Nov. '86 - Avengers # 273

This was a great series written by Roger Stern. He had an ability to create menaces big enough that it took a group like the Avengers to defeat them. I was disappointed when he was removed from this series (in 1988 or '89?). He added a lot of character to the series. The Avengers didn't all get along and there was real emotions displayed by all of them. Black Knight was attracted to the Wasp and got jealous. Hercules hated taking orders from the Wasp who he saw as totally ineffectual.

The membership changed a lot during Stern's run but it never seemed forced. You'd read the comic for six months and then realize there were two new members but you had to think when it happened. It never seemed forced, more of a natural evolution.

The art was stellar too, done by John Buscema and Tom Palmer. Characters looked great and they did a great job with facial expressions. Also, they took the time to complete the panels. I notice with a lot of artists that they spend so much time drawing characters that the background gets left blank. But with these artists you always know where the characters are and what they were doing. I've read that John Buscema didn't like doing superhero comics but you couldn't tell it from reading this.

During this time, the Masters of Evil were reforming. Their membership was huge, easily outnumbering the Avengers. This issue is when their plan was put into action. They took over Avengers mansion, capturing Jarvis the butler in the process. This began a great storyline with a lot of action and drama.