Movie Review: The Avengers

Now, some of you have probably been wondering why I haven't posted a review of The Avengers yet. And the answer is pretty simple: I've been too busy seeing The Avengers over and over again for the past several weeks to write about it. But now that I've finally exhausted my life savings buying disposable 3-D glasses, I've found a little free time to write up a review for you. You're welcome.

Before we get into the details, let me put out a disclaimer: The Avengers has been my favorite comic book series since 1986. It's no exaggeration, therefore, to say that I have been waiting for over a quarter of a century for this movie to come out. So I am not an unbiased viewer. On the one hand, this means that I am predisposed to like The Avengers, assuming they do it right. On the other hand, I am also probably a lot pickier than your normal moviegoer as this material is close to my heart. So you can consider those facts when reading my review.

Because, honestly, I loved the damn thing. It might not have been perfect, but it was as close to perfect as I could possibly have hoped. And not only is it an excellent comic book movie, it's also an excellent summer popcorn movie. You'd think those things would naturally go together, but often they really kinda don't.

So what works with The Avengers? Well, let's start with the basic concept, which is probably the trickiest part to pull off. After all, Marvel has been carefully (some would say ponderously, slowly and tediously) laying the groundwork for The Avengers for years, setting up plot threads in every one of their previous films. That sort of thing could lead to an exposition heavy, continuity clogged data dump and could easily derail the entire film.

Instead, director Joss Whedon and company manage to intertwine all the elements and all the characters as seamlessly and organically as the situation allows for. And the result of that is that, while knowing all those earlier bits of setup help make The Avengers a more interesting experience, being up to speed on every niggling detail isn't necessary at all to enjoy the film. In other words, it stands on its own.

Much of that credit, of course, has to go to the cast, which is uniformly excellent. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, as the leads of individual franchises, are very strong, as they each manage to maintain the integrity of their character while still fitting into the smaller role called for by the team environment. It's a tricky balance that everyone manages to pull off just right.

Even better, though, are Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner as Black Widow and Hawkeye, characters who could have been throwaway space fillers but who instead manage to come to life and be vital pieces of the Avengers puzzle. And best of all is Mark Ruffalo, who somehow actually made me enjoy a Hulk appearance, which I literally did not think was possible. Ruffalo's wry and bone dry humor was a perfect match to the character here and worked superbly within the context of the team.

The upshot of all of this is that The Avengers doesn't just satisfy all the expectations that were created by the years of buildup in Marvel's previous films, it actually justifies Marvel's previous films. Iron Man 2, for instance, felt at the time like a bit of a bloated mess, with a bunch of Avengers stuff shoehorned into the action to the detriment of the film. Now, however, it retroactively gains entertainment value thanks to The Avengers.

Not that redeeming their few missteps is Marvel's primary goal here; entertainment is the top priority, while setting up even bigger future blockbusters is clearly a close second. Which may be the best news of all about The Avengers, because if you liked this one, well, trust me: There's going to be a whole hell of a lot more where this came from.

My Grades: The film as a whole gets an incoherent fanboy squee, which roughly translates to an A+. All of the actors get an A, with the exceptions of Mark Ruffalo and Tom Hiddleston, who both get an A++; and Scarlett Johansson, who was mostly really good but did flatline a couple of bits, so I'm just going to give her an A-. The post-credits teaser for the upcoming Avengers arc gets an I for incomplete only because the character teased has had far more crappy appearances than great ones, so even though Marvel has a really strong track record, I'm still not entirely sold yet. But here's hoping.

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The Week in Geek: September 25 - October 2

And we're back, folks, with another jam-packed week in geek. What kind of jam, you ask? Grape jam, baby, grape jam. Because here at The Vault, we use only the finest ingredients when we whip up our patented recipe of pure, unadulterated awesome.

But enough chit chat, let's get right to this week's highlights:

September 27 -- Mark Ruffalo: My CGI Hulk Will Be Best CGI Hulk Ever Talk about setting the bar low.

September 28 -- ‘True Grit’ Trailer: Truer, Grittier Than Ever: This has the potential to be the awesomest movie of the year, not to mention the rare remake that is better than the original.

September 29 -- ‘Sherlock Holmes 2′ Gets a Mad Man, Er, Villain: I won't feel safe until they announce Rachel McAdams won't be returning, but this sounds fine for what it is.

September 29 -- ‘Lost’ Star Josh Holloway Accepting Impossible Mission: I still think he should have been Hawkeye, but I'm happy to see him in anything. Maybe he can kick Tom Cruise's ass.

September 30 -- Hallelujah, It’s Raining Ninjas in ‘The Warrior’s Way’ Trailer: Oh look, a serious, live action version of Ninja Scroll, combined somehow with both Wild Wild West and Lone Wolf and Cub. In other words, this looks pathetically terribad.

October 1 -- San Diego Defeats Dastardly Plot to Kidnap Comic-Con: Comic-Con is staying in San Diego, which is good. Not that I have a horse in this race, I just loathe L.A. and the Inland Empire. No offense.

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New Comic Cavalcade: Thor, Avengers and More

Hey kids, welcome back to another edition of New Comic Cavalcade. It's been quite a while since I reviewed new issues, so as you can imagine, I now have a metric ton of comics to read. So this time around we're going to go back to the ultra short, two-sentence reviews for all the new comics. Ready? Okay, here we go:


Astro City Special: Silver Agent #2
A surprisingly satisfying ending to the story we've been waiting for for more than a decade. If it is an ending -- I'm not what those final panels mean, exactly, but they sure were interesting. My Grade: A-.


Thor #613 and 614
I was very skeptical of this storyline when it started, but it ended up being a lot better than it had any right to be. I still don't have any idea why this Kelda characters exists, though, despite the writer's attempts to justify her. My Grade: A-.


Thor: For Asgard #1 and 2
At this point Thor is basically appearing in five series at once; this six-issue story may seem limited, but since another limited series or one shot will replace it when it ends, they might as just make a second ongoing called "Tales of Asgard" or "Journey Into Mystery." It's kind of annoying, but this story -- though I can't figure out if it's even in continuity or an imaginary tale -- has some great art, so I'll probably stick with it. My Grades: B+.


Hawkeye and Mockingbird #4
I appreciate the return of the once-heroic Phantom Rider at the end of this issue and I hope the storyline ends with the character finally being redeemed after 20 years in the dead rapist doghouse. But I still find the return of Mockingbird to be both contrived and unnecessary, as is the presence of whoever this new Dominic Fortune is. My Grade: B-.


Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2
Yet again, Alan Heinberg's version of the Young Avengers turns out to be, inexplicably, the best Avengers series Marvel is putting out. I'm actually enjoying the search for Scarlet Witch despite the fact that I hate the character -- and enjoying this series despite things like the totally unnecessary Wolverine cover. My Grade: A.


Avengers #4
Could be worse; the art is good and Bendis is doing a great job of writing the future Avengers kids as a bunch of complete shits, so if they die at the end of this story I'll enjoy that at least. But let's get one thing straight right now: Kang isn't afraid of Hulk in any part, future or alternate reality. Period. My Grade: B-.


Secret Avengers #4
The first arc ends solidly, but overall this story was a little bit of a letdown, particularly Brubaker's somewhat weird version of Valkyrie and the apparently pointless inclusion of Nova. I am very intrigued by the Nick Fury stuff, though, and Brubaker has earned my trust, so I'll be sticking with it. My Grade: B-.


Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #3
Not sure what the point of this series is, really, but for me it's Brubaker's weakest Captain America work ever. The Cap-reverts-to-a-weakling plot didn't help, as it pointed out how much Eaglesham's artwork looks like Al Milgrom's from the dreadful Gruenwald storyline with the same plot, which, by the way, is not a compliment. My Grade: C-.


Captain America #609
Now this is more like it, as Brubaker is still hitting on all cylinders with his return of evil Zemo storyline. I even am kinda/sorta enjoying the Nomad backup. My Grade: A.


Jonah Hex #59
Another solid story, but one of the very few in the series that seems to suffer from being a single issue story instead of an extended or multi-part arc. The big setup introducing the Grey Ghost is interesting but doesn't have any room to develop before it's forced to suddenly end amidst a different, random plot. My Grade: B.

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In-House Ad Showcase

Hey guys. You know, reprints are kind of cool in that they allow you to get access to stories that you may otherwise never be able to find or afford and with today's trade market driving the industry, the time has never been better to pick up collections of material you've been curious about. But there are things lost when you get a collection or a reprint; the lettercolumn, the advertising, really the whole flavor of the comic itself. And maybe the biggest casualty for comics fans is In-House Ads.

These, of course, are the advertisements that companies would put in their comics promoting over titles or characters in their line. Often these are little more than just a small shot of a cover with maybe a few lines of text. But just as frequently companies would whip up promotional art, graphics and other weirdness that in some cases is better or more interesting than the comics themselves. And sadly, few of these house ads have been given nearly as much attention over the years as they deserve, because really, some of these are real gems.

With that in mind, today we kick off another semi-irregular feature here at The Vault, In-House Ad Showcase, where we'll dig up some of the more interesting in-house ads from the last 75+ years of comics so that fans can get another (or often first) look at some of these rarities and gems.

And what better way to start than with the ad that inspired this feature, a beautiful full-page splash from Jack Kirby advertising Avengers #3? I found this gem in the pages of Sgt. Fury #4, and it's a masterpiece. It's also a bit of a historical curiosity due to the fact that it features Iron Man in his all-gold armor, despite the fact that he actually was wearing his new red-and-gold armor in Avengers #3. Obivously the ad was done before the armor was redesigned. Anyway, here it is:




Next up is an early gem from another classic artist, Barry Windsor-Smith, who made a name for himself in the industry with his gorgeously detailed work on Conan the Barbarian and its related titles. Check out this great in-house ad that I found somewhere on the internet (sorry, I forget where, so my apologies to the hapless dupe I stole it from):




And we'll end with a more traditional style in-house ad, this time from DC. It's got the basic in-house ad style of presenting an entire cover along with some hype text, but what's unusual here is, well, just how awesome the cover and overall effect are. This ad is from 1973, but it's so effective that I just had to guy buy this comic as soon as I saw it -- over 35 years later. And I'm betting that you'll be on ebay with five minutes of seeing this ad yourself. Here you go:




Yes, it's a romance comic about a nun! And the guy hitting on her is a tortured Vietnam Vet trying to deal with PTSD. Don't worry, though, if you can't find your own copy (which I strongly recommend getting), some kind soul has uploaded it to the internet so you can read the whole thing here.


Next time: More Kirby! More early Marvel! More of everything you love about comics!

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New Comic Cavalcade: Avengers, Thor and More

Welcome back to another installment of New Comic Cavalcade, where we here at The Vault read new comics so that you don't have to. Now, as you no doubt know, it's been a little while since last time we provided this invaluable service, so as you might expect, a large pile of new comics has been accruing, mostly due to the fact that Marvel is currently printing about 1700 Avengers titles.

In order to work our way through this slush pile, then, we're going to forgo the usual, incredibly in-depth review in favor of something a little different: concise and precise two sentence reviews. Don't worry, we'll still be providing our grades as usual along with the insight that you've become accustomed -- and addicted -- to. It will just be, you know, a lot shorter.

So why are we screwing around? Let's read some comics.


Avengers #3 (Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.): Better than the last issue anyway, but while this was reasonably enjoyable, when it was done I still felt like nothing had actually happened. That's because nothing actually happened other than one large fight scene, but I'll stick it out to the end of this first arc anyway. My Grade: B-.

Secret Avengers #3 (Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato): Like Avengers, this was also a step up from the last issue, though it was a bit clunky in places (I'm looking at you, random robot guy). Unile Avengers, this is written by Brubaker and not Bendis so I'm willing to give it more of a chance; that's just how it works when you've earned the reader's trust. My Grade: B.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #3 (Jim McCann and David Lopez): I'm still not sure why they brought Mockingbird back, so I'm having some trouble getting into this arc in general. The ending was kind of goofy for my money, but on the other hand, considering the basic premise of the series, overall I think they're doing pretty well. My Grade: B.

Avengers Prime #2 (Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis): Shaping up to be the best Avengers story Bendis has written, though there were still some odd moments here and there (such as the fact that the whole Hela-based premise doesn't seem to match up in any way at all with what is happening in Thor). Steve's sudden romance with a random elven woman was... random... and a little out of character considering he's in a committed relationship, yet I still found it kind of interesting. My Grade: A-.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #1 (Alan Heinberg and Jim Cheung): Yes, there's yet another new Avengers title, this one featuring the Young Avengers in a story where they supposedly track down the Scarlet Witch to find out the truth of Wiccan's parentage. Given Heinberg's track record, I have high hopes that this will end up being better than the Young Avengers stuff since he left their original title, and the cliffhanger with Magneto showing up is a good sign. My Grade: B+.

Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #1 (Ed Brubaker and Dale Eaglesham): brubaker spotlights Steve Rogers in this four issue series that adds yet more backstory to Steve's already crowded origin. I'm not sold on the art but the premise has at least some promise, so we'll see. My Grade: B-.

Captain America #608 (Ed Brubaker and Bruce Guice): Now this is more like it: not only does Brubaker really start to apply the screws to Bucky, he's doing it by re-establishing Baron Zemo as an A-level badass. The leak to the media revealing Bucky's identity as the new Captain America and his role as the Winter Soldier was a surprise that should really shake up what we thought the status-quo was going to be on this book. My Grade: A+.

Thor #612 (Kieron Gillen and Doug Braithwaite): As I mentioned this Hela-centric fantasy/horror hybrid tale is kind of interesting but seems to clash completely with the version of Hela in Avengers Prime. Well, whatever I guess; I kind of prefer this take on Thor to the JMS version because things are actually happening, even if it took half a year's worth of disjointed Siege tie-ins to get to this point. My Grade: B-.

The Rage of Thor #1 (Peter Milligan and Mico Suayan): Marvel continues it's new tradition of pumping out Thor one-shots, though for once this doesn't seem designed to plug a scheduling hole caused by slow-ass creators. And as usual, it's actually a lot better than the main title itself, which makes me wonder why they don't just publish these good stories as regular Thor issues. My Grade: A.

Astro City Special: Silver Agent #1 (Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson): After a decade plus of wondering, fans are finally being treated to the story of Silver Agent and what exactly happened to him. It's solid as always but does feel a little bit like a (necessary) clearing of the plate in order to get to the new, fresh stuff when the monthly Astro City finally re-launches. My Grade: B+.

RASL #8 (Jeff Smith): Things are starting to make some sense, at least they were until Smith drops a potential game-changing revelation on the last page. I've learned to trust Smith over the years, but I'm worried, because this twist has the potential to be really, really stupid and possibly undo the whole series if not handled just right. My Grade: Incomplete.


Well, look at that: nothing worse than a B-! Either this was an unusually solid group of comics or else I'm still swooning from hearing Samuel L. Jackson read the Avengers intro. But not a terrible batch anyway.

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June Answers From the Vault part 1

Welcome back to another edition of Answers From the Vault, the semi-regular feature where you ask the questions and we pump your brain full of knowledge until it cries out for mercy. This time around we received such a bounty of questions that we're going to split the answers into two batches. That's going to take up a lot of grey matter, so if you need to subject your mind to gamma radiation in order to absorb these answers, now is your last chance.

Ready? Okay, here we go.


What's the best use of weather in a superhero comic that doesn't involve characters with weather-wielding powers? -- Mark

Thanks for the question, Mark. Boy, that's a really tough one. As you note in your extended version of this question, weather is usually used solely for noir/horror effect (in books like Batman, Daredevil and Tomb of Dracula) or for plot points that involve weather being controlled by people like Thor or Storm and/or by villains intent on destroying Earth through giant tidal waves or whatever. Weather just for the sake of having some variety is extremely rare, which makes you wonder just how sunny the DC and Marvel universes are. Maybe that's why those realities have so many superheroes.

But to answer your question, there are a few nice uses of weather that stand out to me. Mike Grell's Green Arrow was set in Seattle, one of the few DC books to take place in a real city, and he frequently used rain, fog and in the winter months, snow, to give the series a real sense of both place and time that few other superhero books have had. Similarly, on a much smaller scale, one memorable scene for me takes place in Avengers #197, where some boys heave snowballs at Captain America while he is having a heart to heart chat in the garden behind Avengers Mansion; it's a great little throw-away sequence that somehow ended up being more memorable than perhaps all the stories that surrounded it, in large part due to the use of weather.

Still, for my money, there can be only one choice -- Avengers #257. Now, everyone knows I am a huge Avengers fan, and this two part battle against Terminus is the first Avengers story I ever read, so there's certainly some nostalgia involved. But the end of this story still sticks with me: after terminus destroys the weather regulation system that allowed the Savage Land to exist, the Antarctic weather comes raging in, destroying the tropical paradise. In a raging blizzard, the Avengers battle Terminus until all sides are overcome by the elements. Only Hercules is able to stand up to the storm; he destroys Terminus's armor, revealing the immobile alien stuck inside it, and then leaves the beast to freeze to death in the ever growing drifts of snow that cover and finally bury him in a grave of his own making. A great ending to a powerful story. And speaking of Avengers, you had a follow-up question:


And is Avengers 185 the only issue of the run where it's raining on the cover?

Nope, though you're right hat there aren't a lot. But besides the classic Avengers #185, there's an equally awesome if not as famous cover that features rain: Avengers #41. Usually I'm not a huge fan of Buscema's very early covers, as I think his early inking and the printing process at the time often end up muddying the finished product, but that's not an issue for a dark and moody cover like this one. Top work from a master in the making.




Why aren't comics fun anymore? -- Jim

Thanks for the thoughtful question, Jim. For me, there's a pretty basic reason: most comics aren't meant to be fun. And the reason for that, in my opinion, is a residual effect of fans becoming creators back in 70's and 80's.

Sure, there were plenty of fans-turned-writers/editors that still had a lot of fun with their comics, particularly those who both recognized and embraced the more absurd elements of the superhero genre. And some of these stalwarts can still be found today, doing what is now widely called "nostalgia" work, like Kurt Busiek and Mark Waid, for instance. What these guys are nostalgic for, though, isn't a specific time period or status quo, it's a mindset -- the mindset that comics are fun and that anything can happen in them.

But this isn't really the norm anymore, and the reason lies with the more "serious" fans-turned-creators -- the second generation of creators who, determined to prove that superhero comics could be a serious genre that should be taken seriously, decided to deconstruct the fun. Take it apart, prove how ridiculous it all is, dissect the genre like a pre-med student doing a thesis. In other words, take an essentially illogical genre and try to impose logic upon it. The result: grim, gritty, more realistic stories that certainly have been taken more seriously.

But have they been enjoyed as much? Are they fun? Or have have works like Watchmen led to second rate copycat works that just depress and turn off potential readers by draining all the wonder out of the genre? And just look at what DC is trying to do these days and you'll see how the current generation is still missing the mark: they're trying to combine grim and gritty with nostalgia by bringing back all the silver age heroes, but they've missed the boat on just what people are actually nostalgic for.

All of it goes back to the mid-70's, when the fans chafing at the lack of respect comics -- and by extension, they themselves -- had been getting became creators and set out trying to prove the merit of the genre. Well, now they have some of that respect. It just cost everything they loved about comics to begin with.



What happened to that Nagel-print that hung on Peter Parker's wall?

I have to admit I don't know the answer to this, but I have a pretty good guess -- I assume that like everyone else's Nagel prints, it's at a flea market somewhere with a $1 tag taped to it.


Next: A whole batch of questions from a former member of the Marvel Bullpen. I answer them all! That's how this thing works, homeslice.

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New Comics Cavalcade: Avengers #1 and More

You may recall that last month we had a little shindig called Avengers Day to celebrate the relaunching of what seems to be upwards of five hundred new Avengers titles. We covered both the best Avengers stories (here, here, here and here) and the worst (here). We embraced and laughed and learned a little bit about both ourselves and our world. But still, one question remained unanswered: were the new Avengers titles any good?

Well, as it happens, I have some of them right here, so let's take a look, shall we? There are a bunch, so these reviews will be pretty short. But still tough. Kind of like Puck.


Avengers #1
Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.

Yes, this is still being written by Bendis, but I went ahead and bought it anyway, being either open-minded, a sucker or both. And, actually, it's not too bad. Bendis still has some of the same flaws that always mar his team books for me -- namely, the characters all talk in the same voice (i.e. Bendis's voice) and fill arbitrary roles based on Bendis's plot needs rather than being driven by their character (see: use of Wonder Man in this issue). But this issue still manages to come at least closer to the spirit of the original Avengers title. Bendis does a couple weird things that you may either like or hate (namely, this storyline is apparently the sequel to a direct-to-video animated DVD, a fact not referenced in the comic) but while I am a bit skeptical about how he will handle Kang and Ultron, I'm willing to keep giving him the benefit of the doubt a little while longer. The JR Jr. art was solid but didn't blow me away.

My Grades: B-. This could go either way. Here's hoping.



Secret Avengers #1
Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato

This comic is kind of an old-schoolers dream, as it's essentially Steve Rogers leading a SHIELD covert ops group on a secret mission that happens to revolve around the Serpent Crown, which once upon a time was a major source of storylines in the Marvel world. And it has the Beast back with the Avengers where he belongs. It's not completely perfect -- I still don't really understand the inclusion of Valkyrie on a covert team, and sure enough she blows their cover about one minute into the mission -- but even the Deodato art seems to be a notch above the norm. It also has a great cliffhanger to boot that should have fans buzzing. Again, I'm not entirely sold on the line-up, but this is a top shelf first issue and with Brubaker's track record, it seems safe to say that this will likely be the most consistently good book among the new Avengers line.

My Grades: A-. A couple roster headscratchers (new Ant-Man? Really?) and a terrible costume for Beast prevent a higher grade.



Avengers Prime #1
Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis

Heaven help me, but I actually really liked this comic. There, I said it. Sure, there were a couple little details I didn't care for -- the title, for instance, is terrible, and the post-Siege argument between Cap and Tony that kicks off the issue seems forced to say the least -- but despite the arbitrary setup (the big three of Cap, Iron Man and Thor just happen to be the only people sucked through a vortex to the nine realms), I really dug it. Some of the credit goes, of course, to the always awesome Alan Davis, who provides great art as usual. But some of it has to go to (gulp) Bendis, who does a surprisingly solid job of making Steve Rogers look like a total badass. The ending was a nice twist also. I'm looking forward to the next issue, amazingly enough.

My Grades: This gets an A-. Funny how great characters and great art can inspire good stories.



Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1
Jim McCann and David Lopez

I have mixed emotions about this series. One the one hand, I love Hawkeye. On the other hand, I still can't figure out any good reason to have brought Mockingbird back from the dead, nor do I buy the explanation for her return. So, there's that. And this issue, while solid, doesn't really change my feelings about her. I've never been a fan, I don't get her relationship with Hawkeye and it just doesn't work for me. McCann, for his part, is obviously a huge fan of both Mock and the relationship (he's apparently the primary lobbier behind her return) and his enthusiasm shows, so the book has that going for it. The art is solid enough as well and it's clear that McCann has spent a lot of time studying back issues, as this first arc brings back both Hawkeye arch-nemesis Crossfire as well as the Phantom Rider. But some elements, like Mock's secret cadre of ex-SHIELD kidnapees just don't work for me (like, what's the purpose of their organization again exactly?) nor am I a huge fan of the use of Dominic Fortune here, though you'd think I would be. overall, then, this issue is just okay for me though it's solidly enough put together.

My Grades: This is probably a B+ objectively, but I can't give it better than a B- at best for personal reasons. I do like Mockingbird's new costume a lot better than her old one, anyway.



Free Comic Book Day 2010: Iron Man and Thor #1
Matt Fraction and John Romita Jr.

Okay, so this isn't part of the new Avengers relaunch, but after my review of the free Iron Man comic given out before showings of Iron Man 2, I wanted to discuss it briefly. This Iron Man / Thor team-up story was also a free comic, given out on free comic book day, which also was back in May. Unlike the comic given to theater-goers, it's actually written by real Iron Man writer Matt Fraction. Further, it features Thor (who as you know is teased in a bonus scene after the credits in Iron Man 2), meaning it even ties in better with the movie than the actual comic they gave out at the movie, which had nothing to do with anything really. Add to that the cool art by JR Jr. and the fact that this comic is totally awesome and you have a real head-scratcher for me. I can't think of a single good reason why this comic wasn't given to audiences at Iron Man 2 instead of the comic that was given out, as it is vastly superior and much more likely to bring in new readers. The story centers on a group who swipes from Stark tech to try and terraform part of the moon, which has negative impact on Earth weather, drawing Thor and Iron Man together. It's a fast paced, fun adventure -- everything a movie viewer and comic reader could want. What's not to love?

My Grades: A+. Unlike all the other comics in this review, which each cost a somewhat ridiculous $3.99, this comic was totally free, making it kind of ironic that it was also the best of the bunch hands down. Marvel, however, still gets a huge F- for not giving out this great comic to film crowds instead of the boring issue they actually gave out. It's a rare Double F- for one comic. What are you thinking, Marvel?!

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Avengers Day Special: Worst Avengers Stories Ever

Welcome back, compadres, to our special wrap-up of our Avengers Day celebration. Previously this week (and by this week, I mean like two weeks ago; blame Kang) we counted down the 25 Greatest Avengers Stories Ever (viewable here, here, here and waaaaay over here). But while Avengers has consistently been an excellent title over the years, particularly over its first 24 years or so, it's also had its fair share of stinkers. So without further ado, here's our list of the Five Worst Avengers Issues Ever.

Further Ado: actually, a couple notes. Firstly, I decided to go with single issues for this list rather than crappy extended arcs (we'll call this The Crossing Rule). And tying into that, secondly, nothing from Heroes Reborn counts for the purposes of this list. Because otherwise, why even bother? Okay, now with the ground rules established and without further further ado, here's our list:


5) Tie: Avengers #376 and Avengers #377

Okay, I know what you're thinking: a tie? That's total weaksauce, Mr. Cheater McGee. And normally I agree, because when list makers make lists and include a ton of extra choices just because they are too wishy-washy to actually man up, well, it's irritating. But in this case there's a semi-decent excuse, which is the fact that these two issues, while technically both solo fill-ins, are thematically connected (they spotlight solo adventures of separated couple Crystal and Quicksilver) and also were both done by the same team of writer Joey Cavalieri and Grant Miehm. And they both sucked so hard that it's really hard to pick between one or the other.

So what are these stink-bombs about? Well, Crystal's story deals with some lady trying to replicate the Terrigen mists; she does so by draining the energy from a grody new Inhuman named Sporr, who has the ability to split himself into multiple piles of animated snot. Quicksilver's tale, on the other hand, involves a retcon that introduces the only African-American kid ever to grow up among the gypsies of Eastern Europe. Apparently this dude has had a lifelong crush on Wanda that Quicksilver snuffed out, so he's finally decided to gain revenge by siccing his freaky children on Pietro inside a dilapidated crackhouse. And in both issues, a total crapfest ensues.

I want to add that being forced to re-read these issues in order to provide plot details has taken a massive emotional toll on my soul. Thanks, guys.



4) Avengers #210

Okay, I'm going to say this right up front: this story isn't that bad. Which I realize is a weird thing to say about a story bad enough to land on my list of the five worst Avengers comics of all time, but there's bad and then there's bad, and this is just bad in a specific, old-school way. See, back in the day, when stories were bad, they usually were at least competent (usually -- see Iron Man #39 for a notable exception). They might have boring art and crappy writing, but they at least could be read and understood. In other words, compared to a lot of the nonsense that has come out since Avengers #210, this comic at least wasn't totally incompetent.

Still, it was bad enough to earn a special place in Avengers lore: for many, many years, most Avengers fans (though not me, as you will soon see) considered this story of how Beast's girlfriend Vera became turned to crystal by evil weathermen to be the worst issue of Avengers ever. That attitude now seems almost quaint after stuff like The Crossing and Heroes Reborn, but legend is legend for good or ill. This comic also has the distinction of being the final Beast issue of Avengers, as he was dumped in #211 by returning writer Jim Shooter and shunted into Defenders instead. The end of an era.



3) Avengers #178

So if #210 wasn't the worst issue of Avengers ever, what was? Why, it's none other than one of the most disappointing fill-in issue of all-time (which is really saying something), Avengers #178 which, coincidentally (?) was another Beast spotlight story. This monstrous pile of crap featured some clanky, late-career art from Carmine Infantino and a horrible story about a two-faced robot dude that... you know what, I'm not even going to get into it, other than to say that bizarrely enough, this terrible comic actually had a follow-up story in Captain America that I also don't want to think about but which still wasn't nearly as bad as this. Making matters even worse: this issue followed directly on the heels of one of the greatest Avengers epics of all time, the Korvac Saga, meaning that tens of thousands of fans waiting to read the epilogue to that tale were instead flummoxed when they found this turd burger at the shop instead (and the next two-part fill-in story was nearly as bad, barely missing my list).

Epic fail on every possible level.



2) West Coast Avengers #38

Normally reliable pros D. G. Chichester and Tom Palmer turn in yet another awful fill-in issue, this one taking place in the pages of West Coast Avengers. Why are so many fill-ins so bad? Who knows.

It's especially too bad here because when you crack the comic open and see that this is a fill-in -- meaning you don't have to read about Mantis -- you're probably breathing a sigh of relief. But no. Instead, we get this story about a guy named The Defiler who, as it happens, is a heavy metal rock star who's sucking the life force out of his fans by shunting them to another dimension where they get stuck in what appears to be a giant pile of flan. The only way for the Avengers to save the day? While a mulleted Wonder Man distracts Deflier, Hank Pym leaps into the other dimension and uses his Pym particles to enlarge a skateboard to gigantic proportions. Then he ties a giant rope to it and the heavyweights on the Earth side of the dimensional portal tow them to safety. Mullets, skateboards and a villain apparently based on Glenn Danzig: what more could you ask from an Avengers comic?

Other than competence.



1) New Avengers #16

This is for all those Bendis fans wondering why none of his stories made my last Avengers list. Well, have no fear: he's on this one! And really, there was no doubt about it, because New Avengers #16 has the distinction of being the worst comic book I have ever purchased.

And that's without even getting into the fact that it also kicks off the worst extended arc in Avengers history as well (with only The Crossing really rivaling it for sheer awfulness). But we don't really need to drag that horrific Xorn nonsense into this one; New Avengers #16 earns this spot entirely on its own merits.

So what's so bad about it? Well, for one thing, it's new-style "widescreen" storytelling at its absolute worst, as Bendis and artist Steve McNiven manage to waste an unbelievable number of pages showing us that a guy from space lands on Earth. you wouldn't think that would take multiple full splash pages to tell, but apparently it does, especially when you're writing for the trade market and you have to stretch a really godawful idea out over five entire issues.

But, hey, maybe you like that sort of thing. Well, then there's also problem two: the Avengers aren't even in this issue. Nope. Nowhere. Not even for one panel. Instead, once the guy from space lands, the entire rest of the issue is a bunch of SHIELD guys talking to each other about their satellite feeds, bantering in that patented "everyone sounds exactly the same" Bendis style.

Indeed, the only "action" per se in the entire story is the death of Alpha Flight, as the entire team gets offed between panels for no apparent reason at all other than the fact that Bendis wanted to show how tough this new menace is. Except, they don't show it. Because it happens off panel.

So to recap: an entire comic book that costs readers $2.50 and consists of 1) a multi-page sequence showing the Earth getting closer and closer until a dude lands on it and 2) a dozen pages of SHIELD agents talking to each other about how bad the menace we aren't seeing is.

If this all sounds like something your normal, professional comic writer could have delivered in the space of two pages, you'd be correct. Instead, we get this: without a doubt, the single worst issue of any Avengers title ever printed and, incidentally, the story that eventually convinced me to stop buying Avengers after 22 years. Everyone involved, take a bow, because you're... NUMBER ONE!!!


Next: Coming soon, a special announcement about the project I've been working on that has prevented me from getting more Vault entries done. Also: reviews of all the new Avengers titles. Be there! or... here, I guess. Be here!

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Greatest Avengers Stories Ever Wrap-Up

Hello, chums, and welcome to the epilogue of The Vault's countdown of the Top 25 Greatest Avengers Stories Ever. For those few people on Earth who haven't already read the list itself, here are some quick links for you to get all caught up (Bam! Pow! Shazam!). Today, of course, is Avengers Day, so later on we'll be continuing the festivities with some reviews of the new Avengers book. But before we get to that, we still have some loose ends to tie up regarding our big list of the best avengers stories of all time, so let's take care of that first.

The most common question I've been asked so far has to do with the total lack of Bendis stories on my list. Now, I have a bit of a reputation as a virulent anti-Bendis propagandist, but I'd like to take a few moments to state the reasons for Bendis's absence from my list. And no, the reason isn't "Bendis sucks."

Actually, as I see it, there are three main factors that prevent me from placing any Bendis stories on my list, the first and foremost simply being that it's too soon to really judge his work objectively. Even now, years into his reworking of the Avengers franchise, Bendis is still a controversial figure. Because of this, the rhetoric on both side of the fan argument over his merits is still heated and overblown. Bendis haters habitually undervalue his work, while Bendis apologists habitually overvalue his work, and the more heated the argument gets, the more extreme both positions seem to become. In this environment it's really hard to get an objective sense of how the stories are actually being received by the average, non-lunatic reader, or just how lasting the impact -- both emotional and in terms of the continuing Marvel universe -- will end up being.

I suspect, however, from my readings of his work, that when the dust settles and we look back at the Bendis era after the fact, his work will end up being evaluated as pretty middle of the road. Which brings me to my second reason for not including Bendis, which is that Bendis's strengths as a writer don't lend themselves to the kind of epic superhero stories that Avengers has traditionally been known for. Bendis made his name on intimate, character driven stories like Powers or Alias and this is still what he is best at; for my money, his best New Avengers work was New Avengers Annual #1, with the Civil War tie-ins being a close second. Those issues, of course, were solo character spotlights. When Bendis tries to go epic, though, his big ideas and big action set pieces don't really hold up as well -- Secret Invasion being the poster child for this. So while Bendis has done some solid work on New Avengers, his best stories don't really lend themselves to comparison with the style of stories Avengers has been known for traditionally.

Which brings me to my final point regarding Bendis, which is simply that, good or bad, his work also doesn't lend itself to being easily defined for a list like this. Bendis's New Avengers work has been very reminiscent for me of Chris Claremont's long run on Uncanny X-Men in that the stories build on each other and flow from one to the next in a very organic way. This has the effect of drawing readers in and pulling them along as they become invested in long-term development rather than episodic plot-driven story arcs; but since a "greatest stories" list is predicated on evaluating those exact kind of easily defined arcs, it makes it very hard to fit him in. Sure, he has arcs that are defined as such for the purposes of collecting them in trade format, but few of his stories have defined beginnings or endings, being as they are part of a larger milieu. New Avengers is like Lost, while traditionally Avengers has been more like Law & Order. Bendis's work really needs to be considered as a whole and because of that, I didn't find any of his individual arcs to be appropriate for my list.

Okay, that's about enough Bendis for one lifetime. With that out of the way, let's take a look at some of the stories that didn't make my list and a couple that did. I've gotten a lot of feedback about stories people thought should have been included, but I've also gotten a bit about stories people don't think should have been on the list, so let's start with those. And the story I've gotten the most diverse feedback on is...


Kang Dynasty

This one seems to be a point of debate for a lot of people. Most comments I have received on this story have suggested that, while it should be on the list, I placed it way too high. One commenter, though, said that it shouldn't have been on the list at all as this story actually forced him to quit reading Avengers. The main complaint I have heard about it is that it is too long, followed by others who agreed with my frustration that the story's impact was lessened by Marvel refusing to acknowledge it in their other titles. Still, despite those critiques, I stand by both the inclusion of the story and its placement. I think as we get farther removed from the story, the criticisms lessen and five or ten years from now this story will be held in even higher esteem than it is already beginning to be looked at. To bring up another Lost metaphor, I think a lot of the frustration with Kang Dynasty is similar to Lost fans complaining that they don't get the answers and that ABC's promos are toying with them. Those are byproducts of consuming an extended storyline and mythology on a serialized basis. But when you read (or watch) the entire thing all at once, and don't have to deal with a year of waiting or think about what's happening in other contemporary Marvel titles, you remove those frustrations and can just enjoy the story for what it itself is. And in this case, what it is is one of the greatest Avengers stories ever told.


The Thanos Sagas

I also received some feedback from long-time Vault reader James Harrahy that the two Thanos epics on my list shouldn't be eligible as neither are truly Avengers stories; the first is a Captain Marvel story guest-starring the Avengers, while the second, even though it takes place in Avengers Annual #7, is a Warlock story shoehorned into Avengers to tie up loose ends. I think this is a fair criticism, particularly when it comes to the first Thanos story. That series did, however, cross over into Avengers #125 and prominently featured the Avengers, while as I noted, the second one took place largely in Avengers itself. While I agree that the inclusion of these stories is borderline, I'm comfortable with leaving them. However, just for the sake of argument, we'll assume these should be dropped. If they were, I would probably replace them with...


What If The Avengers Defeated Everybody? (What If? #29)

Rob Lettrick wrote in to ask why I hadn't included any of the awesome What If? stories that featured the Avengers, and there's a simple answer: I totally forgot. It's especially embarrassing considering I actually mentioned What If? in my discussion of Kang Dynasty, but there you have it. I'm not sure I would want to remove any of the 25 choices on my list to make room for this (really great) story, but if I were going to dump something from my current list, this would be my first alternate. The second story that would make the top 25 if I were to drop the Thanos issues would be:


Death be Not Proud (Avengers #56 and Avengers Annual #2)

Avengers Annual #2 in particular is a classic story that, in fact, is the basis for What If? #29. The classic Buscema cover by itself might warrant inclusion on the list. This story didn't make the cut mainly because I was already overloaded with Roy Thomas stories and I decided to go with the others that did make my list. There's no question, though, that some of my choices were influenced by personal preference; The Ultron storyline in Avengers #66-68, the Grandmaster story in #69-71 and the Squadron Supreme tale in #85-86 are all personal choices that I acknowledge may not have made the list had it been voted on by the populace at large. I'm sticking to my guns on them, though, because, well, I just like them better. I mean, Thomas was churning out so many classic stories in a row that in a way it's kind of a tossup between them to decide which are best. This just happens to be the side of the fence I've fallen on. The other Thomas story that deserved inclusion is, of course:


Behold... the Vision! (Avengers #57-58)

I think I got more comments asking why this story wasn't included than any other. And I understand; Vision happens to be my favorite character. I left this off, though, for a couple reasons, one of them being as I just explained the overabundance of awesome Roy Thomas stories in general. Beyond that, though, there were two factors that convinced me to leave this off (though it was one of my final cuts). Firstly, as Thomas explicitly references in the story itself by giving Vision Simon Williams's brain patterns, the plot for this story is heavily based on Stan Lee's masterpiece in Avengers #9 (which I will discuss more momentarily). So it loses a little for originality. Secondly, though these stories obviously go closely together, they are really two separate stories in my mind. I mean, just the way they are structured. You could read either of them without the other and the stories would still work. So lumping them together felt a little like a cheat, even though thematically it's one tale. For all those reasons, despite my love for Vision and the tremendous and iconic final pages of Avengers #58, I decided to leave it off. Whether that was the right choice or not, I'm not sure. It would have made the top 30 anyway.


Stan Lee's Avengers (Avengers #1-5, #9, #16, #23-24, et al)

Another common question has been about the lack of Stan Lee stories on my list. While I do think that #9 deserves some consideration, especially given how many times it has been ripped off by later writers, for the most part I think that Lee's Avengers work, though vastly underrated compared to his other early Marvel stuff, doesn't quite match up with the other stories on my list. The reason is because in the early issues, his most interesting material isn't really part of the plot. Twists like the Hulk quitting after two issues, the team hunting for him, Cap's angst at a world he doesn't understand and his feud with Baron Zemo are the highlights of the early issues. But none of those are really the main plot of the stories they appear in. Instead we get Lava Men and Space Phantoms and aliens and whatnot. The character work is innovative but the stories he set it in are just okay.

Now, I am a fan of some of his Kooky Quartet stuff, specifically his Swordsman arc in #19-20 and the Kang epic that introduced Ravonna in #23-24. But these don't make the cut for me as greatest ever. The only one of his actual plots besides #9 that I think deserves serious consideration is...


Sons of the Serpent (Avengers #33-34)

One of the good folks on the AvengersAssemble forums mentioned this story as a possibility, and it's a good pick. This story from 1966 is the earliest overt commentary on racial issues in comics that I am aware of. The Sons of the Serpent, who are introduced in this arc, are an obvious and unsubtle stand-in for the KKK. Also showing up for the first time here is Bill Foster, Hank Pym's new African-American lab assistant (and later, Black Goliath aka the guy who got killed in Civil War because they needed a death). Bill is attacked by the Sons of the Serpent, leading to some moral issues for the Avengers, who are simultaneously being blackmailed by the Serpents for the life of the captured Captain America. Even though Stan ended up couching the message in a more mainstream anti-communist lesson, it was still a bold an important story. Important but not exactly the most readable story he ever did. Something about the printing quality at this time really undermined Don Heck's art and made everything in Avengers seem really cluttered and murky, while the dialogue is sometimes laid on a little thick too. For these reasons and just the overall strength of the competition, I ended up leaving this one out.

Speaking of which, here's a short list at some of the other great stories and personal favorites that I was forced to leave off the list, but which I strongly recommend every Avengers fan reads:


The Wedding of Hank and Jan Pym (Avengers #59-60)

Graviton (Avengers #158-159)

The Yesterday Quest (Avengers #185-187)

Versus the Molecule Man (Avengers #215-216)

Ultimate Vision (Avengers #233-254 give or take)

Return of the Legion of Unliving (WCA Annual #2 and Avengers Annual #16)

To Serve No More (Avengers #280)

The Return of Kulan Gath (Uncanny X-Men #190-191)

A couple of those were also brought up by readers (specifically the Yesterday Quest, which was cool and has nice Byrne art) and the Grandmaster's game to the death in Avengers Annual #16 (one of my all-time favorite comics without question -- so frikkin awesome).

There also was one request from a member of the CSBG forums, who indicated he thought that Geoff Johns's Red Zone storyline from Avengers #480-485 should be number one on my list. This, I have to admit, is a story that didn't occur to me for my list, but in recent years I have been hearing more and more positive buzz about it. How much of this has to do with the current cult of Johns going on over at DC I'm not sure, but after some back and forth with the commenter I'm going to at least give this story another look; while I thought it was probably the best work Johns did on Avengers during his fairly unremarkable stint on the book, I don't recall it being particularly awesome. But, I admit I haven't read it in a long time, so perhaps it is time to re-evaluate Johns and Red Zone.

Lastly, there were two titles on my list that got more comments than any other. One of these was Avengers Forever. A number of people posted or emailed me to tell me they thought I had this ranked way too low on my list and that it should have been top ten. Frankly, in terms of my personal preference, I agree. The reason I placed it at 16, though, is because for every long-time Avengers fan who loved Avengers Forever, I've read a comment or complaint from a newer fan who found the story to be too confusing, too densely paced, too expository and just too downright unreadable for me to put it in the top ten. I suspect that for many readers their enjoyment of this series is directly proportional to their knowledge of and love for Avengers history. Because of that, I thought a much more accessible but similarly detail rich series like JLA/Avengers deserved the higher slot. But yeah, I love Avengers Forever myself, especially issue #9, the Kang spotlight issue.

But the comment I probably got more than any other was people thanking me for including The Gatherers on the list. As I said, this was pretty much the only Avengers story that really got me excited between Stern's departure in 1988 and Busiek's reboot in 1997. So, flaws and all, I think it deserves the spotlight. Even though it's embarrassingly 90's in presentation, the story underneath the stubble is rock solid awesome. And I'm not ashamed to admit it: I LIKE THE JACKETS. Okay? There, I said it. No, I don't think they should wear them all the time, over their costumes or into battle. But Avengers jackets for the team and their staff to wear while they are bumming around the Mansion working? Hell yes.

If I had one, I would wear it all the time.

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Greatest Avengers Stories Ever: The Top Five

Happy Avengers Day, everyone! Yes, today, May 19, has been declared Avengers Day by Marvel in honor of the release of the new, relaunched Avengers #1. Of course, this isn't the first Avengers Day; that honor belongs to the celebration held way back in Avengers #45 by the grateful citizens of New York, a gathering that was sadly disrupted by the Super-Adaptoid. And that awesome event was only equaled by the most recent Avengers Day, which took place in Avengers vol. 3 #10, an issue given further legendary status by a cover appearance from the Jarvis Heads of Van Plexico's AvengersAssemble.net (of which I am a proud member, thanks for asking).

(And as CSBG reader Omar Karindu points out, there was also an Avengers Day mentioned in Avengers #22, but sadly, we didn't get to see that one. Bummer.)

But enough about me, let's get back to the reason we're here: The Vault's countdown of the Top 25 Avengers Stories of All Time! In case you're wondering how we arrived at this final five, you can find #6-15 here and #16-25 here. All caught up? Good, because it's time to dive into the five greatest stories in the history of Avengers and, of course, all of comics in general. And kicking off our must-read list? Why, it's none other than what nearly 30 years later remains the most controversial Avengers storyline of all time...


5) The Fall of Hank Pym (Avengers #211-213, 217, 221-222, 224, 227-230)

After a brief (and very rare) down period for Avengers, Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter returned to the scene of his greatest writing triumph and the result was one of the all-time classic Avengers tales, The Fall of Hank Pym. In a story that still drives developments even today, a disturbed Pym tries to prove himself to the team with disastrous results that lead to a nervous breakdown, his arrest and removal form the team and finally his total disgrace as the dupe of his arch-enemy, Egghead, leader of a new Masters of Evil. But it's the smack he gave then-wife Wasp that proved to do the most damage, both within the story and to Pym's reputation as a character. Still, though that action still stains Pym today, the way current fans (and writers) feel about Pym shouldn't detract from what was a groundbreaking and moving storyline of a hero's fall and ultimate redemption. Great work all around from both Shooter and Roger Stern, who eventually finished the arc in memorable fashion with Pym single-handedly defeated the Masters of Evil and Egghead both.


4) The Bride of Ultron (Avengers #161-162)

The definitive Ultron story, the Bride of Ultron also gave Avengers fans one of the most shocking cliffhangers in series history and one of the greatest, most tense battles Marvel has ever published. When Hank Pym suffers a mental breakdown, he suddenly forgets everything after the formation of the Avengers in Avengers #1. Believing the current team to be interlopers, he attacks them with an army of ants. Shocked, they finally overcome him, but their troubles are only beginning, because a far deadlier menace awaits: the indestructible, homicidal robot Ultron. This time, though, Ultron's got an all-new weapon up his sleeve -- the deadly encephalo beam, which apparently kills the entire team, leading to the shocking final page where Jarvis returns home to find the mansion trashed and the Avengers lying dead at his feet.

The next issue features the grim reserves and survivors gathering: Iron Man, protected by his armor, and Wonder Man, who survived by dint of already being technically dead, are joined by Thor and Black Panther. Their dual mission is to rescue Wasp from Ultron's clutches and avenge their fallen teammates in the process. But Ultron has yet another sinister plan; tricking his "father" Pym into helping him, he convinces Ant-Man that the only way to save Wasp is to transfer her soul into a new robot body -- one that, in a terrible Oedipal complex, he plans to then marry. When the Avengers find him, they attack, leading to a memorable sequence where Wonder Man realizes the entire team, even Thor, expects to die in the assault. At the last minute, though, Iron Man throw morality to the wind and holds Ultron's bride hostage, prepared to execute her unless Ultron backs down. The resulting finale not only had action galore, it opened ethical questions about the limits the team would go to that are still being debated in the pages of Avengers to this day. Maybe the single greatest fight sequence in Avengers history.


3) Kang Dynasty (Avengers vol. 3 #41-54)

It sounds like some sort of insane What If? story: Kang the Conqueror finally lives up to his name by defeating not just the Avengers, but all of Earth. With the world under his despotic boot, the Avengers and the rest of the world's superheroes are rounded up into concentration camps, with the only slim hope being a small group of resistance fighters struggling to implement a last ditch plan to free all of enslaved humanity. Yes, it would be a great "What If Kang had Conquered Earth" except for one thing: it wasn't a What If? story at all, it actually happened in the real Marvel universe!

Yes, it's Kurt Busiek's crowning achievement, the Kang Dynasty epic, which not only told the greatest Kang story ever but also tied up every loose thread of Busiek's classic run on the title and some from past storylines as well (see: Ms. Marvel and Marcus Immortus). The story ended in suitably mind-boggling fashion, with Kang and Captain America battling mano a mano first as enormous avatars in the depth of space and then in person amidst the crumbled ruins of Earth. Along with Avengers Forever, the definitive Kang story and without a doubt the awesomest enormous, universe-altering storyline that nobody outside of Avengers fans have ever heard of (seriously, Marvel, don't you think the other characters in your universe would notice the entire world being enslaved for a period of several months? Maybe one of them could mention this somewhere?).


2) The Korvac Saga (Avengers #167-168, 170-177)

For sheer action, few stories in the long history of the comics medium can approach the Korvac Saga, which combined cosmic scope in the form of the godlike Korvac with down to Earth realism (the Avengers in one sequence have to bus themselves to a battle because their flight clearance has been revoked by the government). Add in guest stars like the Guardians of the Galaxy and villains like Ultron and The Collector and you have the formula for an all-time classic.

Oh, and did we mention terrific art form the likes of George Perez? And how about a climax like no other: an entire issue-length fight sequence that resulted in the deaths of the entire Avengers team along with all their reserves and the Guardians of the Galaxy to boot? In the end, only Thor is left standing to oppose Korvac, who shocks everyone by not only committing suicide but also by returning all his foes to life. In the end the team is left to wonder if they have just saved the world -- or if they simply prevented Korvac from saving the entire universe.


1) Under Siege (Avengers #271, 273-277)

This was a close decision; right up until the very last moments I was torn between Under Siege or the Korvac Saga for the top spot. But in the end, I couldn't deny the power of Roger Stern's classic story, which saw the Masters of Evil infiltrate Avengers Mansion on a much grander scale than they had back in Avengers #54-55. Capturing and torturing half the team, Baron Zemo seemed on the cusp of destroying the Avengers entirely, with only their leader, the seemingly lightweight Wasp, escaping his grasp.

Yet that turned out to be enough as Wasp rallied reserves, friends and teammates to reclaim the mansion and wreak vengeance on the Masters of Evil for what they had done. Still, despite the intense action and fantastic artwork from the legendary John Buscema, for most people the most memorable sequence of the story came in the aftermath as, after remaining an unbreakable rock throughout the ordeal, Captain America breaks down in tears holding the remnants of what had been the only photo he had of his long-dead mother. A classic story in every sense of the word, there can be no doubt that Under Siege is the Greatest Avengers Story of All Time.

For more on Under Siege, our friends over at Comics Should Be Good just spotlighted the story earlier this week, so you can check out their review here for some great scans and commentary.


Tomorrow: The fall-out from this monumental list continues, as I address reader questions and concerns. And as a special sidebar: the Five Worst Avengers Issues of All Time. Be there!

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