Avengers Aficionados Assemble!

[Reptisaurus!]

Thanks for the heads up on the reprint singles. It's a shame they don't keep making the SC volumes too. At 10 issues a volume that's a good price. That will at least get me that much in good quality. Thanks..

They're still making softcovers, there's just a long break between Avengers volumes. I think Avengers vol. 5 will come out in June-or-thereabouts. Marvel Masterworks releases about one volume a month, but there isn't much rhyme or reason... It could be Golden Age Sub-Mariner, it could be another Avengers volume, there's one volume of Bronze-Age Deathlok (for some reason) and three volumes of (surprisingly good!) of Atlas Era Jungle stories.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Red Hulk first appeared as Red Hulk in 2008 in Hulk #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. I haven't seen the cartoon, but I assume the person who became the Red Hulk is probably the same. I won't spoil it for you, but it's a recurring character dating back quite awhile in the Hulk mythos.

The first Red Hulk stories aren't my cup of tea, but if you like other Loeb/McGuinness books such as Superman/Batman, you'd probably enjoy these. Later on in the series, Jeff Parker takes over writing, and he's great.

That was a surprise with who Red Hulk was. Not sure why, as it makes plenty of sense when you put it all together. Not sure how the comics did but the show did a nice touch with developing green Hulk as not just a mindless smashing monster, but as a valuable and stable member of the team.

Edit: Reading the wikipedia page on red Hulk, one of the reviewers said that they would have preffered Dale Keown to do the art. While I think McGuinness' work (of the covers of Hulk I've seen and other work of his) is top notch, Keown would have been as perfect for the red Hulk as he was the green Hulk.

[benday-dot]

Red Hulk first appeared as Red Hulk in 2008 in Hulk #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. I haven't seen the cartoon, but I assume the person who became the Red Hulk is probably the same. I won't spoil it for you, but it's a recurring character dating back quite awhile in the Hulk mythos.

The first Red Hulk stories aren't my cup of tea, but if you like other Loeb/McGuinness books such as Superman/Batman, you'd probably enjoy these. Later on in the series, Jeff Parker takes over writing, and he's great.

Parker's semi-regular partner Gabriel Hardman goes on to take up the art chores on Rulk (Red Hulk) and its pretty wonderful. Hardman is in my top five of contemporary artists.

[benday-dot]

I'm not aware of #55-up being reprinted in color, with the exception of the Kree/Skrull War issues, which I think were done in a prestige format reprint series in the early 80's on eye-melting Baxter paper.

Kree/Skull war got the softcover trade treatment on glossy paper about 5 or 6 years back. I think the Korvac saga did as well.

[Reptisaurus!]

Korvac was a throwaway character created by Gerber and Starlin in G. S. Defenders #3. He was brought back by Shooter as a Shooter stand-in. I don't want to spoil the story (unless you ask), but the gist was, trust power (Shooter/Marvel Corporate) and good things will happen.

Ha!

Personally, I love The Korvac Saga, it's one of my favorite superhero stories of all time. And I know a lot of Avengers fans who were kids in the 70's who feel the same.

But I'm with you. Korvac is my favorite vanilla Avengers story (IE: Not the Ultimates or Marvel Adventures: Avengers.)

I like the contrast between mundane and cosmic. The big bad is... just this guy, and he LOOKS like just this guy. And the Avengers have to take a bus to the final battle.

[adam_warlock_2099]

I am happy to say I found the first three Masterworks of Avengers at the library. I have issues 1-30 in color to read. 8-) This will be a first for every issue. I think the oldest Avengers I have read is #41 in a MTA reprint.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Okay I so I skipped ahead and read #23 and 24 to read the Kang story when I was donating plasma. I had time so I went a head and read #25, in which Doom muses about him and Kang being one in the same, though Kang was first Rama-Tut when he appeared to Doom. Also when Hawkeye makes a comment about Doom when Kang and the Avengers are battling in #24 Kang muses something similar about the two of them. Is there a revelation of this in previous issues, or is it in another title? I am going to go back and read from issue one now, I was just anxious to read Kang and am hoping that previous issues cover this.

Also, when, if so, is the continuation of #23, 24 that reveals the fate of Kang, Ravanna and her kingdom after the way the issue ended?

And it seems as if the Avengers recognized Kang in these issues. Has there been a story previous to this of Kang, or in another title?

Don Heck's art is a nice medium of Jack Kirby's. I am looking forward to seeing the start of the Avengers from #1, as I haven't ever read these early Avengers issues, but I am not a fan of Kirby and I know it's going to detract somewhat from my enjoyment. But I know that I will enjoy the issues that Heck does. It's not as angular and harsh as Kirby's. It's a bit more smooth and soft. His women look like women and his men like men and his monsters like monsters.

From those three issues I will pat Marvel on the back for their portrayal of Hawkeye in the Avengers cartoon series. Never knows when to shut up. 8-)

[MRP]

Okay I so I skipped ahead and read #23 and 24 to read the Kang story when I was donating plasma. I had time so I went a head and read #25, in which Doom muses about him and Kang being one in the same, though Kang was first Rama-Tut when he appeared to Doom. Also when Hawkeye makes a comment about Doom when Kang and the Avengers are battling in #24 Kang muses something similar about the two of them. Is there a revelation of this in previous issues, or is it in another title? I am going to go back and read from issue one now, I was just anxious to read Kang and am hoping that previous issues cover this.

Also, when, if so, is the continuation of #23, 24 that reveals the fate of Kang, Ravanna and her kingdom after the way the issue ended?

And it seems as if the Avengers recognized Kang in these issues. Has there been a story previous to this of Kang, or in another title?

Don Heck's art is a nice medium of Jack Kirby's. I am looking forward to seeing the start of the Avengers from #1, as I haven't ever read these early Avengers issues, but I am not a fan of Kirby and I know it's going to detract somewhat from my enjoyment. But I know that I will enjoy the issues that Heck does. It's not as angular and harsh as Kirby's. It's a bit more smooth and soft. His women look like women and his men like men and his monsters like monsters.

From those three issues I will pat Marvel on the back for their portrayal of Hawkeye in the Avengers cartoon series. Never knows when to shut up. 8-)

Kang first appeared in Avengers #8.

-M

[Scott Harris]

As MRP says, Kang first appeared in Avengers #8. He reveals in this issue that he is also Rama-Tut, who had already appeared in Fantastic Four #19 and who had also met Dr. Doom in FF Annual #2, where the suggestion was made that Rama Tut is a future version of Doom.

So that's not confusing at all.

The Avengers also fought Kang in Avengers #11.

As far as Ravonna goes, this story and her fate are followed up in Avengers #69-71 and again, much later - as in 20 years later - in Avengers #267-269.

[Polar Bear]

But I'm with you. Korvac is my favorite vanilla Avengers story (IE: Not the Ultimates or Marvel Adventures: Avengers.)

I like the contrast between mundane and cosmic. The big bad is... just this guy, and he LOOKS like just this guy. And the Avengers have to take a bus to the final battle.

I'll take it even further--it's my favorite Avengers story bar none. More broadly, Avengers 140-199 (including the annuals and mini-crossovers) is probably my favorite five-year comics run of all time, despite its being done by a constantly-rotating creative team.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Thanks for the Kang information again MRP and Scott.

When I get done with the TPB I have I'll check the library for more. I know they have the Kree/Skrull war collected. Does that have any historical connection to Operation Galactic Storm? I remember reading that back in the late 90's when I found it and being completely clueless to some of the comments or back history hinted at. Especially the animosity between Wonder Man and Vision regarding Scarlet Witch.

Yall are really pumping me on the Korvac Saga. I hope to snag a collection that contains it and the issues around. Yall seem to be in agreement that the chunk of Avengers is some of the best ever written.

[Scott Harris]

Yes, Operation Galactic Storm is basically a long-winded follow-up to the Kree/Skrull War. The stuff between Wanda, Vision and Wonder Man, though, isn't part of that much; it's set up first in Avengers #151-158 and then much later in John Byrne's trainwreck stint on West Coast Avengers. After Galactic Storm, Kurt Busiek used that triangle as part of his vol. 3 run and put it to rest for good.