THE AVENGERS: EARTHS MIGHTIEST HEROES! – VOL. 3 & 4
(not rated)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
Now that Disney owns Marvel outright, the Avengers are assembling under the new umbrella of the Mouse House. “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!” has two new volumes of animated episodes hitting the streets. Volume 3, subtitled “Iron Man Unleashed,” follows the greatest Marvel heroes fighting against an alien invasion. Volume 4, subtitled “Thor’s Last Stand,” see the Avengers fight against an army of robots.
Each volume contains a half-dozen or so episodes form the television series to produce a long-form story. Volume 3 features episodes 14 through 19, while Volume 4 takes us from episode 20 through 26 to wrap up the season.
The fun part of these shows is the combination of heroic forces. The biggest names in the Marvel universe (with the exception of non-Disney film properties like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four) have assembled: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk.
I know that the big budget films are where the money’s at, but for quality of storytelling, comprehensive character use and respect for original source material, the animated series are the best places to find your comic book heroes. “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!” continues that practice.
Both DVD sets come with animated in-episode comic book experiences with fun facts about the heroes and villains of the Marvel universe.