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Avengers (1998) (New Editions) #1-2
Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez Omnibus, Vol. 1
Fan-favorite creators Kurt Busiek and George Pérez craft a new era for Earth's Mightiest Heroes! The Avengers have always defended humanity against the forces of evil. When duty calls, these legendary champions answer, fighting valiantly until justice prevails. But as the Avengers reform in the wake of a life-changing event, they must face an array of foes like no other: Morgan Le Fay, the Squadron Supreme, the Kree, the Legion of the Unliving, the Thunderbolts, the Wrecking Crew...not to mention facing Kang and Immortus in the Desti ny War! But when the merciless Ultron attacks, wiping out an enti re nation in his hatred for mankind, the Avengers must live up to their name...if they can! COLLECTING: AVENGERS (1998) 1-23, 0, 1 ROUGH CUT; IRON MAN (1998) 7; CAPTAIN AMERICA (1998) 8; QUICKSILVER 10; AVENGERS ANNUAL '98, '99; AVENGERS FOREVER 1-12
1184 pages, Hardcover
First published December 8, 1999
18 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Busiek
1,859 books626 followersKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 16, 2025
It's funny and baffling to consider this was being published at roughly the same time as Marvel Knights, The Authority and the wide screen comics revolution. While Ellis and Morrison were creating the postmodern current that swept much of this kind of book away, Busiek stood athwart the flood and gave a full-throated, traditional Asgardian "Nay!"
Superlatives aside I enjoyed this. For however out-of-favor GOSH (Good Old-Fashioned Super Heroes) comics have become, Busiek produces the ur vision of it while BMB was off somewhere defining the mainline style. It's a soap opera and vaudeville and moral power fantasies. Perez draws it incredibly, but that's just what he does, no? It's hard to find new praise to heap on a guy who defined a look for a generation, so I'll just say I never clocked the influence on Steve Dillon but it's there, very clearly in this book. So in a weird way, Perez being the grand dad of one of the best post modern books makes it wonderfully circuitous.
Superlatives aside I enjoyed this. For however out-of-favor GOSH (Good Old-Fashioned Super Heroes) comics have become, Busiek produces the ur vision of it while BMB was off somewhere defining the mainline style. It's a soap opera and vaudeville and moral power fantasies. Perez draws it incredibly, but that's just what he does, no? It's hard to find new praise to heap on a guy who defined a look for a generation, so I'll just say I never clocked the influence on Steve Dillon but it's there, very clearly in this book. So in a weird way, Perez being the grand dad of one of the best post modern books makes it wonderfully circuitous.
February 11, 2018
What I appreciate most about Busiek, aside from being an incredibly capable writer, is his penchant for braiding his stories into the greater continuity of Marvel's chronology and timeline. From "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" to the pretty-much-perfect "Marvels" limited series he did with Alex Ross, his respect for marvel's history always solidifies his stories into something substantial and weighty.
He continues this braiding in the main run, but more specifically in the absolutely incredible "Avengers Forever" 12 issue event that is included in this omnibus. Prepare to have your avengers knowledge put to the test, as Busiek takes us on a time traveling roller coaster of cosmic proportions. Just so well done on every level.
George Perez and Al Vey and Carlos Pacheco are absolute maniacs of the comic art-form. Not sure what else to say. Busiek writes epic scenes, and George Perez and Carlos Pacheco hit it out of the park on essentially every page. The detail in George Perez' work is nothing short of astounding.
At times Busiek's writing style may come off as "over-explanatory", but it never comes off as pedantic or excessive.
A worthy collection.
He continues this braiding in the main run, but more specifically in the absolutely incredible "Avengers Forever" 12 issue event that is included in this omnibus. Prepare to have your avengers knowledge put to the test, as Busiek takes us on a time traveling roller coaster of cosmic proportions. Just so well done on every level.
George Perez and Al Vey and Carlos Pacheco are absolute maniacs of the comic art-form. Not sure what else to say. Busiek writes epic scenes, and George Perez and Carlos Pacheco hit it out of the park on essentially every page. The detail in George Perez' work is nothing short of astounding.
At times Busiek's writing style may come off as "over-explanatory", but it never comes off as pedantic or excessive.
A worthy collection.
September 10, 2015
Meh. There are a lot of interesting ideas here, but too many characters and too many problems. Moreover, the characters themselves seem flat.
The pacing is so off that some of the climaxes occur off-panel (I'm looking at you, Grim Reaper.)
And it seems that Avengers Forever (included here) is a 12-part miniseries solely devoted to explaining a minor continuity goof with regard to the Vision.
The pacing is so off that some of the climaxes occur off-panel (I'm looking at you, Grim Reaper.)
And it seems that Avengers Forever (included here) is a 12-part miniseries solely devoted to explaining a minor continuity goof with regard to the Vision.
February 7, 2024
In many ways, Kurt Busiek's seminal run on Avengers did a lot to bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes into the modern age of comics. He wrote some of the team's most iconic stories, and his work on Kang will/may/won't be part of the future of the MCU. But while it has a titanic reputation, the run itself is, at best, just very good.
Busiek's approach to the Avengers is very character driven, and he does a great job of writing character drama. Even the first arc, which features all 39 heroes who've served as Avengers, did a neat job of giving attention to every single hero, but once the roster narrows down, he gives each character their own arc and their own set of conflicts with the group (except maybe for Iron Man and Thor). I especially liked that, as characters hit stages of their personal arcs, they would leave the team to let other characters step into the spotlight. This is some of the best character work I've seen in a big team book - but it does have one big weakness.
Did you know that this run started in the late 90s and ended in the 2000s? I say this because it's really easy to forget when reading Busiek's dialogue, which doesn't just sound Silver Age, it sounds like a Silver Age cartoon. I get that it's hard to have write with a unique voice for such a big ensemble, but the dialogue feels so dated. It really takes me out of the action when characters are constantly talking to each other during big fights with 50s dialogue - Iron Man calls his foes jokers, Hawkeye refers to the three Time Keepers as Hewey, Dewey and Louie, and the Avengers get complimented on their moxie and gumption. Again, he started writing this in the 90s, after Watchmen, The Sandman and The Dark Knight Returns! Why does he sound like such an old man?
The one exception is Thor. The God of Thunder sounds like a genuine badass, and I wanna read more of his comics now.
It's weird because I thought the narration boxes would annoy me more, but I actually enjoyed them. When Busiek writes as the narrator, he's great at giving gravitas and tension to scenes. If only he'd done the same with the dialogue...
I suppose the dialogue isn't the biggest problem with this run. The plotting, or lack thereof, is probably its fatal flaw. Maybe my expectations are colored by modern comics, but I usually expect a run like this to have some kind of an overarching storyline that drives the smaller scale events of the book. I'd at least appreciate a series of medium-sized arcs. There are exactly three of those in this book: in the beginning, when the Avengers are reestablishing themselves; the Live Kree or Die crossover and the Ultron Unlimited 'event'. Unsurprisingly, these are some of the highlights of the omni.
The rest of the issues are honestly pretty formulaic - we begin with the villain getting up to no good before heading to Avengers Mansion to flesh out the character drama, and once the Avengers are alerted to the threat, the drama plays out during the action. This is another aspect that feels kinda like an Avengers cartoon - one of the good Avengers cartoons, to be sure, but there isn't much maturity to the plotting.
There is, of course, one big exception to all those complaints: Avengers Forever. That 12 issue limited series is present and accounted for in this omni, and it really showcases all the potential that's missing from the ongoing. Carlos Pacheco is a brilliant artist too, even if George Perez outshines him in the main comic. Forever is a Kang story, and I know that Kang becomes a factor in the latter portion of this run, so I'm hoping that its magic can somehow be recaptured in volume 2.
So I did enjoy this omni, but I think that the Avengers have come a long way in terms of exciting and innovative storytelling. Avengers Forever aside, this omni really feels like it was behind the curve even for its time, but there's entertainment value here. I'll totally pick up the second volume, but I'm not as excited for it as I could've been.
Before I go, I actually made a list of my favorite 'disses' from this omni, and I really need you to see this:
- jokers
- creepazoids (????)
- second rate and third rate
- busters
- looney tunes (I'm surprised Disney didn't have them edit this out)
- stumblebums
- Hewey, Dewey and Louie
- turnip-head
- jobronis (which isn't just funny, it's a typo on the word jabroni)
Busiek's approach to the Avengers is very character driven, and he does a great job of writing character drama. Even the first arc, which features all 39 heroes who've served as Avengers, did a neat job of giving attention to every single hero, but once the roster narrows down, he gives each character their own arc and their own set of conflicts with the group (except maybe for Iron Man and Thor). I especially liked that, as characters hit stages of their personal arcs, they would leave the team to let other characters step into the spotlight. This is some of the best character work I've seen in a big team book - but it does have one big weakness.
Did you know that this run started in the late 90s and ended in the 2000s? I say this because it's really easy to forget when reading Busiek's dialogue, which doesn't just sound Silver Age, it sounds like a Silver Age cartoon. I get that it's hard to have write with a unique voice for such a big ensemble, but the dialogue feels so dated. It really takes me out of the action when characters are constantly talking to each other during big fights with 50s dialogue - Iron Man calls his foes jokers, Hawkeye refers to the three Time Keepers as Hewey, Dewey and Louie, and the Avengers get complimented on their moxie and gumption. Again, he started writing this in the 90s, after Watchmen, The Sandman and The Dark Knight Returns! Why does he sound like such an old man?
The one exception is Thor. The God of Thunder sounds like a genuine badass, and I wanna read more of his comics now.
It's weird because I thought the narration boxes would annoy me more, but I actually enjoyed them. When Busiek writes as the narrator, he's great at giving gravitas and tension to scenes. If only he'd done the same with the dialogue...
I suppose the dialogue isn't the biggest problem with this run. The plotting, or lack thereof, is probably its fatal flaw. Maybe my expectations are colored by modern comics, but I usually expect a run like this to have some kind of an overarching storyline that drives the smaller scale events of the book. I'd at least appreciate a series of medium-sized arcs. There are exactly three of those in this book: in the beginning, when the Avengers are reestablishing themselves; the Live Kree or Die crossover and the Ultron Unlimited 'event'. Unsurprisingly, these are some of the highlights of the omni.
The rest of the issues are honestly pretty formulaic - we begin with the villain getting up to no good before heading to Avengers Mansion to flesh out the character drama, and once the Avengers are alerted to the threat, the drama plays out during the action. This is another aspect that feels kinda like an Avengers cartoon - one of the good Avengers cartoons, to be sure, but there isn't much maturity to the plotting.
There is, of course, one big exception to all those complaints: Avengers Forever. That 12 issue limited series is present and accounted for in this omni, and it really showcases all the potential that's missing from the ongoing. Carlos Pacheco is a brilliant artist too, even if George Perez outshines him in the main comic. Forever is a Kang story, and I know that Kang becomes a factor in the latter portion of this run, so I'm hoping that its magic can somehow be recaptured in volume 2.
So I did enjoy this omni, but I think that the Avengers have come a long way in terms of exciting and innovative storytelling. Avengers Forever aside, this omni really feels like it was behind the curve even for its time, but there's entertainment value here. I'll totally pick up the second volume, but I'm not as excited for it as I could've been.
Before I go, I actually made a list of my favorite 'disses' from this omni, and I really need you to see this:
- jokers
- creepazoids (????)
- second rate and third rate
- busters
- looney tunes (I'm surprised Disney didn't have them edit this out)
- stumblebums
- Hewey, Dewey and Louie
- turnip-head
- jobronis (which isn't just funny, it's a typo on the word jabroni)
January 23, 2016
As much as I love the original run of the first volume, I love the artwork and stories in this Omnibus collection. It does have the Avengers Forever storyline in it [which I did not read this time around, but I did review it separately and will not review again at this time], which gives the reader well over thirty issues to read in this compilation. Overall, I felt it moved at a good pace. It has incredible art work and good character development.
The insertion of the Avengers Forever storyline kind of chops of the flow of the series itself; I think they could have gotten by by adding this series after the twenty-six issues [including two annuals and the #0 edition put out by Wizard]. In fact, I think it would have added to the flow, as the only ones really affected by this storyline were Hank and Jan - the other characters were taken from different time periods and not involved in this 'current iteration' of the Avengers.
I think the thing that makes this series so interesting is that not only did it 're-introduce' the Avengers to a world that believed them dead and gone, but it shows the team really struggling to find its place, its groove. A large part of this is because Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor have personal issues in their respective series that prevent them from focusing on the team as much as they would like. The team has not practiced together enough to gel together to function as smoothly as Captain America would like. It is kind of interesting how the team has had trouble working together, because the majority of them have worked well together in the past. I realize a large part of this is because people change over time and have grown in their talents and abilities, so the former 'unity' will not be there. It is still an interesting read, because I think the internal tensions and conflicts help build their respective characters.
There are so many phenomenal pictures and lines in this series! A couple of the scenes I love the most: [1] in the first issue, when Vance Astrovik points out that the breaking up all of the Avengers present into five teams is merely sending each team into a trap; the entire assemblage turns to give him a look of "Duh!" and Vance nearly dies of embarrassment, and [2] the twenty-second issue, where Thor says "Ultron. We would have words with you." with the Black Panther, Iron Man, Captain America, and Firestar standing behind him. It's a beautifully powerful image.
Another thing that I love about this series is that even though there it starts out with seven regular members [Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Warbird, and Hawkeye) and two reserve members [Justice and Firestar], the team membership is in constant flux throughout the first twenty-three issues and the writers bring in other former members to guest star in the series! I love it! It is like getting more bang for your buck! After the first three issues, some of the guest stars include: the Swordsman and Magda, Photon, Black Knight, Black Panther, Giant-Man, the winsome Wasp, the Beast, the Thunderbolts , Firebird, the New Warriors, and the Squadron Supreme. Other guest stars include Silverclaw and Triathalon .
Another interesting thing about this series is that the Avengers are having to deal with public opinion and being misrepresented in the press. As a team, they are so used to having nothing but positive press for so long that they are not used to being portrayed in a negative light. This is completely unfamiliar ground for some [two] of them; Thor and Captain America do not know how to handle it. The majority of the others are familiar with the general public turning against them as individuals [Tony Stark, as the head of multinational corporation; Firestar and Wanda, for being mutants; the Vision, for trying to take over the world when he was Chairman of the Avengers; T'Challa, for being both the leader of the wealthiest, strongest African nation on the planet and a foreign national on the team; Simon Williams, for being a former criminal]. As a team, though, the negative press comes as a shock to them.
The negative press helps make for interesting dynamics amongst the Avengers themselves as well as how they interact with the general public [who still seem to love them as individuals] and with the media [considering how negatively the media is presenting them to the public]. Captain America still has his [unrealistic] expectations/standards for the team, yet is failing the team as its 'Leader'. The membership is in constant flux as the 'regular members' come and go due to issues in their personal lives. Wanda has issues as the 'deputy leader' because she can see the problems that Cap cannot see; I especially liked her thoughts about how 'a clipped tone and stern voice won't solve things' when Cap is expressing an opinion to the news media. The Vision has issues with Simon Williams, and not just because Simon is now sleeping with Wanda .
What can I say about the artwork? It was amazing. It was some of the best artwork I had seen in a while. I think Perez's work helped make the series. There were so many pictures I would love to cut out and put in a scrapbook [or frame], just to thumb through them, they are so good.
I will say this much about Avengers Forever: .
There are a lot of disparate threads being woven throughout the series - it is a long-running tapestry leading up to the culmination of Busiek's triumphant run. There are missteps along the way; not every story or addition is 'perfect,' but even the imperfections do not do much to mar the overall narrative. It is obvious that Busiek has a goal in mind, a final 'act', when one reads the series as a whole. I cannot wait to read the next omnibus edition.
The insertion of the Avengers Forever storyline kind of chops of the flow of the series itself; I think they could have gotten by by adding this series after the twenty-six issues [including two annuals and the #0 edition put out by Wizard]. In fact, I think it would have added to the flow, as the only ones really affected by this storyline were Hank and Jan - the other characters were taken from different time periods and not involved in this 'current iteration' of the Avengers.
I think the thing that makes this series so interesting is that not only did it 're-introduce' the Avengers to a world that believed them dead and gone, but it shows the team really struggling to find its place, its groove. A large part of this is because Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor have personal issues in their respective series that prevent them from focusing on the team as much as they would like. The team has not practiced together enough to gel together to function as smoothly as Captain America would like. It is kind of interesting how the team has had trouble working together, because the majority of them have worked well together in the past. I realize a large part of this is because people change over time and have grown in their talents and abilities, so the former 'unity' will not be there. It is still an interesting read, because I think the internal tensions and conflicts help build their respective characters.
There are so many phenomenal pictures and lines in this series! A couple of the scenes I love the most: [1] in the first issue, when Vance Astrovik points out that the breaking up all of the Avengers present into five teams is merely sending each team into a trap; the entire assemblage turns to give him a look of "Duh!" and Vance nearly dies of embarrassment, and [2] the twenty-second issue, where Thor says "Ultron. We would have words with you." with the Black Panther, Iron Man, Captain America, and Firestar standing behind him. It's a beautifully powerful image.
Another thing that I love about this series is that even though there it starts out with seven regular members [Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Warbird, and Hawkeye) and two reserve members [Justice and Firestar], the team membership is in constant flux throughout the first twenty-three issues and the writers bring in other former members to guest star in the series! I love it! It is like getting more bang for your buck! After the first three issues, some of the guest stars include: the Swordsman and Magda, Photon, Black Knight, Black Panther, Giant-Man, the winsome Wasp, the Beast, the Thunderbolts , Firebird, the New Warriors, and the Squadron Supreme. Other guest stars include Silverclaw and Triathalon .
Another interesting thing about this series is that the Avengers are having to deal with public opinion and being misrepresented in the press. As a team, they are so used to having nothing but positive press for so long that they are not used to being portrayed in a negative light. This is completely unfamiliar ground for some [two] of them; Thor and Captain America do not know how to handle it. The majority of the others are familiar with the general public turning against them as individuals [Tony Stark, as the head of multinational corporation; Firestar and Wanda, for being mutants; the Vision, for trying to take over the world when he was Chairman of the Avengers; T'Challa, for being both the leader of the wealthiest, strongest African nation on the planet and a foreign national on the team; Simon Williams, for being a former criminal]. As a team, though, the negative press comes as a shock to them.
The negative press helps make for interesting dynamics amongst the Avengers themselves as well as how they interact with the general public [who still seem to love them as individuals] and with the media [considering how negatively the media is presenting them to the public]. Captain America still has his [unrealistic] expectations/standards for the team, yet is failing the team as its 'Leader'. The membership is in constant flux as the 'regular members' come and go due to issues in their personal lives. Wanda has issues as the 'deputy leader' because she can see the problems that Cap cannot see; I especially liked her thoughts about how 'a clipped tone and stern voice won't solve things' when Cap is expressing an opinion to the news media. The Vision has issues with Simon Williams, and not just because Simon is now sleeping with Wanda .
What can I say about the artwork? It was amazing. It was some of the best artwork I had seen in a while. I think Perez's work helped make the series. There were so many pictures I would love to cut out and put in a scrapbook [or frame], just to thumb through them, they are so good.
I will say this much about Avengers Forever: .
There are a lot of disparate threads being woven throughout the series - it is a long-running tapestry leading up to the culmination of Busiek's triumphant run. There are missteps along the way; not every story or addition is 'perfect,' but even the imperfections do not do much to mar the overall narrative. It is obvious that Busiek has a goal in mind, a final 'act', when one reads the series as a whole. I cannot wait to read the next omnibus edition.
April 15, 2018
The adventures and villains in this collection are not amazing, but they are solid, the shining fight being against Ultron. The best part of this is the relationships of the Avengers. New members struggling to find their place, old members trying to keep it together, past members showing up again in strange ways. Busiek is very good at writing humanity in superheroes. And it helps to have George Perez draw most of it. It's such matter of fact art that is perfect for this volume. Looking forward to the second.
March 14, 2024
Avengers main run by Busiek and Perez = ****
Avengers Forever = **
I know that this was mapped in somewhat of a chronological release order, but putting Avengers Forever in the middle of the Perez run was a mistake. It stopped the book dead in its tracks, as it was overly long and really seemed like a way for Busiek to show off his Marvel knowledge more so than a captivating story. If I were to ever read this again, I would skip it altogether and, if anything, read it as a supplement.
Avengers Forever = **
I know that this was mapped in somewhat of a chronological release order, but putting Avengers Forever in the middle of the Perez run was a mistake. It stopped the book dead in its tracks, as it was overly long and really seemed like a way for Busiek to show off his Marvel knowledge more so than a captivating story. If I were to ever read this again, I would skip it altogether and, if anything, read it as a supplement.
January 12, 2020
there’s a certain level of irony in the fact the avengers abandoned carol with her abuser, and then turned around to put her on trial in front of her friends and teammates for her alcoholism... hmm.
that aside i think the live kree or die event was very introspective and developmental for carol as a whole. love the dynamic between her and tony this introduces, as well.
that aside i think the live kree or die event was very introspective and developmental for carol as a whole. love the dynamic between her and tony this introduces, as well.
May 31, 2023
Kurt Busiek, George Perez, Carlos Pacheco (on Avengers Forever) working on the Avengers? What more do we need. This run is so good and features Avengers Forever which is my all time favorite Avenger’s story. George Perez art is top notch throughout this run and fits a larger than life title like the Avengers. This omnibus is a must read for any avengers fan.
December 31, 2025
To be honest, this is what making me like the Avengers! All Of Them!! ALL OF THEM!!! They were perfectly written. I think Captain America and the Scarlet Witch are still my favorites, however, Wonder Man, The Vision, and Even Justice have all grown on me. “Ultron Unlimited” was the best story up till now and that conversation between Wonder Man and The Vision was phenomenal
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2023
My personal favorite era of the Avengers! Busiek gives all of the characters proper external and internal conflicts and gives the greats Perez and Pacheco plenty of amazing moments to draw. But this is SO about the incredible art! Just gorgeous to behold.
February 1, 2023
The Perez issues are strong but in my opinion The Avengers Forever series leaps above it as the best of 90s superhero storytelling. Complex yet easy to follow, filled with continuity but also a very streamlined story.
Probably the best run of Avengers issues that exist
Probably the best run of Avengers issues that exist
May 27, 2023
Skilled pacing and writing creates a great read-through. I enjoyed the focus on the personal lives of the heroes, and how they impacted the plot throughout, without any kind of easy fix. I'm excited to start Volume 2.
June 26, 2017
I enjoyed the energy and excitement Busiek and Perez brought to the stories. This is a lot fun but the gems are clearly Ultron Unlimited and Avengers Forever.
September 4, 2019
3.5 Stars
Avengers 0-23 ☆☆☆☆
Live Kree or Die ☆☆☆
Avengers Annuals ☆☆☆
Avengers Forever ☆☆☆
Avengers 0-23 ☆☆☆☆
Live Kree or Die ☆☆☆
Avengers Annuals ☆☆☆
Avengers Forever ☆☆☆
March 5, 2023
I enjoyed this book.
April 21, 2024
The definitive Avengers run.
It deserves to be talk in the same breath as Jack and Stans's FF and Claremont X-Men.
Very accessible Highly recommended for new fans of all types.
It deserves to be talk in the same breath as Jack and Stans's FF and Claremont X-Men.
Very accessible Highly recommended for new fans of all types.
September 9, 2024
Dnf outside that art this is a bore. I can't finish.
November 30, 2025
Not even the art of George Perez makes this worth it.
April 11, 2023
It took a bit for me to get into it, but I can see why this run has such a devoted following. I dug Avengers Forever, though by that time, I was honestly just wanting to get back to the main book. The Wanda/Vision/Simon thread, more than by any other one element, kept me turning the page throughout the book. But for my money, Ultron Unlimited issues were the best of the batch. I’m looking forward to Vol. 2, if/when it releases.
March 20, 2025
First avengers run that I have read and it was good. Artwork by George Perez and Carlos Pacheco is phenomenal in this book.
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