DACrowe
Avenger
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So, I didn't see a thread for this and have decided to make my own. This is a thread meant to discuss this intriguing concept and, IMO, wonderful daydream by Neil Gaiman.
Oddly, I had barely even heard of this book until recently. Despite my love for Marvel and my more recent, but years-long admiration of Gaiman, I missed this book in 2003 as I was drifting away from comics at the time. On a whim, I recently came across the book and read it in a day. It is hands down one of the most clever and insightful broad views of the Marvel Universe I have seen.
In an 8-issue run, Gaiman and Kubert encapsulated why Marvel works and why we love it by completely transplanting it in a literally foreign world--early 17th century Europe. By doing this, Gaiman was able to highlight why these characters, even when stripped of their powers and costumes (for the most part) are so timeless and enduring. What Lee, Kirby and Ditko created has stood the test of time because it was a broad dysfunctional oddball universe designed on classic ideas and notions of storytelling while keeping the characters human, opinionated and differentiated by agenda. What shocked me is how he roots even more their Americanism and uniquely 20th century roots in the past by having them go to the New World and kickstart nation building over 150 years early. One wonders what Javier/Xavier's US would look like today.
It also pulls from history. Seeing Sir Nicholas Fury as Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster reimagining of Sir Walter Raleigh was a delight. James I's fears and prejudices leading to him persecuting mutants or Witchbreed was great. Magneto's entangling with the Vatican and Inquisition was clever. But most of all, Gaiman rewriting the history of the Lost Colony and making Virginia Dare a major character was a stroke of genius. She literally becomes the symbol of burgeoning Americanism and hope for the future. Also, the irony of Peter, sans powers ,ending up with the girl who represents America is just a fun little ironic twist to run on.
I had a few problems with the book (the needless inclusion of dinosaurs in North America and a bit of too-on-the-nose criticism of Bush that while I agree with broadly has already dated the book) but those are minor quibbles in a book that without relying much in the way of action or superheroics, did a superb job of recreating the sense of, adventure and intrigue of 1960s Marvel when a universe was in its infancy.
I reached the end and saw that several sequels were written to this book, though sadly none by Gaiman. The reviews seem mixed. I'm most intrigued by the birth of a nation on Roanoke, but I hear much of the direct sequels involve an over emphasis on dinosaurs, Spidey comics formula (he starts working at a printing press in a struggling colony run by a blowhard....really?) and killing off Virginia Dare which immediately turns me off on the whole project. The Fantastic Four sequel about their adventures after returning to London and Victor von Doom's reemergence sounds more promising. Is it worth the read or is it just a cash-in?
Anyway, I loved this original story and it reminded me why I liked Marvel stories in the first place.
Oddly, I had barely even heard of this book until recently. Despite my love for Marvel and my more recent, but years-long admiration of Gaiman, I missed this book in 2003 as I was drifting away from comics at the time. On a whim, I recently came across the book and read it in a day. It is hands down one of the most clever and insightful broad views of the Marvel Universe I have seen.
In an 8-issue run, Gaiman and Kubert encapsulated why Marvel works and why we love it by completely transplanting it in a literally foreign world--early 17th century Europe. By doing this, Gaiman was able to highlight why these characters, even when stripped of their powers and costumes (for the most part) are so timeless and enduring. What Lee, Kirby and Ditko created has stood the test of time because it was a broad dysfunctional oddball universe designed on classic ideas and notions of storytelling while keeping the characters human, opinionated and differentiated by agenda. What shocked me is how he roots even more their Americanism and uniquely 20th century roots in the past by having them go to the New World and kickstart nation building over 150 years early. One wonders what Javier/Xavier's US would look like today.
It also pulls from history. Seeing Sir Nicholas Fury as Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster reimagining of Sir Walter Raleigh was a delight. James I's fears and prejudices leading to him persecuting mutants or Witchbreed was great. Magneto's entangling with the Vatican and Inquisition was clever. But most of all, Gaiman rewriting the history of the Lost Colony and making Virginia Dare a major character was a stroke of genius. She literally becomes the symbol of burgeoning Americanism and hope for the future. Also, the irony of Peter, sans powers ,ending up with the girl who represents America is just a fun little ironic twist to run on.
I had a few problems with the book (the needless inclusion of dinosaurs in North America and a bit of too-on-the-nose criticism of Bush that while I agree with broadly has already dated the book) but those are minor quibbles in a book that without relying much in the way of action or superheroics, did a superb job of recreating the sense of, adventure and intrigue of 1960s Marvel when a universe was in its infancy.
I reached the end and saw that several sequels were written to this book, though sadly none by Gaiman. The reviews seem mixed. I'm most intrigued by the birth of a nation on Roanoke, but I hear much of the direct sequels involve an over emphasis on dinosaurs, Spidey comics formula (he starts working at a printing press in a struggling colony run by a blowhard....really?) and killing off Virginia Dare which immediately turns me off on the whole project. The Fantastic Four sequel about their adventures after returning to London and Victor von Doom's reemergence sounds more promising. Is it worth the read or is it just a cash-in?
Anyway, I loved this original story and it reminded me why I liked Marvel stories in the first place.
