Again, a second installment of TASCHEN’s oversized book on a particular Marvel comic line continues the excellent analysis and development of its respective part one.
Here, it is The Avengers Vol. 2 retrospective that covers the years 1965 to 1967. Not such a long time, but the Avengers would change a lot over that period, or rather in Vols. #21 – #40.
Those years were characterized by many creative shifts, including changes to the Avengers’ roster and the shift towards serialized, character-driven storytelling.
The artists behind that naturally were Marvel mastermind Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, as well as artists and writers Don Heck (later a DC man) and Roy Thomas, who would replace Lee as story writer for the Avengers.
In the late 60s, the Avengers and the majority of the Marvel heroes became more sentimental, emotionally complex, and would – no matter if god, superhero or mighty alien ruler – be confronted with very normal, real-life, everyday problems, that at times would take their attention away even from super villains. In those yeas, the Avengers became very human and doubted their own individual philosophies.
Their serialized, interconnected narratives made Marvel very successful at that time. Those plots would make the usual episodic standalone comic book volumes obsolete; it was a novelty.
Stan Lee also changed the team’s lineup by removing major characters like Thor and Iron Man and forming “Cap’s Kooky Quartet”. 
His focus on character development and continuity shaped the Avengers and laid the groundwork for Marvel’s broader storytelling approach.
Captain America now was the undisputed team leader. As such, he was portrayed as a symbol of moral integrity, but also wrestled with self-doubt and personal guilt, particularly regarding his role in the Avengers and the loss of his past comrades.
The most important change with the new lineup were the entirely new characters Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. That marked a shift toward more interpersonal conflict and character-driven storytelling. For example, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) had been part of the series earlier, then he was a minor villain.
He then joined the original Avengers team in 1965 in “Avengers #16″. Equally, siblings Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) and Quicksilver from the fictional Eastern European country of Sokovia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe originally were villains and teamed up with criminals. They both were part of the X-Men comic book series.
Generally, the new lineup and the tensions within the team marked a significant shift in the outfit, as they became more focused on personal dynamics and character development, rather than pure strength, as beforehand, the most powerful characters The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man had left.
Even dialogue within the team became more critical, sarcastic and cynical, with the members often questioning their own actions and that of the outfit.
(Even Thor, after his departure, became more focused on personal and mythological story lines, particularly his struggles with duty, identity, and family dynamics in Asgard. His relationship with humanity and his alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake, also added complexity, showing Thor’s internal conflict between his godly responsibilities and his human connections. That was typical of the Marvel story approach of the late 60s.)
In this volume, all that information, many anecdotes and small revelations come from author Christopher Priest in his brilliant 35 page introductory text. He arrived at Marvel in the late 70s, then assistant editor and editor under Jim Shooter. Later he was responsible for many editions of Power Man, Iron Fist and of course Conan the Barbarian.
The title contains many rare sketches, original drawings, drafts, alternate covers and artworks of the series, the annex lists inkers, pencilers, letterers, memorabilia related to the Avengers and a synopsis of all the story arcs in the 20 volumes. Just as volume one, this XXL edition in English features 20 original, meticulously reproduced volumes, even a bit larger in size.
Each page has been photographed as printed more than half a century ago, then digitally remastered using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing. A custom paper stock was exclusively developed for this series to simulate the feel of the original comics. And like all the other beautiful previous XXL Marvel editions, this title is huge, 666 pages result in 10.17 lbs of weight and dimensions of 11 x 15.6 in.
Again, there are two editions: The Famous First Edition of 5,000 numbered copies and the Collector’s Edition that comes in 1,000 numbered copies. That treasure features an aluminum print cover and a leatherette-bound spine, with foil embossing, and is housed in a slipcase. All of those extras add up to 11 lbs.
Yes, more of the same in volume 2, but again a feast for collectors.
Review by Dr. A. Ebert © 2024
Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. Vol. 2. 1965–1967 by Christopher Priest. Edition of 1,000. Aluminum print cover tipped into a leatherette-bound spine, foil embossing, and housed in a slipcase, 11.0 x 15.6 in., 15.21 lb, 630 p., ISBN 978-3-8365-9224-6
Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. Vol. 2. 1965–1967 by Christopher Priest. Famous First Edition. First printing of 5,000 numbered copies. 11.0 x 15.6 in.,10.17 lb, 2024, 666 p., ISBN 978-3-8365-9159-1
