The latest Avengers Epic Collection features some of the best Avengers comics of all time with the inclusion of “The Celestial Madonna!” and “Serpent Crown” storylines by Steve Englehart. And if you happen to glance at the cover and title of the collection, a lot of these stories put the MCU’s next big bad, Kang the Conqueror, front and center.
Kang War collects The Avengers #129-149, Giant Size Avengers #2-4, and material from FOOM #12.
Along with Englehart, Tony Isabella and Roy Thomas help script a few issues, with art by Sal Buscema, George Tuska, Don Heck, Keith Pollard, Dave Cockrum, Joe Staton, Frank Chiaramonte, Vince Colletta, Sam Grainger, Mike Esposito, John Tartaglione, Joe Giella, and the very first Avengers art by George Perez.
Englehart’s “The Celestial Madonna!” incorporates his new Mantis character into a cosmic time travelling tale that would begin in the monthly title, and was so big that it would need to spin into three Giant-Size Avengers issues, hurtling the team through time, space, and confrontations with multiple versions of Kang, such as Rama-Tut and Immortus.
The Epic Collection also contains the seven part “Serpent Crown” storyline with notable showdowns with Marvel’s evil version of the Justice League, The Squadron Supreme, Old West adventures with Kid Colt, Night Rider, Rawhide Kid, Ringo Kid, and the Two-Gun Kid, and the introduction of another all-powerful weapon. Other highlights from 1974-1976 include: the origin of the Vision and his marriage to the Scarlet Witch (Mantis and Swordsman also get caught up in the wedding fever), new Avengers such as the furry, blue Beast, Hellcat and Moondragon join the team, while at the same time, Captain America, Yellowjacket and the Wasp return. The Legion of the Unliving also make their debut, and the Avengers even tangle with Frankenstein’s Monster.
The Avengers: Kang War Epic Collection consists of 504 pages for a suggested retail price of $44.99. Check out Ron Wilson, Frank Giacoia, and John Romita, Sr.’s cover to the collection (taken from Giant-Size Avengers #2) below and be sure to frequent Conskipper for all of your classic comic news.
