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It’s hard to believe that a few years ago, “Avengers” was a comic that Marvel couldn’t get anybody excited about. Somehow, Jack of Hearts and a female Captain Britain just weren’t drawing in the crowds.

Nowadays, the Avengers are everywhere you look and the roster(s) include a pretty diverse group of heroes. Come on — Spider-Man and Wolverine on the same team? Luke Cage going from street-level crime to fighting would-be world conquerors?

But while “Mighty” and “New” varieties are selling well, the Avengers book that most appeals to me these days is “Marvel Adventures Avengers” and issue 24 is a prime reason why. Yes, there’s Spidey and Wolverine and sometimes Iron Man, but the similarities end there.

These Avengers have some done-in-one adventures that feature lots of fun fighting and clever banter with stories a little lighter in tone. In issue 24, the team finds themselves fighting over the littlest things. And not just squabbling over lunch — they’re pounding on each other in the streets.

This series plays fast and loose with characters and I love it. The Hulk, usually a member, stays far away for fear of getting too angry. Giant Girl (better known as The Wasp in the 616 universe) and Storm fight about their hair. But the best joke of the book comes from a non-dead Steve Rogers in his Captain America costume, when he’s blamed for starting a fight with a tiny Ant-Man by rolling an ear of corn his way:

“That’s the way we ate our lunch back in the war! We rolled it first!”

The villain is an old Marvel favorite, though the reason for his villainy is pretty novel. And that’s what makes this book great issue after issue — writer Jeff Parker is having a ball writing a book that doesn’t take a ridiculous situation too seriously. Come on, like seeing a bunch of grown men and women wearing spandex and masks wouldn’t make you laugh.

This one is highly recommended, especially if you have kids, or just like remembering what it was like to be one.

 – Greg Elwell