If I was a kid, this would be my favorite show. The animation is crisp, clear and imaginative. The storylines are age-appropriate with plot structures that aren’t too sophisticated but interesting enough for the average kid/pre-teen. I could easily see how a teen/adult might find this a sort of guilty pleasure. Its viewer rating of 8.8 on IMDB hints that this might be the case.
This animated series first aired as a micro-series of 20 episodes in late 2010. Season 1 with 26 episodes started airing in the US in June of 2011. It was picked up for a second season, the premier of which featuring Dr. Doom from the Fantastic Four has only been screened so far at the San Diego and NY Comic-cons.
Volume 3 contains episodes (14-19) and centers around Avengers Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America, with Hawkeye, Black Panther, Antman/Giantman and Wasp playing sort of supporting roles. Black Widow, Mockingbird and Ms. Marvel are said to be making an appearance in season 2.
While there was speculation that Black Panther would appear in the Avengers movie (perhaps part 2?), his presence in this animated series would surely hint at the possibility, even though his character is not one of the “featured” roles.
The Bonus feature includes “an animated in-episode comic book experience loaded with fun facts on Marvel’s Avengers and the Villains that challenge them.” This featurette is great because it gives viewers who might not have read the comics a lot of background information on the characters like how Wasp named the team, or how Hawkeye was an orphan who learned how to shoot the bow and arrow in a traveling carnival, or how Jarvis was Tony Stark’s butler in the comics whose character was changed to a faithful roboticized computer system in the cartoon and the film.
Season 2 of the Avengers animated series should be airing in early 2012. The complete first season will be coming out on Blu-Ray on November 8, 2011.
Grade: A.
Here are some images from the series….
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