MARVEL
MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 11 (Marvel,
First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)
Collects
Avengers
#101-111 and Daredevil
#99 (cover
dates July, 1972- May, 1973)
Writers:
Roy Thomas and Steve Englehart with Harlan Ellison, Chris Claremont,
Stan Lee, and Steve Gerber
Artists:
Pencilers- Rich Buckler, John Buscema, George Tuska, Jim Starlin, Don
Heck, and Sam Kweskin; Inkers- Dan Adkins, Joe Sinnott, Jim Mooney,
Dave Cockrum, Frank McLaughlin, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, and Syd
Shores.
In
this volume we find The Vision and the Scarlet Witch become
the focal point for the series. Thomas builds on The Vision's
discontentment with his lack of humanity in #102 while introducing a
foe who soon-to-be Avengers writer Steve Englehart would use
quite often: The Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper was the brother of the
late Wonder Man, whom the Vision's android brain patterns were
modeled after. The Grim Reaper offers The Vision his deceased
brother's body, which is in a form of stasis, in exchange for him
standing aside while he destroys the team to revenge his fallen
brother.
While
all of that is happening, we see the return of The Sentinels, who
have returned to Earth to save humanity from the “threat” of
mutantkind. I dig this aspect of Silver and Bronze Age Marvel. The
true shared universe aspect, where one hero's villains turn up in
another magazine. There didn't have to be some lame tentpole event
series with umpteen crossover titles to make it feel that way,
either. The shared universe wasn't just implied, it was successfully
implemented in an organic way. The suspension of disbelief was easy
during this era.
Roy
Thomas hands the title off to Steve Englehart with issue 105 after
his Sentinels three-parter. Unlike today's comics, The Avengers were
left with no time to catch their breaths before being called into
action again, this time to the Savage Land. Having scooped up the
Black Panther and losing Quicksilver in the previous issue, the team
fights another Thomas/Adams X-Men era foe: the Savage Land
Mutates: Gaza, Barbarus, Equilibrius, Amphibius, Lupo, Lorelei, and
Brainchild. These comics are so action packed and fun to read. Comics
without a whiff of self awareness or irony are refreshing when
compared to today's hamfisted soapboxes.
#106
is a reframed Captain America inventory story that ties up a dangling
plotline from a few issues earlier: The Vision and his desire for
humanity. In one of those convoluted, it makes sense because everyone
was stoned back then kind of way, the Grim Reaper's partner is none
other than the Space Phantom. What makes it even more bizarre is that
they use the inventory story as an even more confusing backdrop,
inserting the Space Phantom disguised as the head of Hydra for the
time being because he was biding his time in order to destroy The
Avengers. None of it makes any sense to me either, but it was a blast
to read nonetheless.
This
“arc” is resolved in #108, which also neatly ties up the Vision
and his desire to be human. He and the Scarlet Witch profess their
love for one another at the end of that issue, setting the stage for
a bizarre human-synthezoid relationship that will culminate in The
Celestial Madonna storyline. I read the old trade paperback of
that a decade or so ago, and look forward to rereading it remastered
in “high def” in the Masterworks. I already own that
volume, but it's the whole finding time to read everything that is
the challenge. My backlog is like fine wine, aging to perfection. The
older and more out of print a book is, the more enjoyable it is to
read.
#109
and 110 tie up the loose ends of the Savage Land adventure from a few
issues earlier, revealing Magneto to be behind it all while bringing
The X-Men into the proceedings as well. Remember, The X-Men were
cancelled, with their title being relegated to a reprint series.
Writers like Englehart kept them alive, limping along from guest spot
to guest spot until Len Wein and Dave Cockrum would give rebirth to
the series in 1975. These two issues lead into Daredevil #99,
acting as a way to get rid of Hawkeye and bring back the Black Widow,
who has been Daredevil's love interest and co-star in that series
during that time. #111 wraps up the Magneto/X-Men/Savage Land saga
nicely.
The
writing is great, while the art is uneven. It starts out very strong.
Rich Buckler, an underrated artist if ever there were one, nails the
Marvel house style of the era. I'll take this aesthetic over what
passes as comic art any day of the week. Jim Starlin and Dave Cockrum
aid and abet, adding their polish to various issues. Things go south
with the then over-the-hill Don Heck, who phones in weak artwork with
weak inking by various folks. Don Heck did some solid work, it's just
that this ain't it.
Forget
ham-fisted “writers” who write endless pages of talking heads
Avengers sitting around a breakfast table. These Avengers save the
world on a daily basis, giving the bad guys a what for in the
process. I urge folks to pick up some real Avengers comics and
see for yourselves.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone-
Marvel
Masterworks
remain my poison of choice. Indeed, they are the reason that I
reentered this accursed hobby
lifestyle.
Linework
and Color restoration: Marvel Masterworks are the
Criterion Blu-Rays of collected editions. Top shelf restoration and a
color palette faithful to the original comic books, all lovingly
restored to the highest standards. Make mine Marvel Masterworks!
Paper
stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.
Binding:
Smyth sewn binding. Lays flat.
Dustjacket
and Hardback cover notes:
Dustjacket has a lamination as well as spot varnish. The hardback
casewrap has a faux leather texture with dye foil stamping on the
front cover as well as the spine.
