What was the best Avengers run?

[Ultimate Captain America]

Do Mark Millar's Ultimates count?

[Witchfan]

Avengers #41-196
Avengers #255-285
Avengers #305-318
Avengers West Coast #42-62
Avengers Vol. 3 #1-56
Avengers Vol. 5 #1-44, along with Hickman's New Avengers

[K7P5V]

I've got a three-man Mt. Rushmore: Thomas, Stern, and Busiek.

Definitely a great group, Adset.

I did like Hickman's run, but it never felt like the 'Avengers' to me. I appreciated it for what it was, I dug the story, but I have a hard time ranking it as an all-time Avengers story.

I'm surprised to hear Waid's name so often. I thought it was quite bland.

I don't know much about Waid's recent run, but I do remember him having a three-issue stint on Avengers right before the Heroes Reborn takeover. Potentially, it's been said Waid's run from the 90's could have been great had he received more than those three-issues.

[Rincewind]

I've got a three-man Mt. Rushmore: Thomas, Stern, and Busiek.

I did like Hickman's run, but it never felt like the 'Avengers' to me. I appreciated it for what it was, I dug the story, but I have a hard time ranking it as an all-time Avengers story.

I'm surprised to hear Waid's name so often. I thought it was quite bland.

I think Steve Englehart should be the 4th Rushmore name. Classic run on the original Avengers, then a stellar run on WCA years later.

[Cap808]

I'm going with Kurt Busiek, then Roger Sterns, and I would have LOVED to have seen a longer run with Geoff Johns.

[Mike]

I'd have to say Avengers #150 - #199.

[H-E-D]

Do Mark Millar's Ultimates count?

I'd say so.

[Magneto]

My vote goes to Busiek.

[manymade1]

Surprised that nobody's mentioned Shooter's run.

Though Busiek is the definitive run for me.

[Shinglepants]

Do Mark Millar's Ultimates count?

That’s probably my favourite Avengers run aside from Hickmans.

[Panic]

Surprised that nobody's mentioned Shooter's run.

Four people have mentioned stories from Shooter's first run, they just didn't all say his name.

Shooter's first run, specifically the Nefaria/Lethal Legion story, the trial of Wonder Man, The Bride of Ultron... all favourites of mine.

[GenericUsername]

Busiek's run for me.

[K7P5V]

Four people have mentioned stories from Shooter's first run, they just didn't all say his name.

Shooter's first run, specifically the Nefaria/Lethal Legion story, the trial of Wonder Man, The Bride of Ultron... all favourites of mine.

Me too, Panic.

A lot of memorable moments from Shooter's run, such like:
- the continuing feud between Cap & Iron Man (eventually, putting aside their differences).
- Alone & without any help, Hawkeye getting his chance to shine.
- the introduction of Gyrich.

It's just too bad Shooter's second run couldn't equal (or even surpass) his first run.

[gurkle]

Shooter doesn't always get mentioned, I think, because he took over rather suddenly when Gerry Conway's run fizzled out (basically saving the book) and he was using the cast that Englehart had put together just before he quit, so he never got to introduce his own Avengers lineup in that period (he did introduce the lineup in his second run, but the less said of that the better). Most of the other classic runs have a lineup that the writer got to put together himself.

I agree Shooter's first run was very impressive and his fondness for incredibly overpowered villains was actually a welcome change from the mostly less powerful villains the Avengers had gone up against before that. (Ultron had been a good villain before, but Shooter made him frightening.) If George Pérez had been able to stay until the end of the Korvac Saga it would have a strong argument to be the best.

I think Steve Englehart should be the 4th Rushmore name. Classic run on the original Avengers, then a stellar run on WCA years later.

Agreed, especially since Englehart's 1970s Avengers is probably the biggest influence on Busiek's Avengers/Avengers Forever runs. The whole run is a love letter to the '70s but especially Englehart (even the controversial Triune Understanding plot is an attempt to inject some satire into the run the way Englehart and Steve Gerber often did).

Englehart's WCA is a bit... weird... though I do enjoy it, I'm never sure if I think it's exactly good. I think it would hold up better though if he'd had a different artist than Al Milgrom; Stern's run improved exponentially when Milgrom moved to WCA and was replaced by John Buscema.

[DrNewGod]

I've got a three-man Mt. Rushmore: Thomas, Stern, and Busiek.

I love that idea! Let's find a mountain and start a chiselin'!