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| The
AVENGERS |
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AVENGERS
FOREVER |
| by Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, & Carlos Pacheco |
Paperback: 264 pages
Marvel Books
ISBN: 0785107568 |
$24.95
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| A Tale of
a Trans-Temporal Avengers
Rick Jones is not your ordinary
guy. Although he seems no different than your average underachieving twentysomething,
he is one of the most pivotal characters in the Marvel Universe: Not only
was he unwittingly responsible for the creation of the Incredible Hulk,
not only has he been a friend and confidant to such heroes as Captain America
and Captain Marvel, but it was his call for help which originally summoned
the super heroes who would later form the Avengers. |
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| Now Rick Jones'
life is at stake. Immortus, the Lord of Time, has foreseen that Rick will
somehow alter the future of the universe, and has decided to kill him before
that can happen. To defend him, Rick-with the assistance of the alien Kree
Supreme Intelligence, one of the Avengers' greatest foes-has assembled
a team of Avengers from different timelines: Giant-Man and the Wasp from
the present, a cocky Hawkeye the archer from earlier in his career, Captain
America from a period of time when the Watergate scandal had caused the
Sentinel of Liberty to question his patriotism, and Songbird, from the
future, a hero who in the present had not even joined the team. Most ominous
is Yellowjacket, a former Avengers who is Hank Pym, the current Giant-Man,
in a period of mental instability making him an unpredictable wild card.
Now this team of temporally-lost
heroes must journey through time, revisiting many pivotal moments ion the
history of the Marvel Universe. Ultimately, they must join forces with
the evil Kang the Conqueror, one of their arch-enemies, who in the future
will become Immortus himself! |
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| The
AVENGERS and the X-MEN |
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BLOODTIES |
| by Matt Idelson, Ralph Macchio, Mark Gruenwald, Fabian
Nicieza, Scott Lobdell, & Roy Thomas, et al |
Paperback
Marvel Books
ISBN: 0785101039 |
$15.95
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| Featuring
the Avengers, Avengers West Coast, and the X-Men
An excellent story, showing
a darker side to the marvel universe. The tragic story of war in the island
nation of Genosha, the gritty realism of the story along with the excellent
artwork, makes for a great read. I would strongly recommend this, for it
is truly, one of the few classic stories produced by Marvel. |
| In here Exodus
is the trouble maker while Magneto is recovering from the loss of his mind,
and colossus feeling kind of guildty for leaving the X-men, This book is
great, it has a lot of heroes in it and you can keep track of all the heroes.
If you love The Avengers, Avengers West Coast, The X-Men, Exodus, or even
Fabian Cortez, this is the book to read. |
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| The
AVENGERS |
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Nights
of Wundagore
Marvel Backpack Edition |
| by David Michelinie & John Byrne |
Paperback: 160 pages
Marvel Books
ISBN: 0785107657 |
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$6.95
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| Give credit
to Marvel Comics for their aggressive and wide-ranging program of re-printing
classic comics: in formats for all ages and budgets, Marvel has released
reissues of their groundbreaking comic books in hardcover (Marvel Masterworks),
softcover (graphic novel reprints and the b/w "Essentials" collections),
comic book format, and now the new "Backpack Marvels": digest-sized collection
of 7-9 comic book classics. This book reprints Avengers 181-189, with scripting
by David Michelinie and artwork by John Byrne: one of the powerhouse story/art
combinations of the late 1970s. |
| While the strongest
Avengers stories of this period were with the artwork of George Perez,
there are still classics in this book: the much-debated "Wundagore" serial
that sought to solve the family mysteries of Avengers Quicksilver and the
Scarlet Witch (although an even more startling twist to their story would
come much later than the stories in this book), and one of my all-time
favorite Avengers tales is included: government agent Henry Gyrich (a long-standing
Marvel Universe character, not so much a villain as a pain-in-the-rear)
levies membership restrictions and affirmative action on the team. It's
the care with the characters Michelinie takes that makes his run on Avengers
stand out: the friendship of Wonder Man and the Beast, the anger of loose
cannon Hawkeye, the romance of Wasp and Yellowjacket: it's all classic
Avengers characterization and moments. Byrne's artwork is energetic and
crisp, even at the slightly smaller size and in black and white format,
it's gorgeous to look at as well as clean, dynamic storytelling.
Only one complaint, the same
I had with the X-Men Backpack Marvels--I would have liked to see a "story
so far" introduction: a summary of what had gone on before and a brief
introduction to the Avengers would have been useful to the first-time reader.
Even most long-time fans might hesitate to identify all the characters
on page seven!
That said, I'm hoping there
*are* plenty of new readers for this book and this format: one of Marvel's
challenges in the 21st century is to find a wider and new audience for
comic books as a whole. This attractive package, affordable price, and
classic collection of stories may be what the industry needs to sell comics
outside the traditional comic book store market. I can easily see this
attractive little volume being sold at newsstands, airport gift shops,
bookstores, and more. |
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