Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to read about the early adventures of Marvel’s greatest heroes as they were published?
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to read about the early adventures of Marvel’s greatest heroes as they were published? Or have you ever read an old Marvel comic and found it a bit dated and hard to get in to? Or have you ever just thought about what it would actually be like to be an ordinary man in a world full of superheroes? If the answer to any of the above questions is yes then Marvel’s Marvels (that’s a mouthful!) is a must read. If you didn’t answer yes to any of the questions above, then you should still read it.
Written by Kurt Busiek, and painted by Alex Ross, this four-issue mini-series (plus the later released fifth “Issue 0″ prologue) was originally published in 1994 and tells the early stories of Marvels greatest heroes (Captain America, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, Spider-Man), villains (Galactus, The Sentinals, Green Goblin), and events both big and small, through the eyes of everyday newspaper photographer Phil Sheldon.
Marvels revisits many key moments from early Marvel history from Phil Sheldon’s unique perspective.
Marvels revisits many key moments from early Marvel history from Phil Sheldon’s unique perspective and cleverly manages to both republish these early events and chronicle Marvel’s history without ever feeling like a republication or a Marvel history book. The stories are ostensibly familiar, yet the unique perspective used helps them feel fresh and new. The question of what it is like to be an Average Joe, making a living and raising a family in a world full of super-powered heroes and villains, where chaos and uncertainty are forever on the horizon, had rarely been addressed in the world of graphic novels before Marvels, and is still something of a rarity since. However, this perspective provides a beautifully unique and introspective narrative for the re-telling of these stories, whilst also creating a meaningful connection with the reader; for once the centre-piece of the story is a normal person like us, not a super-powered, multi-billion dollar playboy military cyborg.
for once the centre-piece of the story is a normal person like us, not a super-powered, multi-billion dollar playboy military cyborg.
The artwork that comes hand in hand with this clever re-telling of Marvel’s early stories is similarly superb. The lovingly crafted paintwork of Alex Ross feels contemporary, yet manages to capture the essence of Marvels Golden Age of comic books, and is without doubt some of my favourite artwork in any graphic novel/comic book ever. It’s intricate, stylish, vibrant and superb throughout.
The collected edition I read was a part of the Marvel Graphic Novel Collection by Hachette Partworks (Issue 15, Volume 13) and included forewords before each issue; one by Stan Lee, one by Kurt Busiek, one by Alex Ross, and one by Marvel legend John Romita Sr. What’s clear is that not only are the writer and artist directly involved in creating Marvels incredibly proud of the work they have produced, but both the creator of Marvel himself, and one of Marvels most noted comic book artists hold this mini-series in the highest of regards. The foreword by Kurt Busiek in particular is extremely enlightening highlighting the extent of his research into Marvel’s history to ensure all the events covered matched up with Marvel continuity; the mini-series is littered with hints to things happening in the wider Marvel world, and the level of attention to detail is astonishing.
If you haven’t read Marvels then it’s time you did.
For me, Marvels is one of the best Marvel comic book/graphic novel titles I have read. The beautiful artwork, the unique narrative perspective, and the fact that it revisits those Marvel events that happened long before I was born, but were pivotal in shaping the Universe I read about all time, combine to create something truly special.
If you haven’t read Marvels then it’s time you did.
You can follow Chris on his website www.dresslikethehulk.wordpress.com or on Twitter at @Orr_Man
Posted on August 23rd, 2012
Category: PROJECT COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Alex Ross, Chris Orr, Comic Reviews, Kurt Busiek, marvel comics, Marvels Review, Project Comics