MMW Avengers Vol. 11

[Jeff of Earth-J]

MMW Avengers Vol. 11 doesn’t really hold a candle to Vol. 10, which reprinted the arc of issues (#89-100) which included the Kree/Skrull War, but it’s not bad, not bad indeed. Issue #101 is based on a story by Harlan Ellison, but it’s never been one of my favorites. Until yesterday, I’ve read it maybe twice in my life. But in his preface (Steve Englehart writes the introduction), Roy Thomas tells the story behind the story. It turns out that Ellison wrote “Five Dooms to Save Tomorrow” in 1964 and submitted it to Julius Schwartz as a Hawkman story. Schwartz rejected it, but it eventually saw print in Comic Art #7 as a story about “The Falcon and Greywing,” which is where Thomas saw it. With Ellison’s permission, Thomas turned it into an Avengers story and the rest is history. (Thomas also explains the story behind the credit in #102 which reads, “From an idea suggested by Chris Claremont,” who was at the time merely an unpaid intern.)

Issues #101-104 complete Thomas 70-issue run, and Steve Engelhard takes over with issue #105. Englehart’s assessment, the strengths and weaknesses, of his first seven issues of the Avengers jibes with mine exactly. We both believe he finds his creative voice and hits his stride with issue #112, which will lead off the next volume. This volume also includes Daredevil #99, a crossover written by Steve Gerber.