AVENGERS CLASSICS DEBUTS IN JUNE

[MattBrady]

Perhaps the true measure of a comic book franchise’s strength is not the interest in new titles featuring the characters/property, but new interest in “classic” material featuring the characters/property...

Case in point - Avengers Classic, a new ongoing Marvel series in the mold of X-Men Classics debuting in June that will feature reprints of The Avengers beginning with the original issue #1, along with brand-new back-up stories featuring the team in the era of the classic feature story, along with a special bonus story in the debut issue.

Avengers Classic #1 features a cover by Arthur Adams, an original back-up story by Dwayne McDuffie and Mike Oeming, and that special extra back-up tale written by Stan Lee and drawn by Kevin Maguire.

We spoke with the series editorial team Andy Schmidt and Mark Beazley for a few details on this new series highlighting the history of Marvel’s arguably now flagship family…

Newsarama: Fellas, Avengers Classic was described to us as “Like X-Men Classics”, but there isn’t an X-Men Classics anymore… now you guys aren’t Joe Quesada, but in your opinion, is this an indication the Avengers has truly taken over as the flagship franchise at Marvel?

Andy Schmidt: Uhhhhh, no? Yes? Is there any way to answer this without getting in trouble? I’ll say this, Avengers has certainly been experiencing some good times. It’s a huge book right now and Mighty Avengers just makes it bigger. There’s more interest in Avengers related stories and characters than any other time I can remember, so now’s the time to fill the newcomers in on the classics!

Mark Beazley: Andy, Nick Lowe, CB Cebulski, and I were all out one night reminiscing about what a great concept X-Men Classics had been and thought it would be cool to revive that. We knew that between Mighty Avengers and New Avengers 2007 was shaping up to be the year of the Avengers. What better way to celebrate their history than by sharing it with a new generation of readers starting from the onset of the series?

NRAMA: To what do you attribute this too? The marketing power of Bran Bendis (and to a degree Millar and Hitch on the Ultimates), or does it go deeper. Something about the Avengers specifically in this particular moment in comics?

AS: Bottom line, the Avengers haven’t been this cool in a long time. All of the factors you mention contributed and continue to support New Avengers. Ultimately, Brian and Tom are telling some phenomenal stories with great characters and impossible twists and turns.

NRAMA: On that note, who do you think the audience is for this? Avengers fans who came late to the party starting with New Avengers?

AS: I think it’s both. If you liked these stories years ago, you’ll still like them and the added insight into the characters that you’ll be getting in the back-up stories. If you’re new to The Avengers, then this is the bedrock upon which your team was built. I think we’ll get a mix of both.

NRAMA: Tell readers how the reprints will work? Will they be linear, starting with a specific issue and if so, with what issue will you start. What era are you focusing on showcasing? And why?

AS: We start with the very first Avengers #1, and we go issue-by-issue from there. The back-up stories will be set in the era of the lead story. For example, since Captain America didn’t join until issue #4, we won’t see him in the back-ups until then. We’re starting there because it’s the beginning. So where else do you start?

MB: We’re also running the original pin-ups and once we get to them, the original letters columns from each issue.

NRAMA: Is there any new updating/post-production work being done on the classic material? Or was all that work already done on the latest remastered Masterworks volumes?

MB: We’re completely remastering the issues. The old masterworks material wasn’t colored to match the original comics as has been our standard since Masterworks Editor, Cory Sedlmeier revived the program, so we’re taking this opportunity to go back to the original film sources, clean it all up, and recolor matching the original comics.

NRAMA: What are some of your favorite stories and/or creators you want to introduce a new audience to?

AS: It doesn’t get any better than Stan and Jack, but there’s no denying John Buscema, Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and many others all the way up to and including the present day creators are power-houses. There are too many great creators who have worked on Avengers in the last 40 years to start pulling them out like that. But if you pin me down, I’d probably say more people should read and study John Buscema’s artwork.

MB: Can’t wait to get to Big John’s stuff, though that’s quite a number of issues away. For now you’ll have to settle for Kirby, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. And hopefully we’ll be introducing more people to Dwayne McDuffie and Mike Oeming’s work. Mike’s watercolor work is truly going to blow people away, and Dwayne’s stories are fantastic.

NRAMA: So tell readers how the back-ups are going to work? Will you have varied creators each month? A set team of creators on the back-ups? And how many pages will the back-ups be?

AS: Right now we’ve locked Dwayne McDuffie and Mike Oeming down for at least six issues, but it looks like they’re having a good time with it. Mark and I have no reason to want to switch it up. If it ain’t broke…

MB: And the length of the backups will largely be 10 pages, though one or two will be a page or so shorter because the original issues ran longer than the traditional 22 pages.

NRAMA: And Stan Lee, huh? Tell us how that happened and what is he doing?

AS: Mark and I thought that Avengers Classics #1 needs Stan Lee. So we got approval to go ask him and he agreed. I can’t begin to explain how giddy Mark and I were when we got our first phone message from Stan. We were girls. I’m not going to lie, it was embarrassing. We should have been shot. But Stan is awesome. He was happy to do it and was a lot of fun to work with.

MB: Definitely one of the highlights of my comics’ career came when Stan called to talk about his story. How great is it to pick up your phone and hear “Hey Mark, this is Stan the Man Lee calling”?

NRAMA: Can you tell us a little bit about what each story is about?

MB: Dwayne and Mike’s first story recounts an early official meeting where they decide who will be chairman of the team.

Stan tells us the secret origin of how The Avengers truly came together as only Stan can tell it.

NRAMA: How about artistically? Will these back-ups have the looks and feel of the era they’re set-in?

AS: No, one of the best things about the art is that Mike is painting these. His watercolor stuff looks awesome. His pencils have a retro-feel, but the paint over top them gives them a more timeless feeling. These stories should appeal to fans of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

NRAMA: Finally guys, any parting thoughts for readers?

AS: Read this book. If you don’t read it for you, read it for Captain America.

MB: Exactly, though if you wait until issue #4 you can see him reborn as though it happened today. Truly a man out of time.

AS: It’s what he would have wanted…

AVENGERS CLASSIC #1
Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, MIKE OEMING & KEVIN MAGUIRE
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
In the tradition of CLASSIC X-MEN, we’re re-presenting the original AVENGERS #1 digitally re-mastered with THX ™ surround sound and a brand spankin’ new cover by ARTHUR ADAMS! But that’s not all!!! We have not one, but TWO brand new short stories as well! DWAYNE McDUFFIE and painter MICHAEL AVON OEMING bring you a tale of the Avengers first tumultuous meeting and STAN “THE MAN” LEE (who started it all!) and artist extraordinaire KEVIN MAGUIRE bring you a compelling tale about how the Avengers REALLY formed!
Face it, this book is HOT!
48 PGS./Rated A …$3.99
SPECIAL OVER-SIZED FIRST ISSUE!

[IronWolf]

COOL!!!! will this be collected in Trade 'cos then that means you can get the Avengers Old Stories in color HOLY STAN LEE Thats cool!@!!!!. This is great I remember X-men Classic being big with a alot of my friends. this is gonna rock! go AVENGERS!!

[Conor E]

I notice Iron Man is the only character who's on that cover twice, so is that "second" Iron Man wearing the armor James Rhodes was in when he was first in the Avengers?

[Crimson]

Originally Posted by IronWolf

COOL!!!! will this be collected in Trade 'cos then that means you can get the Avengers Old Stories in color HOLY STAN LEE Thats cool!@!!!!. This is great I remember X-men Classic being big with a alot of my friends. this is gonna rock! go AVENGERS!!

I dunno, they already are out in Materworks. If anything, I'd expect a Vignettes TPB collecting the new stories like they are doing with the X-Men Classics back up stories.

Man, I want to get this! I just don't know if I can fit it on my pull list.

[Adm_Snackbar]

What will this be priced at on a regular basis? That's the make it or break it for me. I would figure that since they don't have to pay a creative team for a full issue's work it should be a bit less... unless there are no ads. How cool would it be if they could print the retro ads from the original issues?!

[MikeCosta]

It's hard to complain about Art Adams, but c'mon Art! The Sentry is not a "Classic Avenger." He's a bogus character that got added to the team less than two years ago!

It'll never happen, but wouldn't it kick ass if this outsold New Avengers? Yes, it would. It would kick ass. This is totally the only Avengers I'm gonna buy. Who's with me!?

[chazkrauss]

Now I don't feel so bad for canceling New Avengers and Mighty Avengers Next they need to do the same with Fantastic Four and old X-men!

[BanMan]

And they say Marvel doesn't give the fans what they want.

[Sparro]

The only potential downfall here is that you are going to get about 10 issues of Kirby then a lot of Don Heck until the John Buscema stuff kicks in around issue number 50 or so. That's a big gap between the good stuff.

[martinp]

Great idea! Can't wait for this to start.

[bebopeva88]

Great idea, GREAT cover by Art Adams. I'll definitely check this series out.

[Kolimar]

I'm stunned. Very cool idea.

[kalorama]

I'd be more interested if they'd gotten someone else to draw the backups.

[Jed Saxon]

Sweet. So I can get my old school Avengers fix even after EMH II wraps up next month. I'm happy now.

[Kolimar]

Originally Posted by Conor E

I notice Iron Man is the only character who's on that cover twice, so is that "second" Iron Man wearing the armor James Rhodes was in when he was first in the Avengers?

Yep.

[MadTrendy]

Originally Posted by IronWolf

COOL!!!! will this be collected in Trade 'cos then that means you can get the Avengers Old Stories in color HOLY STAN LEE Thats cool!@!!!!. This is great I remember X-men Classic being big with a alot of my friends. this is gonna rock! go AVENGERS!!

I'm with you on the trade in color part, especially fixed up color, but the X-Men stories were from like 10 years earlier not 45.

[foxfire]

Avengers Classic!?!? Sold! So f'ing sold!!

One thing... I haven't read it, but wasn't the first Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes series along similar lines as the backup stories? And where does the special Avengers #1.5 issue fit in all of this?? haha kidding.

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by Conor E

I notice Iron Man is the only character who's on that cover twice, so is that "second" Iron Man wearing the armor James Rhodes was in when he was first in the Avengers?

Ant-Man is there twice (presumably, as with IM, once for each man who wore the unifom).

Originally Posted by IronWolf

COOL!!!! will this be collected in Trade 'cos then that means you can get the Avengers Old Stories in color HOLY STAN LEE Thats cool!@!!!!. This is great I remember X-men Classic being big with a alot of my friends. this is gonna rock! go AVENGERS!!

The backup stories might eventually get collected, but the early Avengers stories have already been collected in color in the MAsterworks series (as well as in B&W in the Essential series). I doubt there's another collection specifically as a result of this.

[BEANS65]

Oeming drawing The Avengers.....I may have to change my pants now

[DarkJared]

I don't know why they won't just come out an admit that they planned from the start to make the Avengers their flagship franchise from the start. It's why we even had a New Avengers in the first place.

This should be pretty good - I loved the new stories in classic x-men and the easily available reprints of great stories was nice. That Adams cover better come out as a poster! Awsome!

[Mikeyb]

Originally Posted by MikeCosta

It's hard to complain about Art Adams, but c'mon Art! The Sentry is not a "Classic Avenger." He's a bogus character that got added to the team less than two years ago!

It'll never happen, but wouldn't it kick ass if this outsold New Avengers? Yes, it would. It would kick ass. This is totally the only Avengers I'm gonna buy. Who's with me!?

Maybe only 4 or 5 people are with ya, if that.

[Barry Strange]

Good, an Avengers book I can (at least in part) enjoy...

[summers88]

I can't believe this! That's fantastic!!! I'm so gonna get this!! I loved X-men Classic and this will be just as good!! Thank you Marvel!!

This is the year of Avengers and I can't wait!! I've never collected this many "A" titles before and I couldn't be happier!!!

[skl183]

now this I might be interested, prolly makes us sad to see the Avengers in their former glory.

[Anthem]

I'm with Mike and Barry and chaz, so that's 4.