AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION: HEAVY METAL Paperback – November 10, 2020

Been waiting a long time for this one and it doesn't disappoint. Buscema's rendition of Namor is on full display here. And the high quality paper really bring out the art. Dr. Druid's dream sequence of being the conventional hero is a funny highlight of this book. Great visual story-telling.

Collecting issues 286 - 303, plus Annual 17 from the Avengers. The stories come thick and fast in this volume. It starts off good, then descends into the okay. The opening story which deals with the Super Adaptoid collecting an army of scattered evil robots is a bid to collect ultimate power is inspired. After that we have a leftover bit of story line from Alpha Flight which deals with the fate of the alien hybrid Marina - if you've never heard of her, there is a reason. This spins into the first appearance of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs - which are good and bad- this is not a Kang concept that is used much after this story. It's a weird mixture of actual Kangs and people who have defeated Kang and stolen his technology. Whether you like it or not, it is an interesting idea, and the central story, the quest for the ultimate weapon was never fully examined after these issues.Next we come to the stories which are not as good. This is mostly because they are part of the crossover event phase that dominated Marvel in the late 80s. Avengers Annual 17 is the end of the Evolutionary War crossover, which is significantly less interesting if you don't know the rest of the story. Then we have two issues dealing with the Inferno crossover, the first of which is actually interesting because it centers on the Avenger's butler, Jarvis. But the second story suffers from the same problem as the Annual. If you don't know the whole story, it makes no sense.The book then rounds off with a trio of issues dealing with the last son of Xandar and the Nova Corps - Marvel's attempt at a Green Lantern Corps - who has come to Earth to look for the destroyer of his planet, only to learn, after much destruction, the villain has escaped through time. The whole thing has a real "surrender Dorothy" feel to it, and probably goes on for one issue too long.

My first comic ever was Avengers 300. So this collection is a neat treat for me. This might be one of the weakest Avengers runs ever as it's a bit of an adjustment period after Roger Stern's excellent run...but the art is gorgeous.

este compendio cuenta la caida y renacimiento de los avengers a finales de los 80, una hostoria para no perderse por los verdaderos fans de los avengers

Após a saída de Roger Stern, escriba essencial dos Avengers ao longo de boa parte dos anos 80, esse volume da espetacular Epic Collection mostra a fase de transição do título, ainda tateando para encontrar um novo caminho.Ralph Macchio, editor da revista, não tinha experiência na época para segurar o tranco como escritor da série, e Walt Simonson, a natural aposta feita naquele momento - afinal, ele vinha de um estrondoso sucesso na mensal "The Mighty Thor" - não obteve o mesmo resultado, talvez pelo fato de ter como missão "limpar a área", praticamente detonando o elenco da revista, que teria que recomeçar do zero a a partir de seu número 300.Mas, como muitas vezes acontece nos quadrinhos... a arte compensa tudo. Apesar de Simonson ser exímio desenhista, ficou mesmo a cargo da equipe tradicional do título - os lendários John Buscema e Tom Palmer, que nunca serão elogiados o suficiente - descreverem visualmente esse momento atribulado. E eles o fazem, como sempre fizeram, com maestria e competência acima da média.Enfim, não é o melhor momento dos Avengers, mas é um momento importante, e belamente ilustrado.

Una muy digna continuación de la etapa de Roger Stern

One of my absolute favourite runs. Shame it was curtailed.

Conclusão da fase de Stern e Buscema nos Vingadores. Não tão empolgante quanto as edições anteriores mas ainda vale muito a pena. O final, com nova equipe já deixa muito a desejar. Mas vale a pena.