What makes for a great storyline that stand the test of time, copied and refocused and is transformed into another great storyline that will have implications for future generations? A great creative team. They must not only mold their vision but they must also look to the past for inspiration and to the future to envision their long lasting effects.
I’m talking about the Avengers: Kree-Srull War (Avengers #89-97, 1971-1972) by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams (among others). Thomas took the best part of what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did in the pages of Fantastic Four and created what would turn out to be the first “event” of the Marvel Age of Comics. Even though it was self contained in the Avengers title, it featured a multitude of characters including Captain Mar-vell, Rick Jones, The FF, The Inhumans, and Nick Fury and villains such as Ronan The Accuser and The Super-Skrull. Not only did it establish just where Earth stands in the universe (literally) but also how far humans have come and where they will eventually end up on the evolutionary scale. Minor plot points have lasted into today’s books, as well. The seeds of the relationship with The Vision and Scarlett Witch started here and Infinity Gauntlet series, The (Marvel) Illuminati, Secret Invasion and Annihilation events were based off of this story.
I picked this to read for this past Saturday’s Read Comics In Public Day. I wanted to choose something special and that I have never read before. I pulled out Marvel Masterworks Volume 10 and brought it on a weekend vacation with my family. I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading it. It’s important to delve into history and read the greats. More on my thoughts of this in the podcast.
Also on the show this week:
The CCL RSS Feed is fixed thanks to Derek Coward (Comics Book Noise)
The Harvey Awards were announced at the Baltimore Comic Con
Image Comics is now on iTunes thanks to ComiXology
Comic Book Apps for your Android phone
Location based apps – Do you check in at you LCS?
Giveaway: Manga For The Beginner – Shoujo (Watson-Guptill)
