Marvel's Non-Team: The Defenders Appreciation 2023

[Phoenixx9]

I love the Defenders!

May we get some good Defenders love in 2023!

[ImperiusWrecked]

I'm really hoping for a new Defenders series featuring the original members again.

Also with namor in the mcu and the f4 (silver surfer) not far behind we could possibly have a real defenders movie, Namor, Strange, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Hulk maybe?

[Reviresco]

Coming in July, IIRC. Sadly, no Molina cover.

THE DEFENDERS OMNIBUS VOL. 2
Written by STEVE GERBER with BILL MANTLO, JIM STARLIN, LEN WEIN, GERRY CONWAY, ROGER SLIFER, CHRIS CLAREMONT, SCOTT EDELMAN, ARNOLD DRAKE, PAUL S. NEWMAN, STAN LEE & LARRY LIEBER
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA with JIM STARLIN, DON HECK, SAM GRAINGER, GEORGE TUSKA, GENE COLAN, BOB POWELL, ANGELO TORRES & DOUG WILDEY
Covers by AL MILGROM & GIL KANE
Collected — in complete — in this Omnibus edition, we present Steve Gerber’s definitive Defenders run! Using The Defenders’ unlikely cast of misfits, Gerber turned Marvel’s “non-team” into a locus of innovation by deconstructing genre conventions and adding a healthy dose of absurdity. From the Elf With a Gun to Bambi and the Bozos, each storyline is a challenging critique of the era’s culture, while the Headmen Saga is one of the high points in Gerber’s celebrated career. They’re stories that inspired a generation of creators and changed the course of comics history. This volume also boasts artwork by the stellar team of Sal Buscema and Klaus Janson and is topped off with the classic Defenders/Howard the Duck Marvel Treasury Edition. Collecting DEFENDERS (1972) #20-41 and ANNUAL #1, GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #3-5, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #6-7 and MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #12 — plus material from MYSTERY TALES #21, WORLD OF FANTASY #11 and TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) #9.
704 PGS./Rated T …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-94877-1
Trim size: 7-1/4 x 10-7/8

[Reviresco]

I'm really hoping for a new Defenders series featuring the original members again.

Also with namor in the mcu and the f4 (silver surfer) not far behind we could possibly have a real defenders movie, Namor, Strange, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Hulk maybe?

Sadly, with the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, I think Marvel has far too may riches. They will do the FF and the X-Men before they even think about the Defenders of any roster.

[Phoenixx9]

Coming in July, IIRC. Sadly, no Molina cover.

I love that first cover and that will be the one for me!

I did write Marvel about an issue of another comic featuring the Defenders that should have been included into this volume, fitting in perfectly and seamlessly here. We will see if they listen and it gets added (or not).

[ComicNoobie]

Those Defenders Omni covers are so good! Valkyrie in gold? Can't wait to see how she gets her new bling! And it looks like Daredevil and Yellowjacket are appearing too! Too bad Hawkeye isn't there anymore since when he joined the Defenders he had issues with Daredevil, the drama that could have created.

[Phoenixx9]

Those Defenders Omni covers are so good! Valkyrie in gold? Can't wait to see how she gets her new bling! And it looks like Daredevil and Yellowjacket are appearing too! Too bad Hawkeye isn't there anymore since when he joined the Defenders he had issues with Daredevil, the drama that could have created.

Haha! You have so much goodness forthcoming, CN!

Yes, Val in gold! And you won't believe the "how" and "why" leading to this costume! Unfortunately, it is short-lived. But the additional book I requested to be added to this Vol 2 has Val in the gold costume, and the story is from this period of time.

[Reviresco]

I love that first cover and that will be the one for me!

I did write Marvel about an issue of another comic featuring the Defenders that should have been included into this volume, fitting in perfectly and seamlessly here. We will see if they listen and it gets added (or not).

Which one? Spill!

I'm torn. The first one is classic, but GIL KANE! I do love me some Gil Kane.

Those Defenders Omni covers are so good! Valkyrie in gold? Can't wait to see how she gets her new bling! And it looks like Daredevil and Yellowjacket are appearing too! Too bad Hawkeye isn't there anymore since when he joined the Defenders he had issues with Daredevil, the drama that could have created.

Oddly, that was not my favorite Val costume.

Haha! You have so much goodness forthcoming, CN!

Yes, Val in gold! And you won't believe the "how" and "why" leading to this costume! Unfortunately, it is short-lived. But the additional book I requested to be added to this Vol 2 has Val in the gold costume, and the story is from this period of time.

Now I'm trying to remember the reason for the costume. I feel a re-read coming on.

[Phoenixx9]

Which one? Spill!

I'm torn. The first one is classic, but GIL KANE! I do love me some Gil Kane.


Oddly, that was not my favorite Val costume.


Now I'm trying to remember the reason for the costume. I feel a re-read coming on.

Ah ha! Yes, I will! I was just awaitin' for someone to ask, lol! Ask and ye shall receive.

The issue is Incredible Hulk #207. It features Val, Doc, Nighthawk and Red Guardian fighting, then calming poor Hulk. Hulk learns (again) that Val and the Defenders are his friends and that he can trust them!

It has a fantastic action cover, well-drawn and colored. Inside, Val uses some Asgardian "By Odin" "By Valhallas", we see some Doc Strange might, RG and NH team-up and get to see some Extremely Rare mystic property of Dragonfang!

Now, if you will remember, Defenders #41 only shows Val in the background, and this gold costume is appearing as silver in the 1-2 panels of that issue. I believe that was meant to show the transition that takes place for Val's costume in #42. (I am purposefully avoiding outright saying things so those who have not read like ComicNoobie don't get spoiled).

So, this IH story takes place in this timeframe, which was small, and only a handful of issues of the Golden Val costume, which is why it must be shown here. I hope it gets added!

While the Gold costume is not my favorite, I still liked it to a degree and it was the first new one (second costume) of Val's and it did not last long, so I like to see it when I can.

Think hard about the how and why Val needed that new costume.....

[ComicNoobie]

Haha! You have so much goodness forthcoming, CN!

Yes, Val in gold! And you won't believe the "how" and "why" leading to this costume! Unfortunately, it is short-lived. But the additional book I requested to be added to this Vol 2 has Val in the gold costume, and the story is from this period of time.

For some reason I just pictured Valkyrie undergoing a Sailor Moon style transformation into her gold attire lol. I hope the story behind it is a good read.

[Phoenixx9]

For some reason I just pictured Valkyrie undergoing a Sailor Moon style transformation into her gold attire lol. I hope the story behind it is a good read.

Oh, trust me, I think you will like it.

[Gaastra]

The issue is Incredible Hulk #207. It features Val, Doc, Nighthawk and Red Guardian fighting, then calming poor Hulk. Hulk learns (again) that Val and the Defenders are his friends and that he can trust them!

Something avengers should have done! Ironic hulk would later fight a mind controlled val in his own title and she would give him a pretty big beating to the point at the end hulk just goes to sleep or passes out at the end (or am I misremembering that?) and a confused val says she will ask hulk at defenders hqs tomorrow what was going on! Thought of a just as confused hulk trying to explain things to her and she was mind controlled sounded like it would have been pretty funny. Shame we didn't get to see it.

[Phoenixx9]

Yay, so excited!

Starting today, I am going to spend the next few days reading my Defenders Epic Vol I from cover to cover! I want to take in all of the esoteric aspects of each story.

So many great stories packed in, like Valkyrie's origin. The artwork and coloring are spectacular.

[Reviresco]

Yay, so excited!

Starting today, I am going to spend the next few days reading my Defenders Epic Vol I from cover to cover! I want to take in all of the esoteric aspects of each story.

So many great stories packed in, like Valkyrie's origin. The artwork and coloring are spectacular.

Cool! I keep meaning to do a re-read, myself, along with the Defenders podcast. So much to read.

[Phoenixx9]

Cool! I keep meaning to do a re-read, myself, along with the Defenders podcast. So much to read.

Thanks.

Yes, I have been meaning to do this myself and I want to really take in each story.

Can't wait for the New Summer Omni #2 to come out and I hope we get the additions I requested in it too!