MEANWHILE... Is our new feature, in which we look at a comicbook or toy-related publication that's not an Internet site!
Our inaugural entry is - as the title may suggest - Essential Marvel: The Avengers Volume 1, a 500+ page collection that focuses on Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers!
The Essential Marvel line are a series of soft-back reprints of classic Marvel comics, which usually retail for around $15 to $20. OK, so they're in black and white and you lose the amazing colouring but at the same time you get over 500 pages spanning - in this case - 24 issues of The Avengers comicbook, all for a very low price.
DC also has their reprint line, the Showcase series. We'll no doubt be looking at some of them in the upcoming months, too.*
* Informative Iok
Essential Marvel: The Avengers Volume 1
With the upcoming Avengers movie setting the Internet a-flame, this selection of reprints represents an ideal starting point for those wishing to learn more about the superteam. Granted, it looks as if the movie will be closer in tone to the Ultimates (Marvel's ''reboot'' of their classic characters) but every legend has its starting place and this hefty tome presents it all in its original detail.
So What's It All About?
When the Hulk - under the influence of the evil Loki - goes on a rampage, teenager Rick Jones (Hulk's sidekick) and his Teen Brigade attempt to contact the one group of individuals that could help - the Fantastic Four. However, realising their intervention could ruin his plans, Loki diverts the radio message, which happens to be (independently) intercepted by Thor, Iron Man, Ant Man and The Wasp. Pooling their skills to combat the Hulk - and in the process realising the true mastermind behind the Hulk's rampage - the heroes overcome Loki and, seeing how well they worked together, decide to form a new superteam, The Avengers.
Over the course of the 24 issues reprinted here, the team encounters an array of enemies (some great, some simply dialed-in as forgettable villains-of-the-week), goes through line-up changes (with Captain America joining in Issue 4) and generally battles evil wherever it may be, all in the Merry Marvel Manner.
Writing
Whilst the plots are simplistic at times, the writing is superb. I once read that Stan Lee said he could listen to his (English) wife read the phone book and it would be Shakespeare. To me, I could read Stan Lee describing paint dry and it would be exciting.
I love Stan Lee's upbeat, dynamic hyperbole and it's present here in all it's over-the-top glory. He's the ultimate sales-man, with every issue declared ''the Most Exciting Adventure Ever'' or ''the Comic Book Event of the Century!'' Just as most superheroes have powers based around an accentuation of their strength or speed or intelligence, so Stan Lee's writing is an accentuation of the action and it's a shame that sense of fun has been lost from the dour-faced comics of modern times.
One of the reasons I like Marvel's characters so much is because they're not perfect. The Avengers squabble with each other constantly, make mistakes and even distrust each other. Whilst it can be overplayed at times, it does help give a sense of individuality to the characters within the group and adds a certain level of humanity to each.
These early issues also present some great examples of the Marvel characters still being refined, with the - rather verbose - Hulk seeming to have a Noo Joisey accent at times, with Iron Man's metallic-cloth suit being ''transistorised'' and using an array of special gadgets from his utility pouches, rather than the now-established repulsor beams. And of course Wasp's entire role seems to be to present opportunities for ''ooh, you women!'' moments of 1960s perfectly-acceptable sexism from the male cast. There's also an almost Boy Scout-ish approach to the supergroup itself, with the members taking turns to Chair meetings, oaths of loyalty being sworn and a general feeling of ''gee, if we all pull together, things will be just swell'' in the group dynamics. But for all these oddities, the writing is fun in a Silver Age manner and whilst modern readers may find it hokey - because it is - it's also a lot of fun to read a simple, angst-free comic about good guys beating-up bad guys.
Artwork
The art duties are shared between Jack ''King'' Kirby and later, Don Heck. If you're unfamiliar with Jack Kirby and his work, then go check-out his stuff. The man is a legend who not only co-created and designed virtually ever iconic superhero in print but also revolutionised the way comicbooks were drawn, with his dynamic characters leaping from the page across vistas of cosmic wonder. And they did it in natty duds, too. Seriously, Jack Kirby's work is phenomenal and every fan of comicbook art should check him out.
His work on these early issues is very much of its time and whilst there are moments of Kirby genius, it's not up to the standard of his work on, say, The Silver Surfer in terms of dynamism but the visual design of the characters and technology is Classic Kirby.
Don Heck takes over on illustration duties from Issue 9 and whilst nobody could fill Kirby's shoes, his artwork is fine, if a little generic. Kirby returns later in the run before Heck takes over again with issue #17. And although we lose Kirby for the remainder of the book, Wallace ''Wally'' Wood steps-up to handle Inking duties, which is a fine addition to the crew.
Final Thoughts
Comicbooks and toys are often a cheap, quick path to our childhood memories. As a child growing-up in England, getting my hands on a Marvel comic was a real treat. With their superheroics and Twinkies, exotic New York skylines and Count Dante's Dim Mak, it seemed a world away and I still have a life-outlook somewhat coloured by these early encounters. For me, the Essential Marvel series are a superb gateway to that earlier time. OK, they're in black and white. And yes, the Hostess Fruit Pie, 100 Toy Soldier Foot Locker and Sea Monkey ads aren't included in the reprints, but given their price, volume and ease of availability they represent a great investment of your cash and time.
The Avengers Volume 1 is certainly a worthy read. Readers familiar with modern comicbooks may find them a little ''off'' at first, especially as the characters aren't quite as rounded as they may be these days but that's half the fun. As an exercise in nostalgia, this is a great collection but there's also a lot of simple pleasure to be had in these straightforward. rollicking adventures of good versus evil.
Final Score: B
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