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Avengers: The Origin #1-5
Avengers the Origin
The true story of the Avengers is revealed right here! This five-issue extravaganza reveals previously untold details of the historic fi rst meeting of Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp! You only THINK you know the full story. From Joe Casey (AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES) and artist extraordinare Phil Noto! AVENGERS MOVIE PREMIERES SUMMER 2012! COLLECTING: Avengers: The Origin #1-5
144 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2010
About the author
Joe Casey
893 books78 followersLibrarian note: there is more than one author with this name
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 1, 2019
"We shall serve as a beacon of hope to those who have none. 'Tis an absolute good we are doing." -- the Mighty Thor, to his new teammates
The 2012 issue date is no coincidence - The Origin was released to tie-in with The Avengers big-screen debut. However, there is otherwise no connection between this story and the movie.
It is an updating of the Avengers' very first story from 1964 - it appears to be set during the 21st century per the technology / dialogue - although the title team is retro-attired in their outfits. (That means Iron Man in his clunky golden armor, and the original Ant-Man and Wasp in costumes which make them resemble characters in a 30's sci-fi B-movie serial.) And this is the 'original' quintet - no Captain America, Black Widow, and/or Hawkeye yet - for those familiar with the earliest line-up.
So while this cynically seems like an easy cash-grab from Marvel it was still a nice volume, if not completely necessary. The artwork was good, as were some of the present-day aspects.
The 2012 issue date is no coincidence - The Origin was released to tie-in with The Avengers big-screen debut. However, there is otherwise no connection between this story and the movie.
It is an updating of the Avengers' very first story from 1964 - it appears to be set during the 21st century per the technology / dialogue - although the title team is retro-attired in their outfits. (That means Iron Man in his clunky golden armor, and the original Ant-Man and Wasp in costumes which make them resemble characters in a 30's sci-fi B-movie serial.) And this is the 'original' quintet - no Captain America, Black Widow, and/or Hawkeye yet - for those familiar with the earliest line-up.
So while this cynically seems like an easy cash-grab from Marvel it was still a nice volume, if not completely necessary. The artwork was good, as were some of the present-day aspects.
May 13, 2018
I only have to ask...why? This was simply a remake of the original (and superior) Avengers comic from 1963. But now with profanity and blood! Yay? I guess?
Seriously, what was the point? I could see making an updated origin story as a reboot. Other Marvel heroes have gotten that over the years. But this is more like like that terrible 1998 shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. Unnecessary.
Seriously, what was the point? I could see making an updated origin story as a reboot. Other Marvel heroes have gotten that over the years. But this is more like like that terrible 1998 shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. Unnecessary.
October 6, 2014
Meehhhhh. Thor and the Hulk were good. The other characters acted patronizing and blood thirsty the whole time. The point of the avengers is to protect, isn't it? Yet the entire book is about them tracking down the Hulk and attacking him. The 20-something Rick who was trying to convince them to think before they acted made it even more obvious. Also, the way they treat the Hulk, dehumanizing and villainizing him, was just disgusting. They assumed he was 'rampaging' out west - in quotes because the only thing he did was smash one railway track by accident- and didn't believe him to be human enough to ASK him about it. Then at the end, they're talking among themselves about how he could be on the team to 'redeem' himself and so they could keep an eye on him, right in front of his face. The amount of ableism in this book is just nauseating.
June 20, 2014
Phil Noto's art is great here, and helps make what is another retelling of the Avengers Origin a fun read. Especially since he keeps all the costume designs from the 60's.
September 12, 2018
Nothing I really need to say it was a remake of the origin with the original origin after it.
October 26, 2017
Story: 7/10
"A worthwhile retelling of a great story"
"A worthwhile retelling of a great story"
September 4, 2014
It was good. A bit cheesy and bombastic in the end. This was the first time that I read something about Ant-Man and Wasp and to say the truth I was a bit disappointed, they were kind lame super heroes. Wasp more than Ant-Man. I don't want to sound prejudiced but that was the feeling I had. Maybe in the future, if I get to read more about them, I'll change my mind. Anyway, an entertaining read also with good artwork.
June 8, 2021
After two miniseries chronicling later periods in Avengers history, Joe Casey went back to their origin and expanded it to five issues. The story is the same: Loki baits Thor into a trap by making it look like the Hulk has gone on a rampage but Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp all show up too. After they figure out Loki's the real villain, the good guys form a team to avenge future evildoing.
The differences include updated tech (Rick Jones contacts the heroes by email instead of ham radio), some continuity touches and character bits (Wasp comes across a lot more capable than the Silver Age usually let her be), expanded fight scenes and fixing some plot holes in the original story.
It's fun but not as good as Casey's previous minis. And there were a couple of plot holes from Avengers #1 they didn't deal with and I wish they had. 3.5 stars
The differences include updated tech (Rick Jones contacts the heroes by email instead of ham radio), some continuity touches and character bits (Wasp comes across a lot more capable than the Silver Age usually let her be), expanded fight scenes and fixing some plot holes in the original story.
It's fun but not as good as Casey's previous minis. And there were a couple of plot holes from Avengers #1 they didn't deal with and I wish they had. 3.5 stars
October 31, 2020
I read the original origin of the Avengers as a kid and many times since and thoroughly enjoyed that great Kirby/Lee classic so I was quite looking forward to this retelling. Retelling? How about revolting?
Perhaps it was not quite that bad but it seemed to me to go in a decidedly SJW direction and ruining some of the fun the original relished in.
Perhaps it was not quite that bad but it seemed to me to go in a decidedly SJW direction and ruining some of the fun the original relished in.
July 7, 2019
Una rivisitazione, l'ennesima, delle origini dei Vendicatori.
Non so perché ma anche quando sono scritte decentemente mi sanno di pasta stracotta riscaldata.
Tutto troppo già visto, se ci metti novità queste stonano, se non ce le metti sembra che siano inutili.
Non so perché ma anche quando sono scritte decentemente mi sanno di pasta stracotta riscaldata.
Tutto troppo già visto, se ci metti novità queste stonano, se non ce le metti sembra che siano inutili.
February 18, 2021
I went in thinking it was a bit older. Instead it's a pretty modern retelling which doesn't really live up to the idea of serving as a refresher. There are some mildly interesting tidbits, but it doesn't feel like it's filling in any blanks.
June 17, 2021
3/5
I quite like the art of this one. The storyline is a little shaky though. One of those stories where everything would be fixed if they just communicated (which always annoys me). It is still quite nice though. A decent introduction to the start of the avengers.
I quite like the art of this one. The storyline is a little shaky though. One of those stories where everything would be fixed if they just communicated (which always annoys me). It is still quite nice though. A decent introduction to the start of the avengers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2018
The book is very unique.
January 2, 2022
What an awesome retelling of the origin of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!” Not only are there a lot of added details, the artwork is spectacular!
Thank you for the loan Oil City Library!
Thank you for the loan Oil City Library!
July 12, 2022
Avengers The Origin
Great book, quick read, but worth the time. Only downside, no Cap, but that's okay it was still a great story.
Great book, quick read, but worth the time. Only downside, no Cap, but that's okay it was still a great story.
August 25, 2022
Very exciting to read this book
May 18, 2023
Avengers
First graphic novel I have read in years. Takes me back to the days when comics were the best reading material ever. Nice story of the Avengers.
First graphic novel I have read in years. Takes me back to the days when comics were the best reading material ever. Nice story of the Avengers.
May 26, 2023
my first comic book
Very nicely illustrated just not my jam I guess. I figured I would give it a try. Loved how colorful it was.
Very nicely illustrated just not my jam I guess. I figured I would give it a try. Loved how colorful it was.
June 18, 2023
3.50
December 10, 2023
The Lee / Kirby origin of the Avengers retold and transposed to the 21st century by Casey and Noto.
August 2, 2023
As someone who is just now getting into comics, this feels like an adequate introduction to the heroes I am familiar with because of the Marvel movies. I feel as though I can judge these comics somewhat unbiased due to the fact that I have not read the original version from 1963.
January 15, 2013
Avengers: The Origin is another reboot/update of a classic superhero comic. It came out as a five-issue series in 2010, probably in anticipation of the release of Joss Whedon's [Marvel's] The Avengers [Assemble] movie. This graphic novel also tells the story of how the Avengers first formed, but is more of a throw-back to the comic book origin than a follow-on to a bunch of superhero movies.
As in the movie, Loki is the main bad guy, though here he is merely trying to get revenge on Thor because he really doesn't like his brother. And he's been banished to The Isle of Silence by Odin. Loki still causes problems for Thor by manipulating events on Earth. He gets a fairly articulate Hulk to go on a rampage, drawing a fistful of heroes to southwest America to find and contain the Hulk. Those heroes are Thor, Ironman, Ant Man, and The Wasp.
Non-comic readers probably are scratching their heads at the mention of Ant Man and The Wasp. Ant Man does in fact communicate with ants and is able to control them (much like Aquaman with fist), but he's also a brilliant scientist and can shrink himself down to ant-size. The Wasp is his girlfriend (they get married soon after The Avengers are formed in the 1960s comics) and she has similar control over flying insects and her size. What she lacks in scientific brilliance is made up for by her willingness to jump into any exciting and dangerous situation for some action.
As in the movie, the heroes do not work together at first and they have no idea of the bigger picture. Unlike the movie, Bruce Banner is nowhere to be seen, as if the Hulk can't revert to Banner. Thor eventually battles Loki while the other heroes battle the Hulk. The conflicts get resolved neatly and the heroes are united by the end.
The story moves along at a reasonable pace though it is not too exciting. The discussion at the end among the heroes of what their group's mission will be and how they will relate to the government is interesting. The art is okay but not in any way remarkable, except that the style mimics the 1960s visuals, especially with Ironman's first, boxy gold armor and Hulk a bit like a green Frankenstein's monster. Overall, there isn't enough high stakes, great action or cleverness to make the book really shine. I found it mediocre.
SAMPLE TEXT:
Thor, as he is fighting multiple Lokis on the Isle of Silence: The swarm will not deter me, half-brother--behold my righteous fury! [he smashes a bunch of fake Lokis] Enough of your tricks! Mjolnir will have the final say--and properly smite your army of evil! [his hammer Mjolnir smites the army of evil] And so! the truth is revealed--and you have nowhere left to hide!
Loki: I only cringe from your constant blustering, Thor!
That made me laugh out loud.
As in the movie, Loki is the main bad guy, though here he is merely trying to get revenge on Thor because he really doesn't like his brother. And he's been banished to The Isle of Silence by Odin. Loki still causes problems for Thor by manipulating events on Earth. He gets a fairly articulate Hulk to go on a rampage, drawing a fistful of heroes to southwest America to find and contain the Hulk. Those heroes are Thor, Ironman, Ant Man, and The Wasp.
Non-comic readers probably are scratching their heads at the mention of Ant Man and The Wasp. Ant Man does in fact communicate with ants and is able to control them (much like Aquaman with fist), but he's also a brilliant scientist and can shrink himself down to ant-size. The Wasp is his girlfriend (they get married soon after The Avengers are formed in the 1960s comics) and she has similar control over flying insects and her size. What she lacks in scientific brilliance is made up for by her willingness to jump into any exciting and dangerous situation for some action.
As in the movie, the heroes do not work together at first and they have no idea of the bigger picture. Unlike the movie, Bruce Banner is nowhere to be seen, as if the Hulk can't revert to Banner. Thor eventually battles Loki while the other heroes battle the Hulk. The conflicts get resolved neatly and the heroes are united by the end.
The story moves along at a reasonable pace though it is not too exciting. The discussion at the end among the heroes of what their group's mission will be and how they will relate to the government is interesting. The art is okay but not in any way remarkable, except that the style mimics the 1960s visuals, especially with Ironman's first, boxy gold armor and Hulk a bit like a green Frankenstein's monster. Overall, there isn't enough high stakes, great action or cleverness to make the book really shine. I found it mediocre.
SAMPLE TEXT:
Thor, as he is fighting multiple Lokis on the Isle of Silence: The swarm will not deter me, half-brother--behold my righteous fury! [he smashes a bunch of fake Lokis] Enough of your tricks! Mjolnir will have the final say--and properly smite your army of evil! [his hammer Mjolnir smites the army of evil] And so! the truth is revealed--and you have nowhere left to hide!
Loki: I only cringe from your constant blustering, Thor!
That made me laugh out loud.
March 24, 2013
The revisionist, modernized origin story has become a recurring staple of the super-hero genre ever since John Byrne relaunched Superman to great acclaim back in 1986. For the most part, however, the only thing that's been updated in this retelling of the first Avengers story is the dialogue - other than that, it's pretty much a straightforward retread of the 1963 Lee/Kirby AVENGERS #1. Loki tricks Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp into battling the Hulk; they eventually join forces and turn the tables on him. It's not terrible by any means, just completely unnecessary.
Factor in the decompressed storytelling of modern comics - what once took one issue to tell now takes five - and this ends up feeling like a bit of a gyp. The plot is razor-thin and less than epic in scope; a lot of padding could have been removed to wrap the story up in three issues or less... but then you wouldn't have enough material to fill up a $15 trade paperback.
The script by Joe Casey is fine if pedestrian (his dialogue for Thor and Loki is a bit overwrought), and the art by Phil Noto is capable but sometimes sketchy. This is an entertaining enough diversionary read, but at the end of the day, you're only left to wonder if there was any point to publishing this other than as a movie tie-in.
Factor in the decompressed storytelling of modern comics - what once took one issue to tell now takes five - and this ends up feeling like a bit of a gyp. The plot is razor-thin and less than epic in scope; a lot of padding could have been removed to wrap the story up in three issues or less... but then you wouldn't have enough material to fill up a $15 trade paperback.
The script by Joe Casey is fine if pedestrian (his dialogue for Thor and Loki is a bit overwrought), and the art by Phil Noto is capable but sometimes sketchy. This is an entertaining enough diversionary read, but at the end of the day, you're only left to wonder if there was any point to publishing this other than as a movie tie-in.
March 5, 2020
I never read the original Avengers story that this was based on, and since this was a five-issue miniseries that was basically a remake of that story, it seemed light compared to modern comic stories, and especially ones that were remakes of classic stories. The artwork by Phil Noto was nice, and one of the reasons why I bought it (that, and it was cheap), but it felt different than his later work, in some shots, when Ant-Man is small and riding the flying ant, he looks poorly drawn for some reason. This might be because this was Noto’s early work or who knows what else. The plot could’ve been more interesting and the side-plot of Hulk hiding at the Circus would’ve been great in a different story than here. The final scenes where the Avengers have their first meeting was fine, but it was weird when it was cutting to brief glimpses into the Avengers’ future, like what was the point of that?
Overall, I don’t know how this compares to the original story, but it did make me wonder how this would be if parts of this story was adapted into The Avengers movie. It was a simple enough story with some good dialogue here and there (especially Thor’s).
Overall, I don’t know how this compares to the original story, but it did make me wonder how this would be if parts of this story was adapted into The Avengers movie. It was a simple enough story with some good dialogue here and there (especially Thor’s).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2023
Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 113
The art work is fun and the writing is solid, but the entire book is unnecessary. And ill-conceived.
An "update" of the Avengers' origin story, brought into the 21st Century -- Tony Stark has a bluetooth ear piece, Rick Jones and his gang use the internet rather than ham radios, etc. And yet, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier is only in blueprint stage, the Hulk hides out in a travelling circus (as some sort of Ed Wood-esque "robot"), Wasp is more of a helpless sidekick constantly distracted by Thor and/or Ant-man (cuz she's a woman...and we all know how women are, amirite guys?!), and most of the costumes are right out of the 1960s original series.
None of it really makes sense because none of it really fits together. Unless there was some recent Marvel Universe-wide reboot that I was not aware of -- in that case, this book might make sense. Otherwise, it's a huge waste of some decent talent.
The art work is fun and the writing is solid, but the entire book is unnecessary. And ill-conceived.
An "update" of the Avengers' origin story, brought into the 21st Century -- Tony Stark has a bluetooth ear piece, Rick Jones and his gang use the internet rather than ham radios, etc. And yet, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier is only in blueprint stage, the Hulk hides out in a travelling circus (as some sort of Ed Wood-esque "robot"), Wasp is more of a helpless sidekick constantly distracted by Thor and/or Ant-man (cuz she's a woman...and we all know how women are, amirite guys?!), and most of the costumes are right out of the 1960s original series.
None of it really makes sense because none of it really fits together. Unless there was some recent Marvel Universe-wide reboot that I was not aware of -- in that case, this book might make sense. Otherwise, it's a huge waste of some decent talent.
June 10, 2013
Did you watch the Avengers that came out recently in theaters? Do you want to know how the group, the Avengers, was created or how the idea was formed? Then reading Avengers The Origin by Joe Casey is the book for you! Avengers The Origin is a graphic novel about the original members of the Avengers in the comic series. The book shows how the Avengers were assembled. The book also talks about the enemies of the Avengers, such as Thor’s step brother, Loki. Avengers The Origin is a classic and should be read if you watched the Avengers.
I recommend this book to people who are a fan of Marvel, super heroes and comic books. I enjoyed reading this book because the plot was really interesting. I love how the pictures were drawn too, it matches how vintage the comic book is.
I recommend this book to people who are a fan of Marvel, super heroes and comic books. I enjoyed reading this book because the plot was really interesting. I love how the pictures were drawn too, it matches how vintage the comic book is.
May 7, 2015
Does a reasonable job of updating the very dated but classic Avengers origin, but suffers from jumbling modern and vintage elements together.
Having Golden Age style costumes like Iron Man's original armour and dated plot beats like Hulk disguised as a circus robot looked odd next to flatscreen TVs and an otherwise modern setting.
Art is gorgeous, writing is decent, if it was just clearly placed either in the 60s or the 00s instead of some weird hybrid this could have been a really clever All Star Superman-esque update of a classic.
ps no one cares about rick jones, even if his friends are now assault rifle toting hackers instead of cb radio enthusiasts
Having Golden Age style costumes like Iron Man's original armour and dated plot beats like Hulk disguised as a circus robot looked odd next to flatscreen TVs and an otherwise modern setting.
Art is gorgeous, writing is decent, if it was just clearly placed either in the 60s or the 00s instead of some weird hybrid this could have been a really clever All Star Superman-esque update of a classic.
ps no one cares about rick jones, even if his friends are now assault rifle toting hackers instead of cb radio enthusiasts
April 20, 2016
The origin story for the Avengers was pretty decent but I wouldn't call it amazing. The plot mostly revolves around Loki who is trying to get the attention of Thor so he can attempt to kill him. Loki enrages the Hulk who goes on a rampage and hooks up with a traveling circus (wut?).
In the meantime, our heroes are becoming friends due to circumstances and realizing that alone they probably can't take on the Hulk but as a team they just might be able to. Iron Man, Ant Man, Wasp and Thor are the initial members of what will eventually become The Avengers.
I just wish the story was stronger and not just a random attempt by Loki to kill Thor.
In the meantime, our heroes are becoming friends due to circumstances and realizing that alone they probably can't take on the Hulk but as a team they just might be able to. Iron Man, Ant Man, Wasp and Thor are the initial members of what will eventually become The Avengers.
I just wish the story was stronger and not just a random attempt by Loki to kill Thor.
April 14, 2012
This book is a retelling of the first Avenger get together.
Hulk, manipulated by Loki (Thor's evil brother), causes a ruckus and some Hulk supporters send out a call to the Fantastic Four.
The call is intercepted by Iron Man, Ant Man and the Wasp. They have some much fun, they decide to form a team.
With crisp, clean art this book should appeal to fans and new readers.
The story line is based on the original story so it is aimed at a fairly young audience.
Notes
Includes a reprint of Avengers #1
Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers
Hulk, manipulated by Loki (Thor's evil brother), causes a ruckus and some Hulk supporters send out a call to the Fantastic Four.
The call is intercepted by Iron Man, Ant Man and the Wasp. They have some much fun, they decide to form a team.
With crisp, clean art this book should appeal to fans and new readers.
The story line is based on the original story so it is aimed at a fairly young audience.
Notes
Includes a reprint of Avengers #1
Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers
March 25, 2012
The idea of retelling the Avengers origin story in the modern setting is excellent, and Joe Casey was handed this chance on a platter... and totally screwed it up. It's even less engaging than the original, and Jan still comes off as the token female, there's no character development, and it completely lacks the sort of epic feel the Avengers coming together should have.
The only plus is that Phil Noto's art is simple but lovely.
The only plus is that Phil Noto's art is simple but lovely.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews