Continuing my personal Top 10 Avengers covers of the first 99 issues...
Number 5 - issue #73
You could say that this is the reverse of the cover with floating heads technique, wherein the foreground would show the hero fighting while heads of the rest of the team would be floating (see issue 60 for a sample of floating heads).
This time, the Avengers are monitoring what is happening to their teammate - the Black Panther, once again seemingly helpless to jump into battle (just an assumption of course).
The foreground shows four of the Avengers (Goliath, Yellowjacket, Wasp and the Vision - the only one not showing any emotion as he belabors the obvious) in a seemingly unlit room monitoring a battle between T'chala and the Sons of the Serpent.
Whoever thought of this concept was creative in giving the room a bluish monochromatic effect while giving focus to the porthole shaped monitor by rendering its view in full color. That artistic choice of coloration alone catapults this cover to the number five spot.
Number 4 - issue #96
What's there not to like about this issue's cover? It promises a lot of action, and the drama of the story is definitely more telling with the rendition of said Avengers by fan favorite (although at that time, not yet quite knows, but quickly getting there) Neal Adams.
This happens to be one of the earlier Avengers covers (and comic) I got my hands on - and if you think the art is stunning here, you should see the insides.
One other impact this cover has to fans of the title, its where they see the Vision - supposedly cold and calculating, explode with rage - venting it out on the helpless Skrull, who is, albeit - colored wrongly. Oh well...
One last item - the Andromeda swarm was a title of a movie in the Seventies, so its not a surprise that they used the title of said movie to showcase the Avengers in space.
Number 3 - issue 57
It takes a very special cover to break the monopoly of an otherwise top 3 Neal Adams cover stranglehold (can I help it if he really does great art?), and the cover to issue 57 is just such a cover.
Here is where we see the Vision for the very first time in the covers of any Avengers comic. And just to make sure its dramatic enough, we've got the purely monochromatic red (and variations of such color) to be the only color - and no, black and white are more shades than colors.
We see a large version of the Vision (wearing his Mr. Spock-like face) with the Avengers seemingly reeling from this character's strength, or clouds or what have you. I mention it this way because it will be the first time the Avengers encounter this new threat - and later, this noble character.
As far as comics go, this is John Buscema at his peak.
Number 2 - issue 93
Another 'team rushing into another team' cover - albeit taken from the vantage point of being in one side... this time - the Avengers' side of this intergalactic war later dubbed as the Kree-Skrull War.
The villains they're fighting? Three members of the Fantastic Four... well, actuall... Skrulls disguised as the Fantastic Four's male members... relatively fresh from having defeated the Vision and the Scarlet Witch - who are down on the ground presumed to be unconscious. From this backdrop the Skrulls are bracing for round two - but this time, they face the Big 3 (Cap, Thor, Iron Man).
Once again, Neal Adams shines with this issue, which, by the way, happens to be a thicker issue - as an unofficial Giant sized story (and what a story it is too!).
And the number one issue cover - when comparing the first 99 issues is... issue #92!
Who can believe how this cover announces the end of the Avengers... what?! There must be some mistake! And the fact that its a Neal Adams drawn cover, helps build the drama. Heck, he even draws Iron Man with the nose in a noble-like stance. For that matter - Thor and Captain America, likewise stand alert as they (including Iron Man) observe how the rest of the Avengers, namely Clint, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Pietro, move away from Thor et al, with bowed heads.
Just the mere possibilities of the Avengers battling each other - that would have been a sight to behold.
Of course, the truth may very well hurt as the three Avengers are actually Skrulls in disguise, thus making the other four Avengers realize the whole farce of it all. Unfortunate for them... as this split definitely weakens the team - leading to the capture of Pietro and Wanda by the Kree.
Ah... but we're not here to talk contents - just covers... and any cover by Neal Adams turns into a masterpiece.
You could say that this is the reverse of the cover with floating heads technique, wherein the foreground would show the hero fighting while heads of the rest of the team would be floating (see issue 60 for a sample of floating heads).
This time, the Avengers are monitoring what is happening to their teammate - the Black Panther, once again seemingly helpless to jump into battle (just an assumption of course).
The foreground shows four of the Avengers (Goliath, Yellowjacket, Wasp and the Vision - the only one not showing any emotion as he belabors the obvious) in a seemingly unlit room monitoring a battle between T'chala and the Sons of the Serpent.
Whoever thought of this concept was creative in giving the room a bluish monochromatic effect while giving focus to the porthole shaped monitor by rendering its view in full color. That artistic choice of coloration alone catapults this cover to the number five spot.
What's there not to like about this issue's cover? It promises a lot of action, and the drama of the story is definitely more telling with the rendition of said Avengers by fan favorite (although at that time, not yet quite knows, but quickly getting there) Neal Adams.
This happens to be one of the earlier Avengers covers (and comic) I got my hands on - and if you think the art is stunning here, you should see the insides.
One other impact this cover has to fans of the title, its where they see the Vision - supposedly cold and calculating, explode with rage - venting it out on the helpless Skrull, who is, albeit - colored wrongly. Oh well...
One last item - the Andromeda swarm was a title of a movie in the Seventies, so its not a surprise that they used the title of said movie to showcase the Avengers in space.
It takes a very special cover to break the monopoly of an otherwise top 3 Neal Adams cover stranglehold (can I help it if he really does great art?), and the cover to issue 57 is just such a cover.
Here is where we see the Vision for the very first time in the covers of any Avengers comic. And just to make sure its dramatic enough, we've got the purely monochromatic red (and variations of such color) to be the only color - and no, black and white are more shades than colors.
We see a large version of the Vision (wearing his Mr. Spock-like face) with the Avengers seemingly reeling from this character's strength, or clouds or what have you. I mention it this way because it will be the first time the Avengers encounter this new threat - and later, this noble character.
As far as comics go, this is John Buscema at his peak.
Another 'team rushing into another team' cover - albeit taken from the vantage point of being in one side... this time - the Avengers' side of this intergalactic war later dubbed as the Kree-Skrull War.
The villains they're fighting? Three members of the Fantastic Four... well, actuall... Skrulls disguised as the Fantastic Four's male members... relatively fresh from having defeated the Vision and the Scarlet Witch - who are down on the ground presumed to be unconscious. From this backdrop the Skrulls are bracing for round two - but this time, they face the Big 3 (Cap, Thor, Iron Man).
Once again, Neal Adams shines with this issue, which, by the way, happens to be a thicker issue - as an unofficial Giant sized story (and what a story it is too!).
And the number one issue cover - when comparing the first 99 issues is... issue #92!
Just the mere possibilities of the Avengers battling each other - that would have been a sight to behold.
Of course, the truth may very well hurt as the three Avengers are actually Skrulls in disguise, thus making the other four Avengers realize the whole farce of it all. Unfortunate for them... as this split definitely weakens the team - leading to the capture of Pietro and Wanda by the Kree.
Ah... but we're not here to talk contents - just covers... and any cover by Neal Adams turns into a masterpiece.
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