The 25 Greatest Avengers Stories according to IGN

[Havok83]

http://comics.ign.com/articles/122/1224129p1.html

Unlike the previous list, this one was actually decided by IGN editors and not fan voted

 

[bored]

Good. The "Top 50 Avengers" list was a farce.

 

[Harlekin]

This was a really weird list, but the top 5 was accurate. I'd definitely consider Kang Dynasty the finest Avengers story. I disagree though that Kree/Skrull War was in anyway a precursor to event comics. It's contained to the Avengers title and in fact most of the issues don't even relate to the cosmic war going on. There's a dozen other threads being handled. It's a very eclectic story, really.

 

[Kaewin]

I am surprised they left out the Serpent Crown Affair and didn't highlight a couple single issues like Avengers 58 or even when the Grandmaster challenges Kang.

 

[runawayboulder]

Definitely an improvement over the other list.

It's nice to see Avengers Academy Fear Itself tie-on get some recognition, as well as Operation Galactic Storm being credited for changing the scope of cosmic stories. I'm thrilled to see a story from Geoff Johns run make the list, you could argue that any of his arcs could have made it.

I'm not too crazy about Ultimates being #2. Once the Avengers movie is a thing of the past, Ultimates should easily slide down the list behind 3,4 and 5. It's only #2 now because it was partly the basis of the movie.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It's a f***ing travesty that Ultimates is even on this list. That's a different beast altogether, not the Avengers.

 

[Harlekin]

I don't know. It does function really well as an alternate take on the Avengers. Would Kingdom Come not be included in the best Superman stories as well? I'm not sure if it should be #2, but top ten surely.

 

[runawayboulder]

It was a wide screen comic. It was conceived way before an Avengers movie was ever a possibility so it's only natural the movie was partly inspired by it.

Like I said before, if this list is made again in 5 years or if it was made 5 years ago, Ultimates won't rank nearly as high. You gotta remember, it's Avengers mania this week, hence the silly lists.

 

[Harlekin]

I agree that it owes its placement to the movie, but there's a reason it was the inspiration for it. It is a good story.

 

[runawayboulder]

I actually enjoyed both volumes very much. I treated them as what they were, an "elseworlds" tale like the ones DC used to put out. What annoys me is that they've had an impact and ramification on 616 storytelling, trying to duplicate it with characterizations and imagery.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't think it was a particularly good story. It's a standard alien invasion plot, which means the emphasis is on the characters, all of whom are basically just testosterone-driven exaggerations and twistings of their 616 counterparts. The Hulk's angry? Well, now he eats people. Cap's a patriot? Well, now he's a jingoistic dickwad. Thor's a living god? Well, now people think he's a crazy hippie. It's like the scribblings of a child in crayon over character work that's been refined over decades by better storytellers.

Although Hitch's art was pretty. He can't design interesting costumes to save his life (with Cap's WWII outfit being a notable exception), but he made everything look nice.

 

[bored]

I loved the first two volumes of "Ultimates". They weren't the traditional Avengers, which is why it frustrates me when so much media seems based on them, but those two Millar-penned books were incredible reads.

That said, IGN should be glad they named "The Kang Dynasty" the top story, or I would have sent them a very harshly-worded e-mail.

 

[SuperFerret]

I don't know. It does function really well as an alternate take on the Avengers. Would Kingdom Come not be included in the best Superman stories as well? I'm not sure if it should be #2, but top ten surely.

Kingdom Come actually has Superman in it. The Ultimates are not the Avengers.

 

[Harlekin]

And here I thought the Ultimates starred Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, Giant-Man and the Hulk.

 

[Havok83]

And here I thought the Ultimates starred Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, Giant-Man and the Hulk.

and Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Yep tons of Avengers there

 

[SuperFerret]

Could've fooled me by the way they acted.

 

[THANOSRULES]

I'm fine with the Ultimates on the list...clearly it is avengers lore, and clearly the movie is heavily influenced by ultimates

 

[The Question]

I don't know. It does function really well as an alternate take on the Avengers. Would Kingdom Come not be included in the best Superman stories as well? I'm not sure if it should be #2, but top ten surely.

My personal issue is that while Kingdom Come is largely about a lot of the things that are tied to Superman's core concept, The Ultimates actually strips away most of the things that makes The Avengers what they are. In my opinion, anyway. The character dynamics are completely different. The sense of camaraderie and interpersonal tension basically aren't there, it's more of a story of five-ten strangers standing around together punching dudes. None of the characters take ownership of their actions or actually have a personal connection with what they do and the responsibility and consequences of what they do, as they all pretty much take orders from the government. Even Thor, who is most at odds with what The Ultimates are, just shows up when they need him to hit something and then ****s off to do his own thing and never actually tries to deal with his problems with what the team is until they actually turn on him.

To me, The Avengers are about people coming together for the greater good. They're about people who do good on their own suddenly finding themselves on a much larger scale and trying to deal with that sudden ****. They're about these folks trying to navigate the complexities and ambiguities of operating on that scale while trying to stay true to their ethics. And they're about a history and a legacy that every member has to live up to and shoulder the burden of. The Ultimates is an alright book, but to me there are just certain things that make The Avengers what they are that feel absent.

 

[runawayboulder]

Speaking of the movie......I just got back from the first showing of the day (not the dumb 3-D version). It was practically perfect as it could have possibly been.

The one thing that made me very happy, that I was worried about going in, was how balanced it was when it came to screen time for all the characters. Every character was given plenty of face time in the script. It succeeded in the area where the X-Men films failed, making them Wolverine team up movies.

I still think TDKR will be considered the better movie when it's all said and done. The Avengers movie is a tremendous popcorn action flick with prefect acting, casting and script. TDKR is going to be more of a "film".

 

[THANOSRULES]

Pet Avengers...? No.