Written by Gerry Conway; Jim Shooter; Roger Slifer; & David Michelinie.
Art by George Pérez, with Mike Esposito; John Tartagalione; Duffy Vohland; Pablos Marcos; Ricardo Villamonte; Joe Rubenstein; Jack Abel; Dan Green; Gene Day; Petra Goldberg; Jim Shooter; Don Warfield; Carl Gafford; Ben Sean; Joe Rosen; Denise Wohl; Elaine Heinl; & John Costanza.
Cover Art by presumably George Pérez (No Official Credit Provided).
SUMMARY:
Released in 2004, this glossy 112-page compilation reprints 1st series Avengers Annual # 6, Issues # 161-162, Annual # 8, and Issue # 201 (in chronological order). The original issues were first published by Marvel Comics between 1976 and 1980. This collection’s Avengers roster consists of: Captain America; Scarlet Witch; Hawkeye; Quicksilver; Beast; Vision; Ms. Marvel; Black Panther; Iron Man; Thor; Wonder Man; Wasp; and Hank Pym as both Ant-Man and Yellowjacket. Also appearing in guest roles are the Golden Age Whizzer, Thundra, Doctor Strange, the Two-Gun Kid, and the original Squadron Sinister.
In “No Final Victory!,” after the Golden Age Whizzer’s assault on Avengers Mansion, a wounded Scarlet Witch is evidently hospitalized. While Yellowjacket & Wasp sympathize with the Whizzer’s plight, the Beast searches for the zombie-like Wonder Man. Iron Man & Captain America track the nefarious Serpent Crown cross-country to the Living Laser’s new lair. To avert a nuclear explosion, the team must contain the Whizzer’s radioactively unstable son, Nuklo.
“Beware the Ant-Man!” has an amnesiac Hank Pym back in his original Ant-Man identity, as he is now consumed by an insane rage. Worse yet, Ultron assaults Avengers Mansion to seemingly kill several Avengers. “The Bride of Ultron!” continues the storyline, as Ultron manipulates an unhinged Pym to transform the captive Wasp into a metallic ‘Bride of Frankenstein.’ Thor returns to help the short-handed Avengers rescue the Wasp before Ultron’s nefarious experiment creating Jocasta is completed. Even Wonder Man & Thor’s combined brawn is barely enough to hold Ultron to a violent stalemate.
For his wife’s birthday, Yellowjacket hides a special gem in “Spectrums of Deceit!,” as it’s the deactivated power prism formerly belonging to the Squadron Sinister’s Dr. Spectrum. Nefariously possessing the Wasp as a new Dr. Spectrum, the symbiotic prism now schemes to possess Thor. With three Avengers dispatched to an unknown fate, the again short-handed team seeks help to free the Wasp in time. Worse yet, a corrupted Thor tangles with an outmatched Iron Man.
In a short finale, “Bully!” has the Avengers’ Edwin Jarvis spending his time off defending his elderly mother’s neighborhood from a local thug.
Parental Note: In the Wasp’s torturous ‘brain-drain’ sequence, Marvel subtly changes the original art to depict her in a gray bodysuit, so this time it isn’t implied that she is nude.
REVIEW:
It’s a welcome treat to enjoy George Pérez’s visual magic unencumbered by wear-and-tear deterioration, if one were reading the original back issues. While his style here isn’t as immaculate as it would become by the mid-80’s, there’s still ample evidence re: why he is among the industry’s best-ever pencillers.
Not only is Pérez in vintage 70’s Marvel form, the various writers deliver entertaining (and kid-friendly) stories that spread a wealth of screen time among the characters. Impressively, the continuity in characterization of this cast (i.e. developing Wonder Man’s fear of death; Pym’s emotional instability; Beast’s wacky humor) appears seamless between these stories. The only peculiarity re: its inclusion is the Jarvis tale, as it’s just obvious filler. Showcasing Jarvis is okay on its own merits, but this particular story is at most a single read.
The bottom line is that old-school fans will appreciate the unconvoluted Avengers storytelling from that era.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a two-page introduction to the fourteen Avengers chronicled (each getting a quick synopsis), including one each for Hank Pym (as Ant-Man and Yellowjacket). In a full-page gallery format, all five covers are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
