Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Grooviest Covers of All Time: Avengers vs...
Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Ya know that Ol' Groove's fave comic mag of all time is the Avengers, and that the Awesome Assemblers sported some of the absolutely most far-out covers ever, right? Well, one of the things that always turned me on was the way an artist would depict our heroes on one side of the cover facing off across the cover against their foes on the other side. Sometimes the Avengers were about to square off with baddies, other times they were about to mix it up with another group of heroes, but it always made for an exciting pic. Just dig this little mix and see if you don't agree that these "Avengers vs..." covers aren't plain dy-no-mite!
I used to own Avengers 141 when it first came out.Great issue!I've read and collected the Avengers for a while during the 70s.Especially when George Perez was drawing them.I also collected reprints of the 60s version and enjoyed them as well.John Buscema was the perennial artist for the mighty ones back then.I believe that it was the issue of Avengers 130 that influenced Paul McCartney to write the song;"Magneto and Titanium Man",since McCartney uses references to various characters that were featured in that issue.Paul was a part time comic fan,especially Marvel comics like the X-Men and the Avengers,he would read them while he was on tour.Liam
ReplyDeleteThe John Buscema masterpiece that is the cover to King-Size Avengers #2 is my all-time favorite comic book cover ever. I've never seen another image with more character and raw power. The figures are coiled just a split second from a tremendous clash. Fantastic!
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Yes that is a great cover. And I'm saying this as a (definitely in the minority) not so big fan of big John Buscema.
DeleteWhen I saw a fragment of your title on GROOVY AGE, I was instantly sure you were about to devote an entry to the stellar AVENGERS VS. DEFENDERS crossover!
ReplyDeleteGood cover-choices anyway, though.
Master pieces by the Avenger's master! I just wish I could have met Big John once. His art like Kirby's was all about raw power! I just wish John had drawn Capt.America alot more! loved his Nova, Frankenstein, & Conan too!Avengers Assemble! I can't wait to see the movie!
ReplyDeleteAvengers #15 has a pretty nifty vs. cover as well - I know it's a little out of the "Groove" era, but still...
ReplyDeleteno one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, not even Neal Adams or George Perez, drew a better Avengers than John Buscema. that King-Size cover is a beaut!
ReplyDeleteAnnual #2 deserves the previous praise, no doubt, but nobody mentioned that HAS to be the most lop-sided battle of all-time! That original line-up sure had the muscle.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago,I recall a heritage cataloge with the original art for avengers annual 2 being auctioned off.It must have went for a good price.I liked the book so much i bought two copies when it came out.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Moy owns the King Size #2 cover! It's in his CAF gallery, along with more incredible stuff like Steranko's King Size Hulk cover!
ReplyDeleteAnd no, no one did the Avengers better than Big John!! No one!
When I was in the third grade my school folder had the picture from the Avengers 141 on it. One of my favorite drawings but I don't recall ever reading that issue.
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