AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION: COURT MARTIAL

Jim Shooter entered the comic-book field at age 14 as writer and penciler of the “Legion of Super-Heroes” feature in Adventure Comics. Later moving to Marvel, he wrote Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-in-One and other titles. As editor in chief, he tightened Marvel’s publishing schedule; added new titles; nurtured fresh talent; launched the New Universe; and wrote the 12-issue Secret Wars and its sequel, Secret Wars II. Eventually leaving Marvel, Shooter wrote for Valiant, Defiant and Broadway Comics before entering different creative fields at Phobos Entertainment and TGS Inc. Later returning to DC to write Legion of Super-Heroes, he subsequently helped revamp Gold Key heroes at Dark Horse.

Bill Mantlo began his Marvel career on Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, in which he introduced White Tiger, one of the industry’s earliest Hispanic super heroes. Eventually writing stories for almost every Marvel title, he did some of his most fondly remembered work on Incredible Hulk and Spectacular Spider-Man. He also launched Cloak and Dagger in a pair of miniseries and guided Alpha Flight through some of its most harrowing ordeals. Mantlo excelled at integrating licensed properties into the Marvel Universe, as demonstrated by Micronauts and Rom: Spaceknight, both of which he wrote from start to finish. At DC, he wrote the Invasion miniseries for one of the company’s biggest crossover events.

A native New Yorker, writer J.M. DeMatteis has been one of comics’ most respected writers for nearly three decades. Ranging from the introspective psychological drama of Moonshadow to the offbeat comedy of Justice League to the autobiographical Brooklyn Dreams, he’s written from nearly every perspective in graphic storytelling. His long list of credits includes Captain America, Defenders, Justice League International, the groundbreaking Spider-Man storyline “Kraven’s Last Hunt," Spectre and more. His recent work includes the acclaimed children's novel Imaginalis and the popular comics-prose hybrid Abadazad books.

West Coast Avengers artist Bob Hall also penciled Avengers, Champions, Defenders, Marvel Team-Up, Super-Villain Team-Up and other Marvel titles. He was a major art contributor to Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition. At Valiant Comics, he worked on Shadowman and Timewalker.

Three different incarnations of Cloak and Dagger were only a few of Rick Leonardi’s artistic achievements for Marvel. His other credits include Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and Spider-Man 2099. At DC, he drew Batman family titles Batgirl and Nightwing, as well as comic/film crossover Green Lantern vs. Aliens. At Event Comics, he penciled Painkiller Jane.

The unique, shadowy style of Gene Colan (1926-2011) most memorably appeared in long stints on Captain America and Daredevil, and all 70 issues of Tomb of Dracula — among the dozens of other Marvel titles he has drawn. His DC work on Detective Comics and Night Force is equally well remembered. During the Golden Age, he drew multiple war stories for Marvel and DC alike. Colan has earned several Eagle Awards and had professional art showings in New York City. His work on Ed Brubaker’s Captain America at the age of 82 drew well-deserved raves.