Assembling Avengers

I haven't done any real kind of collecting in a very long time. I used to collect comics - though now, I just read them. In high school, it was important to have every comic bagged and boarded and in mint condition, and to try to get complete sets of things. Back then, there was the belief that you could make a fortune one day selling your comic collection. That dream was part of it. But more, it was just the challenge and adventure of collecting. This was well before the internet. If there was a back issue you wanted, you couldn't just jump on eBay and pick it up. You had to constantly check the back issue long boxes at your Local Comic Store (tm), or check out other shops outside your area, or attend local conventions, or hit up garage or yard sales. In the end, though, the best thing about collection was setting a goal and reaching it - that feeling of accomplishment as your collection grew, and finally, if you were that vigilant, was completed.

But as I said, comics stopped being a collecting hobby for me and became about reading. This is why I much prefer the trade paperback over the individual issues. I no longer have the desire to bag and board, to worry over condition, to keep track of current values on each issue (values which mean little anymore in today's internet buying market). Give me a trade I can read and stick on a book shelf, and I'm fine.

But I recently found myself bitten again by the collecting bug. It wasn't for comics this time. Well...it sort of was...

I discovered a line of lead, hand-painted figurines, based on both Marvel and DC characters, created and sold in the U.K. by a company called Eaglemoss. The figurines themselves were cool enough - all between 3.5 and 4 inches, with great detail paid to every aspect of the character's look - but it was the overwhelming variety that blew my mind. As of this writing, there are 100 of the Marvel ones available, and the next 40 of them have been announced. As a fan of Marvel since I first stepped up from Richie Rich to super-hero comics, I was quite giddy to see that rather than just having the usual Spider-Man, Wolverine and Hulk figures you would expect, Eaglemoss was offering figurines based on the likes of Wonder Man...Quicksilver...Madrox...Doc Sampson...and the Scott Lang Ant-Man! They had a huge range of both heroes and villains (who doesn't want their own Galactus?), and it appeared that they planned to just keep on making more.

I tracked down their web site and browsed through the shots of all the available Marvel figures (as Marvel, not DC, is my primary interest). I found out these figurines are only available in the U.K., which surprised me. But, of course, I also found out quickly that different comic shops in the U.S. were importing and selling them. And I learned, also, how these things are marketed, and it's a really neat idea. Each figurine comes with its own magazine - a magazine filled with nothing but history, info and art on that specific character. The characters, in fact, are listed by issue number - Spider-Man was issue #1 of the magazine, Banshee was #100. Customers are able to "subscribe" to the magazine. Every two weeks (or, as they say in the U.K., "fortnightly"), you receive a new issue and its corresponding figure in the mail. That's a good deal for people who plan to "collect 'em all", and I can see that being a nice goal. But me? I had something else in mind.

Looking over the figures, I was happy to see how many members of my favorite era of The Avengers (late 1970s, roughly issues 140 - 200) were available. And I quickly realized that pretty much all of them were. It was then that I decided if I were to buy any of these, that would be my collection - the 70s Avengers. After a few days, I thought about it again, started looking at them on eBay, and found a good price on a Hawkeye figure. I went ahead and got it, figuring that if I was only to get one of these things, that's the one Marvel character I'd most want to have. Unfortunately, when it came in the mail and I saw how damned cool it was, and loved the not-too-small, not-too-big size of it, I started hankering for more. Maybe just one more, I told myself...

I am now fully committed to building my Avengers team. Though I'm also in no hurry, which is definitely a good thing for someone with...you know...no job. Yeah, not a great time to pick up a new addiction. But that's a good thing, I think. Just grabbing them all up at once wouldn't be any fun. I'm getting to experience that collecting rush again, and the patience and anticipation that comes with it. I can't afford to pay much for any of them, so I'm forced to wait to find good deals...the ones too good to pass up, generally. And the other challenge is that they're not all easy to find. Obviously, the more popular the character, the quicker their figures sold out. This means some are going to be harder to find, and if you can find them, they're going to cost you more. I can afford the occasional luck-out when I'll find a sale at on online store (like I did when I found some selling for $6 each), and the more typical price when I do have a little money available. I'm sure a few months ago if I'd discovered these, I'd have been piling them up and would need a display case by now. But thanks to budgeted living, I'm very pleased to have picked up five of my Avengers (of the twelve of that era that I consider "my" Avengers) and one Avengers villain, and look forward to watching "the old order changeth!" over time.


Just for kicks, I threw together a page showing my goal and where I'm at in completing it:

Avengers Assembling

I'm just a fan of checklists. They're both a good motivator and a great way to measure completion of a goal. Not doing too bad so far. Obviously, the bigger-name Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man) are going to be tough to track down. I saw a Cap out there for around $30.00, and that's definitely more than I want to spend on this hobby at this time in my life, so I'm waiting until I find a better deal somewhere. Besides...Cap would be more satisfying to pick up at the end of things. Same with Iron Man...and I'm sure I'll have to, as I've yet to see a single Iron Man out there (the regular Iron Man...there's a special "movie" variant that's the gray armor from the start of the film, so not what I need for my team). If I was going to Comic-Con this year, I'm sure this is what I'd be spending my time and cash on. But looks like I'll be sticking to Comic-Con: The Home Game for my Avengers shopping.

The only one marked off there that I don't have in my hands yet is the Falcon. That's on its way in the mail. The rest you see checked are sitting here in front of my computer monitor on my desk. While I'm looking forward to getting them all, the only one that disappoints me a little is the figurine for the Beast. They based it off the latter-day, Grant Morrison Beast, and I was hoping for the Avengers-era Beast...the more gorilla-based, less kitty-cat-based one. Plus, the modern costume? Really lame. But, that's the only Beast available, and I can't have a 70s Avengers team without a Beast. Who would Wonder Man have to go out and get drunk with? And it looks like my checklist is going to have to grow down the road, as I've found out since that they're putting out a Jocasta figure (who makes a Jocasta figure?! I love these guys!), as well as one for the coolest 70s-era Avengers villain (to me) - the Taskmaster! I might also have to pick up the Scott Lang Ant-Man, even though he technically just guest-starred with my Avengers team. But I still got the love for the Lang (may he rest in peace...sniff...). I figure after I've completed "my" Avengers, I'll probably move on to adding all the additional Avengers from over the years - though part of me does hope, if that's the case, that they don't get around to making a Starfox figure...

If you're a comic fan, I don't see any way you can not love these things. There's something in both the Marvel and DC collections for everyone. Chances are one of your favorite characters, good or evil, is available, or soon will be. You can take a look at all the visuals of the available characters at the Eaglemoss sites, here:

Marvel Figurines
DC Figurines

If you want to take a look at the full current list of available and forthcoming figures, and their order, there are good lists for both on Wiki:

Marvel List
DC List

If you want to see them in person, check out your local comic store, as some do carry them, but most stores only have a handful. Or do an eBay or a Google Shopping search for "Marvel Figurines" or "DC Figurines" to find online options. If you're like me, you'll find a new hobby...and assure that another portion of your home outs you as a big nerd.

The upcoming Black Knight figurine

Shang-Chi will whup your ASS.

Madrox - with modern costume

That's Bat-tastic!

In blackest night...!