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Review: Avengers- Kree/Skrull War

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Quick Summary

Pros: The story here is fantastic and has great levels of action and excitement. This volume contains several interesting moral messages that give a window into society at the time. The story here marks a change in the comic book industry and even reflects on this change with some meta commentary. The artwork looks great in every chapter.

Cons: Small aspects of the story feel out of place and disrupt the narrative’s flow.

Overall: This integral piece of Marvel Comics history holds up to this very day. The exploits here contain exciting feats of action, wonderful messages, and an overall expansion of the importance of this particular series. This comic stands out as a high quality story but also an important moment in comic book history. Anyone interested in classic Avengers comics should look here because this volume is well worth the read.

Story

Avengers: Kree/Skrull War, by Roy Thomas, details one of the most entertaining and successful arcs in this era of Avengers history. This now-famous storyline still stands out from a modern perspective and deserves all of the praise it has received over the years. It is compelling, exciting, and positions the Avengers comic series as the center of the Marvel Universe by utilizing much of what the publisher had to offer at the time. This makes it great to read from a historical standpoint but also great to read because it is simply entertaining. When jumping into this book, both new and old readers can feel comfortable that they are in for a real treat.

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The Kree/Krull War is kicked off by a reintroduction of the Kree, mostly accomplished through their ties to Captain Marvel. Then, once the Kree have established themselves as threatening opponents, the story arc shifts to reintroducing the Skrull. All of this exposition gives readers a chance to pick up some history they may have missed or forgotten. However, it is all accomplished in a way that does not feel boring or repetitive.

From here, the narrative jumps into outer space and the real adventure begins. Heroes are gathered from all over, the cooperation necessary for victory becomes apparent, and the stakes are higher than ever before. By giving this arc such a large scope, writer Roy Thomas makes this feel like one of the most significant adventures the Avengers have been involved with yet. Before this point, the Avengers just felt like another superhero team but, after the conclusion of the War, they feel like one of the central pillars of the Marvel Universe. It also helps that the action here is simply well written and is handled in a way that helps build excitement and tension.

Though the action in the Kree/Skrull War is thrilling and the story is interesting, the best part about this book is the way it incorporates messages regarding the moral and political landscape of the time. The basis of the conflict throughout this book is clearly centered around a condemnation of America’s actions during the Red Scare. It shows how paranoia can destroy a society from within and how it can even affect the best of us. The entire volume also takes a hard stance against war in general and seeks to show it as a pointless source of suffering. All of this is handled very well and ends up being just as interesting to read from a modern perspective as I imagine it was when it was published.

Alongside shifts in morality, Kree/Skrull War also showcases shifts in the comic book industry. This comic marks a change from the fantastic and lighthearted tales of the Silver Age to the more serious and thought-provoking tales of the Bronze Age. At one point, Rick Jones even reflects on these changes and comments on how the morality of heroes and villains seems like an antiquated concept. This meta commentary on the industry as a whole is interesting and will be particularly worthwhile for readers with more comic experience.

Despite its many successes, there are a few places where Avengers: Kree/Skrull War goes off the rails. Ant-Man’s journey into Vision’s mechanics is entertaining but feels pretty out of place in a storyline with an otherwise large sense of scope However, in the end, the successes in the Kree/Skrull War are still far more significant than its failings.

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Art

The artwork in Avengers: Kree/Skrull War comes from two artists, both of whom do a great job throughout this book. Sal Buscema’s work in the volume’s early chapters brings the same dynamic energy and high quality work that is necessary for an Avengers comic. It makes the heroes’ actions look more intense and gives the battles additional drama. Then, later on, Neal Adams enters the scene and brings even more detail to the characters and backgrounds than before. It makes emotions stand out more significantly and also makes the scenes in space look really worthwhile. All in all, the artistic quality of this book is high and contributes to the resounding success of this reading experience.

Continuity

Avengers: Kree/Skrull War continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 9 (Review).

The story here continues in Avengers #98, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 10 (Review). Captain Marvel’s story continues in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3 (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

Previous Volume Review

All Avengers Reviews

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