Who wouldn't want coldfeet at this wedding?
Franklin Hall aka Graviton holds some people hostage. The Avengers receive a phone call on the situation and they spring into action with intentions on putting an end to the threat. They learn Graviton is more than capable of holding his own with them, and a huge battle breaks out between Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Master of the Fundamental Force. -summary
Marvel has been doing an awesome job over the last several years with their selections on which stories should make it into TPB form. I think it's a great idea how they're focusing on popular, and even not so popular stories of the past. They could very easily place their efforts only on more recent works, as well as more mainstream characters, and we would see a horde of titles featuring X-Men, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and whoever else it is they think fans should be reading. So instead of giving us those stories starring characters we see everywhere and all the time, they break open the time capsule and give us another Avengers TPB with some excellent stories written by Jim Shooter, one of the few writers who knew how to work with the team. This TPB collects The Avengers 158 - 167 dating from 1976 - 1977. These are some very entertaining and highly action packed stories, that pits this particular team consisting of Iron Man (Leader), Captain America, Thor, Wasp, Yellow-Jacket, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Beast, and Wonder Man, against some of the teams most powerful yet vastly under-rated powerhouses. If you love comics, then you will more than likely love this book.
The book begins with the first appearance of Graviton, who decimates the Avengers team in a fashion that could rival Magneto's systematic demolishing of the second X-Men team. His ability is the complete control and manipulation of gravity, and the battle segments are pretty damn cool, in which there's a moment when he increases the gravity of a pencil to one ton and uses it as a weapon. His abilities are further examined as he's even able to battle Thor.
Another story features the Grim Reaper, as he tries to learn the true fate of his brother Wonder Man. This is the weaker of the stories, yet it's still very good. The mad robot with the adamantium body Ultron returns seeking a bride. This is a good battle that not only showcases Ultron's power as he even takes on the combined might of Thor and Wonder Man, but also the sinister nature of the robot as his main intent is to seriously humble his creator Hank Pym aka Yellow Jacket, before he attempts to painfully kill him. The best story to me is definitely the return of Count Nefaria, who was last seen battling the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men 95. He undergoes a strength enhancement process that grants him the powers of the Living Laser, Whirlwind, and Powerman (later to become Goliath and Atlas). The enhancement is a success, and he not only inherits their powers, but those powers are increased a hundred-fold. This is a very good knock out drag out fight that even has a showdown against Thor.
The action is no doubt what makes these stories, and there's no real attempt here at high art. I have no problem with this since it accomplishes its aim. However, there are smaller elements taking place, with a dissension in the ranks between Captain America and Iron Man being worth noting, with the Captain no longer respecting him as a leader. It just so happens that Iron Man's second identity as Tony Stark is constantly getting in the way, and at this time, the Avengers don't know Iron Man and Stark are the same person.
Despite a few things taking place on the side with characters in their own books, Thor and Iron Man to be specific, as well as inner turmoil between Wonder Man and Vision which is lightly covered. The book is still newbie friendly to the point where these things aren't really distracting. Readers will get a good enough idea on how the characters think since there is some development. For my personal gripe, I was never too fond of the Beast as an Avenger. He always felt out of place to me with the Avengers, and the way he's handled here only solidifies my reasoning. But then again, perhaps it's just my natural dislike for the character, because I never cared for him even in the X-Men books.
The artwork is delivered by Sal Buscema, John Byrne, and George Perez. There are moments where it can feel dated, still though, the action panels can be too cool. The character designs are good for their time, and they were still able to make the Scarlet Witch and Wasp sexy looking without being over the top. There's also some good detail with the coloring when grouping characters on a single page. I can't think of a bad thing to say here besides time catching up with the look.
The Avengers: Bride of Ultron is a great book for fans; with guest stars such as The Champions and Guardians of the Galaxy, plus it sets some things in motion for one of the greatest Avenger stories ever being the Korvac Saga. I have to say this is one TPB that comic fans shouldn't miss. Only one thing, this book is in a pocket book format which means its pretty small, the hardcover is also accessible for those interested in it. In any case, read this story if you love superheroes.
Pros: Great batch of action packed stories
Cons: Artwork may feel dated to some