Customer Reviews

Marvel 1602

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, let me say that Neil Gaiman is easily one of the best writers working today in any prose-based medium. His novels are incredible, his screenplays similar, and his comics are outstanding. There is no current writer today who straddles the fence between reality and fantasy better than Neil Gaiman. And the fact that he works in so many different mediums adds to his "remarkable-ness."

That caveat aside, let's talk about his Marvel miniseries, 1602.

Gaiman does a wonderful job of translating the heroes of the Marvel Universe to an historic setting. And he makes the necessary adjustments: Matt Murdock doesn't become a blind barrister, but rather a blind minstrel/guide, which allows Daredevil the freedom of movement a hero needs in Gaiman's reimagined 1602. Similar adjustments are made for a wide range of Marvel characters.

The story is affecting, and wonderfully rendered in muted tones by the art team, and Gaiman deserves credit for finding room for a lot of the Marvel Universe, and also for not trying to shoehorn every modern hero into the framework of the story.

The story is intellectual and exciting (conspiracy stuff), and the artwork is among the best I've seen in a graphic novel.

The reason for subtracting a star? Simply because, although Gaiman structured his story and introduced his characters so a first-timer can enjoy the story, it's best appreciated through the prism that only a Marvel Universe reader has handy.

But more than worth your time, regardless.

As stated in other reviews I've posted on Amazon, I am a big fan of Marvel's WHAT IF concept, as well as other alternate reality stories, provided that events are presented in a logical fashion. More often than not, however, they aren't, leaving the reader to deal with too many assumptions and unanswered questions. When 1602 was first announced by Marvel, I was under the impression that Neil Gaiman was simply going to take the easy way out: "re-imagining" the heroes and villains of the Silver Age Marvel Universe as existing in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. After reading the recently-released hardcover collection, however, I can say that this is definitely not a re-imagining, nor even a "what if" story, but more of a very original mystery with an excellent twist that makes sense. Surprisingly, 1602 can comfortably exist within normal Marvel continuity. As a result, I enjoyed it immensely.

In order to not spoil the plot, I'll be as basic as possible: the Marvel Universe has arisen 360 years early, triggering the possible destruction of the universe. Of course, it's up to the heroes, and a few villains, to try to set things right. You'll see many familiar faces here, especially if you're moderately familiar with Marvel's Silver Age characters. Even if not, it's not too difficult to determine who is who. Gaiman writes a very tight story that moves quickly, and Adam Kubert's art is exceptional, especially when paired with the skilled coloring of Richard Isanove. Scott McKowen provides beautiful woodcut covers for the series and the collection. All contributors to this story complement each other quite well, making 1602 an essential part of any comic library.

...the book jacket and the other reviews tell you everything you need to know before going into this book. Too much, actually. The less you know, the better on this one. Just buy it. Instead of rehashing the plot and pointlessly singing Gaiman's well deserved praises, I'm going to defend him on another front:

A lot of people have bashed this book for not being The Sandman or one of Neil's even more lofty projects, and for daring to feature conventional superheroes, if in a rather unconventional manner. Folks, get over it. Gaiman clearly LIKES superheroes (his occasional use of them in The Sandman and his glowing account of his youth with Marvel's characters in the afterword of this book makes that clear). He likes writing about them and is very good at it. He also likes writing drama, horror, fantasy, science fiction and dabbling into other realms of storytelling that are too hard to pigeonhole, and he's very good at all of it. Don't pillory the man because he wants to work in more than one genre, and because he occasionally condescends to dabble in a genre that most of the rest of the world has written off as juvenile crap. Gaiman has proven that almost any premise--even a premise involving grown men running around in longjohns saving the world--can produce good, moving, thought provoking tales if handled the right way. Lighten up, order this book, and enjoy it for what it is--a damn fine story, superheroes or no.

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.

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.

Admittedly expectations were going to be high when Neil Gaiman was signed to do a Marvel Comic. Gaiman's decision to create a unique vision of the Marvel universe set four hundred years in the past during the last days of the reign of Elizabeth Tudor, which certainly whetted my appetite to read this trade paperback collection of the mini-series. When you see Scott McKowen's scratchboard covers that ups the ante even more, and while there is certainly nothing wrong with Andy Kubert's art it is hard to look at those covers and not imagine the entire series done that way, even if it would take McKowen the rest of this decade to get it done.

So "Marvel 1602" begins in the throne room of Elizabeth, by the Grace of God Queen of England, where Sir Nicholas Fury, the head of her intelligence organization and Stephen Strange, the court physician, are meeting with her Majesty on a stormy night. Something powerful being kept in the city of Jerusalem, a weapon perhaps, has been offered to Strange and he has arranged for it to be transported to England. Something is in the air and while the trio talk lightly about how it might be the end of the world it just might. Meanwhile, in the High Tower of the Palace of the Inquisition in Spain, a familiar mutant awaits execution and on a ship bound for England from colony of Roanoke with the young Virginia Dare and her large bodyguard Rojhaz. These are just the first of the many pieces that Gaiman puts into play.

My initial thought while reading "Marvel 1602" was that he was overplaying his hand with his conceit of putting most of the original roster of Marvel superheroes into the time of Elizabethan England because he was working in a couple of dozen characters (including a couple of extremely familiar first line villains). I was thinking that he was simply juggling too many characters and that the best stories I have read putting familiar Marvel and DC superheroes in another place and another time have been fairly specific (e.g., Batman appearing in the London of Jack the Ripper). You might put an entire super group like the Fantastic Four into such a story, but in "Marvel 1602" Gaiman works in just about everybody and it would be easier to try and count on one hand the number of original Marvel characters who do not appear in these pages.

But then we learn that Gaiman is going for something more than an alternative history version of the Marvel Universe. There are forces at work that explain why Matthew Murdoch, Carlos Javier, and Peter Parquagh are running around in Merry Olde England and parts of the Continent. This is important because how much you like "Marvel 1602" probably depends on how much you think of the prime cause. Ultimately I think it is an okay idea, especially since it forces Gaiman to skirt the origin issues (so to speak) for most of these characters, and what there is often smacks of necessary convenience. However, if there is one thing we know about Neil Gaiman it is that the best way to appreciate his work is usually to look at it from a mythological perspective.

That perspective is important because ultimately what matters about the time period that Gaiman has picked is not the existence of the Inquisition and the strong parallels that immediately exists between religious persecution back then and the persecution of mutants that has always been a strong undercurrent (if not tsunami) in the world of the X-Men, but rather that this was the beginning of the epoch in human history where the Old World gave way to the new one that was being created in the Americas. That makes Virginia Dare the pivotal character in "Marvel 1602," and the second time through reading it pay attention to the character more as a symbol.

The final irony is that the more I appreciate the symbolism of Virginia Dare, the more I think it undermines the grand conceit of dressing up so many Marvel superheroes in Elizabethan garb. Instead I found myself wanting Gaiman to start over and basically begin with Virginia Dare and Rojhaz sailing on the ship to visit Queen Bess and not involve the other characters. Or, conversely, to leave the pair from Roanoke out of the picture and keep the focus on the Euorpean stage. Granted, each time we read "Marvel 1602" there will be more to unpack from Gaiman's storyline, but while it is quite interesting it does not rise to the heights of "Watchman" (insert your own classic graphic novel standard if you want) and I certainly do not overly interesting in seeing what Greg Pak and Greg Tocchini come up with following in the shoes of Gaiman and Kubert in "1602: New World."

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 because of these flaws that he's aware of that made him never appreciate the gifted person he is. Much kudos to Neil for pulling off a personality as difficult as that. In the end you can't help feel sorry for him.
With just the single drawback of too many faces in too little pages, this one should stand right up there with Watchmen and other great classics.

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

I'll state it right now, I am not a Marvel fan. The characters are interesting and so are the plots (from what I've gleaned, at least) but I just don't have the time, capital, or drive to collect 'em all.

That said, I still enjoyed Marvel 1602 very much. I may just be a sucker for wonderful art and Gaiman's writing, but the story itself pulled me along with little resistance.

Though I did find myself flipping back through the pages to clear up some points, I found no trouble in being ignorant of the Marvel universe. The characters not instantly recognizable through today's comic-book-movies and Saturday morning cartoons were writen so as to be pretty self-contained. The personalities and motives stood alone well, and the plot itself seems less like something contrived and more like a single episode in an ongoing tale.

I'm sure that I would have enjoyed this even more than I did if I were an avid Marvel reader. Nevertheless, I really liked it, if only on a few levels.

If you've never read anything by Neil Gaiman, none of
the chapters of THE SANDMAN, not one page of STARDUST,
here is a place to richly whet your appetite. If you've
not encountered the splendor and depth of AMERICAN GODS,
nor the crystal clarity shock of MURDER MYSTERIES, nor
any of his various works for television or children's
tale, then consider yourself invited to begin your
experiencing of a great writer here.

MARVEL 1602 is Gaiman's landmark first work for Marvel
Comics, now collected as a striking hardcover edition
for all to encounter and enjoy the author's great
take on Marvel mythology sifted through the lens of
one of the most dire transitional periods in Western
History. 1602 focuses upon the British embracing of
the dreaded Spanish Inquisition, and all the hateful,
bigoted practices that it murderously upheld as
holy.
How does Gaiman place the Marvel pantheon within
this time period? That would be telling. Yet it is
how he meticulously uses them to further emphasize
the issues of that day, as well as that day's
chilling parallels to the questions of tolerance
so vital to our own time, which distinguishes what
a consummate storyteller this man is. Full of
pertinence, charged with characterization, loaded
with action, MARVEL 1602 is an outstanding literary
adventure, and a standout achievement.
Those Gaiman acolytes awaiting "another Sandman" not
only waste their time, but miss the mark altogether.
THE SANDMAN is a story about the nature of stories.
MARVEL 1602 is about the inspiration that talespinners
can evoke. In this, Gaiman (with striking illustrations
from Andy Kubert, stunning digital painting by Richard
Isanove, and wondrous engraving-like cover art from
Scott McKowen) evokes staggering time paradoxes as
worthy of DC's Julius Schwartz as they are a hearty
hat tip to the eye-popping wonder and interweaving
plotlines of Marvel's Lee, Kirby, Thomas, and
Ditko.
If anything, too, Gaiman's stress on topical concerns
here strongly riffs upon the Marvel epics of Englehart
and Starlin, Gerber and McGregor some 25 to 30 years
ago, when the company produced its finest, most
consistently challenging work.

So how in the world does a Spider-Man or a Doctor Doom
fit into the Middle Ages, anyway? Would a Nick Fury
even fit? Why would there be a need for a Captain
America?
Read one of the sweetest jigsaw puzzles you will ever
encounter, and find out for yourself.

Neil Gaiman. MARVEL 1602.
Well worth the effort.

Well worth your time.