'Marvel' #1 Review: A dreamy, yet brilliant anthology that showcases the best Marvel Comics has to offer
Spoiler alert for 'Marvel' #1
When someone tells you a book has been over 30 years in the making, you know it's something you've got to get your hands on.
Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's 'Marvels' is one of the most iconic comic book stories ever told and it is still regarded as one of the finest works of fiction in the genre. But as spectacular as that series may be, 'Marvel' is the story Alex Ross set out to build.
A number of artists have contributed to each issue of this series and the result is a brilliant work of art, at least in the first issue. The different styles blend perfectly together while still maintaining their uniqueness, which is exactly what an anthology ought to be like.
The first story in 'Marvel' #1 focuses on Spider-Man, in a world where he's still married to Mary Jane Watson and struggling to pay bills.
Expertly crafted by Frank Espinosa ('Doc Samson'), the series captures the heart of what made Peter Parker's world so relatable to audiences in his heyday and simultaneously distances itself from more modern versions of the character who have influenced and been influenced by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Speaking of the MCU, there's a Stan Lee cameo hidden in the story, though you might miss it because we don't actually see the late Marvel legend, just an iconic line.
The whole story — the whole issue, in fact — feels like a dream, which is fitting because the overarching plot conceived by Ross and Steve Darnall presents the whole story as being plucked from memories and dreams by the villainous Nightmare who has captured Doctor Strange and used his power to put the world to sleep.
The second story in the book comes from Kurt Busiek and Steve Rude. It's a blast from the past, featuring the classic Avengers at a time when the Hulk was still an outsider to the team, providing some nostalgia and reminding us that even in the good old days before digital comics and metafiction, there really was something marvelous about these stories.
'Marvel' #2 will be featuring a new set of stories by Dan Brereton ('Giantkiller', 'Dark Horse Presents'), Eric Powell ('The Goon', 'Marvel Monsters: Devil Dinosaur') and Paolo Rivera ('Mythos', 'Daredevil'). The issue is scheduled for release on April 22.