The Avengers

“A groundbreaking example of comics representation in literature.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Penguin provides introductory essays; superb analyses by the series editor, Ben Saunders; and extensive bibliographies.”
—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“Stories become classics when generations of readers sort through them, talk about them, imitate them, and recommend them. In this case, baby boomers read them when they débuted, Gen X-ers grew up with their sequels, and millennials encountered them through Marvel movies. Each generation of fans—initially fanboys, increasingly fangirls, and these days nonbinary fans, too—found new ways not just to read the comics but to use them. That’s how canons form. Amateurs and professionals, over decades, come to something like consensus about which books matter and why—or else they love to argue about it, and we get to follow the arguments. Canons rise and fall, gain works and lose others, when one generation of people with the power to publish, teach, and edit diverges from the one before … A top-flight comic by Kirby—or his successor on “Captain America,” Jim Steranko—barely needed words. You could follow the story just by watching the characters act and react. Thankfully, Penguin volumes do justice to these images. They reproduce sixties comics in bright, flat, colorful inks on thick white paper—unlike the dot-based process used on old newsprint, but perhaps truer to their bold, thrill-chasing spirit.”
—Stephanie Burt, The New Yorker

“As before, all three of these volumes re-present Professor Ben Saunders’ learned general series intro which does an excellent job of succinctly explaining the rise of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Method.”
—Forces of Geek

Stan Lee (1922-2018)

Stan Lee co-created comic book history in 1961 with The Fantastic Four #1. Lee oversaw creations for over a decade before handing over editorial reins at Marvel.

Jack Kirby (1917-1994)

Jack Kirby co-created Captain America with Joe Simon in 1940. Over the next decade, Kirby and Stan Lee introduced new characters that formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe.

Roy Thomas (1940- )

Roy Thomas scripted Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Thor, and X-Men. In 1972, he succeeded Stan Lee as Marvel’s editor-in-chief.

John Buscema (1927-2002)

John Buscema followed his long run on The Avengers with the first Silver Surfer series.

Sal Buscema

Sal Buscema penciled Captain America, Defenders, and Incredible Hulk. His 1970s work ranged from Ms. Marvel to Sub-Mariner.

Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse, which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology.

Jose Alaniz

Jose Alaniz, professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, has published several works on comics history.

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders is a professor at the University of Oregon. He has curated museum exhibitions of comics art, including Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes.

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