AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION: THE GATHERING

Bob Harras edited several titles as Ralph Macchio’s assistant, mostly tie-ins such as Micronauts, Rom, Saga of Crystar and U.S. 1. He subsequently became chief editor of the X-Men titles and wrote for multiple series, including a three-year run on Avengers. Graduating to editor in chief, he oversaw well-received runs of Captain America, Daredevil, Deadpool and other titles, as well as the controversial second Clone Saga in the 1990s’ Spider-Man titles. Harras has since worked as contributing editor at WildStorm and collected editions editor for DC Comics. He began a decade-long stint as DC’s editor in chief in 2010.

Glenn Herdling worked as an assistant editor on Amazing Spider-Man starting in 1987, helping the title enjoy a period of record-breaking success. He was later promoted to editorial director of Marvel’s custom-publishing division and designed the company’s first comic-book-style annual reports. His writing career began on Namor.

Roy Thomas joined the Marvel Bullpen as a writer and editor under Stan Lee, scripting key runs of nearly every title of the time: Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Thor, X-Men and more. He wrote the first 10 years of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan; and launched such series as Defenders, Iron Fist, Invaders and Warlock. At DC, he developed All-Star Squadron, Infinity Inc. and related titles, proving instrumental in reviving the Golden Age Justice Society of America. Thomas later became editor of Alter Ego, a magazine devoted to comic-book history, and co-scripted the sword-and-sorcery films Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer.

With a career stretching back to First Comics, Steve Epting made his name at Marvel with an eminent fifty-issue run on Avengers during the mid-’90s. He also contributed to Factor X, part of the "Age of Apocalypse" event. After working with writers Mark Waid and Chuck Dixon on various CrossGen titles, Epting returned to Marvel to embark on his first collaboration with writer Ed Brubaker on what turned out to be one of the all-time great Captain America runs. The pair also united for the Golden Age-era miniseries The Marvels Project. Epting’s work with writer Jonathan Hickman includes the much-publicized death of the Human Torch in an epic run of Fantastic Four.

Geoff Isherwood’s penciling work ranges from Daredevil and Doctor Strange to Silver Surfer and Conan the Barbarian. He has also been a book-cover designer and film storyboard artist.

John Buscema (1927-2002) literally wrote the book on being a Marvel artist — namely, How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way — and few were better qualified. His career dated back to the Timely/Atlas era of the late ’40s and early ’50s. Soon after beginning the Marvel Age of Comics, Stan Lee recruited Buscema from the advertising field to the Marvel Bullpen. Buscema followed a long run on Avengers with the long-anticipated first Silver Surfer series. He subsequently succeeded Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four, Thor and other titles. By the time of his retirement in 1996, Buscema had penciled nearly every Marvel title — including his personal favorite, Conan the Barbarian.