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It’s still very hard to believe, but by this time next year we will have seen The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises and perhaps most importantly, The Avengers.

The culmination of 4 years of Marvel Studios hard work, not to mention 5 other films' groundwork, you really get the feeling that there is a lot riding on the success of the Joss Whedon helmed film.  That said, doesn’t it strike you as odd that Marvel Studios/Disney has yet to release any official stills or media from the film since the surprise trailer attached to Captain America: The First Avenger?

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Well, it seems the marketing people have the right idea, as two painted images have surfaced from the film.  We’ll probably be seeing these images on posters, comic covers and lunchboxes over the next year, but never the less, they approximate the new costumes for the avenging crew, and perhaps more importantly, leave fanboys like myself amazed that these films will finally, actually be real.  I still think that all of the film shot is going to catch on fire before release or something.

Any way you slice it, I think the costumes look great (although Hawkeye’s glasses are silly), and I’m chomping at the bit for an official poster or something soon. Please be kind, Disney. Give us something rad.

The Avengers hits theaters on May 4, 2012.