Issue(s): Avengers #2, Avengers #3
Cover Date: Dec 96 - Jan 97
Title: "First blood" / "In love and war"
Credits:
Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, & Jeph Loeb - Writer
Chap Yaep - Penciler
Jon Sibal - Inker
Rob Liefeld - Editor

Review/plot:
The Avengers fight Kang.

Mantis plays the role normally played by Ravonna here (possibly a misread of the Celestial Madonna saga? Or just Liefeld throwing random stuff together).

She hasn't spent quite as much time in the leg extender as the Enchantress, but it's close (and it's Yaep, not Liefeld, on pencils here). The Swordsman vaguely remembers Mantis, which is in line with other hints that we'll see in the Heroes Reborn books that the characters come from the real Marvel universe (i.e. this isn't just a clean reboot), except that Swordsman wasn't one of the characters who died during Onslaught.

I earnestly enjoy the development of Ultron in the early issues of this series.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 123,581. Single issue closest to filing date = 127,245.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: It's said that the Fantastic Four are "otherwise engaged" during this fight. A footnote points to FF #2, but issue #2 starts with a continuation of the FF's fight with the Mole Man, and after that they are prisoners of SHIELD until Namor's attack, which Captain America and Thor participate in. So the FF can't be occupied with the events of FF #2 here. Luckily the panel showing the FF doesn't depict any event in particular.

Hulk appears next issue, placing this after the initial Iron Man arc (which also results in the destruction of Avengers Island).

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A