Introducing Marvel's all-new, never-before-seen heroes of the 1930s! With a new evil washing over an unsuspecting New York City, the Operative, the Aviatrix, the Surgeon, the Revenant and Achilles blast through dangers from blood-soaked mob warehouses to monster-infested mansions, and fight to blow the lid off a conspiracy that could bring the nation itself to its knees! Award-winning historical thriller novelist David Liss (Black Panther: The Man Without Fear) and acclaimed artist Patrick Zircher (Spider-Man Noir) weave an edge-of-your-seat and in-continuity adventure intertwined with America's most scandalous crimes! Before the Invaders...before the Twelve...who were the Mystery Men? COLLECTING: MYSTERY MEN 1-5
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More About the Author
David Liss is the author six novels, most recently The Devil's Company. He has five previous bestselling novel: A Conspiracy of Paper, winner of the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, The Coffee Trader, A Spectacle of Corruption, The Ethical Assassin and The Whiskey Rebels. In 2008, at the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Bali, Indonesia, he was named an Artist for Integrity by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. No one is really sure why he should receive this honor or what it means, but it very possibly makes him the Bono of historical fiction. David Liss's novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and children. Visist his web site at www.davidliss.com.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Then I guess our work isn't done. Are you prepared to keep this costume party going?"
April 24, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Here's writer David Liss having the gall to pre-date Timely Comics and Stan Lee and upstage the iconic likes of Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner. Liss's five-issue mini-series, MYSTERY MEN, would have us believe that, during the Golden Age but before the Invaders, another team of masked vigilantes went around fighting the good fight. It's a nice bit of ret-conning. I've always loved pulp heroes. Somewhere, Roy Thomas is looking to fist bump with someone.
New York, circa 1932. It is the height of the Great Depression. Racial inequity prevails. Atop the newly erected Empire State Building, a sinister conspiracy has been in the offing, with the country's most influential power brokers aligned and committed to amassing greed and power thru shady tactics. A warped General casts his illusions and sacrifices humans to strengthen a demonic fear lord. Elsewhere in the Big Apple, a masked gentleman cat burglar styling himself the Operative is doing his level best, lifting from society's elite to give to the downtrodden and oppressed. And, elsewhere, the mysterious Revenant - who is rumored to be *gasp* colored! - punches his way to justice.
When the Operative's lady love is murdered and he's framed for the deed, he opens a vicious can on them crooked cops what have been deployed to corral him. The Operative is surprised when the Revenant manifests out of thin air to lend a hand. They strike an uneasy partnership - I say "uneasy" because the Operative, though fair-minded, is still a man of his times - and they soon work their up the ladder of corruptness. The henchmen beatdowns eventually lead them to the Empire State Building. Along the way, they pick up strained alliances with three other enigmatic figures - the high-flying Aviatrix, the meek archaelogist mystically turned into the invulnerable Greek warrior Achilles, and the deranged Surgeon - all of whom harbor a mean grudge against the General.
If you're like me and you salivate over them old serial adventures steeped in pulp era, if you've relished the likes of Brubaker's The Marvels Project, J Michael Straczynski's THE TWELVE The Twelve - Volume 1, or even DC's First Wave, you cannot pass this up. David Liss does a nifty job of recalling that pulp era when art deco and fedora hats and speakeasies and talking pictures were all the rage. The Operative is the prime mover here. He serves as the quintessential mystery man, a masked crusader equipped with grit and a good right cross (but no super power). With the Operative anchoring the plot, Liss adeptly folds each new character into the ongoing narrative. He mines events then current to the early '30s (such as the infamous Lindbergh baby kidnapping) and incorporates them as part of the General's vile plans. And while the first issue is seemingly tenuous with its ties to Marvel continuity (although we do notice the Daily Bugle), further issues atone for that.
I would love for there to be more stories about these mystery men (and woman), although, hopefully, Liss or whoever keeps them confined to the pulp era. I'm especially curious to see what unfolds for the unhinged Surgeon who, by story's end, seems in line for a serious power boost. I would love for artist Patrick Zircher to again provide his clean yet moody style and his visual evocation of 1930's New York. You have to give him his propers. In his hands, the Operative looks so retro cool. C'mere, Roy Thomas, I got your fist bump.
New York, circa 1932. It is the height of the Great Depression. Racial inequity prevails. Atop the newly erected Empire State Building, a sinister conspiracy has been in the offing, with the country's most influential power brokers aligned and committed to amassing greed and power thru shady tactics. A warped General casts his illusions and sacrifices humans to strengthen a demonic fear lord. Elsewhere in the Big Apple, a masked gentleman cat burglar styling himself the Operative is doing his level best, lifting from society's elite to give to the downtrodden and oppressed. And, elsewhere, the mysterious Revenant - who is rumored to be *gasp* colored! - punches his way to justice.
When the Operative's lady love is murdered and he's framed for the deed, he opens a vicious can on them crooked cops what have been deployed to corral him. The Operative is surprised when the Revenant manifests out of thin air to lend a hand. They strike an uneasy partnership - I say "uneasy" because the Operative, though fair-minded, is still a man of his times - and they soon work their up the ladder of corruptness. The henchmen beatdowns eventually lead them to the Empire State Building. Along the way, they pick up strained alliances with three other enigmatic figures - the high-flying Aviatrix, the meek archaelogist mystically turned into the invulnerable Greek warrior Achilles, and the deranged Surgeon - all of whom harbor a mean grudge against the General.
If you're like me and you salivate over them old serial adventures steeped in pulp era, if you've relished the likes of Brubaker's The Marvels Project, J Michael Straczynski's THE TWELVE The Twelve - Volume 1, or even DC's First Wave, you cannot pass this up. David Liss does a nifty job of recalling that pulp era when art deco and fedora hats and speakeasies and talking pictures were all the rage. The Operative is the prime mover here. He serves as the quintessential mystery man, a masked crusader equipped with grit and a good right cross (but no super power). With the Operative anchoring the plot, Liss adeptly folds each new character into the ongoing narrative. He mines events then current to the early '30s (such as the infamous Lindbergh baby kidnapping) and incorporates them as part of the General's vile plans. And while the first issue is seemingly tenuous with its ties to Marvel continuity (although we do notice the Daily Bugle), further issues atone for that.
I would love for there to be more stories about these mystery men (and woman), although, hopefully, Liss or whoever keeps them confined to the pulp era. I'm especially curious to see what unfolds for the unhinged Surgeon who, by story's end, seems in line for a serious power boost. I would love for artist Patrick Zircher to again provide his clean yet moody style and his visual evocation of 1930's New York. You have to give him his propers. In his hands, the Operative looks so retro cool. C'mere, Roy Thomas, I got your fist bump.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A modern-day Robin Hood framed for the murder of the woman he loves. The victim's sister, a pilot who takes to the skies with a special rocket pack. A black magician falsely accused who uses his skills to fight back. A doctor who lost everything, driven to madness that makes him cut out the "cancer" of crime. A scholar who unlocks a power beyond anything he knows.
Five people of very different worlds, all united in a quest for both justice and revenge. This is the core of this Marvel mini-series, a wonderful throwback to the classic Golden Age of pulp novels with a great comic book air. This collection brings together a terrific story that fans of the era should more than enjoy.
Denis Piper is a cat burglar named the Operative who evens the score in the Great Depression by stealing from the rich to help the poor. When his girlfriend is murdered and he's framed for it, he goes on the run, trying to track down the General, leader of a group who use the Depression to make themselves richer. Soon, he finds himself alied with others: The Aviatrix, sister of the victim, an ace flyer; the Revenant, who uses his stage magic to become a crime-fighting specter; the Surgeon, a scarred doctor doing whatever it takes to kill crime; and Achilles, blessed but also cursed with great power. Together they face the General, who is making a bargin with dark powers to unleash a demon upon the Earth.
The story is wonderfully gritty, each hero's origin told nicely in flashbacks that make it work. The artwork by Patrick Zircher is perfect, capturing 1930's New York in vivid detail along with the action scenes. Better is David Liss who makes each character stand out wonderfully from the Operative's tough stance to how the Surgeon is basically insane but with a good humor. It mixes real-life stuff like the Lindenburgh kidnapping along with the sad racism of the times for a believable story. From top to bottom, the series is near-perfect in providing a fantastic story with characters that feel like they've been around for years. One can only hope for a follow-up but as it stands, this is one of the best original stories Marvel has done in years and this hardback is more than worth the price as a reminder of how exciting those long-ago days once were.
Five people of very different worlds, all united in a quest for both justice and revenge. This is the core of this Marvel mini-series, a wonderful throwback to the classic Golden Age of pulp novels with a great comic book air. This collection brings together a terrific story that fans of the era should more than enjoy.
Denis Piper is a cat burglar named the Operative who evens the score in the Great Depression by stealing from the rich to help the poor. When his girlfriend is murdered and he's framed for it, he goes on the run, trying to track down the General, leader of a group who use the Depression to make themselves richer. Soon, he finds himself alied with others: The Aviatrix, sister of the victim, an ace flyer; the Revenant, who uses his stage magic to become a crime-fighting specter; the Surgeon, a scarred doctor doing whatever it takes to kill crime; and Achilles, blessed but also cursed with great power. Together they face the General, who is making a bargin with dark powers to unleash a demon upon the Earth.
The story is wonderfully gritty, each hero's origin told nicely in flashbacks that make it work. The artwork by Patrick Zircher is perfect, capturing 1930's New York in vivid detail along with the action scenes. Better is David Liss who makes each character stand out wonderfully from the Operative's tough stance to how the Surgeon is basically insane but with a good humor. It mixes real-life stuff like the Lindenburgh kidnapping along with the sad racism of the times for a believable story. From top to bottom, the series is near-perfect in providing a fantastic story with characters that feel like they've been around for years. One can only hope for a follow-up but as it stands, this is one of the best original stories Marvel has done in years and this hardback is more than worth the price as a reminder of how exciting those long-ago days once were.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Noel Correa
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mystery Men is written in a style which depicts the 1930s in a film noirish setting which translates well with the pulp heroes in the story. The art which uses nice clean lines and muted colors, also helps move the story along. If you like heroes like the Shadow, Doc Savage and the Spider you will enjoy Mystery Men and it's heroes.
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