Warning: contains spoilers forAvengers Assemble#1!
The newAvengersAssembleharkens back to the days of old, expertly reviving the spirit of a bygone era. TheAvengersfranchise has undergone drastic changes since its debut over 60 years ago. Members have come and gone, as have headquarters and vehicles and villains.Avengers Assemble#1brings classic members back into the fold, and its fun and rollocking nature keep it from being mere fan service.
Avengers Assemble#1 was written by Steve Orlando and drawn by Cory Smith. Captain America is bringing together a new team of Avengers to quickly handle emergencies around the globe. So far,he has recruited Shang-Chi, Photon and the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne. No sooner do they meet than they are called into action, against Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter. Despite half of the team not having arrived yet, Cap leads the new Avengers into battle, but they are overrun.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the team, unaware of Cap’s situation, meet at the old Avengers Mansion.
Tales to Astonish#44, 1963
Tales of Suspense#57, 1964
It’s Hard to Believe, But the Avengers Were Not Marvel’s First Big Franchise
The Avengers Began Their Ascent In the Early 2000s
For the past twenty years, the Avengers have been one of Marvel’s biggest franchises, but this was not always the case.
For the past twenty years, the Avengers have been one of Marvel’s biggest franchises, but this was not always the case. While the Avengers have been a key part of the Marvel Universe since 1963, they often played second fiddle to Spider-Man and the X-Men. Yet 2004’sAvengers Disassembledbegan the team’s ascension to the upper Marvel echelons.Avengers Disassembledsent shockwaves through the Marvel Universe.Long-time Avengers such as Scott Lang were killed, and at the event’s conclusion, the team disbanded, seemingly for good.
Captain Marvel Gets New Costume as Leader of the Darkest Avengers Roster in History
“Aliens vs. Avengers” depicts a dark future timeline pitting Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, led by Captain Marvel, against horror icons the Xenomorphs.
Other artists who worked with Bendis onNew Avengersinclude Steve McNiven, Leinil Francis Yu and Stuart Immonen.
The Avengers were not gone for long, and they returned in 2005’sNew Avengers. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and his artistic collaborators, including David Finch, reformed the team under the leadership of Captain America. He and Iron Man were joined by Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, and most shockingly of all,Spider-Man and Wolverine. From there followed a steady progression ofAvengerstitles, such asMighty Avengers, Young AvengersandSecret Avengers.By 2009, the Avengers were outperforming the X-Men in sales, which would have been unheard of a decade earlier.
The MCU Forced Changes to the Avengers Franchise, and the Marvel Universe as a Whole
And then the MCU happened. In 2012, Marvel Studios releasedThe Avengers.The culmination of “Phase One” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film was a smash hit with fans and critics.The Avengersbecame a decade-defining movie, launching a massively successful multimedia franchise.Characters that had been B-listers 10 or 15 years prior were now household names. While the early years of the MCU used the publisher’s first Ultimate line as the blueprint, it also drew onAvengerscomics being published at the same time.
As part of the attempt to sync the comics with the MCU, Phil Coulson and the cast ofAgents of SHIELDentered Marvel continuity.
The MCU was wildly popular with the moviegoing public, and Marvel began making changes to theAvengersfranchise, to bring it more in line with the films. The most controversial of these changes was the revelation that Quicksilver andScarlet Witch were not mutants. Fans were outraged, but Marvel brushed these concerns off by stating they were simply trying to sync the comics and the movies. The outrage eventually died down, but it was clear the franchise was changing. By becoming a top-flight Marvel property, theAvengerslost something along the way.
Avengers AssembleMixes the Past and the Present
Shang-Chi, Night Thrasher and Lightspeed Are Finally Entering the Big Leagues
Despite the “new” factor surrounding them,Captain America’s Avengers Emergency Response Squad harkens back to the classicAvengersbooks of old.Orlando and Smith ramp up the nostalgia factor throughout. It is no accidentAvengers Assemblefeatures franchise stalwarts like Hercules, Wonder Man, Wasp, She-Hulk and Hawkeye. For the most part, these heroes have not been active Avengers in years, but now Captain America has brought them out of Reserve status. The Emergency Response Squad will live and work in the old Avengers Mansion, which will be tended to by Jarvis, the team’s butler of old.
The Avengers' Newest Member is Too Cool to Stay On the Team
[SPOILER] is one of the rare inductees into the Avengers who might be too cool to stay with the team. They have better things to do than be an Avenger
Orlando and Smith understand, however, that merely putting old Avengers back on the team is not enough, and new blood is needed as well: enter Shang-Chi and Lightspeed. For both of these heroes, joining the Avengers signifies membership in the “big leagues.” Shang-Chi, who has seen his star rise in recent years thanks to both the MCU and a progression of excellent books, is long overdue for Avengers membership. For Lightspeed, who began as a member of Power Pack, her time with the Avengers marks a new era in her heroic career.
Avengers AssembleIs a Shot in the Arm to the Franchise
Avengers AssembleIs the Perfect Throwback
Avengers Assemble#1 feels like a blast from the past in the best way possible. Orlando and Smith have given fans perhaps the bestAvengerstitle of the past five years, one that blends elements of the old and new and creates an epic first issue. Orlando’s characterizations are on point: his Captain America is every bit the hero, while Hawkeye is the perfect mix of snarky and heroic. Cory Smith’s art shines throughout as well.AvengersAssemble#1 is not only the best title in the franchise right now, but it is also the most fun.
