Nine landmark issues, somewhat overrated
The Kree/Skrull War is one of Marvel Comics’ most lauded story arcs, held in high reverence much like the X-Men’s Dark Phoenix saga or Spider-Man’s death of Gwen Stacy. If you happened to miss those issues when you were younger, you could only feel bad about it. Now, of course, Marvel has a slew of reprints to keep one apprised of classic issues. Avengers: Kree/Skrull War, a hardcover edition from 2022, reprints Avengers issues 89 to 97, which were originally released from 1971 to 1972. To get you up to speed, as issue 89 opens, the Hulk’s friend Rick Jones has some sort of quantum entanglement with Mar-Vell (the original male Captain Marvel). The two occasionally switch places, even when they are in different universes. Clint Barton, who’s usually Hawkeye, has adopted the persona of Goliath using Hank Pym’s Pym particles. Pym himself is now the Yellowjacket, though he does appear as Ant-Man for one issue.
For all its hallowed importance in Marvel history, the writing of the Kree/Skrull saga is not particularly exceptional. This story was done before the age of Marvel’s mega-crossovers, and these issues doesn’t really seem like Thomas intended to pen a monumental nine-issue epic. Instead, it reads like he just made the story up as he went along, one issue at a time. Although ostensibly this story arc is about a war between the Kree and the Skrulls, only a few panels actually show those two alien races battling each other. Both worlds are trying to conquer Earth for strategic reasons, so what you get is the Avengers battling the Kree and the Avengers battling the Skrulls. The Avengers even battle the Inhumans, which seems unnecessary. At one point, a bunch of old superheroes from the 1940s make an appearance to fight the Avengers’ battles for them. Again, this all feels very much like it was made up on the fly. Like too many of Marvel’s cosmic sagas, the ultimate conclusion relies not on any intelligent problem solving on the part of the heroes but rather on one nearly omnipotent being basically just making everything all right with a gesture.
I’ve always thought of Avengers as the most DC of Marvel Comics. It has plenty of heroes on hand acting heroically, but they’re all more interesting in their own solo books. In Avengers, those heroes are generally stripped of their personal lives, personalities, and any degree of edginess or moral ambiguity. During this period in Avengers history, Rick Jones is performing the function that Snapper Carr played in DC’s Justice League of America: a mortal human with whom teenagers can identify. Here he’s made out to be a teen idol in the Ricky Nelson mold. (Always a decade behind the times, in the ‘90s Rick would become a hair-metal rocker.) Like a dumping ground for unproven B-list characters who don’t merit their own books, the Avengers comics often elevate minor characters into leading roles, even when those characters aren’t interesting enough to carry a story. Marvel is still making the same mistake nowadays with its Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Is anyone dying in anticipation for that upcoming Wonder Man movie?)
The story may be goofy, but those who enjoy Marvel comics of this era will appreciate that. From my comments above, it’s clear that I’m not a fan of the Avengers comics, but I still enjoyed the Kree/Skrull War. When the story takes a ridiculous turn, you can always just bask in the glorious illustration.