Classic Review: Avengers Epic Collection- Judgment Day
Quick Summary
Pros: About half of the book’s stories are engaging and interesting. Several have great character and team development and one is a great look at Doctor Doom. About half of the artwork is positive.
Cons: About half of the book’s stories are pretty mediocre. About half of the artwork is mediocre.
Overall: This book is pretty 50/50 when it comes to quality. Half the book tells captivating stories that either provide intriguing looks at characters and teams or provide thrilling adventures. The other half of the book tells mediocre stories that are action-packed but somewhat flimsy when it comes to plot. This book is for readers interested in seeing the larger picture explaining how the Avengers and its members grow in this era, not for readers looking for the single best stories from this era.
Story
Avengers Epic Collection: Judgment Day, by Roger Stern, contains several great stories and several mediocre ones. The great ones examine the individual members of the Avengers and show the way they contribute, sometimes at significant personal cost, to the team. One of these story arcs also presents an action-packed fight against the gods themselves and another is a great examination into Doctor Doom as a villain. However, the mediocre stories basically just have the Avengers fighting a random group of heroes or villains, often with rushed justification. In the end, there are about as many great stories as there are mediocre ones so the overall appeal of this book is a little mixed.
(spoilers start here)
The opening half of Judgment Day starts out strong by directly dealing with the fallout from the previous volume. The Wasp finally realizes that enough is enough and that she needs to step back from the intense pressure of the Avengers. Captain Marvel struggles with the power vacuum this creates and her own self-doubt regarding whether or not she can fill it. And a wonderful chapter details Jarvis’ often silent contributions to the team. Meanwhile, Doctor Druid and She-Hulk join the team. In general, these opening chapters do a ton of character and team development that works well with this narrative.
Once most of this is dealt with, the narrative switches over to a more action-centric storyline. The Avengers fight the gods of Olympus and, by the end of their conflict, end up going toe-to-toe with Zeus himself. It is an exciting and action-packed story arc that works as a perfect complement to the calmer story arc preceding it.
Unfortunately, the volume takes a bit of a dive as it moves into its second half. At this point, the quality of the storytelling descends as the following story arcs place more emphasis on creating epic battles between familiar characters. Each of The X-Men vs. the Avengers chapters feels like a contrived way to make two or three groups of heroes fight each other. The crossover between the East and West Coast Avengers is similar and ends up being a conflict that could have been avoided altogether if the heroes had stopped to think for a moment. These story arcs simply come across as more forced and do not have the natural flow of previous ones.
However, there are still some positives within these more lackluster chapters. The X-Men crossover has a great Magneto storyline that works as an examination into his character. Then, the West Coast Avengers crossover has a touching moment when Captain America meets a fake version of Bucky. In the end, these aren’t bad story arcs, they just aren’t as good as one would hope.
The big exception here is the volume’s final chapter, Marvel Graphic Novel #27. This is an awesome Avengers adventure that imagines how the Avengers would rise up against a world ruled by Doctor Doom. This chapter showcases the Avenger’s tenacity and their commitment to their ideal while also properly presenting Doom as one of the comic book world’s most complex villain. The story also concludes on a thoughtful note that questions whether what the Avengers have done is actually for the greater good of the world.
(spoilers end here)
Art
The first half of Judgment Day starts out strong, with several chapters from John Buscema’s pencils and Tom Palmer’s inks looking great in most places. These artists have done plenty of great work for the Avengers series in the past and continue to do so here. It also feels like, throughout this volume, the approach to full-page spreads looks better than ever. These pages are wonderfully detailed and end up being some of the artistic highlights of this entire collection.
However, like the quality of the storytelling, the quality of the visuals descends slightly as they enter the second half of the volume. There are places here where the level of detail falls in random places and makes characters look somewhat strange. It doesn’t happen often but when it does happen it is noticeable. Luckily, the book’s artistic positives still heavily outweigh its negatives and the volume ends up looking good overall.
Continuity
Avengers Epic Collection: Judgment Day continues the story from Avengers Epic Collection: Under Siege (Review).
The story here continues in Avengers: Heavy Metal.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- The Fantastic Four got a new building in Fantastic Four #289, collected in Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 8.
- Avengers #278 has She-Hulk mention a recent mission for the Fantastic Four. This mission occurred across Fantastic Four #297-298, collected in Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All in the Family.
- Captain America’s phone service was established in Captain America #312, collected in Captain America Epic Collection: Society of Serpents.
- Avengers #279 revisits Captain Marvel’s origin story. This story is told in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, collected in Avengers: Absolute Vision Book One (Review).
- Avengers #280 flashes back to various events in Avengers history.
- The Avengers began having regular meetings in Avengers #2, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 1 (Review).
- Hank Pym was forced to resign from the Avengers back in Avengers #213, collected in The Avengers: The Trial of Yellowjacket (Review).
- Some of the original Avengers left and new ones were added in Avengers #16, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 2 (Review).
- Hawkeye went off to lead the West Coast Avengers in Avengers #243, collected in The Avengers: Absolute Vision Book 2 (Review), and on into West Coast Avengers Vol. 1 #1, collected in Avengers West Coast Epic Collection: How The West Was Won.
- Scarlet Witch had her twins in Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol 2 #12, collected in Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch.
- Quicksilver became a traitor in West Coast Avengers Annual #1, collected in Avengers Epic Collection: Under Siege (Review).
- Jarvis played a part in Ultron’s evil plans back in Avengers #54, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 6 (Review).
- Vision joined the Avengers in Avengers #58, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 6 (Review).
- Swordsman and Mantis arrived at Avengers Mansion in Avengers #114, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 14 (Review).
- Swordsman died in Giant-Size Avengers #2, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 14 (Review).
- Moondragon’s deception and her attempt to create a perfect society are detailed across Avengers #219-220, collected in The Avengers: The Trial of Yellowjacket (Review).
- Jarvis resigned due to Tony Stark’s alcoholism in Iron Man #127, collected in Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle.
- Thor was cursed by Hela in Thor #374, collected in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 4, and obtained his new armor in Thor #378, collected in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 5.
- Namor got married in Alpha Flight #40.
- The Avengers helped Thor against Surtur’s demons in Avengers #249, collected in The Avengers: Absolute Vision Book 2 (Review), and Thor #350-353, collected in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 2.
- The Avengers helped all of Olympus back in Avengers #50, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 5 (Review), and Avengers #100, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 10 (Review).
- Namor helped Aphrodite and fought Ares back in Sub-Mariner #57, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner Vol. 7.
- Avengers #284 mentions Captain Marvel’s actions on Nebula’s starship in Avengers #260, collected in Avengers: The Legacy of Thanos (Review).
- Avengers #285 states that Captain America was recently offered a job working exclusively for the government. This happened in Captain America #332, collected in Captain America Epic Collection: Justice is Served.
- The X-Men vs. The Avengers #1 references Magneto’s switch from being a “villain” to being a “hero”. This happened in X-Men #200.
- Storm’s powers went away in Uncanny X-Men #185, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 10.
- Asteroid M was destroyed back in New Mutants #21, collected in New Mutants Classic Vol. 3.
- The X-Men vs. The Avengers #1 references events from Magneto’s past.
- He took over a missile base in X-Men #1, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 1 (Review).
- He overthrew the government of Santo Marco in X-Men #4, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 1 (Review).
- Thor first fought Magneto in Journey into Mystery #109, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 2 (Review).
- Magneto’s crimes were stricken away in Defenders #16, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Defenders Vol. 2.
- Captain America fought Magneto, after Magneto’s “rebirth”, in Captain America Annual #4, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Captain America Vol. 11.
- Magneto also imprisoned and tortured some X-Men in X-Men #112-113, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 3.
- Magneto sank a Russian submarine and detonated a volcano in X-Men #150, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 6.
- Magneto then skipped out on his trial in X-Men #200.
- Thor fought the Titanium Man back in Avengers #130, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 14 (Review).
- The X-Men vs. The Avengers #2 and #4 reference the events of X-Men #112-113, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 3.
- Charles Xavier left the planet in X-Men #200.
- West Coast Avengers Annual #2 references the events of Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #1-2, collected in Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Freedom.
- West Coast Avengers Annual #2 quotes a line from Defenders #10, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Defenders Vol. 2.
- West Coast Avengers Annual #2 also references the Contest of Champions event.
- Hank Pym almost committed suicide in West Coast Avengers #18, collected in West Coast Avengers: Lost in Space-Time.
- The Collector had previously died during the Korvac Sage, specifically in Avengers #174, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 17 (Review).
- The Executioner sacrificed himself in Thor #362, collected in Thor by Walt Simonson Vol. 3.