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lanternatomika's review
4.0
The Kree-Skrull War has been an integral part of the Marvel universe since the event was first published in the 70s. Empyre brings that long standing chapter to a close. So, how is it? Don't expect this to match up to Marvel's GOAT tier events, but Empyre is a gripping story with reasonably high stakes (as far as cape comics go, anyway).
What happens is that the rulers of the Kree and Skrull empires learn that the Cotati, plant aliens and third party in that cosmic tango from back in the day, have resurfaced and have built an epic garden on the Blue Side of the Moon. They're so dangerous now, only an alliance of the two can stop them, and this has the added bonus of ending their longstanding war. But who could possibly lead the alliance? Well, it's gotta be Marvel's best Kree-Skrull hybrid, though I've gotta say, it's hard to buy Hulkling as such a powerful figure in the cosmic Marvel universe.
I've read enough of Al Ewing's stuff to get a read on him now: the guy is a student of Marvel's cosmic history, and Empyre relies on it a lot! Luckily, there's plenty of tie-in material that'll fill you in on the important figures in this event and the history between them. As such, Empyre is really good when it's navigating its way to closure between these warring races - no one said it was gonna be easy!
It's action packed and full of twists and turns, but the stakes don't seem exaggerated. The Kree-Skrull War has been raging in the background of this setting long enough that Empyre genuinely feels like the end of an era, but since it's not something that affected most Marvel readers, it's a lot easier to enjoy the punch-ups without worrying about what comes next.
Now, the full name of this event is 'Avengers . Fantastic Four Empyre', and I'd say that the Fantastic Four are integrated really well into the story, probably because Dan Slott has a story credit on the event. On the other hand, Jason Aaron had no input on anything to do with Empyre, and as a result, the Avengers are really bad in this whole story. I can't even say that Earth's Mightiest Heroes should've been excised from the story altogether - the Kree-Skrull War started with them, and it should end with them, too. But they deserved better than this.
As usual for Marvel events, the core miniseries gives you everything you need to know, but a lot of the dimension in the event comes from the tie-ins, which are hit or miss. Road to Empyre and Lords of Empyre are essential background for folks who haven't read the actual events that led to Empyre; the Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel tie-ins were really good, while the Avengers and Captain America ones were really lame. I enjoyed everything X-Men, too - by the way, they do more than the Avengers in this event, why don't they get top billing?
I will point out that, possibly because of the pandemic, a lot of the content for Empyre feels like it was written and drawn by Marvel's B team. Again, Empyre is an entertaining romp, but it ain't GOAT tier.
All things considered, I do recommend Empyre for anyone who's looking for a fun Marvel adventure with high - but not artificially high - stakes. And if you can get a good price on this omnibus, and you're willing to deal with Marvel's absurd mapping of event omnis, this is a great way to experience the event. Since Empyre doesn't lean on any particular book, it feels decently self contained, and everything you need to get everything out of Empyre can be found here...just gird yourself for flipping through the pages of a nearly 1500 page omni.
What happens is that the rulers of the Kree and Skrull empires learn that the Cotati, plant aliens and third party in that cosmic tango from back in the day, have resurfaced and have built an epic garden on the Blue Side of the Moon. They're so dangerous now, only an alliance of the two can stop them, and this has the added bonus of ending their longstanding war. But who could possibly lead the alliance? Well, it's gotta be Marvel's best Kree-Skrull hybrid, though I've gotta say, it's hard to buy Hulkling as such a powerful figure in the cosmic Marvel universe.
I've read enough of Al Ewing's stuff to get a read on him now: the guy is a student of Marvel's cosmic history, and Empyre relies on it a lot! Luckily, there's plenty of tie-in material that'll fill you in on the important figures in this event and the history between them. As such, Empyre is really good when it's navigating its way to closure between these warring races - no one said it was gonna be easy!
It's action packed and full of twists and turns, but the stakes don't seem exaggerated. The Kree-Skrull War has been raging in the background of this setting long enough that Empyre genuinely feels like the end of an era, but since it's not something that affected most Marvel readers, it's a lot easier to enjoy the punch-ups without worrying about what comes next.
Now, the full name of this event is 'Avengers . Fantastic Four Empyre', and I'd say that the Fantastic Four are integrated really well into the story, probably because Dan Slott has a story credit on the event. On the other hand, Jason Aaron had no input on anything to do with Empyre, and as a result, the Avengers are really bad in this whole story. I can't even say that Earth's Mightiest Heroes should've been excised from the story altogether - the Kree-Skrull War started with them, and it should end with them, too. But they deserved better than this.
As usual for Marvel events, the core miniseries gives you everything you need to know, but a lot of the dimension in the event comes from the tie-ins, which are hit or miss. Road to Empyre and Lords of Empyre are essential background for folks who haven't read the actual events that led to Empyre; the Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel tie-ins were really good, while the Avengers and Captain America ones were really lame. I enjoyed everything X-Men, too - by the way, they do more than the Avengers in this event, why don't they get top billing?
I will point out that, possibly because of the pandemic, a lot of the content for Empyre feels like it was written and drawn by Marvel's B team. Again, Empyre is an entertaining romp, but it ain't GOAT tier.
All things considered, I do recommend Empyre for anyone who's looking for a fun Marvel adventure with high - but not artificially high - stakes. And if you can get a good price on this omnibus, and you're willing to deal with Marvel's absurd mapping of event omnis, this is a great way to experience the event. Since Empyre doesn't lean on any particular book, it feels decently self contained, and everything you need to get everything out of Empyre can be found here...just gird yourself for flipping through the pages of a nearly 1500 page omni.
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