Marvel Comics are in the process of ramping up to one of their biggest crossover events in years. A new threat has come together that will require all of your favorite heroes to come together and will send shockwaves throughout the Marvel Universe. In other words, it’s time to call in the Avengers.
“Empyre” will launch next month, with the Kree and Skrulls joining forces to creat one of the most formidable armies the Marvel Universe has ever seen. The people of Earth are not aware of this just yet though so someone needs to let the Avengers know of the impending battle. Luckily, they receive a call for help just in time, before the Empyre begins to take hold.
While Tony Stark tries to sleep in the celestial base of the Avengers, he dreams of the massacre he was once forced to witness, when the Kree nearly entirely wiped out the alien race known as the Cotati. Tony awakens just in time to get a message from Captain Marvel, that the Avengers have been called for help.
The Avengers arrive at the Cotati gardens on the moon, where that massacre took place millennia ago. After a brief altercation with a modified Kree sentry and a reunion with a revamped version of some old friends, Tony begins to feel at peace. As fans of Marvel Comics know though, peace never lasts very long.
The Avengers are made aware of the coming battle and the fact that the Kree and Skrulls have joined forces, something Captain Marvel doesn’t believe easily. Tony calls for the Avengers to prepare for a fight. And something tells me we’re going to see a fight for the ages.
On its own, this issue doesn’t provide much of a story. It’s a mix of Marvel history and a tease of what’s coming, with just enough action sprinkled in to make it a comic book. For casual fans looking to jump in to a new story, this would not be the comic I recommend.
With that being said, that’s not really the purpose of this issue. This is meant to serve as a foundation for the upcoming major crossover event, much like “Road to Empyre: The Kree/Skrull War” which came out back in March. For anyone planning to read the upcoming story, I would absolutely recommend reading both of these issue before diving in.
This issue serves as a great primer for the upcoming story and place the Avengers right on the front line of the coming fight. It sets up next month’s “Empyre #1” with an opportunity to kick off with some big-time action right off the bat. The Avengers are awaiting the arrival of the Skrull/Kree fleet and the conflict will likely lead to a fight sooner rather than later.
The issue also introduces/reacquaints readers with a somewhat obscure, yet very important character in Sequoia. Empyre is going to be a very complex story and will lean on some very old characters that most casual fans have likely never heard of. You may want to do some homework (this issue and “Road to Empyre: The Kree/Skrull War”) before jumping into the main event.
“Empyre: Avengers #0" is available now.