaining that superheroic quality.WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Darkseid wins the war of the gods and aims his wrath at the rest of the DC Universe. Morrison bills the series as the Ragnarok of the DCU, so prepare for maximum doses of death and destruction. It’s got the New Gods, every heavy hitter in the DCU, and it rains blood—could be figurative or literal.WORD OF MOUTH: “Darkseid is actually the embodiment of evil and now it’s to the point where Batman can beat him up, which is bullsh–,” exclaimed Morrison. “We want to take these guys back to the position where they’re actually gods—and not just gods, but evil gods.”

TIE-INS: Two as-yet-unannounced miniseries tie-ins, although the publisher has strongly hinted that Geoff Johns will be writing a Legion-based spinoff, while Greg Rucka is rumored to be attached to the other mini; also, a trio of connected one-shots are reportedly in the mix. Look for main FC baddie Libra to show up in May’s Justice League of America #21.

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Article Courtesy of WizardUniverse.com