Customer Reviews

Avengers/Defenders War

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The Avengers/Defenders War trade paperback is a wonderful look back at a bygone era of the Marvel Age. It was the prototype for the kind of ultra-dramatic crossover spectacular that a decade and a half later reached binge proportions. Unlike the Secret Wars/Atlantis Attacks/Onslaught/etc. crossovers, the storyline is self-contained within the pages of the two team mags, and has a definite beginning and an ending. And it has loads and loads of charm- and thank goodness for that!

This trade covers the whole of Avengers #116-118 and Defenders #9-11, as well as the parts of Avengers #115 and Defenders #8 that acted as prologue to the later issues. The trade is 128 pages in length, with a stunning cover by fantastic contemporary comic artist Carlos Pacheco- it's a real winner! Not only that, but the pages have been recolored, which means no dot-matrix headaches for you and me. I like that! The art is fine, with able work done by Bob Brown and "steady as she goes" Sal Buscema, and Steve Englehart's scripts are never short on drama.

The setup of the story revolves around the dread Dormammu's planned conquest of "the Universe!" Unable to do so without compromising his pledge to Dr. Strange to never invade our universe (oh how honorable!), he enlists the aid of a blind Loki to help him undertake a plan to merge his universe with our universe. And voila! No inner conflicts, no cowardly deceit! Our universe is now his universe, and he can enslave it at will.

The plot involves drawing the Defenders unwittingly into gathering together the pieces of the Evil Eye, an artifact that will help Dormammu merge the two realities. Standing in the way of the unknowingDefenders is the Avengers, who slowly realize the import of what is happening. Several battles ensue, including Dr. Strange vs. Black Panther and Mantis in an Iowa cornfield, Vision and Scarlet Witch vs. Silver Surfer in a volcano, and Iron Man vs. Hawkeye in Monterrey, Mexico! My favorite battle is between Swordsman and Valkyrie. Those of us who know the inevitable tragic fate of the Swordsman will find in his dialogue the tragic pathos of one who's time is near, and the battle scenes are straight out of Errol Flynn- well planned and ably drawn.

The final chapter, en epilogue if you will, is kind of anticlimactic, and there is a weird glitch where the lettering is off balance in about 5% of the pages, which is annoying. And Englehart inflicted Loki with a strange case of Norse ebonics throughout, whereupon he would moan such ignominy as "I be blind!" But overall, it was a real hoot to read this trade, and would highly recommend it for fans of Avengers, Defenders, Marvel comics, and team comics in general.

This is the classic Avengers/Defenders book that you can't put down! The classic 70's writers and artists are all here. Steve Englehart, writer and Bob Brown and Sal Buscema as artists. It's about Loki, the Avengers first adversary and how he teams up with Dr. Strange's nemesis, Dormammu! It's an all out slug festival to the finish with Marvel's finest talent. I wish they made them like this again. All the artists today get their contract and are in and out like yesterday's news. Bob Brown was one of Marvels most under rated artists. He also did the art chores on Daredevil. Sal Buscema was a workhorse and provided a lot of classic material that still stands up today. Writer Steve Englehart was another one of those names you never heard a lot about..however they were the mainstay at Marvel in the 70's ...

I really enjoyed re-reading this collection from 1973. I remember when it was being published and my brother and my best friend would wait at the gift shop for each new issue. I was a "big" collector back then, and this was the highlight of all my collection. Avengers vs. Defenders, the hours we spent debating who was stronger, smarter, more super. Truly a great collection, for first time readers and old folks like me, who want to relive the greatest comics of our own day.
Buy it you won't be sorry.
Nuff said.

Ah, the summer of '73. I had just moved into the city from the farm.., and got to visit comic shops on my bike for the first time. This Avengers-Defenders series totally captivated me and sucked me right into comics from there on in. Some of the battles were timeless (Vision vs Surfer, Thor vs Hulk, Hawkeye vs. Iron Man, Cap vs. Namor..) and so exquisitely done, panel-by-panel, thanks to the great art of Brown and Buscema, more so to Steve Englehart's excellent dialog and story-building. Excellent pacing, even the arguably 'lesser fights' kept the momentum to make it a all-out summer blitz of Marvel's Finest..!!!

Single-handedly starting the whole 'cross-over' concept, none previous were done as majestic, and it took a DECADE before Marvel would try anything this grandeous again (Contest of Champions, followed by Secret Wars).

1973 was a Great Year for Marvel Comics.., with Captain America's Secret Empire and Spiderman's Gwen Stacy storylines, this was the third big one. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting one of Marvel Comics finest achievements..!

I take the point that there's way too much narration -- not like today's comics which have a big movie influence. And it's true that Dr. Strange seems underpowered one-on-one, but awfully powerful in the global sense, as if the writer really couldn't get his mind around the scope of Strange's power and depth (though one could contend that Dr. Strange's archenemy was using all sorts of tricks to keep Strange stumbling).

That said -- this has got to be the most quotable comic ever! Not from the narration, but from the dialog. You could base your whole life on the quotes from this series! Examples (they do make more sense in the story):

HAWKEYE: I ain't playin a lone hand if a guy who never hassled me needs help {kinda 70's I know -- but it was the 70s)

IRON MAN: I never did put much trust in man who claims to work magic...

NARRATOR: A prize is only a prize if it is valuable to its possessor {I know -- it's not a quote. It's narration. But true!)

HAWKEYE: Make it "Clint," Val, and I crave action too .

BLACK PANTHER: Better find a way, Prince of the Wakandas! It must be done!

VALKYRIE: Threats? From a man with a pretty moustache?

VALKYRIE: Where the Valkyrie walks is something you have absolutely no control over. I'll leave here when I please...

SWORDSMAN: You overestimate yourself all the way around, lady, and you underestimate me.

SUB-MARINER (to SUNFIRE): Why, you nationalistic moron!

SUB-MARINER: Believe me or don't! I shall waste no more time on you. Let the fish devour you now for all I care.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Luck like that must be trying to tell me something. It's saying Don't ask questions -- Just do what you came for and get out.

SUB-MARINER (in response): That may be what luck is saying, Captain America -- but I say -- Luck can be broken. Exactly like you.

THOR: Naught but my death will satisfy him now!

VALKYRIE: While any of us breathes, we shall never be slaves

VISION: Logical exploration of ideas never offends me. But I can't provide a satisfactory explanation at this time { kind of a weak one to end on -- but of much more use than the Thor quote...}

For all this there's plenty of cosmic action and the like. Buy it!

It was nice to finally read this storyline in a collected edition. I had most of these issues as a kid, but never got the whole story. It's not the best of the Avengers, but it's a decent read, esp for fans of the Avengers bronze age.

This was a funner time in comics, campier and much more "Shakespearean" than we see today. Unfortunately, I am so used to the modern comic, looking back on this piece of the 70's, I can't really get too into it. They did a great job with the recoloring and it was a fun overall idea. The main problem was it made both teams seem like little children, who don't seem to think before they act. Dr. Strange comes out looking like an idiot, which is just wrong. The fights though, were fun and actually made some sense. The dialogue was too campy, and there were those cute little references they used to always make everywhere (i.e. "check out Avengers 145, bravo Bob - Timmy). I don't really regret buying this, but I know that I probably won't read it again. You just have to have a real appreciation for the comics of the past, and this is just before my time.