Deviant Designs Deeds

  As I now own virtually all of the Avengers (Still mising issue 11, although I have it in reprint) I am going to start re reading them and posting some views and opinons. Some of these issues I would have only read once while others have been read and read. Should be fun revisiting them. I originally discoverd the Avengers with the UK reprint title launched in 1972, which of course came with some free superhero transfers that I remember keeping on the side around at home for years before finally surcoming to thier siren call and using them.. This reprinted issue started with issue 4 of the American comics and it was some years before I read the first 3 issues,

Caveat, I am a big Avengers fan. Anyway I recently picked up a batch of secret Avengers 1-15 for around £1/issue. The premise is that Steve Rogers (no longer Captain America) brings together a group of avengers for secret missions. Key members are Back Widow, Ant Man, Moon Knight, War Machine (blocks the comms channels), Valkyrie , Beast, Prince of Orphans (a new one for me) with guests by Nova (very subtle hero here) and Shang Chi. Although I have enjoyed these it has struck me that there are several things wrong with how it is written. 1) There is too much fighting, in the open, using loud weapons (War Machine is a member) 2) The missions do not really use the skill set of the key characters, or focus on the type of missions you would expect given the premise. Antman is used a bit, Moon Knight uses a disguise but beyond that its really point and hit. 3) There is little characterisation, the characters do not really interact and there is very little...

Phase 1 avengers now complete. Not all in the correct unifrom but as good as I could get for a very small cost:- Individually we have the Hank Pym the Ant Man (also present as Giant Man/Goliath) Wasp And a not so well painted Thor All based on bits of scrap slate picked off of someones drive. Broken up with a hammer. Interestingly this can be drilled so offered up a bit more flexibility than I originally thought. Next batch are the phase two avengers (Caps Kooky Quartet) and lesser lights, Black Widow (not officially a member for some time after her early appearances), QuickSilver, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Hercules. Which ignoring the traitorous Wonder Man and Swordsman take me up to the period before Black Panther joined, followed by the Vision and Yellow Jacket would mean I have covered all members up until issue 100 (and I have a Mantis and Beast somewhere), which if I am correct would take me up until around 150.

About time I got around to these repaints of some heroclix figures I picked up some time ago. I have been a big fan of the Avengers since the early eighties and am only missing a few issues of the original series. Unfortunately the ones I am missing are the ones that cost the most. I black wash the prepainted heroclix figure. Then base coat the colour I intend on using and highlight up. Still takes me around an hour. They are based on a mix of pieces of slate (picked up off the road) and some filler. I was trying to get the impression hulk had just smashed into the ground from a jump. I painted the base while the undercoat was drying (I was impatient), effectively blending the colours I dry brushed on together. So first off the Incredible Hulk Then Iron Man in a latter armour, I would prefer an earlier armour but am prepared to wait until the price is right. Finally an old John Constantine figure (from Black Cat) with the hulk giving him some needed muscle (for scale).