AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES #1 - 4

Writer: Christopher Yost
Production: Taylor Esposito & Irene Y. Lee | Editors: Michael Horwitz & Nathan Cosby
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley | Executive Producer: Alan Fine

One thing that bugs me occasionally with tie-in comics is the chronology. Folks who read this blog regularly are quite aware that I take timelines very seriously. I like to know exactly where stories are taking place in relation to one another, down to the day if possible. And while this mini-series, published by Marvel in 2010 to tie in with the TV show, doesn't go quite that far, it does slot very neatly into place among the show's episodes. In all likelihood, that's due to the fact that the comic is written by the series' showrunner, Christopher Yost -- which gives this particular tie-in the distinction of being an official part of the series canon, unlike a lot of other such comics.

Each of the first three issues features one lead story and one backup, with the final issue being a book-length adventure. The timeline is a little weird, though: issue 1 obviously takes place after episode 13, "Gamma World Part 2", due to the fact that Hawkeye is among the Avengers. Issue 2's placement is nebulous, as Hawkeye doesn't appear, but it definitely takes place after episode 10, "Everything is Wonderful", by virtue of a cameo appearance from Wonder Man, and before episode 14, "Masters of Evil" since it depicts Baron Zemo recruiting a member of his team. Issue 3 is set after episode 11, "Panther's Quest", as Black Panther is among the Avengers, but it also precedes episode 12, "Gamma World Part 1", as the Hulk is still on the run. Finally, issue 4 is clearly set after episode 19, "The Kang Dynasty", because it features the full lineup (i.e., Hawkeye and Hulk are among the team), the Avengers are familiar with the Masters of Evil when they show up, and Cap makes refernce to Kang's invasion of Earth. Not sure why Yost went with a mostly chronological setup aside from Hawkeye's weird inclusion in issue 1, but what are you gonna do (aside from read #1 between 3 and 4 whenever re-reading the series to assuage your anal-retentive tendencies*)?

The backup stories jump around a lot more. Hawkeye and Black Panther are the stars of the first issue's backup, so it's clearly set after "Gamma World". Hulk is among the Avengers in the second story's backup, setting it either prior to episode 8, "Some Assembly Required" (which is possible since we never see Captain America, Hawkeye, or Black Panther in the story) or subsequent to "Gamma World". Issue 3's backup stars only Captain America and the Wasp, so it can be placed anywhere after episode 9, "Living Legend".

Now, without further ado, on with the show -- err, comic: