Marvel Read-Through: The Kree-Skrull War
I’ve been excited to get this story arc since I started this read-through. The Kree-Skrull War as a war itself is a mainstay of the Marvel universe and such a defining part of the cosmic side of things, and I have always heard such great things about the original story arc. At first, I was slightly letdown. The first four issues all take place on Earth and barely even touch on the Kree-Skrull War and even the next five issues have little to do with the war and more to do with the Avengers’ journey during a small part of the war that concerns Earth. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I can’t let that overshadow how incredibly written, drawn, and thrilling these 9 issues truly are.
Once I got past the fact that this is a much smaller-scale and Avengers-centric story than I was expecting, I was able to appreciate the brilliance of Roy Thomas’ writing. He followed up on threads dating back to Fantastic Four #2, picked up on the Inhumans’ story, and that doesn’t even include how he continued Captain Marvel’s main story of his contentious relationship with his native race and rivalry with Ronan. This was the first time I really felt the connected universe in the same way I do in modern comics. The 60s had many moments that showed off Stan Lee’s idea of having everything in the same universe, but story arcs and events were largely contained to the titles they occurred in. Nowadays, things can change in one title and it will affect another. Non-headlining characters have their stories told over multiple different titles. It’s a whole web of connectedness line-wide. I loved how Thomas brought so many different threads and characters into this landmark arc, while still propelling the characters forward and expanding on the universe. It sounds like a lot for just 9 issues, but Thomas manages to make almost all of it fit without anything feeling overstuffed or underdeveloped. Issue #93 was longer than the standard issue and I think if a couple of others followed suit, a few confusing or underdeveloped aspects of this arc could have been explained a lot better, especially the Intelligence Supreme’s powers and ability to completely freeze both the Kree and the Skrull, pausing the war and somehow making them forget to fight over control of Earth. Maybe I missed something, but I was pretty confused when it all got wrapped up so neatly with little to no explanation of what the Supreme Intelligence actually did.
Aside from that, I really think that Thomas managed to fit everything in and make it all feel important, natural to the story, and gave the characters all their own moments so they did not feel underused or tacked-on. Half of the oversized issue was dedicated to Ant-Man exploring the inside of Vision, and although it’s a detour from the story, the writing is so on point and interesting that it doesn’t feel too out of place. Speaking of Vision’s innards, Neal Adams’ art throughout the second half of the arc was outstanding. While Sal and John Buscema illustrate the first half, and they do a perfectly good job doing so, when Adams shows up for issue #93 is when the art truly shines. The way he draws the landscapes, particularly the Skrull armada and the inside of Vision, was mesmerizing. I was staring in awe and refusing to turn the page on more occasions than I can count. His art also feels like a proper evolution into the 70s. It has more prominent lines which makes it darker and feel more mature. As we leave the Silver Age and enter the Bronze Age, mainstream comics start to tackle heavier topics and tell darker stories, which is reflected in the art of the time from the bits of 70s comics that I have seen. Adams is the MVP of the creative team here. It felt like the Avengers were growing up.
This arc shined. It is a standout moment in Marvel’s history. I can easily say it is one of the best arcs I have ever read. I really see why it’s become such a classic. Everything about it works. It even started the Wanda-Vision romance! I had been waiting for that, especially with WandaVision currently airing. I am curious as to what happened to Clint since he no longer has his Goliath powers (phew) and didn’t come back from space with the rest of the team. It felt like Thomas forgot about him other than two quick throwaway lines at the end of issue #97. I wish there was closure here as part of the arc, but it’s an ongoing comic and something’s gotta carry over into future issues.
Next time I’ll be writing about the defining moment for comic books entering the Bronze Age: the death of Gwen Stacy!
Issues Read:
Avengers #89–97
Favorite issue: #93, it has the advantage of being supersized but it is also just so amazingly done. I actually read it twice!
