Richard Isanove

Wow. I was surprised by how much I loved this. Seeing that I am a fan of Marvel comics, renaissance history, and Neil Gaiman, liking Marvel 1602 should be a no-brainer..but I had my hesitations before reading this. Would transplanting Marvel Characters into an Elizabethan England setting really work? The answer: Yes, it does.

Marvel 1602 is a series of comic books published by Marvel in 2003 in 8 single issues which were later combined into one single volume. The premise of the story in show more essence is quite simple: A bunch of Superheroes and Villains from the Marvel Universe (The X Men, Captain America, Thor, Nicholas Fury, Spider Man, Dr Doom, Dr. Strange, etc) have been adapted to the 17th Century in Elizabethan times. Apparently, Neil Gaiman had always been a fan of Marvel (I mean, it is quite obvious isn't it?...He's talked extensively about his love of Thor) and editor Joe Quesada approached Gaiman to work on a project which eventually evolved into this brilliant comic. This is essentially a giant "what if?" story and I tend to be a sucker for those. (Perhaps this is why I like Star Wars Infinities?).

The premise (without giving too much away) for this comic itself is quite brilliant: In the year 1602 in the Marvel Universe, for an unknown reason, superheroes have appeared about 400 years early. They were born and raised in this era and some hold important positions in high places (Doctor Strange for instance,is the master of the the Queen's medicines and Nick Fury is the intelligencer of the court for Queen Elizabeth). However, when the characters come to realize that something is wrong with the universe (Dr. Strange and Nick Fury in particular), the heroes must solve the mystery behind their own existence, while dealing with intrigue surrounding the courts of Elizabeth and James.

Most of our favorite Marvel characters meet, battle, and (in typical Marvel fashion) form alliances and betray one another before the story is over. Gaiman, so adept at handling mythology in all its forms, knows that the super hero is a modern guise for character archetypes that have endured throughout human existence. As long as we have been telling stories, these archetypes have existed. By putting these Classic Marvel Characters in Renaissance England, Gaiman proves that these characters are elemental, even in different circumstances. Like usual, Gaiman is able to meld fictional fantasy and historical reality into a rich tapestry while examining religion, power, legends, and morality.

Gaiman is great at showing just how vast but interrelated the Marvel universe truly is. Check this comic out!
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Rereading this after quite a few years, it's a more impressive tale than at first glance. The odd amalgam of history with Marvel's heroes & villains works to the betterment of both.

Wizard and Glass in Pencil and Ink

I can’t even tell you how happy I am to have stumbled upon a copy of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born at a recent library book sale. (Mine for just two bucks! Man, how I love library book sales.) I’m a bit of a newbie to comic books – mostly I stick to titles I’ve enjoyed in other mediums, such as Buffy, Dollhouse, and The X-Files – and don’t follow the trade news at all. Thus, I had not the slightest clue that Marvel has been producing a show more number of series based on various Stephen King novels. In addition to The Dark Tower (of which there are currently no fewer than eleven collections), The Stand (six collections), the short story “N.” (one collection), and The Talisman (also one collection to date) have received the Marvel treatment. I’ve already snatched most of these up – five pages into The Gunslinger Born, and I was hooked.

The artwork by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove is simply stunning. Beautiful, but with a dark gothic feel, it perfectly encapsulates the mood of the story. Shades of deep purple, rich gold, and breathtaking orange change and evolve with the plot. As a fan of The Dark Tower series, it’s fascinating to see which characters conform to my preconceptions: Roland (who, let’s face it, is a total babe), Depape, Jonas, Mayor Thorin, Coral Thorin, Aunt Cordelia; and which ones look altogether different from how I imagined them: Alain, Cuthbert, Rhea, Susan, Sheemie, Marten (surprisingly, this seducer of women is as ugly as sin).

The story follows the events recounted by Roland to Jake, Eddie, Susannah, and Oy in The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass. It begins with Roland’s childhood – if, that is, Roland can be said to have had a childhood – when he discovers his mother Gabrielle in bed with Marten, advisor to his father. Incensed and quite possibly emasculated on behalf of his frequently absent father, 14-year-old Roland prematurely challenges teacher Cort to the contest which will determine whether he becomes a Gunslinger – or an outcast. Though he triumphs (with no small amount of help from David the hawk!) his father sends him away, in hopes of keeping his son safe from Marten’s machinations. Accompanied by best friends Alain and Cuthbert, they travel to the Barony of Mejis, ostensibly to compile an inventory of supplies on behalf of the Affiliation for the coming war with the “Good Man” John Farson. While there, Roland falls in love with Susan Delgado, who’s already been promised to Mayor Thorin as his “gilly.” And, well, you know the rest. (And on the off chance you don’t, I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.)

Fans of The Dark Tower series are likely to get more out of The Gunslinger Born than non-fans (or potential fans, as I’d rather call you!), but one needn’t have a preexisting knowledge of the series in order to enjoy the comics. While significant pieces of the story are lost in translation – in fact, the narrator cheekily comments on Cordelia’s absence from the comic book adaptation thusly: “I’ve mentioned Susan’s maiden aunt in passing here and there. Frankly, I don’t like t’dwell on her overmuch.” - the result is nonetheless a cohesive narrative that still retains many of the major plot points.

The ultimate fan – Robin Furth, author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance – is listed as a consultant, which speaks to the care taken in translating Stephen King’s vision from written to visual art. The writers in particular nail Mid-Worlders’ oddly charming manner of speaking; it’s all “do ya kennit” this and “thanksee sai” that, and their overall knowledge of the series is impressive.

On the downside, I couldn’t stop myself snickering at Susan’s hair which, when gathered in a braid, sticks out from her head at all sorts of odd and physically improbable angles. As a result, she often resembles a blonde, lopsided, less kempt version of Pippi Longstocking.

Also something to consider: A number of reviewers have noted that the collection omits quite a bit of material found in the individual comics, including stories penned by Robin Furth that help to flesh out King canon. This is disappointing to hear - hence the 4/5 star rating - though probably not enough to compel me to buy the individual comics. I generally prefer collections, and this one is gorgeous.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/10/14/the-dark-tower-the-gunslinger-born-by-steph... show less

[b: Marvel 1602|15719|Marvel 1602|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385102624s/15719.jpg|2371238] is the sort of book that could only come from the mind of [a: Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg]. All of the famous Marvel characters (minus Wolverine) seem to make an appearance here, in a world in transition. Queen Elizabeth has died, and James I is coming into power and bringing with him the desire to destroy those show more deemed the Witchbreed. Mutants, of course, fall under this title. As does Doctor Strange, the former Queen's trusted physician and magician. As does Nicollo Fury, the Queen's spy.

We are thrust into a world at once familiar and strange, and unquestionably delightful. The mockups of the classic costumes into appropriate period wear is entertaining, as are the various myths and allusions made throughout the story. Virginia Dare is brilliantly rendered into an appropriate myth by way of traditional Outer Banks folklore, Otto von Doom even fits the time period perfectly, as does the Inquisitor. As delightful as the story itself is, the various reveals are even more wonderful, as is the beautiful artwork - especially of Strange on his various journeys.

I loved this book the first time I read it, and I loved it even more now that I reread it with a greater familiarity of all the characters. While I'm curious about the rest of this series, the lack of it being penned by Gaiman will probably force me to steer clear. It's better having ended like this, appropriately, in its own bittersweet way. This is truly a triumph, and a beautifully odd one at that. At the very least, it solidifies the idea of comics as myths - the archetypes and characters fit incredibly well into every timeline. You can twist them as much as they want, but the character remains at heart the same. show less