BEACH BUM COMICS : STEVE DITKO WORK ON MARVEL COMICS -- THE AVENGERS !!!

There has been a tremendous amount of talent during the course of Marvel Comics The Avengers comic book. But one seemed absent to me until lately.

My first Avengers comic book!

Avengers Annual #13 & 15 featured artwork by the amazing Steve Ditko! John Byrne has always done a great job inking Ditko, look at his Charlton Bullseye inks on Ditko. While I enjoy Klaus Janson, he does get to be a big heavy handed on inking Ditko. I favored Janson inking Frank Miller, that was a great match up.

Avengers Annual #13
"In Memory Yet Green"
Written by Roger Stern
Art by Steve Ditko & John Byrne (Byrne also did great inks on Ditko's Captain Atom.)
The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Wasp, Beast and Captain Marvel face The Fixer, Arnim Zola and a bevy of Hulk clones after called in to determine the purposes of Bruce Banner's labs at Northwind Observatory in the Catskill Mountains, full of his inventions.
Reprinted in Avemgers: Absolute Vision #2 trade paperback.

Avengers Annual #15
"Betrayal"
Written by Danny Fingeroth & Steve Englehart
Art by Steve Ditko & Klaus Janson
At Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, two teams of The Avengers take part in their first annual east vs. west baseball game. They are confronted by Freedom Force, who have orders to arrest the Avengers. Freedom Force is able to defeat the Avengers and transport them to the Vault where they are told they are to be put on trial for treason due to the testimony of a former Avenger. Guilty over her role in Freedom Force, Spider-Woman has a change of heart and helps break the Avengers out of the Vault. The Avengers manage to escape and vow to find out which former Avenger betrayed them.

Continued between Avengers #272 & West Coast Avengers Annual #1.
Reprinted in West Coast Avengers Omnibus #1.