Typhon's FCBD Avengers Reading List (Photo Heavy)

[Typhon]

Hello all, Typhon here.  Free Comic Book Day is coming up this Saturday (5/5/12), and many comic shops around the world are not only giving away free books but having great sales as well.  In keeping with the celebration of the new film, I have put together a list of some Avengers trades I feel are worth a look.  Some are on here because they are classics, some because they are essential ,some because they are fun, and some because they are all of the above.  Keep in my, these are (obviously) just my honest opinion.  With that said, here we go:



1. Essential Avengers Volumes 1-8: The perfect starting point.  These 8 books hold the first 184 issues and 8 Annuals of the book that started it all (as well as crossover issues like Defenders).  Yes, they are in black and white.  Yes, the quality is up and down especially the last half of Vol #2, all of #3 and the opening of #4 when the big 3 are largely absent and the team consists mostly of Pym, Panther, Hawkeye, Wasp, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch.  Without any heavy hitters, the foes were just above street level and not too compelling.  It does ramp way up in Vol #4 when the big 3 return.  Still, the art is beautiful, and the ride is worth it.  Plus you get great stories like Avengers\Defenders War, Kree-Skrull War, and the Korvac Saga.  Each volume is priced at $19.99 US, but earlier editions run for $16 or $17.



2. Omnibus\Masterworks: For you fans of color, this is your (pricier) alternative.  The first Omnibus holds the issues #1-30 with fully restored coloring.  It includes a cover collection, the letter pages (along with Stan's answers) for each issue, and other extras in a beautiful hardcover edition. It runs $99.99.  There are 11 hardcover Masterworks editions and 4 paperback editions out as well.  The HC run for about $60 and the PB for $25.  While these are in color, each book only contains 10 issues while the b&W Essential books hold 20-24 issues.



3. Kree\Skrull War: The original space epic.  The Kree and Skrull empires declare war on each other with Earth caught in the middle.  With a glaxy at stake, Cap, Iron Man, and Thor lead the Avengers into space to take on two alien civilizations.  Written by Roy Thomas. The current HC runs for $34.99, but lower priced soft covers can be found easily.



4. The Korvac Saga: The Avengers take on a being who not only wants to destroy the universe but has the power to do it without much effort. By Roger Stern and George Perez, this collection also features Ultron, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Cap and Iron Man coming to blows.  The soft cover runs for $24.99.



5. The Contest: Death!  The Grandmaster! THE YEAR 1982!  Relive the epic CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS in this hc featuring the Avengers East locked in deadly combat with the IM friendly Avengers West.  Collecting CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS #1-3, WEST COAST AVENGERS ANNUAL #2 and AVENGERS ANNUAL #16.  It runs for $24.99.



6. Avengers Prime: Cap, Thor and Iron Man together again for the first time since that one time last time a long time ago.  When these three buds get together, it's all dragons, talking ogres, and Hellcat sex jokes.  Good times.  The soft cover runs for $16.99

[Typhon]

7. Under Siege: Relive the glory days of an Avenger so great that would he have stayed on the team, miracles baby.  Doom's face would be pretty again, Kang would leave his hot tub time machine alone, and Ultron would discover watching the Oakland Raiders play is more than enough human suffering.  That's right my friends, I'm talking about the great Doctor Druid himself.  Catch him in this classic tale by Roger Stern and John Buscema in which Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil take the fight the doorstep of the Avengers.  Collecting AVENGERS #270-277. The HC runs for $29.99



8. Assault on Olympus: Hercules got his b-slapped by the Master of Evil and Zeus holds the Avengers responsible.  Check out Roger Stern's tale of Cap's assault against Zeus in this classic 80's ride. HC is $29.99



9. Red Zone: Before Geoff Johns ran DC, he wrote this great arc that has the Avengers deal with a biological attack on U.S. soil.  If that wasn't enough, Tony and T'challa discover the culprit to be the last foe you'd expect to be saluting the red, white, and blue.  HC runs for $24.99, but an older tpb can be found for a little less.   



10. Standoff: Tony and Thor come to blows over the fate of Dr. Doom.  Featuring only the big 3, this story has fantastic art by Alan Davis, a rare good showing from scribe Mike Grell, and the Thorbuster armor.  The HC runs $24.99



11. New Avengers Volume #1: Still (in my opinion) the best story in the history of the New Avengers.  Cap and Tony recruit Spidey, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and Spider-Woman to take on a dangerous assignment in the Savage Land.  Fun with great dialogue and art.  The tpb runs for $14.99



12. Bloodties: In the story that caused the Avengers to give the UN the middle finger, Earth's Mightiest teams up with the X-Men to save Quicksilver's daughter from the clutches of Magneto's former ally, Cortez.  Also featuring Rhodey War Machine's fight with the evil mutant Exodus.  So put on your Hammer pants and grab some beef jerky because the 90's are back.  The HC is $34.99

[Typhon]

13. Avengers (Current Series) Volumes 1-2: This is the book you must give to all new IM readers to prove for once and for all that yes, Iron Man does fight bad guys and yes, those repulsors actually do work.  Collects Avengers #1-6 as IM and the Avengers take on Kang, Ultron, and Marvel Animation's Next Avengers.  Volume #2 ramps up the coolness with Iron Man gaining the Infinity Gauntlet. Tpb go for $19.99 each.



14. Avengers Assemble Volumes #1-3: The spectacular run that actually made Onslaught and Heroes Reborn worth it.  Kurt Busiek and George Perez brought the Avengers back in style with a killer cast and awesome stores that are still talked about today. Each volume runs for the price of $34.99.    



15. X-Men vs. Avengers/Fantastic Four: Yup, it's happened before.  With Magneto on the run and bunking with the X-Men, Cap and his Avengers are forced to take on the mutant super group to bring him in.  The tpb is $24.99



16. Operation Galactic Storm Volumes #1-2: The kinda sequel to Kree\Skrull war.  this story not only torn the team apart, but has Tony leading a hit squad against the Kree Supreme Intelligence.  A massive 19 part saga starring everyone who was an Avenger in the 90's.  Tpbs are $29.99 each.     



17. Acts of Vengeance Omnibus: Two of Tony's most epic battles finally reprinted.  The fury of the Wrecker and the deadly Chemistro are collected here as Loki unleashes the 1st team of super villains on the heroes of the Marvel U.  These 2 issues were some of my 1st IM issues ever, and even though they kinda suck, the coolness of Iron Man shined through and hooked me for life.  This title collects:
AVENGERS #311-313, AVENGERS ANNUAL #19; AVENGERS SPOTLIGHT #26-29; AVENGERS WEST COAST #53-55; CAPTAIN AMERICA #365-367; IRON MAN #251-252; QUASAR #5-7; Thor #411-413; CLOAK & DAGGER #9; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #326-329; SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #158-160; WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #59-61.  It runs for $99.99



18. Siege: The REAL AVENGERS finally return in an all out battle with Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers.  Fluff, but entertaing fluff and much better than Fear Itself, Secret Invasion, Civil War, WWH, or House of M. The tpb is $19.99 
 

[Typhon]

19. Family Ties (Avengers West Coast): Relive the glorious day a red and silver Iron Man joined the best team to never see an Essentials collection in this hardcover celebrating the opening adventures of the West Coast Avengers.   Collects WEST COAST AVENGERS (1985) #1-9 and VISION & THE SCARLET WITCH (1985) #1-2.  The HC runs $34.99.  This is not the first AWC tpb but the second.  The first is called ASSEMBLE and collects the original AWC mini when Rhodey (as IM) joined the team. 



20. Avengers Forever: Immortus attacks.  7 Avengers (past, present, and future) must work together to protect Rick Jones and prevent the time stream from being destroyed.  Featuring an notannoying Wasp, Genis Marvel, 70's era Cap, and psycho Pym, this mini was a ton of fun and goes well with the Avengers Assemble volumes.  The current tpb runs for $29.99 but earlier editions can be found for a few bucks less.   



21. JLA\Avengers: Two franchises punch it out in a story by Busiek and Perez.  It lives up to the hype and then some.  Highest recommendation. The tpb runs for $19.99 and might be located with the DC books. 



Bonus.  X-Men: Messiah Complex, Messiah War, Second Coming: I'm adding this because of the current AvX story.  The "Messiah" trilogy chronicles the birth of the girl known as Hope, follows her and Cable's travels through time, and ends with her return to the X-Men in the present day.  This trilogy is widely considered the best X epic since the Age of Apocalypse in the 90's.  I loved it and think it's a great read even if you haven't read an X book in years.  It may also skew you towards the X-Men side of the current AvX conflict when you see what and who they have sacrificed for this girl.  The MC trade runs for $29.99 while the MW and SC trades goes for $34.99.




That's it, my friends.  I know I have missed a few, so feel free to post any recommendations of your own.  Thanks.