What to suggest to "Avengers" fans who actually want to read a comic book
Yes, it's shocking, but some non-comics readers might actually want to pick up something after seeing the movie. What to suggest?
Honestly, the "Avengers Assemble" collections of the Busiek/Perez runs are a fine suggestion — contemporary enough, lovingly crafted, and full of fun goodness.
Some folks suggest "The Ultimates" TPBs, and there are some advantages there — though they are, as noted, a lot darker and unpleasant in tone than the movies. Choose accordingly.
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What To Give a Reader New To Avengers | The Beat
By Todd Allen. Avengers is pretty much a box office blockbuster. Your friends know you read comics. They ask you about reading Avengers comics. What do you tell them? Here's a little advice for he…
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I'd get them on Fraction's Iron Man classic run. That character is basically the movie Tony. Also, the Ultimates 1 and 2.
Busiek's run is wonderful, but I suspect it might be continuity heavy.
I wouldn't take them to the individual characters for starters. If I did, I'd go for Simonson's Thor and Byrne's Cap. Not sure about Iron Man … perhaps the original "Demon" storyline.
(Fraction's still writing IM, so I'm not sure what qualifies as his "classic run." But I lost touch with IM for a few years.)
Busiek's Avengers (which I've been rereading, since they are just being released) are not too continuity-heavy. It's not like I'm suggesting the Avengers Forever series … 🙂
I had in mind the comics that would reflect something of what's been in the movies. The Fraction Iron Man I mean is the run collected within the two "Omnis" — I think it covers 1-34ish of the current series. Great art, fantastic female characters (Pepper, Natasha, Maria Hill — see, all characters featured in the movie), very human Tony, and lots of business and spy action mixed with the armor battles.
JMS's Thor run had some influence on the Thor movie. And the first 50 issues of Brubaker's Cap run are — with Fraction's Iron Man — as good a pair superhero comics put out in the last 5-10 years.
At least with Avengers, can we agree they would probably want to stay away from just about anything Bendis has written?
I would agree, even though I've loved Bendis' work on the series. But most of it has been (a) driven by Marvel's too-numerous events, and (b) meta-commentary on the Avengers as a whole. Anyone remember when the goal of the Avengers was to catch the villains who escaped from the prison?
As I said, I love Bendis' run, and once folks had gotten well-immersed in Avengers lore, I wouldn't have a problem sending them to him. But certainly not for starters.
And I'd have no problem with their being immersed in Brubaker's Cap, either.
I don't mean to over-hype it, but you really should try those two Iron Man hardcovers. They're cheap enough for what you get and a great read, unless you absolutely can't stand Iron Man.
I'll be honest — I couldn't stand him much up to that point, from the Civil War period forward. But the Fraction run redeems him and strips him down to what's best about the character.
My favorite run of The Avengers was Michelinie/Byrne (Whedon specifically mentioned #181 in an interview as being an influence on him). Similarly, Michelinie/Romita, Jr./Layton were my favorite Iron Man creative team. Both would be early 80s, I think.
@Avo – All good runs, certainly.
I would say The Ultimates TPB solely for the great Captain America bit with the Hulk.