Comic Review – “Essential Avengers Vol. 3”

I spent the weekend in Jasper with people who wake up
later than I do, so I got through some of my
backlogged reading. Expect a comic review each day
for at least a week. (The graphic novels getting
reviewed are listed at the bottom of this review.)

General Information

Title: Essential Avengers Vol. 3

Credited to: Roy Thomas, John Buscema & Co.

Original Publication Date: 2001 reprint of material
first published
in 1967 and 1968.

ISBN: 0-7851-0787-8

Cover Price: $14.95 US, $21.95 Can

Issues collected: Avengers Vol. 1 #47-68 and Annual
#2

Buy from: Amazon.com
or Amazon.ca

Premise

The Avengers continue on their adventures, adding
Black Panther and
Vision to their ranks while they are at it.

High Point

Issue 57, introducing the Vision.

Low Point

Several of these issues were conclusions to
cross-overs, so you’re
only getting part of a story. In some cases, the
other parts aren’t
even available in this format yet. (The release of
“Essential Uncanny
X-Men Vol. 2,” “Essential Namor the Sub-Mariner Vol.
1,” and
“Essential Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Vol. 1”
would fix most of
these.)

The Scores

This still feels fresh and original a few
decades later.
Apart from some returning villains, it’s pretty new
stuff,
particularly when you look at the Vision’s origin. I
give it 5 out of
6.

The artwork by Buscema was excellent. He’s
replaced by Gene
Colan near the end, who does unimpressive superhero
work, in my
opinion. Colan is then replaced by Barry Smith, and
things pick up
again. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story is well written, when it’s all
here. The ongoing
saga feel comes through strongly, and the rotating
roster keeps things
fresh. I give it 5 out of 6.



The characterization was generally clear,
and rarely deep.
Hawkeye’s transformation seemed a bit sudden,
shifting from extreme
confidence to a sudden feeling of uselessness in what
is obviously a
set-up for some changes that came later than same
issue. I give it 4
out of 6.

The emotional response this generated had
some interest, but
there was rarely a sense of danger. I give it 4 out
of 6.

The flow was very good, marred primarily by
the incomplete
cross-overs. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s an entertaining collection
that shows why this
title was the best selling Marvel title in the late
1960s. I give it
5 out of 6.

In total, Essential Avengers Vol. 3 receives
33 out of 42.

Additional Notes and Comments

I managed to get a lot of reading done while out of
town over the
weekend. There should also be some reviews following
Wednesay’s
shipment, which should include the final issue of
JLA /
Avengers
and the fourth Alias TPB (as
well as,
potentially, reprints of the first two TPBs,
officially solicited with
no publication dates in the May order form.) The
planned reviews for
this week are as follows (with a limit of one per
day, to avoid the
kind of flooding that we had last September):

Tuesday night: Daredevil: Lowlife

Wednesday night: JLA / Avengers: #1-4 (complete
miniseries)

Thursday night: Alias Vol. 4: The Secret Origin of
Jessica Jones

Friday night: Green Lantern: Baptism of Fire

Saturday night: Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller
Vol. 3

Sunday night: Green Lantern: New Journey, Old
Path

Of course, if the first two Alias volumes
ship sooner,
they’ll get listed before Vol. 4. (Volume three was
reviewed some time
ago
, back when
I went in with a poor understanding of what kind of
series this was
intended to be. It would probably score better than
29 if I reviewed
it in order, so I just might take another look.) If
you’d prefer
those reviews in a different order, let me know.
Once these are
clear, I can start on the two Essential Captain
America

volumes I have, as well as the regular comic reviews.

One reply

  1. Good Avengers Stuff
    I loved this era of Avengers. Roy Thomas did some great work. The sad part to me, though, is that Vision’s origin was completely screwed over by John Byrne when he took over West Coast Avengers and wanted to bring the original Human Torch back (and for some reason wanted to drive Scarlet Witch beyond nuts). I like a lot of Byrne’s work, but I found his WCA run awful…except for the Great Lakes Avengers, but I’m weird that way.

    (Now THAT went off-topic in a hurry!) :)

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