Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1 [Hardcover]

Brian Michael Bendis (Author), Frank Cho (Illustrator), Mark Bagley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 4 and up

The super-hero Civil War is over, but Iron Man's work is just beginning. As the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and creator of the nationwide Initiative program, he's rebuilding the Avengers with a handpicked roster of Earth's mightiest heroes: Wasp, Black Widow, Wonder Man, Sentry, Ares, and new team leader Ms. Marvel. A group this powerful should be ready for just about anything - except, perhaps, the return of genocidal killing machine Ultron! The Avengers' insane robotic foe has rebuilt himself yet again, this time in the form of... a beautiful woman!? Then, the team faces an even bigger threat when their outlaw ex-teammate Spider-Woman shows up with evidence that shape-shifting Skrulls have infiltrated Earth. Iron Man faces a harrowing dilemma: Who can he trust when any one of his allies might be an undetectable alien invader? There's no time to figure it out, though, when a bio-weapon transforms New York's populace into Venom-like monsters. Plus: the New Avengers, a time-travel quest, and an earth-shaking confrontation with Doctor Doom! Collects Mighty Avengers #1-11.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (March 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785137580
• ISBN-13: 978-0785137580
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.8 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #553,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Michael Bendis is an award winning comics creator and one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For the last eleven years, Brian's books have consistently sat on the top of the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel's popular AVENGERS franchise by writing every issue of the NEW AVENGERS plus debuting the hit books MIGHTY AVENGERS and DARK AVENGERS along with the wildly successful 'event' projects HOUSE OF M, SECRET WAR, SECRET INVASION, and SIEGE.
This summer will see the blockbuster new line-ups for AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS.
Other recent projects include the groundbreaking SPIDER-WOMAN MOTION COMIC, that debuted number one on iTunes TV sales chart and the New York Times best selling HALO graphic novel.
Brian is one of the premiere architects of Marvel comic's Ultimate line of comics. A line of comics specifically created for the new generation of comics reader. He has written every issue of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN since it's best selling launch in 1999, and has also written ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN, MARVEL TEAM UP, ORIGIN, SIX and the ENEMY trilogy.
He is creator of the JINX line of crime comics published by image comics. This line has spawned the graphic novels GOLDFISH, FIRE, JINX, TORSO (w/ Marc Andreyko) and TOTAL SELL OUT.
Brian's other projects include the Eisner award winning "POWERS" (w/Mike Oeming) from Marvel's creator owned imprint ICON, and the Hollywood tell all "FORTUNE AND GLORY'. Entertainment Weekly gave both projects an "A." SONY and FX networks are currently developing POWERS for series with Brian as exec producer.
Brian is currently adapting his spy graphic novel FIRE for Universal Pictures as a starring vehicle for Zac Efron.
Brian is a member of Marvel studios creative committee, which consults on their numerous ongoing film projects. He has consulted on IRON-MAN and IRON MAN 2 and is currently consulting on THE FIRST AVENGERS: CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR and THE AVENGERS
Brian has won five prestigious EISNER awards, including 'Best Writer of the year' two years in a row. He has also won over two dozen Wizard comic awards. Brian is the recipient of the Cleveland Press 'Excellence in Journalism' Award and was named "Best Writer of the Year." by Wizard Magazine and Comic Buyer's Guide for three consecutive years.
He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Alisa, his gorgeous daughters Olivia and Sabrina and his dogs Lucky, Max and Buster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Bendis's "other" Avengers assemble, March 23, 2011

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Cultural Production (Los Angeles, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)

The Mighty Avengers, vol. 1 (also titled The Mighty Avengers: Assemble) collects issues #1-11 of The Mighty Avengers, originally published between 2007 and 2008 and previously collected in Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1: The Ultron Initiative and Mighty Avengers, Vol. 2: Venom Bomb. The graphic novel is nicely produced with mid-gloss paper and finished boards with green foil stamping. The spine, however, is exceptionally tight--which causes the inner edge of many of the pages to be obscured (particularly annoying with splash pages). There's no creator commentary, but there is a significant amount of bonus art: character sketches, pre-colored art, and the covers to Wizard #180 and #199.

Brian Michael Bendis's plot details the creation of a new, government-sanctioned, post Civil War Avengers team, led by Ms. Marvel (as most Avengers fans will agree, a fairly unbelievable choice) and Iron Man. Their first two "missions" are reproduced in this graphic novel: the first, an all-out battle against a new, female Ultron; the second, a (rather silly) struggle with a Venom virus and an assault on Latveria. Bendis incorporates some interesting twists--a novel use of thought balloons and a disappointingly brief time travel story involving the Sentry--but the plot is still heavily dependent upon events taking place in other Marvel books (especially New Avengers--completists will need New Avengers, Vol. 6: Revolution (v. 6) and New Avengers, Vol. 7: The Trust for the full story). Frank Cho provides most of the art--with Mark Bagley also making contributions here and there. It's all decent and fits the plot well, but aside from a heavy use of splash pages (issue #9 features three in a row), it's nothing extraordinary.

Bendis fans generally prefer New Avengers to The Mighty Avengers, but if you're a casual reader this is the more accessible title. Fans of Civil War and Secret Invasion will particularly enjoy this collection, but even readers new to the Avengers will likely find it a fun read.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Lesser of Bendis' Avengers Titles, January 31, 2010

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Richard David Llanton (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)

So I picked this up in the hopes that I would find something different this being the Registered team of Avengers. I got that however it was not nearly what I wanted. For the most part it's an introduction to the new team and a precursor to Secret Invasion which is fine but I feel they didn't try hard enough to make this team likable. Ms. Marvel is team captain, however it always seems Tony Stark is still pulling the strings as always. I also read this coming back from reading "World's Most Wanted" and I find Bendis' take on Stark kinda weak. I also really don't like how Cho gives Ms. Marvel "thunder thighs". Wonder Man and Black Widow are very ancillary just there for show and as paramours for Iron Man and Ms. Marvel. Ares has to definitely be my favorite character of the book and what made me thoroughly enjoy it. We see that despite being the God of War he doesn't necessarily take his axe and sever heads. This book also has plenty of inconsistencies particularly in the second arc. Aside from the Venom and Carnage clones you'll notice that people will change colors. Janet goes from red to black and back again. There is also a scene where the Mighty Avengers confront the New Avengers and there's this tension. Ms. Marvel says she is going to wake Janet who was clearly conscious in the last panel. I don't know if this was simply because it was an awkward situation. Janet Van Dyne's character also interests me given her past with Hank Pym which has a much stronger showcase in the first Arc. I was hoping to get more out of the Sentry as he is a major player in Siege allegedly but all I got is that he "doesn't throw everyone into the sun". As mentioned in the last review thought bubbles are really annoying after a while. It was fine when you try to feel out the new team but into the second arc I find it unnecessary and redundant. My last high point for the book would have to be the interaction between Clint Barton and Tony Stark; two guys with a lot of history and the reactions are great. To sum it up, it's a fun book with some obviously weakness due to an unbalanced team both in powers and characterizations. 3 1/2 stars. I leave with this question: Would Dr. Strange really be taken over by a symbiote?

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bendis is brilliant, April 3, 2009

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Zach D. L. Story "AvengersZ" (Kansas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)

This collection of the first 11 issues of Bendis's Mighty Avengers are incredible. Filled with depth of story telling and plenty of humor that is very classic Avengers. This story comes straight out of the Marvel Civil War and leads right into Secret Invasion.

While I personally prefer the New Avengers series that Bendis does, this series and this collection specifically are a must have for any Avengers fan.