‘Captain Marvel: Starforce’ TPB Review

Who is Starforce? After reading this you’ll know well enough.

June 10, 2019

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If you’re like me you might have seen this cover and thought, “Who the hell is Starforce?” Don’t worry, we aren’t crazy — this team isn’t as prevalent as the cover art suggests. This is a collection of stories featuring the characters on this cover which helps give context as far as who this team was when they popped up in the 1992 Avengers #346, which is also collected here.

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In many ways, this collection serves as a primer on a team we might just see in a future Captain Marvel movie. Dig in.

So what’s it about?

The official summary reads:

They’re set to wow you in theaters, but who are the Kree warriors known as Starforce? Get to know Captain Marvel and her space-faring allies with these classic adventures! Ronan the Accuser makes first contact between the Kree and the Earth – and may be judge, jury and executioner for the Fantastic Four! Kree Scientist Dr. Minerva targets Avengers sidekick Rick Jones for abduction! Carol Danvers takes on her fi rst costumed identity as Ms. Marvel! Captain Atlas confronts the cosmic protector Quasar, Korath the Pursuer clashes with Captain America – and the Starforce battles the Avengers! Finally, Carol and Cap face Bron Char of the Kree Lunatic Legion!

Why does this matter?

I’m going to take a wild guess here and assume this trade was put into circulation due to the Captain Marvel movie. The collection features stories from 1967 (Fantastic Four #65) to 1998 (Captain America vol. 3 #8), giving a wide swath of Marvel history as it focuses on the plethora of characters on the team. As a primer, you get a good amount of story for your money, although much of it is disconnected.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

It’s a blob!
Credit: Marvel Comics

I had no idea who Starforce was before reading this, but after reading it I’m dying to see a Kree superhero team face off against the Avengers in a future film. Starting from the back, this book gives a detailed biography on each member of the team, including their power stats. This helps quite a bit, especially since some of these characters are only briefly touched upon in the book. Even the Kree race gets a lengthy posting in the biography section. I’d recommend reading, or at least flipping through this section before starting from the front.

That is because the stories collected here aren’t connected and instead give readers an idea of how it all started. The first issue from Fantastic Four gives readers an idea of who Ronin the Accuser is as well as the Supreme Intelligence. It ends in a cliffhanger, but the very next issue is Marvel Superheroes #12 which features Captain Marvel. It’s a bit of a jump, but you’ll soon realize this book is a collection of introductions that lead up to the big Starforce showdown.

The Starforce vs. Avengers story takes place during the Operation Galactic Storm event. Collected here is part 8 and part 12, seemingly to cut to the chase and focus on the team titled on the cover. This section is fun and will make you want to see more of this team. They’re an eclectic bunch and the art by Steve Epting is everything you’d want in a 90s comic. Detailed, over the top with emotion, and entertaining.

Eat your heart out Spaceforce.
Credit: Marvel Comics

It can’t be perfect, can it?

Altogether this is a weird collection, as if a friend handed you a stack of random books and asked you to connect the dots. Certainly, there’s a character or two that pops up in each issue that connects to the Starforce, but then there’s a book like Captain America #8 that seems to be randomly inserted. Ms. Marvel is in this issue so I guess it has some pertinence to the overall story, but one could surmise this and the other stories collected here were slapped into one collection haphazardly.

Is it good?

This is an interesting collection due to the wide-ranging history and a rather dramatic bunch that make up the Kree villains. I’d liken this to a book report made to prove the hypothesis that a Starforce team should not only appear again but appear in a major motion picture.

Captain Marvel: Starforce

Is it good?

This is an interesting collection due to the wide-ranging history and a rather dramatic bunch that make up the Kree villains. I'd liken this to a book report made to prove the hypothesis that a Starforce team should not only appear again but appear in a major motion picture.

A wide-sweeping collection of stories

Makes an argument we should see more of this team

Solid art throughout no matter the era

Some of these stories seem arbitrarily added and don't add much

Overall you could make the case this team is cool but didn't deserve a trade (reading a few fo the issues contained here instead would be enough)

Good

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