Avengers

The end of Avengers: Age of Ultron introduced a new lineup of Marvel’s A-game heroes, with Scarlet Witch, Falcon, War Machine and Vision joining the team. With all the new and upcoming heroes to be introduced in the MCU, it’s safe to assume that by the time Infinity War rolls around, that lineup will undergo a bit of a change once again, and according to directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo, that’s definitely the idea.

A ways back, Avengers director and ex-Marvel mainstay Joss Whedon seemed to cast shade at ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. over Coulson’s resurrection, despite he himself directing the pilot, noting that movies would consider the character dead. Now, Whedon clarifies his comments, denying he regrets keeping Clark Gregg in his badass role, even as Marvel TV tends to get the movies’ “leftovers.”

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. Nobody’s perfect, and just because the House of Ideas has been responsible for some of the greatest spectacles in comic history doesn’t mean they haven’t had their fair share of awful moments as well. This week, we point our all seeing eye of judgment at five of the worst offenders.

Since we didn't actually get to spend much time with the Avengers in their formative days, TinyCo's figured that's the perfect timeframe to place its upcoming game, Avengers Academy. Instead of being the underpowered teens they would have been in the real comic world, Avengers Academy takes the heroes and villains we all know today, powers and all, and drops them into the most dangerous adventure yet: high school. With the constant bickering, backstabbing, odd romantic entanglements, power dynamic struggles and all the drama being a tightly knit group of friends entails, you'd think the Avengers were perpetually stuck in high school already. That's not the case, though you could argue being stuck in relatively the same five years of their lives over the last 50 years is equally as terrifying as being stuck in high school for eternity.

The holiday season is upon us, and with that comes gifts! It's always lovely to receive something special from someone you love, but there's also a particular pleasure that comes in giving a really well chosen gift and knowing that it's truly appreciated. Sometimes it really is better to give than to receive! So in that spirit, ComicsAlliance is here to inspire you with some great ideas for gifts to buy for your friends and family. Each gift guide is taiored to a particular personality type or special interests, starting with gifts for the Marvel movie fan in your life!

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. Thanks to all those blockbuster movies, The Avengers are arguably the most well known superhero team in the world, but with every success story that makes a character like Iron Man a household name, there are those less well known and D-List heroes who are still waiting for their moment in the spotlight. Hopefully today we’ll succeed in shining a light on five deserving Avengers!

After the first Avengers movie, many Marvel fans voiced their excitement over a potential Hulk spinoff movie. The first two Hulk movies were mostly critical and commercial disappointments, but this was a new Hulk, one that Marvel had finally cracked. But, despite Hulk’s popularity within the Marvel Cinematic Universe being at an all-time high, Marvel currently has no plans for a standalone Hulk movie. In fact, star Mark Ruffalo says that a Hulk movie now “feels even further away” than it ever has.

Devilishly handsome. Magnificently deviant. Criminally charming. Loki is many things, and now you can count stunning masterpiece among the superlatives bandied about when discussing the Marvel Cinematic Universe's trickster god. Thanks to Sideshow Collectibles, fans of Tom Hiddleston's incarnation of the character will soon be able to swoon over a premium format figure of the blue-eye mischief maker. Teased earlier this year, the large-scale statue is a tremendous piece of work, and one that captures the danger and attraction all at once. Captured in his guise from the first Avengers film, Loki is presented in his horned helm and traditional deep green garb. The lengthy fabric cape is a brighter shade, and complements the dark, leather-like pants and jacket trimmed in gold. There's a lot of terrific detail in the figure itself, including some outstanding texturing throughout the sleeves and chest. I don't know who does Loki's tailoring, but the facsimile job Sideshow does in on point.

Kamala Khan is an Avenger now, and that's pretty great. Miles Morales is also an Avenger now, and that's great too. And, of course, Jane Foster is Thor, and Sam Wilson is Captain America, and Vision is Vision, and Sam Alexander is Nova, and... well, Tony Stark is still Iron Man, I think. But I'd be happy if they replaced that guy too, because replacing those other heroes has honestly made this one of the most exciting and vibrant Avengers line-ups in years! Let's replace Tony Stark with America Chavez! But even with boring ol' Tony sticking around, I am on board for this team, and hopefully you are too. But in case you need convincing, here's an unlettered preview of All-New All-Different Avengers #1 by Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has increasingly weaved its own threads against the larger backdrop of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but its latest Season 3 addition brings with it a major Avengers tie. Powers Boothe will lend his particular brand of menace to a recurring Agents role this season, fleshing out his mysterious figure from the 2012 film.