Avengers (Vol. I) #100
Whatever Gods There Be!
Every
one individual that ever was an Avenger if assembled at the Black Knight's
request. His Brazier of Truth confirms that there's is something fishy
in fabled Olympus: some villain from out there want to invade Earth, among
all things. How can the Avengers deal with this threat, with a temporary
membership now close to 15 members?
And what an assemblage it is! ALL of the Avengers appear here, without exception (there were 14 of them at that point, including Swordsman). Very nice to see the Hulk back, and not in an antagonist role. Same thing for the Swordsman, who will not be forgotten either by Steve Englehart, soon. The artwork by Barry Windsor-Smith is much improved here, in a fantasy setting (for an Englishman, he sure didn't depict a convincing London!!!). Like all stories with a big cast, some characters are lost in the shuffle: Hercules is helpless, Iron Man is curiously defeated and useless... but what can you do?
This book should've been at least a 40-pages special or Annual: it's
too often uncomfortably rushed. But IT IS a great attempt to celebrate
the Avengers and keep them glorious (I can just imagine being a fan in '72
and buying this...). Thor is pretty much in charge all the way, with Cap
and the Knight second-in-command. But a deplorable fact: only two female
Avengers, who didn't have much to do... Even with some shortcomings, an
important and not-so dated issue.
