‘Avengers Epic Collection: This Beachhead Earth’ review

Few comics have had the influence and impact of Roy Thomas’ Avengers run found within this Epic Collection.

August 23, 2023

There are comic runs that hold a beloved spot in the hearts of fans, but there are few as influential and significant as Roy Thomas’ ambitious ’60s-’70s Avengers run. It’s not just the quality of the characters and visuals that stand out when you read these comics (although there is plenty to love in that regard); it’s the impressive, sequential worldbuilding, with ample space opera elements, that has clearly established the template that every shared universe would borrow from going forward. The comics found in this Epic Collection are where you can find the DNA for everything in the Marvel comic and Cinematic Universes, making this book indispensable for any fan of the medium.

Collected in this hefty trade is Avengers #77-97 and Incredible Hulk #140 published between 1970-1972, written predominately by the quintessential Roy Thomas with art from Sal and John Buscema. There work captures the era perfectly; it’s hyper animated and melodramatic, but built with loving care for these characters and their place in the universe. Each of the main casts, from Captain America to Vision and Thor, are characters given depth and personality. In many ways, it’s the version of these characters charted in these issues that are the established versions we know today.

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Like any comic run from Thomas in the ’70s, there is a lot of plotting within these issues, but the core conflict involves the Kree-Skrull War, perhaps the first major, prolonged intergalactic conflict putting the Avengers in the insurmountable role of stopping these two civilizations from destroying each other, with Earth stuck in the middle. The grand scale of this arc, and the way Captain Marvel and Vision are developed effectively as characters, is still a pleasure to read. It’s beautifully drawn, with giant splash panels full of colorful conflict. If one were to hold a single run of comics as a representative of the American superhero genre, this book would be it.

While the Kree-Skrull conflict might be the most important central narrative, there’s some great character building involving the Vision, Scarlet Witch and Black Panther. As demonstrated by the cover of this collection, we get the origin of T’Challa, much of which is still built into the lore for this titular character today. If you have folks in your life who love the Marvel Cinematic Universe and are looking to expose them to the important comic runs that are significant, you can’t go wrong with this book, with its clear connections to the current arcs within the films.

There are some fine supplementals at the end, with sketch and inked pages, but knowing the significance the Kree-Skrull War conflict made within the Marvel Universe (and superhero comics broadly), it’s a shame that more background on the creative process was not included in this collection. Perhaps Marvel has reserved those materials for the pricier Omnibus trades, but it would have been an excellent addition in this Epic Collection.

I’ve loved many comics in my day, but few have the influence and impact of Roy Thomas’ Avengers run found within this Epic Collection. Thankfully, it’s not just a piece of comic history; it still looks beautiful and is an incredibly fun romp. This is a comic run that every fan of the medium should read.