{"product_id":"the-avengers-9780143135784","title":"The Avengers","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe 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\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Collects \u003ci\u003eThe Avengers #1-4\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 9\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 16\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 26\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 28\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 44\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 57\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 58\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 71\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e 74\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e 83. \u003c\/i\u003eIt 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Avengers\u003c\/i\u003e--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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWriter-editor \u003cb\u003eStan Lee\u003c\/b\u003e (1922- 2018) and artist Jack Kirby made comic book history in 1961 with \u003ci\u003eThe Fantastic Four \u003c\/i\u003e#1. The suc­cess of its new style inspired Lee and his many collaborators to de­velop a number of Super HeroSuper Heroes, including, with Jack Kirby, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men; with Steve Ditko, the Amazing Spider- Man and Doctor Strange; and with Bill Everett, Daredevil. Lee oversaw the adventures of these creations for more than a decade before handing over the editorial reins at Marvel to others and focusing on developing Marvel's properties in other media. For the remainder of his long life, he continued to serve as a creative figure­head at Marvel and as an ambassador for the comics medium as a whole. In his final years, Lee's signature cameo appearances in Marvel's films established him as one of the world's most famous faces. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York's Lower East Side, \u003cb\u003eJack Kirby\u003c\/b\u003e came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Horrified by the rise of Nazism, Kirby co-created the patriotic hero Captain America with Joe Simon in 1940. Cap's exploits on the comic book page entertained millions of American readers at home and inspired US troops fight­ing the enemy abroad. Kirby's partnership with Simon continued throughout the 1940s and early '50s; together, they produced com­ics in every popular genre, from Western to romance. In 1958, Kirby began his equally fruitful collaboration with writer-editor Stan Lee, and in 1961 the two men co-created the foundational text of the modern Marvel Universe: \u003ci\u003eThe Fantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e. Over the next de­cade, Kirby and Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters-- including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer, and the X-Men. Kirby's groundbreaking work with Lee formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe. In the early 1970s, Kirby moved to DC Comics, where he created his intercon­nected Fourth World series, as well as freestanding titles such as \u003ci\u003eThe Demon\u003c\/i\u003e. He returned to Marvel in 1975, writing and illustrat­ing \u003ci\u003eThe Black Panther\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCaptain America\u003c\/i\u003e, and introducing series such as \u003ci\u003eDevil Dinosaur\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Eternals\u003c\/i\u003e. Kirby died in 1994. Today, he is generally regarded as one of the most important and influential creators in the history of American comics. His work has inspired multiple generations of writers, artists, designers, and film­makers, who continue to explore his vast universe of concepts and characters. He was an inaugural inductee into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 1987. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eRoy Thomas\u003c\/b\u003e joined the Marvel Bullpen as a writer and editor under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every title of the time: \u003ci\u003eAmazing Spider-Man\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAvengers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDaredevil\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDoctor Strange\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSub-Mariner\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThor\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eX-Men\u003c\/i\u003e and more. He wrote the first 10 years of Marvel's \u003ci\u003eConan the Barbarian\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSavage Sword of Conan\u003c\/i\u003e; and launched such series as \u003ci\u003eDefenders\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eIron Fist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eInvaders\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWarlock\u003c\/i\u003e. At DC, he developed \u003ci\u003eAll-Star Squadron\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eInfinity Inc.\u003c\/i\u003e and related titles, proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America. Thomas later became editor of \u003ci\u003eAlter Ego\u003c\/i\u003e, a magazine devoted to comic-book history, and co-scripted the sword-and-sorcery films \u003ci\u003eFire and Ice\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eConan the Destroyer\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eDon Heck\u003c\/b\u003e (1929-1995) worked for Harvey, Quality, Hillman and other publishers before arriving at Atlas Comics, later Marvel, where he penciled and inked stories for virtually every genre: crime, horror, jungle, romance, war, Western and more. With Stan Lee and others, he launched \u003ci\u003eIron Man\u003c\/i\u003e, his supporting cast and his early rogues' gallery -- including the Black Widow, Hawkeye and the Mandarin. He also succeeded Jack Kirby on \u003ci\u003eAvengers\u003c\/i\u003e. At DC, his artwork appeared in \u003ci\u003eJustice League of America\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFlash\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWonder Woman\u003c\/i\u003e and other titles.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eJohn Buscema\u003c\/b\u003e (1927-2002) literally wrote the book on being a Marvel artist -- namely, \u003ci\u003eHow To Draw Comics the Marvel Way\u003c\/i\u003e -- and few were better qualified. His career dated back to the Timely\/Atlas era of the late '40s and early '50s. Soon after beginning the Marvel Age of Comics, Stan Lee recruited Buscema from the advertising field to the Marvel Bullpen. Buscema followed a long run on \u003ci\u003eAvengers\u003c\/i\u003e with the long-anticipated first \u003ci\u003eSilver Surfer\u003c\/i\u003e series. He subsequently succeeded Jack Kirby on \u003ci\u003eFantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThor\u003c\/i\u003e and other titles. By the time of his retirement in 1996, Buscema had penciled nearly every Marvel title -- including his personal favorite, \u003ci\u003eConan the Barbarian\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e After a start as inker to his older brother John, \u003cb\u003eSal Buscema\u003c\/b\u003e penciled \u003ci\u003eCaptain America\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDefenders\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eIncredible Hulk\u003c\/i\u003e and more. Famed for his ability to meet tight deadlines, he spread his talents across multiple genres. His 1970s work ranged from \u003ci\u003eMs. Marvel\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eNova\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eSub-Mariner\u003c\/i\u003e and Spider-Woman's first appearance in \u003ci\u003eMarvel Spotlight\u003c\/i\u003e. He was the uninterrupted artist on \u003ci\u003eSpectacular Spider-Man\u003c\/i\u003e for more than 100 issues and penciled the web-slinger's adventures in \u003ci\u003eMarvel Team-Up\u003c\/i\u003e, in which he and writer Bill Mantlo introduced Captain Jean DeWolff. After handling more team-ups in the Thing's \u003ci\u003eMarvel Two-in-One\u003c\/i\u003e, he reunited with brother John on Steve Englehart's \u003ci\u003eFantastic Four\u003c\/i\u003e. He later provided inks for Tom DeFalco's \u003ci\u003eSpider-Girl\u003c\/i\u003e titles and \u003ci\u003eThunderstrike\u003c\/i\u003e miniseries. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eBen Saunders \u003c\/b\u003eis a professor of English at the University of Oregon. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eDesiring Donne: Poetry, Sexuality, Interpreta­tion \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDo the Gods Wear Capes?: Spirituality, Fantasy, and Su­perheroes\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as numerous critical essays on subjects ranging from the writings of Shakespeare to the recordings of Little Richard. He has also curated several museum exhibitions of comics art, in­cluding the record- breaking, multimedia touring show \u003ci\u003eMarvel: Uni­verse of Super Heroes\u003c\/i\u003e-- a retrospective exploring the artistic and cultural impact of Marvel Comics from 1939 to the present. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eJosé Alaniz, \u003c\/b\u003e professor in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and the Department of Cinema and Media Studies (adjunct) at the University of Washington, Seattle, has published three monographs, \u003ci\u003eKomiks: Comic Art in Russia\u003c\/i\u003e (University Press of Mississippi, 2010)\u003ci\u003e; Death, Disability and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond \u003c\/i\u003e(UPM, 2014); and \u003ci\u003eResurrection: Comics in Post-Soviet Russia \u003c\/i\u003e(OSU Press, 2022). He has also co-edited two essay collections, \u003ci\u003eComics of the New Europe: Reflections and Intersections \u003c\/i\u003e(with Martha Kuhlman, Leuven University Press, 2020) and \u003ci\u003eUncanny Bodies: Disability and Superhero Comics \u003c\/i\u003e(with Scott T. Smith, Penn State University Press, 2019). He formerly chaired the Executive Committee of the International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF) and was a founding board member of the Comics Studies Society. In 2020 he published his first comics collection, \u003ci\u003eThe Phantom Zone and Other Stories \u003c\/i\u003e(Amatl Comix). His current book projects include \u003ci\u003eComics of the Anthropocene: Graphic Narrative at the End of Nature.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eLeigh Bardugo\u003c\/b\u003e is the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eNinth House\u003c\/i\u003e and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology--and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50607988900114,"sku":"9780143135784","price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_12290f29-e99b-473a-a2a5-0cf8e3612718.jpg?v=1732316585","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-avengers-9780143135784","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}