The Heroes Return Era of the Avengers

[Zauriel]

Avengers Forever #1-12
Kang and Immortus are at war, with Immortus trying to stop humanity from threatening the galaxy and Kang figuring that this priority of his future self offends his honor. A team of Avengers are gathered from different time periods with Rick Jones, Wasp and Antman from the present, a despondent Captain America, a crazed Yellowjacket (from that time Hank Pym had a breakdown and believed that he killed Hank Pym) and cocky size-changing Hawkeye from the past and Songbird and Captain Marvel (Genis-Vel) from the future.

After an initial showdown in limbo, they’re sent on missions to the past and future as they uncover the secrets of Kang and his many variants. One group encounters the Avengers of the 1950s when their interest in a Skrull impersonator of Richard Nixon is misunderstood. Another group goes to the west, which makes former carny Hawkeye giddy. The third group goes to the future of Killraven when Black Panther and a pregnant Jocasta lead what is left of the Avengers.
There are a lot of major retcons, but in a story about time travel it feels natural. Examples include the exact relationship between Kang and Immortus, as well as the exact relationship between Vision and the original Human Torch. It might seem indulgent, especially with big moments that don’t involve the Avengers in this story, but it’s fine for a story that is so obviously a love letter to the whole franchise. It is the type of story that makes the other comics it references better. And they do their homework, so something that might contradict early Avengers issues turns out to be supported elsewhere (a twist with whether there can be more than Space Phantom connects to a What If? Issue, the Avengers forgetting a Silver Age story due to time travel shenanigans figures into the plot.)

Years ago, this story was in first place on a list of 40 best Avengers stories meant to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Avengers. I don’t know if I’d go that far (my personal favorite Avengers story was published at around the same time- I’ll cover it in about a week), but it’s fun and epic and says something about the characters and the purpose of humanity.
It seems to have an impact on the depiction of time travel and Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although part of this may be how expertly Busiek and co-plotter Roger Stern hang together all sorts of different elements of Marvel Comics.

Avengers Forever was a great book that I enjoyed reading. Carlos Pacheco's meticulous attention to detail is amazing. The 1950's Avengers are now called Agents of Atlas. I wish Kurt Busiek would write a new book about that team.

[shooshoomanjoe]

I never enjoyed him that much on his own. While reined in by Byrne, he was good. Outside of that collaboration... not much to highlight.

I guess it's just a preference. Everything from Giant Size X-Men to X-Men #3 (1990s) was a delight to read

[K7P5V]

I guess it's just a preference. Everything from Giant Size X-Men to X-Men #3 (1990s) was a delight to read

Same here. A definite classic, "Madripoor Knights" is still an All-Time Favorite (XD)

[Hypestyle]

Avengers Forever should be an animated mini-series. Like a whole season should be an adaptation of that.

[kcekada]

Avengers Forever was a great book that I enjoyed reading. Carlos Pacheco's meticulous attention to detail is amazing. The 1950's Avengers are now called Agents of Atlas. I wish Kurt Busiek would write a new book about that team.

Yeah, that was a great series, though I was disappointed that it did not initially include 3D Man! I would say that is Pacheco's masterpiece, RIP.

[Mister Mets]

Note- The MC2 series A-Next is published around this time. It doesn’t seem to be part of the line, so I’m not covering it. I’m also not going to cover United They Stand, a tie-in to the short-lived animated series.



Thor Annual ‘99
Thor is summoned to an unusual meeting which turns out to be a surprise party arranged by the Fantastic Four to thank him for saving Franklin from Doctor Doom back in Heroes Return. He doesn’t remember what happened when they crashed into another dimension. Flashbacks reveal that Thor was taken care of by a sorceress named Ceranda, while Doctor Doom sought to control the locals and gain access to Thor’s interdimensional hammer. Thor is unable to return to Asgard, because of some limits on Mjolnir, and Doctor Doom suggests someone else is to blame.

It makes sense to have a one-shot at this point resolving the mystery of Thor’s disappearance and what happened to Doctor Doom, which also makes his inevitable return feel earned. It’s a treat to see Jurgens on art since he’s a decent penciller in addition to his skills as a writer. The resolution here is satisfying. There’s a tragedy in the story Thor can’t remember, and it’s also an excuse for an epic showdown between him and one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe (which may be one of Jurgens’ major approaches with Thor; I know there’s an epic Thanos story coming in Year Two.)

B+



Antman’s Big Christmas
In this Marvel Knights one-shot by Bob Gale and Phil Winslade, Henry Pym and Janet Dan Vyne decide to spend Christmas helping a fan of Antman deal with annoying relatives. But when responding to his letter, they have to convince the kid that they are who they claim to be. And then they have to avoid going too far when helping an adolescence torture relatives. Even if the relatives deserve it.
At the time, Bob Gale was a Hollywood figure dipping his toes into the comic book waters. His work on Batman was acclaimed, but it made sense that he’d be recruited for a Marvel Knights project, since that’s meant to be accessible and quirky. And this doesn’t feel like a conventional superhero story, which is fine.

That’s been a big part of Marvel comics from at least the Silver Age, and something they took to the MCU.
The story’s inconsequential, but it’s charming. It’s just fun to have the Avengers hanging out at Christmas, and it’s a decent story for Hank Pym as a superhero who doesn’t always get respect, even if he lives a good life as a scientist with cool friends and a rich beautiful wife.
The story is just fun. Phil Winslade’s detailed style works for the mundane elements, and gets to the magic of someone like Antman seeing the marvels of the real world when you’re inside a Christmas tree. Just as importantly, Winslade has decent comic timing.
B+

[Mister Mets]

The Avengers #16-18
The Doomsday Man has broken the Wrecking Crew out of prison to go after Ms. Marvel, but they end up in a fight with Photon (Monica Rambeau, formerly known as Captain Marvel) in New Orleans. She goes to the Avengers for help, especially since she accidentally power-charged the bad guys. Scarlet Witch’s chaos magic sends the Wrecking Crew to the kingdom of Akron and Thundra, while guest Black Knight accidentally gets Justice seriously injured.

Jerry Ordway tackles the fill-in story. He’s obviously a world-class superhero artist, but he’s also effective at capturing the voices of the Avengers at this particular time. Justice is nervous when it’s his turn to call a meeting to order. Jarvis has seen it all. Danvers still thinks the Avengers went too far in kicking her out of the team, when all she’s done is “social drinking.” Black Knight and Photon work as guest-stars. Both have a history with the Avengers, but they’re also not involved in the ongoing stories. They’re likable enough that I don’t mind their role, which highlights the history of the Avengers. And it allows Ordway to explore new dynamics like Firstar instinctively not trusting Dane Whitman. The dialogue is a bit clunky at times.
Justice does have the most compelling arc of any Avenger here, but it kinda makes sense. Someone who really wants to be an Avenger is fun to write for, and the challenge is interesting. He has to stand for himself when his colleagues in the Avengers think it would be best for him to take it easy, and the story does feature some serious drama from that conflict. There’s a sense that the Avengers take care of their own since they’ve got their own concussion protocols, and Jane Foster from Thor and Iron Man is brought over.

The Doomsday Man is a bit bland, but it is an Avengers-worthy challenge. The Wrecking Crew are B-listers, but they have personality and there are good narrative reasons for them to pose a challenge. And I like that the Avengers are confident they'll have another misunderstanding with Arkon and Thundra in the future.
B