Captain America: The Korvac Saga (Family Comic Friday)

It's confession time. I've never read the entire Korvac Saga. I've read the first few issues of what is considered the prelude. When I was reading the original Guardians of the Galaxy Omnibus, I read the issues of The Avengers that guest-starred Yondru, Charlie-27 and Vance Astro. I had every intention to read the rest of the story. But I got to reading something else and next thing I know 7 years have passed. 

Recently, I found this book. A little big bigger than a digest, this volume reprints the 4-issue miniseries of the same name from 2011. This version of the Korvac Saga takes place quite early in the revived career of Captain America. A born military leader, Cap is butting heads with Iron Man over leadership of the team. Iron Man is more used to going with his gut on making a plan. For Captain America, everything is a chess game in a strategic plan of attack. 

As the story is opening up, the Avengers are getting their butts handed to them by a bunch of C-listers like Quasimodo and the Living Laser. Thanks to mostly sheer luck, the Avengers discover that these underdog villains had their powers and armor upgraded by a supposedly random nobody hacker named Michael Korvac. The capture of Korvac feels too easy to Cap. So he goes to the local jail in hopes of getting some answers. Instead, Captain America is meet by a group of super-powered mystery men who claim to be a sort of intergalactic police force from the year 3000 and they want Korvac back immediately! 

Then everything goes wonky...

Now Steve Rogers finds himself thrust into future. Kovac has revealed himself to be an insane android. And did we mention Korvac has taken control of future Galactus' warship? Threatening to destroy the entire universe, Cap must team with these Guardians of the Galaxy by storming the TAA II and claim the ultimate nulifier in order to stop an ultimate evil!

Captain America: The Korvac Saga was a fun read. But it was rated A for All Ages. Based on the fact that the original Korvac Saga was Comics Code Approved, it was all ages too. Technically. So why did we need a reboot? Was this an attempt by Marvel to garner interest in Captain America in younger readers in anticipation for 2011's The First Avenger? If so, why use the Guardians? 

And don't say that this book was designed to boost the Guardians in the eyes of young readers! Their movie wasn't for another 4 years. Plus, this isn't even the Star Lord, Groot and Rocket Raccoon version the team we're dealing with! And with Sony owning rights to Galactus and considering how obscure Korvac is to the casual Marvel reader, this miniseries being rated All Ages just doesn't make sense to me.

Don't get me wrong. This was an exciting book. Justice League Unlimited's Ben McCool's story is modern with a nostalgic touch. Craig Rousseau's (Marvel Her-oes) art and inks are dynamic. But the dialogue is terse, the vocabulary is too advanced and the lines are too thin for an All Ages read. I'd say this was more of a 11 and up type read. Maybe go 12 or 13. I know that kids read and differing levels. But I can't see a 4 year old reading this.

Featuring Avengers #167, the opening salvo of the original Korvac storyline, this is a volume older readers will probably enjoy more than the kiddies. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.