Here I cheat and review not the original Marvels prestige series, but the collection I bought a few years later (having foolishly passed on the original issues in 1994).Well, as I always say, you can't buy everything. And if you could, it would be tough to find the time to read it all.
Back to the point. Marvels was a watershed moment in comics for several reasons. For one, it was very good, with an excellent story and incredible art.
Second, it introduced the painted artwork of Alex Ross to the world of comics, and what a tremendous body of work he's produced in the years since (not to mention the impressive effort in painting a mini-series like this). His work features a unique, realistic style that really stands out from the crowd.
It also incorporated the kind of "street level" viewpoint into the story, something that was pretty rare at the time, especially in super-hero comics. It's a technique writer Kurt Busiek has used to good effect in his Astro City series.
The story follows the life of Phil Sheldon, a news photographer who lives in New York and manages to be on the job when some of Marvel's most historic super-events take place. He's there when Professor Horton unveils the original Human Torch, and he sees New York almost destroyed by the Sub-Mariner.
We follow his life into the Silver Age, as Marvel's heroes first make headlines, and on into the darkest days ahead. It's a moving, powerful story, and Busiek and Ross manage to tie together storylines from Marvel's early days in surprising and effective ways.
It's an outstanding work, and it's just as strong today as it was when it was issued. Highly recommended!
Grade: A+
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