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Avengers (1963) #141-144, 147-149
The Avengers: The Serpent Crown
Twin threats to time and space as campaigns by Kang and the Crown coincide The Avengers fight the Set-serving Squadron Supreme in a clash between Earths and head for the nineteenth century to keep the West from getting wilder Continuity questions continue as Kang and Immortus mix it up Plus: the menace of... President Nelson Rockefeller? Collects Avengers #141-144 and #147-149.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Steve Englehart
1,395 books97 followersSee also John Harkness.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
Steve Englehart went to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After a stint in the Army, he moved to New York and began to write for Marvel Comics. That led to long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles. Midway through that period he moved to California (where he remains), and met and married his wife Terry.
He was finally hired away from Marvel by DC Comics, to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film (the good one).
After that he left comics for a time, traveled in Europe for a year, wrote a novel (The Point Man™), and came back to design video games for Atari (E.T., Garfield). But he still liked comics, so he created Coyote™, which within its first year was rated one of America's ten best series. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose™, The Djinn™) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern [with Joe Staton], Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). Meanwhile, he continued his game design for Activision, Electronic Arts, Sega, and Brøderbund.
And once he and Terry had their two sons, Alex and Eric, he naturally told them stories. Rustle's Christmas Adventure was first devised for them. He went on to add a run of mid-grade books to his bibliography, including the DNAgers™ adventure series, and Countdown to Flight, a biography of the Wright brothers selected by NASA as the basis for their school curriculum on the invention of the airplane.
In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 2, 2024
This is how superhero stories should be told!
It is easy to see why this storyline by Steve Englehart and George Perez is a classic.
This is actually a two-front story done as one, epic tale. One one had hand, the Avengers, led by two of their big guns, Captain America and Iron Man, led a powerful line-up of the Vision and Scarlet Witch, and two potential recruits in Hellcat and Beast against the greatest superheroes of another world, the Squadron Supreme, while contesting at the same time, the machinations of the evil conglomerate, ROXXON.
The other story has Thor, Moondragon and Hawkeye, thwarting the conquest of time by Kang in the old American West while reinforced by the greatest gunfighters of that era.
It is easy to see why this storyline by Steve Englehart and George Perez is a classic.
This is actually a two-front story done as one, epic tale. One one had hand, the Avengers, led by two of their big guns, Captain America and Iron Man, led a powerful line-up of the Vision and Scarlet Witch, and two potential recruits in Hellcat and Beast against the greatest superheroes of another world, the Squadron Supreme, while contesting at the same time, the machinations of the evil conglomerate, ROXXON.
The other story has Thor, Moondragon and Hawkeye, thwarting the conquest of time by Kang in the old American West while reinforced by the greatest gunfighters of that era.
May 5, 2022
Half the Avengers fight Kang in the Old West while the rest of the team take on the Brand Corporation and the Squadron Supreme. Along the way, Patsy Walker becomes Hellcat. Then the Avengers go to the Squadron's Earth to find it's been corrupted by the Serpent Crown. Hellcat and the Beast play off each other well while Moondragon is super annoying with her repeated insistence that she's a Goddess. George Perez's art isn't as distinctive as normal due to the inkers giving it the Marvel House look of the era.
April 8, 2015
Steve Englehart’s last major arc on Avengers was a strong swan song for the writer. He brought Captain America back full-time and picked up on threads from Cap and Beast’s solo adventures that positioned Avengers at the center of the Marvel Universe. Thor, Moondragon and Hawkeye’s clash with Kang in the past was effectively contrasted against the rest of the team crossing over to the Squadron Supereme’s world to deal with the powerful Serpent Crown menace. Everyone reunited for the final battle that involved the monstrous Orca. That battle put Thor on a path that will lead him out of the book in the near future.
Englehart’s two-track plot was complex, but he kept full control and did some interesting character work. The portrait of Moondragon as an arrogant, self-styled goddess came to full fruition here and her effect on Thor was considerable. Englehart did some nice work with the teasing, sibling-esque friendship between Beast and classic Marvel romance character Patsy Walker, who tagged along with the team and wound up becoming the heroine Hellcat. The Squadron was always welcome and Englehart got some space to spotlight the Captain America/Iron Man friendship, too.
The big news was the debut of the now-legendary George Perez as regular artist. Elements of his familiar style were evident here and he did great things with panel composition and character presentation. Perez was somewhat hobbled by incompatible inking, a heavier brush at times overpowering his intricate line work, but it was still an exciting debut for the artist. He’d become closely identified with the title over the next few years. The Avengers: The Serpent Crown is an essential collection for any fan of the series.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
Englehart’s two-track plot was complex, but he kept full control and did some interesting character work. The portrait of Moondragon as an arrogant, self-styled goddess came to full fruition here and her effect on Thor was considerable. Englehart did some nice work with the teasing, sibling-esque friendship between Beast and classic Marvel romance character Patsy Walker, who tagged along with the team and wound up becoming the heroine Hellcat. The Squadron was always welcome and Englehart got some space to spotlight the Captain America/Iron Man friendship, too.
The big news was the debut of the now-legendary George Perez as regular artist. Elements of his familiar style were evident here and he did great things with panel composition and character presentation. Perez was somewhat hobbled by incompatible inking, a heavier brush at times overpowering his intricate line work, but it was still an exciting debut for the artist. He’d become closely identified with the title over the next few years. The Avengers: The Serpent Crown is an essential collection for any fan of the series.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
June 15, 2016
The Serpent Crown (141-144, 147-149). This sequence of issues is a horrible mishmash. It's got Kang, Immortus, a trip to the past, the appearance of Hellcat, two fights against Brand, and a trip to the Squadron Supreme's Earth. Much of that running in parallel. I'm not convinced that author Engelhart had any idea of where he was going, and it sort of shows, particularly in the murky connections between the Squadron Supreme and Brand.
With that said, it's a wonderful mishmash too. Though they meander and muddle, these stories are epic. First, we get the last Kang story. (Ha!) Then we get the transformation of romance star Patsy Walker into superhero Hellcat. The Brand part of the story falls a bit short, but once we get to the Squadron's Earth we get a rather magnificent story of the Serpent Crown having taken over the whole planet (and the Squadron deciding to fight against it). It foreshadows the magnificent scope that later Squadron Supreme stories would enjoy [7/10].
With that said, it's a wonderful mishmash too. Though they meander and muddle, these stories are epic. First, we get the last Kang story. (Ha!) Then we get the transformation of romance star Patsy Walker into superhero Hellcat. The Brand part of the story falls a bit short, but once we get to the Squadron's Earth we get a rather magnificent story of the Serpent Crown having taken over the whole planet (and the Squadron deciding to fight against it). It foreshadows the magnificent scope that later Squadron Supreme stories would enjoy [7/10].
July 27, 2022
Meh. This was a fight to the finish for me. The story dragged on and didn't make a lot of sense. All the characters but Thor and Patsy are stagnant. Hawkeye proves he is the Gabriella Montez of the Marvel universe by breaking up with the Avengers. The highlights were Thor coming to terms with his godhood and playing cowboys in the wild west with Hawkeye, Hellcat being introduced, and (of course) Kang the Conqueror rocking purple thigh high boots (put this man on a runway!)! Wanda and Vision have just come back from their honeymoon and I wanted the book to explore their relationship but it's glazed over. There is one scene where Wanda is possessed by the serpent crown and it gave the vibes I wanted from Multiverse of Madness, but it's resolved fairly quickly and doesn't live up to its potential. I would have liked more of the Gods Go West story line than the Squadron Supreme story line. The time traveling quest to stop Kang was way more interesting and made more sense.
September 6, 2012
The Serpent Crown Saga is something that I think is best remembered than reread. It doesn’t exactly hold up as well as I had hoped. The dialogue is as hokey as expected and the plot is utterly crazy but its still fun to read. The best part is seeing the legend George Perez penciling his first Avengers pages. Overall its fun to flip through but maybe not to completely read.
November 27, 2017
Mediocre collection of a passable story. The George Perez pencils are not quite up to par with some of the other artists that had been drawing the Avengers at the time. One memorable thing: this collection features Patsy Walker as Hellcat. I think the reason for making this character a super hero is because they happened to have the costume lying around. Gotta love that comic book logic.
December 7, 2023
This arc is a classic. Steve Englehart is in his prime, spouting off about Government corruption and corporate corruption on the “Other-Earth” inhabited by the Squadron Supreme. The President of the United States wears the Serpent Crown, an ancient evil artifact which allows the wearer(s) of various dimensions to communicate with one another in their quest for power. Englehart was locked into the zeitgeist of post-Watergate America. Sadly, things have not improved in the last 35 or so years. Indeed, our world has descended into the corrupt abyss of this “Other-Earth”.
The Squadron Supreme (formerly known as the Squadron Sinister) are facsimiles of the Justice League of America, replete with Superman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, etc. doppelgangers. Their Earth is essentially the DC Universe. I love how they stated that “unlike the Avengers, (their) wins are always decisive”, an obvious stab at DC's storytelling style during that era.
George Perez's first Avengers work was issue 141, and he went on to become a fan favorite. I credit him and John Byrne with carrying the torch of Silver Age Marvel. Their style is a combination of the photo-realistic artwork in the vein of Neal Adams with the energy and power of Jack Kirby. They ushered Marvel into the '80s and helped raise the bar for comic book artwork that we are reaping the benefits of today. Perez crams ton of detail into every panel, and his action sequences are bone crushing.
Hand lettering in old comics is a make or break thing for me. We have Tom Orzechowski's lettering in most of this book, and it's great. He has a pleasant lettering style, with everything being clear and concise. Many of these Bronze Age letterers leave a lot to be desired and annoy the piss out of me.
This is an era of change for the team, back in the days when new members were a rare thing. The Beast, who was at the time in publishing limbo with the demise of his Amazing Adventures run, was a logical inclusion. I wonder if anyone ever explained if his personality change was related to his blue fur mutation. Patsy Walker as Hellcat was a less inspired choice. While the costume design was cool, the original Cat became Tigra. Not one to let a good costume design go unused, Marvel repurposed it with another character who was in publishing Limbo, Patsy Walker. I had a hard time buying that this character who had no formal combat training could put on a costume and be able to fight villains immediately, let alone having combat hardened superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man allowing her to fight alongside them with minimal protest. Nowadays, Marvel would have taken an entire arc to bring her into the team, and an entire mini-series to explain her origin. Come to think of it, all of the spontaneity and life would have been sucked out of the character by that point. I think that I'll accept Englehart's rushed origin as a means to an end, however haphazardly handled it may have been. As a stand alone read, this is fantastic. As a part of Avengers mythology, this is essential.
The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line of hardcovers were a sort of junior Masterworks line, with decent restoration, nice paper, and sewn binding at a much lower MSRP.
Note: Issues 145 and 146 are omitted because they were a two-part fill-in story by Tony Isabella and Don Heck. They were collected in Avengers: Coming of the Beast Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover. There is an index page with the issue information included in the back of this book as a further reassurance to readers that these two issues didn't belong in this collection.
The Squadron Supreme (formerly known as the Squadron Sinister) are facsimiles of the Justice League of America, replete with Superman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, etc. doppelgangers. Their Earth is essentially the DC Universe. I love how they stated that “unlike the Avengers, (their) wins are always decisive”, an obvious stab at DC's storytelling style during that era.
George Perez's first Avengers work was issue 141, and he went on to become a fan favorite. I credit him and John Byrne with carrying the torch of Silver Age Marvel. Their style is a combination of the photo-realistic artwork in the vein of Neal Adams with the energy and power of Jack Kirby. They ushered Marvel into the '80s and helped raise the bar for comic book artwork that we are reaping the benefits of today. Perez crams ton of detail into every panel, and his action sequences are bone crushing.
Hand lettering in old comics is a make or break thing for me. We have Tom Orzechowski's lettering in most of this book, and it's great. He has a pleasant lettering style, with everything being clear and concise. Many of these Bronze Age letterers leave a lot to be desired and annoy the piss out of me.
This is an era of change for the team, back in the days when new members were a rare thing. The Beast, who was at the time in publishing limbo with the demise of his Amazing Adventures run, was a logical inclusion. I wonder if anyone ever explained if his personality change was related to his blue fur mutation. Patsy Walker as Hellcat was a less inspired choice. While the costume design was cool, the original Cat became Tigra. Not one to let a good costume design go unused, Marvel repurposed it with another character who was in publishing Limbo, Patsy Walker. I had a hard time buying that this character who had no formal combat training could put on a costume and be able to fight villains immediately, let alone having combat hardened superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man allowing her to fight alongside them with minimal protest. Nowadays, Marvel would have taken an entire arc to bring her into the team, and an entire mini-series to explain her origin. Come to think of it, all of the spontaneity and life would have been sucked out of the character by that point. I think that I'll accept Englehart's rushed origin as a means to an end, however haphazardly handled it may have been. As a stand alone read, this is fantastic. As a part of Avengers mythology, this is essential.
The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic line of hardcovers were a sort of junior Masterworks line, with decent restoration, nice paper, and sewn binding at a much lower MSRP.
Note: Issues 145 and 146 are omitted because they were a two-part fill-in story by Tony Isabella and Don Heck. They were collected in Avengers: Coming of the Beast Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover. There is an index page with the issue information included in the back of this book as a further reassurance to readers that these two issues didn't belong in this collection.
December 12, 2021
With the news that great artist George Perez has inoperable cancer, I thought that I needed to go back and read my first run on the Avengers comics that I ever bought. My first issue was 143 which is the close to the Hawkeye, Thor, Moondragon and Marvel's Western character versus Kang arc. Kang was a fitting villain for the Avengers. In fact I think that he is one of their two top foes between him and Ultron. The second part of the story featured Cap, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Beast and Patsy Walker/Hellcat versus evil corporation Roxxon and the Squadron Supreme. It was a very good run of issues to become a big fan of the book for sixth grade Greg let alone 57 year old Greg. These books have done a pretty good job of holding up over time. THey are simpler reads but they are top notch in every way. Steve Englehart's story is great and despite floating back and forth between past and present and the Avengers world and the Squadron's I am never confused. It may help that budding superstar George Perez was drawing his first major series for Marvel. Was it all great? No. At times Perez's artwork is a little stiff and it doesn't help that multiple people inked the story. Overall it is a super fun book. I am planning to read a number of Perez's books over the next year and look forward to writing about them here. This one is great fun.
October 2, 2023
The Serpent Crown is a little better than the other collection from around this time period (The Coming of the Beast.)
Firstly. George Pérez's art is gorgeous. He's among my favourite comic book artists.
Secondly, it's cool to see the Squadron Supreme return to the Avengers series. It's just a shame they're back to being villains though. Additionally, a lot of the stuff with Brand Corporation and Roxxon bored me a little. Stories with big corporate bad guys just aren't that interesting to me and the storyline just seemed needlessly convoluted due to their presence. Bonus points for Beast lightening the mood with his antics though. He's a great addition to the team.
It was also good to see Thor and Moondragon face off against Kang the Conqueror with Hawkeye in the past. Thor really gets mad and you get a glimpse of his true power. Normally, I'm not a fan of Western storylines, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
Pretty decent overall.
Firstly. George Pérez's art is gorgeous. He's among my favourite comic book artists.
Secondly, it's cool to see the Squadron Supreme return to the Avengers series. It's just a shame they're back to being villains though. Additionally, a lot of the stuff with Brand Corporation and Roxxon bored me a little. Stories with big corporate bad guys just aren't that interesting to me and the storyline just seemed needlessly convoluted due to their presence. Bonus points for Beast lightening the mood with his antics though. He's a great addition to the team.
It was also good to see Thor and Moondragon face off against Kang the Conqueror with Hawkeye in the past. Thor really gets mad and you get a glimpse of his true power. Normally, I'm not a fan of Western storylines, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
Pretty decent overall.
August 4, 2020
Great comic storytelling, etc., blah blah - not that that's anything to take for granted. What sets this apart: Hawkeye's nonchalant "we did our thing" description of his one-on-one fight with Kang that leads to him tripping back in time; Thor's penetrating diagnosis of Kang's type A personality, delivered as he beats the tar out of him; the revisionist history of the Patsy/Buzz romance, which began in an actual romance comic and goes sour here in a darker yet still technicolor world; Englehart's casual yet lacerating takedown of political corruption in the alternate-world Rockefeller presidency; and last and best, the absolutely psychedelic dissolution of Kang as he pushes himself too far - an early Perez moment, full of "promise," sure, yet one of his best ever - not quite as epic as Starlin's rapidly-aging Mar-vell karate-chopping the cosmic cube, but cut from the same cloth.
July 9, 2022
Continuación (en realidad las historias están intercaladas) de Avengers: The Coming of the Beast y las historias para mí también un poco meh. Lo leí sobre todo para ver el origen de Hellcat, que es básicamente que encontró un traje y se lo puso.
November 21, 2020
3.5 Stars
A little too much going on plotwise for me to call this great, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to any fan of early Avengers. I probably could have done without the Hawkeye plotline as much as it works on its own; the idea of a Serpent Crown of evil is far more interesting to me. Will probably reread when I have more Avengers context.
A little too much going on plotwise for me to call this great, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to any fan of early Avengers. I probably could have done without the Hawkeye plotline as much as it works on its own; the idea of a Serpent Crown of evil is far more interesting to me. Will probably reread when I have more Avengers context.
October 8, 2017
I love Bronze age Avengers more than any other era of the team and this was a great story arc! Admittedly the following arcs are better and less clunky than this story but it was enjoyable none the less. Beast Joins the team and Hellcat makes her inspired debut!! Overall, a necessary read!
July 28, 2018
Englehart's best issues, and not just because George Perez is penciling them. He manages to have multiple plots ongoing, without the series feeling bogged down or convoluted, and all of the plots are interesting. It's a shame he didn't get to do more on the main title after this.
December 9, 2018
This comic is very fantastic.
October 27, 2020
George Perez's artwork manages to uplift an otherwise unremarkable chapter in superhero lore.
August 30, 2025
PATSY WALKER, NOI TI VENERIAMO.
January 5, 2019
Nunca he sido un gran fan de los vengadores, pero estas aventuras de las distintas épocas de la colección en los 70 suelen gustarme mucho, el problema es que no son historias precisamente pensadas para leer sueltas, lo ideal es empezar en algún punto y seguir hacia adelante hasta que te canses.
Este arco evidencia este tipo de problemas inherentes a esta y otras colecciones de marvel de los 70 y 80, en el mismo tomo te están contando dos historias que en realidad tampoco es que empiecen aquí, y aunque la principal que da nombre al tomo concluye satisfactoriamente, te siguen quedando flecos por delante y por detrás, por ejemplo queda pendiente el tema de la nueva alineación de los vengadores que creo que no se terminaría de cerrar hasta 3 ó 4 números después...
Que conste que esto no hace que le ponga o le quite nota a esta historia concreta, pero es por dejar claro que este tomo sólo se entiende del todo bien si eres un seguidor de los vengadores y conoces un poco de las distintas épocas que se suceden y de los personajes que nos vamos a encontrar, que entran y salen sin explicarse apenas de donde vienen o de cuales son sus motivaciones...
En todo caso es una historia de superhéroes entretenida (la de la corona serpiente, la otra que viene de un enfrentamiento con kang no me ha gustado) y bien contada, sin más; que eso si, tiene el aliciente de ver a un joven george perez a los lápices y de la aparición del escuadrón supremo que a mi es algo que me atrae ya de por sí
Este arco evidencia este tipo de problemas inherentes a esta y otras colecciones de marvel de los 70 y 80, en el mismo tomo te están contando dos historias que en realidad tampoco es que empiecen aquí, y aunque la principal que da nombre al tomo concluye satisfactoriamente, te siguen quedando flecos por delante y por detrás, por ejemplo queda pendiente el tema de la nueva alineación de los vengadores que creo que no se terminaría de cerrar hasta 3 ó 4 números después...
Que conste que esto no hace que le ponga o le quite nota a esta historia concreta, pero es por dejar claro que este tomo sólo se entiende del todo bien si eres un seguidor de los vengadores y conoces un poco de las distintas épocas que se suceden y de los personajes que nos vamos a encontrar, que entran y salen sin explicarse apenas de donde vienen o de cuales son sus motivaciones...
En todo caso es una historia de superhéroes entretenida (la de la corona serpiente, la otra que viene de un enfrentamiento con kang no me ha gustado) y bien contada, sin más; que eso si, tiene el aliciente de ver a un joven george perez a los lápices y de la aparición del escuadrón supremo que a mi es algo que me atrae ya de por sí
April 26, 2019
Por dibujo me daría 4 estrellas pero el guión aunque esta bastante bien flojea en algunos números y al final me ha condicionado para valorar el cómic en 3 estrellas.
Hace unos meses leí en un blog, al hilo de la vuelta de conan a marvel, que no sería imposible que viéramos al cimerio en el MCU. Los más novatos en esto de las películas de Superheroes flipaban con la locura pero quienes hemos leído unos pocos cómics sabemos que cosas más raras se han visto.
Este cómic es un buen ejemplo de ello. Englehart concibe un evento que junta por un lado a los vengadores con los pistoleros más famosos de los años 50 y 60 y por otro trae de vuelta al escuadrón supremo para el enfrentamiento definitivo con los vengadores.
Lo que menos me ha gustado del guión ha sido el afán por dividir a nuestros Heroes en dos grupos y tratar de enlazar las tramas de ambos sucesos. Creo que en este sentido la historia es algo confusa y por otro lado creo que un villano como Kang queda desaprovechado.
Lo mejor con diferencia es el dibujo de George Pérez.
Si os animáis a leer este cómic os recomiendo fervientemente leer después Siempre vengadores de Busiek y Pacheco que en cierto modo es un homenaje a este cómic.
Hace unos meses leí en un blog, al hilo de la vuelta de conan a marvel, que no sería imposible que viéramos al cimerio en el MCU. Los más novatos en esto de las películas de Superheroes flipaban con la locura pero quienes hemos leído unos pocos cómics sabemos que cosas más raras se han visto.
Este cómic es un buen ejemplo de ello. Englehart concibe un evento que junta por un lado a los vengadores con los pistoleros más famosos de los años 50 y 60 y por otro trae de vuelta al escuadrón supremo para el enfrentamiento definitivo con los vengadores.
Lo que menos me ha gustado del guión ha sido el afán por dividir a nuestros Heroes en dos grupos y tratar de enlazar las tramas de ambos sucesos. Creo que en este sentido la historia es algo confusa y por otro lado creo que un villano como Kang queda desaprovechado.
Lo mejor con diferencia es el dibujo de George Pérez.
Si os animáis a leer este cómic os recomiendo fervientemente leer después Siempre vengadores de Busiek y Pacheco que en cierto modo es un homenaje a este cómic.
March 19, 2013
Englehart estaba en su mejor momento en 1976. Apenas con una anécdota sencilla, simplona a ojos modernos, y de resolución efectista y facilona, se da el lujo de meter ideas frescas y jugadas en boca de sus personajes. La postura política abierta, la lucha contra corporaciones que controlan todo, las dudas sobre la propia condición, la búsqueda de un lugar en el mundo, un rol que jugar, traumas que superar y, sobretodo, el dejar en claro que dichas preguntas no tienen una sola respuesta y que, muchas veces, estas no serán satisfactorias. Con ello, todo lo superheroico queda como ingenioso telón de fondo. Una buena historia qu funciona mucho mejor leída en su contexto. Incluso, un principiante George Pérez y sus evidentes errores de novato no logran afear un conjunto sobresaliente. Gran lectura y no extraña que haya sido tan influyente hasta hoy en Marvel.
April 24, 2016
This volume collects issues #141–144 and #147–149, and is written by Steve Englehart. More importantly, however, they feature artwork from the early parts of George Pérez' outstanding career. True, these particular pages does not represent Pérez at the absolute top of his game by any means, but being a fan of his talent it is always fun to see where it all began as it were.
The stories are well told, classic supehero adventuring and feature both the Beast's early association with the Avengers and the entrance of a new heroine in the Marvel Universe: Hellcat! Also featuring Squadron Supreme and the villainy of Kang, not to mention a whole bunch Marvel's Western heroes.
The stories are well told, classic supehero adventuring and feature both the Beast's early association with the Avengers and the entrance of a new heroine in the Marvel Universe: Hellcat! Also featuring Squadron Supreme and the villainy of Kang, not to mention a whole bunch Marvel's Western heroes.
August 9, 2013
Without a doubt, a fun read that made me enjoy old school Avengers all the more. Nowadays comics focus a lot on the dialogue, but Englehart got right to the point and sprung the Avengers into action pretty much from the get go, which I liked. I also liked the combination of the western, sci-fi, and fantasy genres, which didn't seem forced or unbalanced. The villains were your typical off-the-wall '70s villains, but they suited the story. I'd say pick this one up if you're looking to check out some old school Avengers.
June 2, 2012
This is a terrific story with characters that I just love even more than I did before. The artwork is early George Perez, and is a little less polished than the Perez we're used to. But even in these early days, the promise of greatness is there.
For myself, being the freak for oddball obscure characters that I am, the real highlight is seeing Patsy Walker and Buzz Baxter.
This is certainly a gem in Marvel history.
For myself, being the freak for oddball obscure characters that I am, the real highlight is seeing Patsy Walker and Buzz Baxter.
This is certainly a gem in Marvel history.
February 9, 2010
This isn't a reinvention of the wheel or anything, just some good, solid superhero adventures. It was a neat touch to integrate the Western heroes into the Marvel Universe, and this also paved the way for the Squadron Supreme being recast as heroes. Plus, where else can you get an alternate-universe President Nelson Rockefeller as a villain?
April 10, 2014
Una delle migliori saghe di Englehart, con l'arrivo di Wildcat tra le fila dei Vendicatori ma soprattutto di Geroge Perez tra le fila dei disegnatori di questa grande serie. Lo scontro con lo Squadrone Supremo è l'antesignano del grande, atteso per decenni, scontro tra la Justice League e gli Avengers.
Merita di essere letto e riletto.
Merita di essere letto e riletto.
February 3, 2013
Really old school. I wonder of people will look back on comics of today and think the same thing.
July 25, 2019
A fairly standard story for the time period. I'm not real sure why this one is collected in particular.
December 31, 2023
The Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 223
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
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