I've really enjoyed Marvel/Disney XD's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes ever since Volume 1 showed up in my mailbox. It's a smartly written series that not only gives our heroic team equally formidable villains to battle, but also gives each character - even lesser heroes like Hawkeye and Wasp - equal character development.
The fourth and final volume in this season, subtitled Thor's Last Stand, not only brings seemingly disconnected storylines together in fine fashion but also sees our heroes fighting to save not only Earth but the Nine Realms as well.
Disney Home Video Presents The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Thor's Last Stand DVD
While the Avengers try to stop a war between HYDRA and A.I.M., Ant-Man (Wally Wingert) faces a personal crisis and Black Widow (Vanessa Marshall) reveals her true affiliation. Unfortunately, Nick Fury (Alex Désert) has gone missing and new S.H.I.E.L.D. director Maria Hill (Kari Wührer) wants the Avengers either working for S.H.I.E.L.D. or in prison.
If things weren't complex enough, one of Ant-Man's creations decides the world would be a better place without humanity, and Loki unveils his master plan.
Much like Superman, the Avengers are so ridiculously over-powered that it takes some spectacular villains to give them a hard time. Luckily, creator Joshua Fine and his team are up to the task, at one point splitting the team up so they have to take on their enemies singlehanded. Unfortunately, there are a few cases of deus ex machina to get our heroes out of trouble (the cavalry conveniently showing up to save the day) but there are also some great battles . . . and one deal with the devil.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Thor's Last Stand DVD Extras
Like Volume 3, the only extra here is the pop-up featurette 'Avengers Unmasked: Hail Hydra.' In addition to running through the history of various characters in the Avengers universe, this featurette also points out some elements you might have missed when watching the episode on its own. It's a shame Disney didn't give the other episodes this treatment.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Thor's Last Stand DVD Extras
Given that I'm not the biggest comic book fan, it's even more remarkable that The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes hooked me in like this. It's a fun series that looks like it's only going to get better. Hopefully Season Two will fulfill that promise.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Volume 4 - Thor's Last Stand DVD gets a 4/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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