2.5 starsI think I get what Marvel was aiming for with Marvels, and I've been a fan of their legendary roster of 'super'-characters for nearly 40 years, but this book was . . . dull. Said characters aren't even the stars of this storyline - they're strictly limited to 'featured' status, noticeably detached in a sense.The plot focuses on a fictional New York City photojournalist (the second time I've used that job title in a review today - how odd) from 'The Greatest Generation' who specializes i...

I had no real preconceptions going into this, so this knocked me out of my chair and into the milky pools of Alex Ross's paint. Man that was good. One of the most unique and, what's the word, atypical superhero comics probably ever written, by one Kurt Busiek. It strikes me as Watchmenesque in its examination of heroes and villains and their moral ambiguity, particularly in relation to civilians. There's a lot of action considering it only happens if Phil Sheldon is there snapping photographs, l...

Ever since Alan Moore’s 1982 dark, post-modern deconstructionist series of Miracleman – formerly known as Marvelman – he introduced the concept of how superheroes could exist and behave in “the real world”. However, being Alan Moore, his approach to superheroes has mostly been dark and cynical, though brilliant nonetheless. In the case of the four-issue comic Marvels from Astro City writer Kurt Busiek and legendary painter Alex Ross, this is an optimistic view of how our world interacts with our...

Marvelous reading!!! This TPB edition collects “Marvels” #0-4, plus commentary section by the involved people even an introduction by Stan Lee, also an artwork section.Creative Team:Writer: Kurt BusiekIllustrator: Alex Ross A TIME(LY) WHEN MARVEL YET TO PROPERLY BORN Maybe you have seen material mentioning the 75 years of Marvel, and technically that’s true, but it’s a fact that the company was called “Timely Comics”, and while it’s the same company, it’s obvious that in the 40’s, they were

Treasure of the Rubbermaids 17: Marvel At Marvel’s Marvelous ‘Marvels’!The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.I would hate to be a New Yorker in the Marvel universe because it seems like the city is constantly being threatened by s...

Marvels, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross (Illustrator)Marvels is a four-issue limited series comic book written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross and edited by Marcus McLaurin. It was published by Marvel Comics in 1994.In 1939, Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch is created by scientist Phineas T. Horton, and the project is considered a success until the android catches on fire when air is projected into its glass chamber, only to go out when the air is gone. Horton shows his creation to the public,...

This triple(!) Eisner award winning five part limited series takes a look at the Marvel Universe from the point of view of a photojournalist from 1939 through to 1974, attempting to capture the everyman's perspective.An original, highly praised and very popular piece of work that remains a standard bearer for the superhero genre. Kurt Busiek manages to weave the history of Marvel around the life, loves, family and personal responsibilities of a photojournalist assisted by the incredible painted

Photographer Phil Sheldon experiences what it's like to live in a world of super heroes, from the rise of the Human Torch in the late thirties all the way to the dawn of the mutants, the first appearance of Galactus, and the death of Gwen Stacy.When Marvels first hit scene, I was a wee lad of 17. The internet was in its infancy and comic shops were dying by the dozen. As it became easier to come by comics, or "graphic novels" if you're too cool to read comics, I always had a mind to read this bu...

I just read Ed Brubaker's Marvels Project and liked that a bit better, but it may just be a matter of taste. I like Brubaker's and Steve Epting's earthier noir approach versus the glossier, more dramatic work of Busier and Ross. But I gave both 4 stars. They both take a kind of unique wide angle, meta and historical approach to the history and purpose of comics; both are approaches to the inception of the Golden Age of superheroes in the late thirties, as WWII loomed (for the US). We see the lov...

In my view Marvels is one of, if not the greatest, comics released by Marvel Comics. I first encountered it as a twelve year old and have read it several times since. And each time I encounter again what it is that makes Marvels a stand out work in the Marvel universe of comics.The artwork in Marvels is clearly a stand-out feature. Though Alex Ross is better known for his work in the also grand Kingdom Come I personally prefer his artwork here where he first worked his unique stylistic magic. In...

A very bland book story-wise that is only saved by Alex Ross and his beautiful painted artwork. It's basically a condensed history of the Marvel universe shown from the perspective of the regular people. As a result, we don't really see any of the superheroes doing anything heroic, and the regular folks' perspective doesn't bring anything interesting to the table by itself. If anything, it makes it even more obvious how arbitrarily and illogically hate is distributed among the superheroes in the...

It took me a bit to warm up to this one but by the end I had come around. Obviously great art and a very good story. I know they shared the artist but I felt like this had a Marvel's version of Kingdom Come feel (though I know this came first so maybe Kingdom Come was DC's version of this).

Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ Marvels is their love letter to the superheroes of the Golden Age and Silver Age of Marvel Comics. Theirs is a tale that examines the Marvel universe through the eye of an everyman character, Phil Sheldon. Like his fellow unpowered denizens, he and his family have to live through every invasion, super-villain attack and the coming of Galactus fearing that each crisis would bring about the end of their world.The story brought it acclaim and the theme explored in several...

I've read Marvels more times than I can possibly count. Thousands of other people have written glowing reviews so much better than I ever could. Let me just say that I love this book, I always have. The experience of reading it is always magical for me, completely enthralling. And the art, that makes it all feel so real while I'm reading it... This goes very high on my list of all-time favorite comics.

This is the spoiler free review of Marvels, if you would like to read the spoiler full review and see all of the amazing art please visit https://amanjareads.com/2019/12/05/ma...Marvels is the beginning of the Marvel universe from the perspective of a New York reporter named Phil. It begins in 1940 as a scientist reveals his newest invention, the Human Torch.From there the world quickly experiences a surplus of superpowered superbeings. Some, like Captain America, are instantly beloved. And some...

Why doesn't Marvel write more stories like this and less let's-make-a-TV/movie stuff? Honestly, this was one of the best written Marvel Comic I've read in a lot time. The superheroes where in this, but they weren't the main characters. This is told by a everyman who has a normal life, but lives in a world of Marvel. Alex Ross's art helps a lot with this too.My only issue with this is they freak out over mutants and aliens, but they never go into the fact Thor is fighting with the Avengers. Reali...

What a brilliant storytelling and fantastic art! This was my first read of the origins of the Human Torch and I'm totally digging it."The golden age of miracles would begin, and in the years to come, the world would know the presence of the unnatural and extraordinary as part of reality"""Marvels" is a book completely from the perspective of New Yorkers who had been mute spectators ever since Avengers and X-Men, whom they collectively call Marvels, were building and breaking stuffs. It documents...

I'm torn on this one...I really wanted to love it. I do admire all the research that went into this one, the referencing of classic Marvel stories and moments, the art, but...At the end of the book, I was left with a pretty 'oh that's all?' feeling. The art of Alex Ross is always something to behold, but here, I think it took away from things. I wasn't able to connect to a lot, and the main character is actually kind of un-likable. He ditches his fiancée because of the arrival of Sub-Mariner and...

A good read! So we have witnessed the birth of The Marvel Cinematic universe, from iron man 1 to Ant-man and still more to come, but what if these weren't movies, what if they were real, what if we really had super heroes protecting us? That what this book is, the birth of the marvel universe from the perspective of ordinary citizens! The concept was pretty interesting, as it realistically looks at how the world would react to heroes, in the 40s and 50s, they would be seen as icons, but soon aft...

Superheroes are everywhere. They dominate pop-culture. They feed hungry nerds like myself. Now, imagine if they were real. If you lived in the Marvel universe, not as another hero or villain, but as an ordinary citizen. It would be terrifying, not knowing when the next building might collapse, where the next spaceship might alight.It would be glorious, if you got to witness a brawl between god-like beings with your own two eyes. It would be something like reading Marvels.Plunges you right into i...