It was neat that it centers around the "real" people living in the city with the Marvel Universe characters like Spider-man and The Fantastic Four. It was also better than anything else I've seen Alex Ross's artwork in so far. He definitely deserves to be paired with an equally talented writer. ( )

Complete story of Marvels, plus illustrated apppendix, comments by Alex Ross, plus bonus images (illustrations) by Alex Ross. Amazing book! ( )

Marvels is a look at the early years of the Marvel Universe from the viewpoint of normal folks. Our everyman is Phil Sheldon, a news photographer. As the events of various Marvel comics occur in the background, Phil observes and reacts to them. The original series had four issues. The first deals with the rise of super-powered beings, referred to as "marvels" by Phil. The second shifts to the second age of Marvel comics in the early sixties, contrasting the celebrity of the Fantastic Four with the fearful reactions to the X-Men. Issue three shows the reaction on the street to the first coming of Galactus. And, finally, issue four tells how Phil hooked up with Gwen Stacy in his attempt to write a book on what the "marvels" should mean to the common people of humanity. It's a collection that really struck a chord with this fan-boy, or ex-fan-boy, or whatever I am these days. I loved getting a different perspective on the stories--the mythology--I read all those years ago. And of course Alex Ross' art is magnificent, bringing a unique sense of reality without sacrificing the necessary unreality that the superhero genre requires. Part of me is tempted to go out and get a brand new copy rather than this worn hand-me-down paperback. Either way, I want to keep Marvels on my shelf.
--J. ( )

After enjoying Kingdom Come, it was probably only natural that I'd want to experience more Alex Ross art, and once I heard of this book, the concept was too intriguing to pass up. It follows a New York photographer through the early days of the Marvel universe, from the emergence of the original Human Torch up to the death of Gwen Stacy, as he grows older, marries, and raises a family. Alex Ross's painted art is fantastic, of course, but Buseik's writing is also strong, effectively weaving the trials of a little man in a world of marvels. The section on mutants was probably the best-- showcasing the best and worst of humanity-- the same day the city rallies around the wedding of superheroes Reed and Sue Richards, our protagonist sinks low enough to throw a brick at a mutant. (originally written January 2008)

Collects the "Marvels" series by [[Alex Ross]] and [[Kurt Busiek]], #1-4 and issue #0. The first story, published serially as Marvels #0, is fantastic. ( )