Now as
you have probably gathered by now I love
Graphic Novels. Here’s the thing though, we only ever really see things from the spandex squad perspective. Sure with this rise of Villain based comics we get both perspectives, the virtuous heroes, and the vile villains, but we never really see things from our perspective. The common people . It’s one thing to see the very best of the world in The Avengers so to speak, or even the darkest hearts like Norman Osborn AKA The Green Goblin, but these are always going to be an exaggerated perception of reality. How would Joe and Jane Blogs react to the sites of Captain America and The Red Skull. Well for that we have Marvels.
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Item from Jake's Personal Collection
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I think I had known about Marvels for five or six years having gotten into comics in a big way. It was only two years ago I happened upon a second hand copy at a market and decided to pick it up for cheap. It features an all star creative team. Kurt Busiek has many critically acclaimed titles to his name including The Avengers, Astro City, the breakthrough JLA/Avengers crossover, and is a massively respected name within the industry.
Alex Ross is maybe the most talented artist in comics today having worked on Kingdom Come and Justice, as well as the aforementioned Astro City. His reliance on photo realistic artwork makes his pieces absolutely breathtaking. It delivers a greater level of realism to the writing, and given that Marvels is essentially the common person's view of the rise of super humans it’s a match made in heaven.
Our story starts in New York City circa 1939. We meet Phil Sheldon, budding young photgrapher who is fairly new to the beat. Sent by The Daily Bugle along with rookie journalist J. Jonah Jameson they are given a seemingly unimportant science expo to cover. The scientist behind the expo is Professor Phineas T. Horton who wants to demonstrate his Synthetic Man (basically an Android).
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Comic from Jake's Personal Copy
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Most in attendance think it’s just a mannequin, even after Horton’s creation catches alight upon exposure to oxygen the are still shouting ‘fraud’ at Horton, and are generally quite skeptical. Our boy Phil being a photographer has his eyes on the prize. Getting his shot ready he sees the flaming body move, then look directly at him. Phil witnesses the birth of the first Human Torch. However Horton’s creation creates a backlash, forcing the professor to bury The Torch in cement. Unfortunately it isn’t that airtight so Torch manages to break free and attempts to implement some good in NYC.
We quickly discover Torch is not alone after a semi-naked man emerges from the water at the docks, carrying an injured woman. Enter Namor the Submariner, Prince of Atlantis. The second entry of a second Marvel makes Sheldon feel impotent in the face of a changing world. How can you raise children in a world of burning men and aquatic warriors? Sheldon abandons his engagement to his fiancée as he assesses his place in this new and changing world. It’s only when Captain America is revealed to the world with stories of him breaking Nazi spy rings that Sheldon starts to consider what The Marvels are and why they are here.
Sheldon slowly starts to reassemble his life, tentatively getting back with his fiancée, figuring out whether he wants to stay in New York or go to Europe and cover The War. Just as he seems to be getting his life back together Namor returns to threaten New York. Grabbing his camera Phil goes running towards then action, intent on being in the thick of it to get the goldenrod shot. Despite putting himself at great personal risk Sheldon gets close enough to witness Namor and The Human Torch locked in combat above New York.
Ironically it takes Sheldon losing his sight in his left eye because of the fighting super-humans to expand his perspective. Only once The Marvels have ‘taken’ something from him does he lose his fear of them. It’s the catalyst for him to follow them to Europe and watch them fighting The Nazis in Europe. Oh by the way, this is just the first part of the story.
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Jake's Personal Copy of Marvel
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We witness the decline of The Marvels after the war, then their rebirth through the 60’s. From the creation of The Fantastic Four, the founding of The Avengers, the emergence of The X-Men and mutantkind, and Spider-Man’s first footsteps on the heroes path. Every key event of the main Marvel timeline is witnessed by one of us. The person on the street whose lives can be irreversibly changed by those sworn to protect them.
Through Busiek writing we get the sense of the fear of the unknown, how you can feel irrelevant in the face of such power and the ramifications that this has on the everyday life of everyone else. Busiek’s writing crafts this empathetic narrative for the reader. It’s incredibly refreshing when you consider this is not a perspective that would be encouraged usually. What’s even more beautifully done is the juxtaposition to the truly breathtaking artwork. Alex Ross’s drawings are a constant reminder that no matter how much you sympathise with civilians you can’t help but, well, marvel at The Marvels. From their costumes to their powers they ultimately leave you in awe of them.
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From Oxford Art Online
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What Busiek and Ross have done is create a unique story. It both naturally fits in with the themes of the sensational that you have come to expect from the genre, yet is wholly different to anything that has come before. It’s beautifully illustrated and cleverly written, and truly worth checking it out.
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