Marvel 1602 [New Printing]

1602 is a great history lesson combined with an elsewhere kind of/What if tale of Marvel Universe. In the hands of DC Comics Sandman's creator Neil Gaiman, this superheroes version of the history in the time of Elizabeth is a (dare i use the pun) real MARVEL. 1602 is both memoriable and an amazing piece of graphic literary work. And the art matches the words in scope of the text, without taking away from Gaiman's interweaving sub plots. Most of the marvel heroes are here in names similar to their current incarnations. Matt Murdock is still blinde, Nick Fury and Dr Strange are still at odds with each other. Peter Parker is still a younger man learning what powers he has. Wolverine is her in all his spendor too. Under Gaiman hand, this graphic tale is well done. It is what a graphic novel should be! Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

The tale that famed Sandman creator Neil Gaiman weaves in this eight issue mini-series is something truly magical. Instead of taking the easy way out, such as a previous reviewer stated by implanting the silver age icons in the year 1602 or doing a "What If...?" type story, Gaiman envisions a past world in which the Marvel universe is taking shape almost 400 years too early. Queen Elizabeth's court magician Doctor Stephen Strange senses something that should not be is going on, while her top spy Sir Nicholas Fury fends off an assassination attempt by the winged warriors who are in the service of Otto Von Doom. There are also a band of young people with mysterious and dangerous abilities and powers called "Witchbreed" and are led by the enigmatic Carlos Javier. Just about every character from Marvel's silver age is here, including Peter Parquah who has a fondness for spiders, blind Irishman Matthew Murdoch who has daring abilities of his own, a group called the Fantastick who share strange powers and are prisoners of Doom, a mysterious red-headed widower named Natasha who has plans of her own, and an old man named Donal who carries a stick which transforms him into the Norse God of thunder and lightning. The story comes alive like a fairy tale, and Gaiman's dynamite twist will leave you breathless. The art by the Origin team of penciler Andy Kubert and digital painter Richard Isanove makes this period piece come alive, with amazing art throughout (even though Beast looks a little too much like Wolverine here). Marvel 1602 is undoubtadly one of the best and most creative mini's to come out of the house of ideas in a very long time, and if you missed out on it, this handsome hardcover collection is an absolute must own in every comic fan's library.

Anything written by Neil Gaiman will surely deliver for he has yet to write a tale since the days of Sandman that has disappointed the masses, let alone not garner any awards or brought about an excessive amount of sales. And anything illustrated by the Kubert family must surely be of the highest quality. Quite simply, Adam and Andy Kubert, in my opinion, have raised the standard of art in comics in terms of depicting realism and storytelling. Only Jim Lee and Alex Ross have done just as much to raise the bar. Andy Kubert has penciled and inked the series in his own unmistakable style, and maybe it's the skillful and lush colors of Richard Isanove, but Andy's work has never looked better. Even the lettering has been taken into an art form; Todd Klein's lettering will look subtly pleasing to the eye. Put these people alongside an editor, Joe Quesada, (who was probably giddy with excitement over the prospect of having such huge names in a project; craftsmen-who-just-can't-go wrong is how I describe Neil and Andy) and you know this thing has gotta be big. Especially since Joe's the kind of editor who lets his boys have free rein, considering when the talents at his disposal are the best in the field. So what did go wrong? I mean, something must've misfired, right? Unfortunately there were not enough pages to tell the tale. Don't get that in the wrong way; there's a beginning, a middle, and certainly yes, an end. Most loose ends were tied up, setting way for a probably sequel. It's all there and you're going to get your money's worth. But a lot of times you're going to see a multitude of panels crammed into a page. Single panels as small as your thumb are jam-packed with dialogue. This sometimes causes you to miss the finer details on account of how small the panel is, such as a person hiding in the background. And all this because they forced a tale as complex as this into eight issues (with the first and last issues double-sized). It couldn't have hurt to have extended the series by an issue or two. That's the only shortcoming that I can describe. If 4.5 stars were available I would've given it, but as it is I feel this deserves more of a 5 star than a 4 because all in all, this still stands out as a remarkable masterpiece. Two things to clarify before delving into this volume: Firstly, the top classic Marvel characters that have appeared up to 1969 will make an appearance here. That's why you won't see Wolverine or Punisher, in case you were wondering. Second, this is NOT a "what-if" style of story; the ramifications are real and can affect the whole Marvel universe. Personally, my favorite character was Nick Fury. I always thought he was boring in the present Marvel universe, with the cheesiest macho lines and did absolutely nothing interesting. However he's portrayed here superbly, as a genuine agent to the government (or monarchy I should say) that would go through anything to do what he believe as right, even to betray his friends. It's beca

By placing some of the best loved Marvel heroes into a historic setting, Gaiman has crafted not only a work of art but also a wonderful playground for some familiar faces to play within. I'll admit, as a Neil Gaiman fan and as a Marvel fan, I was predestined to like this work. If you are either of these things, this is a no-brainer purchase. But even if you are a casual comic fan or simply a fan of good stories, this will be an excellent read and well worth the cover price. It would be difficult to review specifics without ruining something. Suffice to say, some of the best moments come from what would be considered normal events in the Marvel universe and how they are interpreted for the 17th century. I should also mention the artwork is incredible and on par with current comic masterpieces. If all you know is the art that appeared in comics in the eighties, you will relish in this advancement.