Avengers Assemble HC vs Thanos Brian Bendis Bagley 1st p Guardians of the Galaxy

Description

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS SC (MARVEL COMICS) Iron Man! Captain America! Thor! Hulk! Black Widow! Hawkeye! ASSEMBLE! The world’s best-known Avengers are teaming up for a high-stakes mission with the fate of the Marvel Universe at stake! When the Avengers stumble upon a string of heists of some of the world’s most dangerous weapons by the criminal team the Zodiac, they soon discover the villains are being empowered by a threat from beyond. Can this all-star team of Avengers defeat a cosmic foe with the power of a god? To win the day, they’ll need help from the unlikely team of spacefaring heroes known as the Guardians of the Galaxy! Collecting Avengers Assemble #1-8. 184 pages. [(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Mark Bagley]

Though this collection doesn’t specifically state “Marvel Now” on the cover, it contains the first 8 issues of the newly launched Avengers Assemble series (and volume 2 does have that designation). This series is designed to appeal to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by modeling the characters more on their film counterparts rather than only how they have been in the comics. Since I came to Marvel comics specifically because of the film The Avengers, this series is likely aimed at newbies like me and it is exactly what I would have hoped for. And though it is strongly reminiscent of the MCU, the story still fits within the Marvel (comic) Universe.

In addition to the main cast from the films, who take the lead in the story, the book also includes the expanded Avengers roster. I was pleased with this since I love Spider-woman and was happy to see her again, and still dating Hawkeye as happened in the Fear Itself event (pre-Marvel Now). But, readers needn’t have read anything before starting with this book. The plot has the mysterious Zodiac organization stealing powerful relics at the behest of a more powerful villain, Thanos. His part in the story makes it possible to introduce another super-team, The Guardians of the Galaxy. Which just so happens to be another forthcoming film in the MCU; Marvel certainly knows how to market their products! This is a nice introduction to the team if you’ve never heard of them and the interaction between the two groups is a lot of fun. The book is heavy on the action and humor, just like the films, and kept me fully engaged. Near mint, first printing!

978-0-7851-6557-6

Collects Avengers Assemble 1-8. First printing, near mint condition.