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With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Number of Issues: 35
First Issue: June 2007 ($2.99)
Last Issue: June 2010 ($2.99)
Writer: Dan Slott, Christos Gage
Artist: Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and others

Following the events of Marvel’s Civil War, Iron Man (then-current director of S.H.I.E.L.D.) set up the Initiative to supply each state with their very own team of super-heroes. In order to produce fifty super-teams, the government has to find, recruit and train plenty of super-powered individuals. A group of new would-be heroes (Armory, Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, MVP, Slapstick, Thor Girl, Trauma, Ultra Girl and many others) make up the first wave of recruits to enter Camp Hammond and get whipped into shape by their drill sergeant, the Gauntlet. The higher-ups at Camp Hammond include Justice (former New Warrior and Avenger), Yellowjacket (Hank Pym), Henry Gyrich (Secretary of the Superhuman Armed Forces) and Baron Werner Von Blitzschlag (former Nazi scientist).

In an unfortunate accident, one of the new recruits gets killed in a training accident and the team sees the not-so-innocent face of the Initiative, as it tries to sweep the incident under the rug. The kids continue to develop their powers as well as their battle skills and quickly get caught up in the Hulk‘s invasion of New York. During this time, we also see the Shadow Initiative in play. This is Gyrich’s “secret” team of more experienced ex-villains including Bengal, the Constrictor and the mysterious Mutant Zero (a red-headed female with fire powers. hmmmm…..) who are available for shady ops. The team also included the Scarlet Spiders, a group of three clones wearing armor previously designed for Spider-Man.

As time progresses, more recruits are added to the Initiative including Ant-Man III, Crusader, Dragon Lord, Diamondback, Batwing, Prodigy, Annex and another experienced instructor … the Taskmaster! And, as much as it seems that they’ve got a few snakes in their grass … the Initiative learns of even more during the Skrulls’ Secret Invasion. In fact, one of the top leaders of the Initiative is a skrull agent and has planted a skrull in every super-team that it’s churned out! With the help of the new 3-D Man‘s glasses, along with the new Skrull Kill Krew, the Initiative is able to pinpoint the skrulls and join in on the final battle to ward off the alien invasion.

After the Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn replaced Iron Man as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He shut down Camp Hammond, cleaned house and renamed it Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. with much the same focus. However, many of the true heroes left (including the Gauntlet and Tigra) to form their own group, the New Warriors – the Avengers Resistance, with the purpose of defying Osborn’s new evil order. Meanwhile, the Shadow Initiative was on a mission in Madripoor to take down a Hydra cell but were left without any assistance when Norman’s Dark Reign took over. Upon their successful return, they and the newest recruits of Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. were sent as cannon fodder to weaken Blastaar and his forces. They had gained control of Prison 42 in the Negative Zone (where all the villains get locked up) and Norman wanted it back in his command. After the initial attack against Blastaar, Osborn sent in his Thunderbolts to secure the situation.

The final story arc of this series followed the Taskmaster as he was promoted within the Initiative. It asked the question: how can a money-hungry mercenary hope to survive amongst the likes of truly evil villains like Doctor Doom and Loki? He, along with many other heroes and villains, was brought along on the Siege against Asgard where he had to make an important decision between his latest job or his life.

The Bad: Each story arc is heavily tied in with the current Marvel Event that was happening at the time. And, there are easily more than 50 characters found within these pages. Readers unfamiliar with the Marvel Universe will likely feel extremely lost.

the Good: For a Marvel Zombie like me, this book is pure sugary goodness. There’s plenty of great characterization of D-list characters to be had and the extremely detailed artwork by Caselli makes it even sweeter! All of the events are used to progress the characters and don’t feel all that forced. The final story arc puts a bright spotlight on Taskmaster and really delves into what makes him tick. In an era where decompression has become a major gripe with many fans, this book shines as a beacon of awesomeness – stuffing TONS of story into each issue. The entire series was filled with fun and wonderment with a great side of secrets, conspiracies, mysteries and paranoia.

The Verdict: As long as you’re a big Marvel Fan, you’re going to love this book. There are so many familiar characters here, as well as plenty of brand-new ones (many of whom have interesting ties to established Marvel characters). Since the book initially follows these new recruits into the world of superheroics, the narrative gives us a great chance to take a look at some of the heroes we’ve come to know so well in an all-new light. Caselli’s art is ultra-detailed and truly a delight to admire. And, while the other artists suffer only by comparison, the second runner-up has got to be Molina (the artist of the last story arc). A book like this, full of D-Listers, is so great because it can actually move the storyline of these characters ahead. Watch for important developments here in the lives of Tigra and the New Warriors (especially Speedball/Penance), as well as some great moments between Diamondback and the Constrictor. The other great part of this series was the characterization. Amidst all the action and adventure, the writers were able to plug so many moments into the series that shined a light on who these characters are and what motivates them. And, with that in mind, the final story arc must not be missed by any Taskmaster fan. This series reminds me of why I enjoy comics so much. The great art, characterization, intrigue, plot developments and references to previous continuity kept me coming back for more. I can only hope that this quality is continued when it’s relaunched as Avengers Academy.

On Ebay: Avengers | Dan Slott | Christos Gage | Stefano Caselli

With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Number of Issues: 12
First Issue: December 2006 ($2.99)
Last Issue: November 2007 ($2.99)
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Phil Hester

Eric O’Grady is a bit of a dirtbag. Alright … he’s a huge scumbag. He’s a liar, a cheater, a thief, a peeping tom, a fast-talker … the list goes on and on. He’s also a low-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and when the situation presented itself to him, he stole the newest Ant-Man suit that Hank Pym was developing for S.H.I.E.L.D. as the ultimate spying device. The costume allows him to shrink down to ant-size (while maintaining his full-sized strength), communicate with ants and fly utilizing poweful thrusters. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t create food out of thin air … and a guy’s gotta eat! So, on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. (who certainly wants this high-priced gadget back), Eric has to make … or steal … a living for himself. In the months that follow, he befriends the Black Fox and finds employment with Damage Control. But, S.H.I.E.L.D. wants that suit back and you can bet that they’ll get it!

The Bad: In today’s world of flashy, ultra-detailed artists, Phil Hester’s work seems kind of basic. Oh … and the “hero” of the book isn’t all that likeable. The title certainly holds true here!

The Good: Kirkman exercises his familiarity with the Marvel Universe by including lesser-known characters: the Black Fox (an old Spider-Man villain) and Damage Control (the guys who clean up the mess after the super-hero vs super-villain fight is over). After this series was canceled, the character went on to be featured in Avengers: the Initiative. It’s nice to see he wasn’t so quickly discarded and forgotten.

The Verdict: Kirkman set out to create the world’s most unlikeable super-hero. And he succeeded! This title was canceled one year after it debuted. It was certainly a unique approach to comics storytelling – making the lead character “irredeemable”. It was a strange experience not liking the “hero” of the book … and hoping he got what was coming to him. But, even with that in mind … I really enjoyed the whole “switcheroo” he pulled in the last issue. When all is said and done, I still don’t like the character but I do admire his cunning. And, the mixed emotions of rooting both for and against the main character was a new experience for me.

On Ebay: Ant-Man | Robert Kirkman | Phil Hester