Marvel Comics; $150 

Nothing against the captivating first appearance of The Vision, the phenomenal Kree-Skrull War issues, or even the awesome Hawkeye and Ant-Man cover on Avengers #223, but once you get beyond Avengers #1 (the team’s origin issue), #4 (the return of Captain America), #9 (the first appearance of Wonder Man), and #16 (the first massive change in team membership), the issues collected in this volume constitute the core of my favorite era of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.  

For capturing the challenges of the team dynamics and the full range of human motivations, emotions, and relationships, Avengers #150–188 and Avengers Annual #6–9 really pack a punch. 

Included in this massive hardcover – the thickets volume in this series to date – are also Avengers-related issues such as Super-Villain Team-Up #9, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, Marvel Premiere #35, #36, and #37 (3-D Man), and #49 (The Falcon), What If? #3 (Iron Avengers) and #9 (1950s Avengers) and material from Marvel Tales #100 (Hawkeye and the Two-Gun Kid) and Marvel Treasury Edition #13. 

A terrific amount of the art in this book comes from either George Pérez or John Byrne, which certainly helped this era to shine. This, though, is not to discount the stories. Writer Gerry Conway started this era out with the unlikely return of Wonder Man, who would go on to become a key member of the team. He was followed by Jim Shooter, who continued and elevated the drama, brought back Ultron and Count Nefaria, and introduced the team to The Guardians of the Galaxy. After Shooter took on the Editor-in-Chief role, David Michelinie stepped in and wrote the Korvac Saga issues from Shooter’s plot and then continued onward.  

Notable among the additional offerings in this edition, Jim Starlin wrote and illustrated The Thanos War storyline in Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2. 

The stories introduced NSA jerk Henry Peter Gyrich, made The Beast more of an Avenger than a X-Man, revitalized the Golden Age character The Whizzer, and gave us the Beast-Wonder Man friendship. There are not many clunkers in this one, and even the ones that aren’t all-time greats offer stories and characters that have stood the test of time. 

– J.C. Vaughn