Hello! Welcome to
this week’s edition of Bin Fodder. Today
I’m dipping back into the mainstream to talk about Marvel Comic’s 1602. I do this for two reasons: first, because
it’s Neil Gaiman, one
of comics’ most celebrated indie writers with books like Sandman and Books
of Magic to his credit. Gaiman, like me, has dipped his toe in the
mainstream waters before having done spot-writing on Batman and Detective
Comics. He teamed with artist Andy Kubert of
the famous Kubert family of artists to create Marvel 1602. And second, because I have yet to review a Marvel book and it seemed only fitting that I
do so.
The
story of Marvel 1602 sets many of
Marvel’s classic characters, including the Original
X-Men, the Fantastic
Four and Daredevil (Matt
Murdoch), in early-modern Europe. The
premise for the existence of these characters is divulged by the Watcher
Uatu to Dr.
Steven Strange through a very Gaiman-esque style of linguistics
magic. Essentially, a hero from modern
times (our present) is displaced into the past which creates a rip in the
time/space continuum. The Universe, in
an effort of self-preservation, sets in motion the events which establish a
force strong enough to stem the tide and fix the problem (the classic hero
characters). There’s just one problem
with this: he rip in time takes place fifteen years prior to the beginning of
the story and many if not all of the hero’s are far older than fifteen. But, it’s comics, so we let that go and move
on. In an effort not to give away the ending (since I am not one to have spoilers
in my articles) I will simply say that working together the combined forces of
the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and many others save the universe, as is to be
expected.
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| Courtesy of Marvel Comics |
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| Courtesy of Marvel Comics |
To
go along with Gaiman’s well-known and much ballyhooed style of writing, Kubert
does an outstanding job of designing the characters to fit in with the motif of
their surroundings. In many ways Marvel 1602 is the company’s attempt at
doing what DC
Comics did back in the mid-nineties with Kingdom Come
stylistically if not symbolically, which is to show very established characters
in new forms and in a new light. With Richard Isanove doing
the digital illustration which, of course, pales in comparison to the paintings
of Alex Ross,
nonetheless is magnificent in its own right.
In
the world of Marvel 1602 there are
two villains, the first and main is Otto
von Doom (a.k.a. Dr.
Doom) who is still set up as the iron-fisted ruler of
Latveria. The second, and much more
minor, is Richard of Scotland, who sees fit to supplant the queen and rule all
of the United Kingdom. Doom, much like
his modern counterpart, is desirous of knowledge and bent on ruling the
world. In this alternate reality he has
captured the Fantastic Four and uses
fear of reprisal against the others to force Richard
Reed (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic) into
aiding in his scientific endeavors.
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| Courtesy of Marvel Comics |
Other
characters play large roles as well, such as Sir
Nicholas Fury (a.k.a. Nick
Fury), Thor and Peter
Parquagh (a.k.a. Spiderman),
though he does not assume the role of Spiderman
until volume two of the story (not covered here). And some make very minor appearances such as Sister
Wanda (a.k.a. Scarlet Witch) and
her brother Petros
(a.k.a. Quicksilver) as
well as Vulture
Fliers, who are in fact assassins who appear to be genetically
engineered clones.
Marvel 1602 does
a good job of taking the reader into that period of time with colloquial
terminology and staunch religious doctrines.
Where the story falls a little flat is, as stated previously, in the
timeline but also in the use of the characters.
Gaiman does what I think many of us sometimes wish to see, superheroes
acting super, but he shows his lack of experience in the field during this
story. Gaiman has too many characters
for an eight-issue miniseries and it shows in the lack of time that the
majority of them see action. I can see
where he was compelled to include the Fantastic
Four in the story since it could prove somewhat more difficult to have the X-Men battle a villain they’ve not
regularly, if ever, faced. However,
that’s the fun of alternate reality stories!
Go outside the norm, go beyond comfort levels! I don’t know if I am to blame Marvel Comics or if I am to blame
Gaiman for this fault, so I shall blame them both equally. The story of Marvel 1602 could have been so much greater had he not tried to
squeeze in so much.
Overall,
the art and the dialogue of Marvel 1602
rate four stars, but lack of imagination and faith in the readership brings
that down.
So,
my friends, go Bin Diving and find this and other gems!
Until
next time,
This
is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!
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