The Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories,
seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel's
transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy
Collects The Avengers #1-4, 9, 16, 26, 28, 44, 57, 58,
71, 74, and 83. It is impossible to imagine American popular
culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published
groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple
levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as
meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in
the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.
Starting in 1961, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and their collaborators
transformed the Super Hero genre with a series of new creations,
including the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor, and the Invincible Iron
Man. In 1963, Lee and Kirby brought these characters together for the
first time in a new magazine called The Avengers--adding a resurrected
Captain America shortly after. Over time the Avengers' roster would
frequently change, mirroring transformations in the Marvel Universe and
the society that it reflected. This unique collection gathers key issues
from the first few years of the series.
A foreword by Leigh Bardugo, a scholarly introduction and apparatus by
José Alaniz, and a general series introduction by Ben Saunders offer
further insight into the enduring significance of The Avengers and
classic Marvel comics.
