 In December 2011 , Marvel announced that an eight @-@ issue comic @-@ book prelude to the film , written by Christopher Yost and Eric Pearson with art by Luke Ross and Daniel HDR , would be released in March 2012 . In February 2012 , Marvel announced the release of a second limited series comic book tie @-@ in , Black Widow Strikes written by Fred Van Lente , who wrote Captain America : First Vengeance , the comic @-@ book prequel to Captain America : The First Avenger . The story is set between Iron Man 2 and The Avengers and follows Black Widow as she runs down some loose ends from Iron Man 2 . Additionally , the title Avengers Assemble was launched in March 2012 , written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley and features the same Avengers line @-@ up as the film battling a new incarnation of the supervillain team Zodiac . 
