Going Out On A High Note

The Avengers No. 56 (2002)
Marvel Comics
Kurt Busiek, writer
Yanick Paquette and Ray Snyder, artists

Back in 1996, most of the Avengers, along with the Fantastic Four, were apparently killed off by the villainous Onslaught. The Avengers, the F.F., Captain America and Iron Man all had their respective titles relaunched with new No. 1s under the banner "Heroes Reborn" and their various continuities were all rebooted. That lasted for one year before it was revealed to both the readers and the characters that instead of being killed by Onslaught, they had been shunted off to a pocket universe. Naturally, upon learning this, the heroes combined forces to return to their proper reality, and in 1997, the four titles again relaunched with new No. 1s under the banner "Heroes Return."

The 1997 Avengers relaunch was led by writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Perez, both very much fan favorites, to say the least. Perez left the title with issue No. 34, but Busiek remained until mid-2002, turning this stand-alone issue in as the finale for his run.

Similar to Busiek's creator-owned title, Astro City, this issue focuses a bit more on the aftermath and consequences of superheroics on regular people's lives — specifically, who is liable for damage done when heroes and villains clash in populated areas.

In addition to providing the Avengers with their mansion home base, Tony Stark (the team's own armored Avenger, Iron Man) has created the Maria Stark Foundation, a nonprofit organization that handles all those niggling details after a dust-up. However, in a real-world twist, the Stark Foundation must answer to the government on expenditures in order to maintain its nonprofit, tax-exempt status. Also, they don't want to pay for fraudulent damage claims, just as a responsible course of doing business. Therefore, at least periodically, Avengers missions and the consequences must be audited.

This issue has a number of Avengers gathered together to meet with these Stark Foundation auditors to relate, and sometimes justify, their actions in a recent mission pitting the team against the Elements of Doom, several non-sentient entities scientifically created to wreak havoc. The issue is presented very tongue-in-cheek and mixes a great deal of humor with the expected level of superhero mayhem.

I haven't read Busiek's entire run from this incarnation of The Avengers, but I've enjoyed most of what I have read of the title. This issue is by far one of the best of that run.