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Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers #15
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers, Vol. 15
Earth's Mightiest Heroes have put out a call for new members and into their ranks come the Beast, Hellcat and Moondragon. With the return of Captain America, Yellowjacket and the Wasp it makes for one of the greatest Avengers teams of all time! And they're going to need every last one of them to overcome the challenges ahead. The cosmic Stranger attacks and in the battle the Wasp is critically injured and the Avengers must save one of their own while struggling to save themselves. Then comes one of the greatest Avengers sagas of all ti me! In a time-travelling adventure they'll team with the Marvel heroes of the old West in a fight to overcome Kang and the Squadron Sinister! COLLECTING: AVENGERS (1963) 136-149; MARVEL TREASURY EDITION (1974) 7
247 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2015
10 people are currently reading
95 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 9, 2021
The quality of this volume of the assembling ones is not great, to be honest. It’s full of inconsistencies and really takes a hit when the regular creative team falls foul of the dreaded deadline doom, necessitating a pretty slipshod two-issue fill-in story that it’s difficult to fit in, continuity-wise. The art’s pretty patchy, too, despite George Perez’s arrival on the book. To say this isn’t his best work would be something of an understatement.
Two things save this volume for me. Firstly, the arrival of the bouncing, blue-furred Beast to the Avengers’ ranks. Despite his status as a founding member of the X-Men, I always loved him on the Avengers. Secondly, we get Patsy Walker’s adoption of her Hellcat identity when she stumbles upon Tigra’s old Cat costume. Hellcat’s always been a favourite of mine so it was great reliving this major turning point for the character.
My next book: The Green Turtle Mystery
Two things save this volume for me. Firstly, the arrival of the bouncing, blue-furred Beast to the Avengers’ ranks. Despite his status as a founding member of the X-Men, I always loved him on the Avengers. Secondly, we get Patsy Walker’s adoption of her Hellcat identity when she stumbles upon Tigra’s old Cat costume. Hellcat’s always been a favourite of mine so it was great reliving this major turning point for the character.
My next book: The Green Turtle Mystery
April 23, 2015
Some of the greatest Avengers stories ever printed. Presented in the best format possible. Must-have for all Avengers fans. Buy this book NOW.
April 4, 2018
Yeah, and we're back on stupid shit...
I think that Beast joining the Avengers was the worst decision for the Avengers that was ever made in the history of teams... EVER.
Beast in general is an ok character. I was never a huge fan of Beast on the X-Men, mainly when I started reading comics back in the 90s, I wasn't a huge fan of him but I didn't hate him or anything. And up until now, Beast is fine. Beast is ok. I don't hate him or love him. I like him. But I wouldn't be too sad if there was no Beast on X-Men. Ok?
Now, here.. Beast is SO FUCKING ANNOYING. He's like a 5 year old. He's like the new Hawkeye for the has-been Avengers. Always bitching and crying and saying stupid shit and being upset for ridiculous cringe-worthy reasons that make ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING SENSE. UGHHHh... when was this? 70s? 80s? I don't know I don't wanna know. It sucked.
Beast sucks.
BIG TIME.
Never again.
Oh, Hellcat on the cover, boy, was that one of the most boring stories ever.. hah... almost fell asleep there. Oh well! On to the next one \o/
I think that Beast joining the Avengers was the worst decision for the Avengers that was ever made in the history of teams... EVER.
Beast in general is an ok character. I was never a huge fan of Beast on the X-Men, mainly when I started reading comics back in the 90s, I wasn't a huge fan of him but I didn't hate him or anything. And up until now, Beast is fine. Beast is ok. I don't hate him or love him. I like him. But I wouldn't be too sad if there was no Beast on X-Men. Ok?
Now, here.. Beast is SO FUCKING ANNOYING. He's like a 5 year old. He's like the new Hawkeye for the has-been Avengers. Always bitching and crying and saying stupid shit and being upset for ridiculous cringe-worthy reasons that make ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING SENSE. UGHHHh... when was this? 70s? 80s? I don't know I don't wanna know. It sucked.
Beast sucks.
BIG TIME.
Never again.
Oh, Hellcat on the cover, boy, was that one of the most boring stories ever.. hah... almost fell asleep there. Oh well! On to the next one \o/
February 16, 2016
The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.
November 13, 2022
This book reprints the original Avengers comic books from 1975 and 1976, numbers 136 through 149. I bought all of these off the rack when they were new, but I hadn't read them in well over 40 years.
No. 136 was actually a reprint issue, and nos. 146 and 147 were a fill-in story by Isabella and Heck. The rest of the time, Englehart was in charge, and he was the best writer the Avengers ever had. Out of the blue, the Avengers decided they needed to search for new members, and right away, Moondragon, who had been involved in previous issues, and the Beast, who Englehart had shepherded in his first super-hero writing job, were brought on board. The idea was they would be considered for full membership, and over the next year and change, that consideration involved yet another battle with Kang the Conqueror (after two the year before), and a run-in with the Squadron Supreme of an alternate earth.
The plots and concepts were plenty of fun - time travel and parallel universes always allowed for novel views. Here, we have Avengers meeting five of the Western characters that had been a part of the Marvel universe even before the Fantastic Four, and the rest of the group involved in Englehart's spot-on tribute to the Justice League of America's many crisis issues crossing over with the Justice Society of Earth 2.
But, the real joy of these books, in addition to the rapidly developing art and storytelling ability of George Perez (who took over with no. 141), is the characterization Englehart developed of all the heroes. Thor and Moondragon's arguments over godhood; Captain America and Iron Man's revived camaraderie; the Scarlet Witch and the Vision figuring out how a mutant and a synthezoid can deal with life as a married couple; the Wasp's urge to return to adventuring and hubby Yellowjacket's issues with same; Hawkeye's brashness and discovery of life as a Western hero; it's all great to read.
The fill-in story was fine, but it was almost as disappointing to come across in the middle of this book (and a tight continuity) as it was when I handed over my quarters to buy the original issues back when I was 17. And, sadly, there would only be two and half more issues of Englehart at the helm. The Avengers were still important to me, but I don't have any strong urge to revisit the issues after this volume.
No. 136 was actually a reprint issue, and nos. 146 and 147 were a fill-in story by Isabella and Heck. The rest of the time, Englehart was in charge, and he was the best writer the Avengers ever had. Out of the blue, the Avengers decided they needed to search for new members, and right away, Moondragon, who had been involved in previous issues, and the Beast, who Englehart had shepherded in his first super-hero writing job, were brought on board. The idea was they would be considered for full membership, and over the next year and change, that consideration involved yet another battle with Kang the Conqueror (after two the year before), and a run-in with the Squadron Supreme of an alternate earth.
The plots and concepts were plenty of fun - time travel and parallel universes always allowed for novel views. Here, we have Avengers meeting five of the Western characters that had been a part of the Marvel universe even before the Fantastic Four, and the rest of the group involved in Englehart's spot-on tribute to the Justice League of America's many crisis issues crossing over with the Justice Society of Earth 2.
But, the real joy of these books, in addition to the rapidly developing art and storytelling ability of George Perez (who took over with no. 141), is the characterization Englehart developed of all the heroes. Thor and Moondragon's arguments over godhood; Captain America and Iron Man's revived camaraderie; the Scarlet Witch and the Vision figuring out how a mutant and a synthezoid can deal with life as a married couple; the Wasp's urge to return to adventuring and hubby Yellowjacket's issues with same; Hawkeye's brashness and discovery of life as a Western hero; it's all great to read.
The fill-in story was fine, but it was almost as disappointing to come across in the middle of this book (and a tight continuity) as it was when I handed over my quarters to buy the original issues back when I was 17. And, sadly, there would only be two and half more issues of Englehart at the helm. The Avengers were still important to me, but I don't have any strong urge to revisit the issues after this volume.
April 17, 2023
Not a big fan of the Avengers but I am a big fan of the X-Men so I thought it was about time I read about Hank McCoy’s time with the team.
My highlights, from a Beast point of view:
He joins the team. His appearance isn’t classic Beast, yet. Already he’s more of the wise-cracking good time guy than he was in X-Men or Englehart’s Amazing Adventures. Story-wise it’s very much for Beast a continuation or follow up of sorts to that run. And just as uninteresting, really.
My highlights, from a Beast point of view:
He joins the team. His appearance isn’t classic Beast, yet. Already he’s more of the wise-cracking good time guy than he was in X-Men or Englehart’s Amazing Adventures. Story-wise it’s very much for Beast a continuation or follow up of sorts to that run. And just as uninteresting, really.
October 2, 2023
It's hard to top the Kang War and Celestial Madonna material from the previous volume, but this one is still extremely readable.
It's fun to have Beast as an Avengers and the Squadron Supreme make a welcome return. Even the Wild West time travel storyline is a blast. The other storylines are a bit less important in the grand scheme of things though.
George Tuska's art is decent and George Pérez's is fantastic.
Definitely worth checking out for fans of Bronze Age comic books.
It's fun to have Beast as an Avengers and the Squadron Supreme make a welcome return. Even the Wild West time travel storyline is a blast. The other storylines are a bit less important in the grand scheme of things though.
George Tuska's art is decent and George Pérez's is fantastic.
Definitely worth checking out for fans of Bronze Age comic books.
October 9, 2021
The Marvel Universe of the 1970's is a pretty mixed bag but the Avengers have been a fairly consistent bright spot.
October 8, 2021
In my personal opinion, the arrival of artist George Perez is a high-mark for the series. The writing is most often good, and the expansion of the cast to include thw Beast is excellent.
Also good is the return of the Squadron Supreme, and the battles between the two teams is pretty epic.
The resolution of Kang/Immortus sub-plot is also very welcome.
Good use of Marvel’s Wild West Heroes.
Also good is the return of the Squadron Supreme, and the battles between the two teams is pretty epic.
The resolution of Kang/Immortus sub-plot is also very welcome.
Good use of Marvel’s Wild West Heroes.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews