1988 - Anatomy of a Cover - The Mighty Thor #394

http://www.jhalpe.com/items/view/17661

1989 - Loki by John Buscema and Brett Breedings

1983 - Avengers #227

Avengers #227
January 1983
"Testing ....1...2...3"
Writer: Roger Stern
Artists: Sal Buscema/Brett Breedings 

(Clipped from my Avengers article in Back Issue #56.)

Roger Stern was perhaps the most underrated writer for Marvel Comics during the 1980s. Despite the volume and quality of his work, which included major titles like The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, Captain America, and Doctor Strange, he was considered a superstar, like Chris Claremont, John Byrne, or Frank Miller.

What made Stern’s five-year run on The Avengers so successful and memorable were his characters. Each character had their distinct attitude and direction, as well as flaws, which set them apart from the typical superhero stereotype. Stern understood what it meant to be a hero: being a hero, even at the power levels of the Avengers, required a human connection. It was never about their god-like powers or super-human abilities; it was about their humanity with all of its strengths and weaknesses.

On how he got The Avengers writing assignment, Stern said: “I asked for it. Seriously, The Avengers was the first assignment that I actively sought out at Marvel. Before that, on Doctor Strange, The Incredible Hulk, or The Amazing Spider-Man, an editor had always asked me to write the series. But with The Avengers … well, I'd edited the book for a couple of years, and it had always been one of my favorites. So when I heard that Jim Shooter was going to be stepping down from writing Avengers, I called Mark Gruenwald and tossed my hat in the ring.”

The Avengers #227 kicked off with Stern cleverly using a psychiatrist who was trying to determine Pym’s mental fitness to stand trial, to flashback through Pym's past. Pym recounted his early history as a scientist, his relationship with the Wasp, his career as an Avenger, and his fall from grace. His narrative was compelling and moving and wove together 20 years of convoluted history written by several writers, each with their own take on the character.

At the same time, Stern also focused on the Wasp as the leader and chairwoman of the Avengers, and her struggle to find her place without Hank Pym. Despite being a founding member of the Avengers since way back in 1963, her presence on the team wasn’t anything more than a sidekick, fashion diva, or plot device, usually the damsel in distress. She had always lived in the shadow of Hank Pym and his various superhero incarnations. Her most significant developments as a character seemed to be her exhaustive wardrobe.

“Don't forget, the Wasp was a kid when she first became the Wasp – she was a debutante, just barely twenty – not that much older than, say, Spider-Man. We saw her come of age in the Avengers.”

The Wasp worked around the Avengers government clearance that mandated only seven Avengers by instituting the Avengers-in-Training program. She did so by pulling some strings as the First Lady and she had the same masseur! From Stern’s first issue, he’s already taking her in a new direction and expanding her character. She was confident, driven, and resourceful.

And as impressive as her new attitude was, Stern showed the depth of her personality as she struggled to hold it all together: “Maybe I don’t have Hank around to lean on anymore -- But I can tough it out! I’ll show ‘em... I don’t need him... Don’t need anybody! After all, I’m an Avenger. I’m the leader of the Avengers.”

“At the time, there were a few readers who thought it was crazy to have the Wasp leading the Avengers, but seen in the overall context of her life, it really was a natural development,” recalled Stern. “The Wasp was a founding Avenger, and had been with the team for most of her adult life. She was recently divorced from a troubled marriage, and getting her life back together. At that point in her life, Jan was reinventing herself, looking for new challenges, and taking on new responsibilities.”

Stern also invested time with the other Avengers, especially touching on the newly-rejoined Hawkeye and new member, She-Hulk. Each member was given some face time in which their human vulnerabilities were highlighted. For example, Iron Man regretting having romantically pursued the Wasp as Tony Stark while she didn’t know he was Iron Man.

http://www.comicartfans.com/forsaledetails.asp?artid=414832

Stern accomplished all of this in just his first issue!

From the letter page of The Avengers #227, Stern wrote:
“Needless to say, I’m thrilled and honored to be writing the adventures of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes -- but said thrill and honor does not preclude an occasional gulp of insecurity. Like most of you, I’ve been a big fan of Jim Shooter’s tenure on the book and stepping into his size-13 sneakers is not going to be an easy task. Still and all, the Big Guy has charted an impressive course through these waters and he’s left me enough concepts, plot-threads, and ideas for a score of adventures.”

1987 - The Mighty Thor #384

The Mighty Thor #384 - “Who Shall Be Worthy?”

Writer: Tom DeFalco

Artists: Ron Frenz/Brett Breeding

I felt I had to follow up my last blog post with a look at the second fill-in issue by DeFalco and Frenz. Issues #383 and #385 would convince editor Ralph Macchio that this team would be worthy indeed to take the reins of the Mighty Thor on a permanent basis.

What’s so good about it? It’s a self-contained, one issue story with an impressive scope. I wish Marvel’s fill-ins were half as good as this one! The inking skills of Brett Breedings are a pleasure to behold and give Frenz’s art that much more of a smooth John Buscema feel. And cleaver, solid story telling.

The story idea plays upon the magic spell on Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, as only someone who could be worthy could wield it, as the side of the hammer carries the inscription: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor”. Leveraging the idea by Stan Lee, obviously based on the Arthurian Legend (Sword in the Stone, not to mention Mjolnir is made of a mystical stone), DeFalco tells this tale of The Once and Future Thor.

In the future, an underground cult forms around believing in the eventual return of Thor to help free them from the oppression of the Corporation. When Loki takes an interest in stamping out the cult, one of its members, Dargo, reaches for Mjolnir and proves to be worthy. The fun twist is that Dargo plays the reluctant hero, but is uninterested in being worshiped and is frustrated by the people’s blind faith and their inaction. He chooses to return Mjolnir to its rightful owner, as Thor seems to be trapped somewhere having fallen pray to Loki’s machinations, and hopes that his actions as Thor prove to inspire people to take action, to prove themselves worthy.

1983 - Hawkeye

The Avengers' Ace Archer on his own!

Hawkeye (4 issue miniseries)

September 1983 - Dec 1983

Writer: Mark Gruenwald

Artists: Mark Gruenwald/Brett Breedings/Danny Bulanadi

  

A great way to show character is through deconstructing. Mark Gruenwald, in a single issue, takes Hawkeye down to one of the lowest point in his career. At the beginning of the issue, he’s the security head for a Cross Technological Enterprises and by the end of it, he barely survives a toxic waste death trap, gets fired, and is dumped by his girlfriend.

Hawkeye does find an ally in Mockingbird and with her help, he sets about on the road to recovery. He even gets a new costume out of the deal. With issue #2, they fend off the assassin called the Silencer.

“I [Mark Gruenwald] wanted to make a few minor modifications on the practical side. For instance, all archers wear a leather forearm guard on the arm which holds the bow in order to protect it from the chafing caused by released bowstring. (…) The vertical straps on Hawkeye’s tunic, which used to be studded with ornamental rectangles, Brett [Breeding] suggested should be lined with small compartment containing spare arrowheads. In that way, Hawkeye could draw a regular arrow from his quiver, flip open a pouch with a customized arrowhead (such as a smoke bomb), stick it on the arrowhead and voila! have a customized trick arrow.”

The miniseries gets a bit out of hand with issue #3 and #4 when two ridiculous assassins, Oddball and Bombshell, defeat and capture Hawkeye and Mockingbird. The evil mastermind behind this secret project turns out to be an obscure villain named Crossfire. Crossfire gloats over the captured heroes and reveals his master plan to eliminate the Avengers and other heroes that would attend Hawkeye’s funeral.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird conclude their whirlwind romance by getting married at the end of issue #4.

There’s nothing really innovative in this miniseries. This effort pales in comparison to Gruenwald's magnus opus, Squadron Supreme. The story throughout this miniseries is pretty much a paint-by-numbers job, but does succeed in giving Hawkeye a bit more of the spotlight. Even to this day, Hawkeye is still a secondary character with a string a failed ongoing series.

Mark Gruenwald not only wrote this series, but provided the penciled art. From Marvel Age #6:

“I first began thinking about a limited series featuring Hawkeye in the fall of ’81. Having completed a year of cosmos-creaking exploits on Thor, I was in the mood for something literally more down to Earth, so I approached Jim Shooter with the concept. We kicked around ideas about the archer’s past and future and I kept getting more psyched up by the minute. Just before I left, Jim asked who I had in mind for an artist. I told him I didn’t really know. Jim suggested that if I couldn’t find anyone, that I should take a crack at the panel breakdowns myself.”

Gruenwald's art seems to loose energy by the end of the miniseries. The first issue really shines and a lot of the artistic credit goes to Brett Breedings.

Unfortunately, Danny Bulanadi replaces Breedings as the inker on the miniseries with issue #3. I really enjoyed Breedings’ inks as I felt he truly lived up to the name embellisher. Bulanadi’s inking efforts in my opinion overpower Gruenwald’s penciled art. You can see a similar effect in the Price Namor Sub-Mariner miniseries.

Jay's Notes:

- Hawkeye and Mockingbird are next seen in Avengers #239.

- Mockingbird first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #95.

- This miniseries introduces Hawkeye's rocket sled which he takes with him into the West Coast Avengers miniseries.