By d. emerson eddy — I wanted to end the month as it began with a further tribute to George Pérez and a spotlight on another of his magnificent contributions to the whole of comics. In the mid-'90s Marvel tried an experiment with their flagging Marvel Heroes characters by handing them over to a team of returning Image Comics creators spearheaded by Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld as Heroes Reborn. The reboot/reimagining lasted a little better than a year before the characters were reintegrated into the mainline Marvel universe as Heroes Return. This latter initiative took a somewhat old school approach to the style and creative teams, celebrating the history of the characters as they kickstarted a new era. To handle the relaunched Avengers title, Kurt Busiek and George Pérez were tapped as they began “Once an Avenger...” alongside Al Vey, Tom Smith, and Richard Starkings and his team at Comicraft.

“Once an Avenger...” is suitably epic for the return of the heroes to the main universe, as Asgardian monsters and creatures of myth begin attacking former Avengers across the world. The story immediately sets up an immense scope and scale for the conflict, bringing in everyone from heavies like Captain America and Iron Man down to lesser known Avengers like Stingray and Living Lightning. It's an assortment that plays on one of George Pérez's most lauded strengths and traits — being able to draw so many characters all at once and make them all look absolutely magnificent. Especially when we also get possibly the greatest of all the Avengers making an appearance, D-Man.

But packing characters into scenes isn't the only thing that Pérez excels at here, crafting more magnificence with his layouts and sequential storytelling. Pérez's entire run on this volume of Avengers was a masterclass in storytelling and it really feels densely packed in here. There are some very beautiful open panel tiers, particularly in the second and third issues, focusing on the face of a singular character, allowing for Busiek's exposition to flow naturally across it without ever once feeling cluttered or over-written.

Included in that is the old school technique of explaining what was more or less necessary from the previous issue(s) or past continuity without it feeling clunky. It gives new readers enough information that they can still enjoy what's going on now and not feeling lost. Although I understand why repetition and recaps of previous issues have somewhat fallen by the wayside in today's comics with a focus on collected editions perhaps more than monthly instalments, it's a lost art that shines through here and I miss it.

Despite the peril that the Avengers find themselves in, especially as they lose themselves in an alternate reality, there's a joy and excitement throughout the story that feels larger than life. It's definitely enhanced by Tom Smith's colors, using bright and rich primary colors that evoke that superhero bombast of the '60s and '70s, without feeling dated.

Overall, I think that's true of this run of Avengers and of “Once an Avenger...” in particular. Busiek, Pérez, Vey, Smith, Starkings & Comicraft embrace the conventions of old school comics storytelling, and then spin it into something new to carry on the legacy. It's a very fitting way to bring the properties back home to mainline Marvel while still looking forward to the future. 

Once An Avenger… Avengers (1998) #1 - #3

Once an Avenger... Avengers (1998) #1 - #3
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: George Pérez
Inker: Al Vey
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Publisher: Marvel
Fan-favorite creators Kurt Busiek and George Perez usher in a new era for Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Since the team's inception, the Avengers have always defended humanity against the forces of evil. When duty calls, these legendary champions answer, fighting valiantly until justice prevails. But what happens when their oldest foes strike directly at the team? On the eve of a huge Avengers gathering, an attack by the evil enchantress Morgan Le Fay sends these assembled heroes into a strange medieval reality where nothing is as it seems. Held under Le Fay's thrall, the Avengers have lost all memory of their true identities. Breaking free of Morgan's spell, Captain America and Hawkeye must fight to free their teammates before the Marvel Universe is altered forever!
Release Date: December 17 1997 – February 25 1998 (original issues)
Price: $1.99 each | Also available in Avengers Assemble – Volume 1 ($19.99)

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.