Marvel 1602 [New Printing]

Not long after I got my Kindle I started browsing graphic novels and came across this gem. My reading list is somewhat long, so it's taken me to get to it and now that I have, I'm in utter awe. Neil Gaiman has transported many of the Marvel characters that we know and love - Dr. Strange, Nick Fury, Daredevil....and I'd best stop there and let you be surprised by who is in here, dear reader - back to the year 1602. Something is very wrong with the world and it seems to be tearing itself apart. To fix it, heroes who shouldn't normally be in this age arise... I liked the historical references to the period, from Queen Elizabeth I to the Spanish Inquisition. I also admired Mr. Gaiman's subtle changes to names to make them more fitting with the period, and the rather elaborate plot he wove. The style of speech was perfect, the type setting certainly fitting for the times, and the artwork was usually top notch. In short, I was blown away, absolutely loved it, and highly recommend it. Just for clarification, I read this on my 7" Kindle Fire HD - the panel view made things easy to read and the artwork stand out.

There are a lot of things to love about this comic - the writing is excellent and the storyline is great. It's a little contrived in the end, and if you've been paying attention then the "twist" feels more Shyamalan than Gaiman, but that aside, the characters are handled well, and this is a very enjoyable alternative take on the Marvel Universe. The story is set - as the title suggests - in 1602, and you've got Olde Worlde versions of the X-Men, Spider Man, Daredevil and more. Half the fun is seeing how these characters and their powers are made to fit in with the setting, and it has been accomplished really well. There are some points where the plot feels a little forced, but it's a minor thing, and by the end of the comic, you're definitely invested in what is happening. A very enjoyable read.

Neil Gaiman has made a career out of stories - not just telling them, although of course he's done that too. No, Gaiman has always been fascinated by the power of stories - how they can shape our day to day lives, how they guide us and determine our character, and so much more. So it's no surprise that his Marvel mini-series Marvel 1602 (with gorgeous illustrations by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove) deals with stories as well, all arising from a simple "what if?" idea: what if the Marvel universe started not in the mid-twentieth century, but at the beginning of the 1600s? A fun idea, and for a lot of the length of Marvel 1602, the comic is a treat just to see how Gaiman and company have brought these characters to life in recognizable ways while still making them utterly defined by the time period. We recognize the X-Men, even if they are labeled as creatures of witchcraft and hunted by the Inquisition. We know Nick Fury, even if he's working as a spymaster of sorts for Queen Elizabeth and the idea of "S.H.I.E.L.D." doesn't even exist. The blind bard who's more than capable of handling himself without vision? We know him, too, even if the comic never explicitly calls him Daredevil. Again and again, Gaiman illustrates our knowledge and familiarity with these characters by seeing how much he can change them and yet leave them the same on a fundamental level. (I haven't spoiled all the appearances in here; suffice to say, Gaiman packs the frames with quite the array of Marvel icons, including one whose name in the series, once I finally realized who it was, made me laugh quite a bit.) But if all Marvel 1602 gave us was a glorified What If? comic, that wouldn't really make it as engaging as it is. Instead, Gaiman focuses in very specifically on this time and place - a change in the English monarchy, and a lot of fear of the supernatural - but more than that, makes the question of "why this time?" not just speculative, but part of the story itself. And indeed, as it unfolds, and we realize what's led to this, it allows Gaiman to play with richer ideas about the notion of heroism, the role of heroes in our own lives, and what it means to be...well, that would be a spoiler. (But it's such a neat idea!) No, Marvel 1602 isn't the kind of comic book that transcends the typical Marvel audience. This is a superhero story, even if it is one that takes place in the 1600s. But what it is is a wonderful reminder of just how many ways there are to tell a familiar story, and a fantastic exploration of archetypes, tropes, and ideas that have become larger than the characters that gave birth to them. (It is, in many ways, to Marvel as a whole what Into the Spider-Verse was to Spider-Man - a reminder that stories are about so much more than just the one person they seem to be about.)

I'm going to start by telling you that I was going to stop reviewing the items that I bought, because I thought that my reviews weren't really helpful, but after reading the other review of this book, I feel like I have to, Well, since I read about 1602 on wikipedia, the idea of having the marvel characters on a different time line intrigued me, and after reading the actual graphic novel,I can tell you that I didn't disappoint me, It really was as good as I expected it to be, or even better, I don't want to spoil this book for you, so I won't tell you what it is about, I'm just going to tell you that as you can see in the title it takes place in the year 1602, and for some reason all of our heroes were born 400 years before they were supposed to,the ending is really unexpected, but again I don't want to spoil it for you. 1602 is a great book, and is definitely on the best in my short collection.

I just finished this work and absolutely loved it. Admittedly it has a somewhat limited audience, since the story won't make much sense to those unfamiliar with the Marvel universe; however, if you are at all familiar with X-Men, F4, Nick Fury, etc. then you absolutely have to read this book. The art, graphical style and dialogue are great. What impressed me was the strong historical reference and how this book is more of a "what if" on King James and America's colonization. After reading this I suggest going to [...] and reading the article about Marvel 1602 if you don't get all the history. I also love Neil Gaimen's ode to the Watchmen (argueable the best comic book ever) in that there are no Silver Age comic goofiness, even if that's the basis for the characters.

One of the best comics I’ve read so far. Good artwork and great story. This had definitely movie Neil Gaiman into my favorite authors. I will definitely read his Sandman series sometime soon.

「サンドマン」のNeil Gaiman原作。1602年、エリザベス一世治下の英国と清教徒入植の始まったニューイングランドを舞台にMarvelおなじみのキャラクターたちが活躍する異色作。 現代のヒーローが1602年に行くのではなく、かれらは基本的にあくまで1602年当時の人物として描かれています（マグニートーが「Spanish Inquisition」なのにややウケ）。ヒーローのコスチュームも（「スパイダーマン」「デアデビル」といった）コードネームも出てきません（普通のセリフの一部に織り込まれて出てくることはある）が、言動がうまく元ネタのキャラクターに当てはめられているのにニヤリとさせられます。ピーターが蜘蛛に噛まれそうでなかなか噛まれないのが可笑しい。 ハードカバー一冊で完結しているミニシリーズなので、Marvelキャラクターをある程度知っていれば、最近のオリジナルシリーズでの展開を知らない人（自分ですが）でも楽しめます。エリザベス朝時代の絵画や銅版画を研究して編み出した（と思われる）独特の画風やカバーアートもいい味出してます。

Una joya

My first comic book and now I want more! Neil Gaiman is a genius, the characters are also so well written

I can't really go into describing what I loved about this too much without giving this away. Needless to say with it being written by Gaiman, it's a clever twist on Elizabethan England in numerous ways, the art work is fantastic and there are some really good surprises. I really enjoyed it and despite the news circling Gaiman's private life, I still think he's a genius and for me, he's innocent until proven guilty. So I'll read his brilliant creations until there's a court case.

I haven't read the book yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I found the idea of reimagining some of Marvel's most iconic characters in the Elizabethan era to be a very interesting concept. This book is a must-read for all Marvel fans.