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i_have_no_process's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.5
Ultimately nothing more than a lark, but an enjoyable one at that.
sonicboylee's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing concept from the mind of Mr Gaiman - as if the MCU had existed in Westeros
megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Written by Neil Gaiman with art by Andy Kubert? I didn't even care what it was about and I was already hooked. But the content doesn't hurt - many heroes of the Marvel galaxy show up in England, 1602. But why? It was fun seeing them all in another setting (and, for me, trying to figure out who they were). On top of that, the pacing is strong, the writing is sharp, and art was absolutely gorgeous.
squirrelz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
An original idea for old characters. I've wanted to read this for ages and Im glad I finally did. Though there were a couple frames where I couldn't tell exactly what was happening
espressoroast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I've wanted to read this book for years. I love Marvel, I love alternate histories, and I love Neil Gaiman. And it was worth the wait. Not only was it beautifully drawn, it was an epic story that is easily one of my favourite Marvel stories of all time. There were so many different storylines and characters that were introduced, but it all culminated in a spectacular finale that made my heart ache. The writing and dialogue was stellar (though that goes without saying, really), and it was wonderful to see so many familiar and loved Marvel characters interact with each other in a unique setting. This is one of my favourite graphic novels and is a must have for any superhero/Marvel fan!
cathyelisabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
colindalaska's review against another edition
5.0
Marvel does Elizabethan Elseworlds.
And a twist that I didn’t spot despite it being 15 years old.
And a twist that I didn’t spot despite it being 15 years old.
unladylike's review against another edition
5.0
This was probably my third read-through of 1602, but I *still* didn't know how things were going to be revealed in the final two chapters, and it was better than I [vaguely] remembered!
I stand by 1602 as being one the best told, most important re-tellings of the Marvel Universe (in this instance, the Silver Age, thrown into the early 17th century.
The two things that irked me (which should not be surprising if you know me or follow my reviews) are:
1. Rojhaz (it really shouldn't be a spoiler that he's supposed to be Captain America) - the only American Indian representative we see during this pivotal time in Colonialist history is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white man. Towards the end, Gaiman reveals some clever plot twists that make this quasi-white-washing a bit more palatable/less offensive, but for the duration of the comic, we have to put up with a bullshit excuse that he's "proof of an earlier Welsh influence in the Americas." And we still have to deal with the lack of POC characters in the book. As long as they're re-imagining so many well-known characters with new names and nationalities*, why the hell couldn't Gaiman/Kubert have also had a few black, brown, or red people out of the 30+ main characters?! The fact that they stick a band of feathers on Cap's head, reduce his linguistic abilities, and use him as the token Native just adds insult to injury. *(The Spanish characters are still given Whiteness in all but name.)
2. The female Marvel characters we see almost completely play into the Virgin, Mother, Whore trichotomy. Virginia Dare plays the Virgin; Clea Strange represents the Mother and Crone; Black Widow/Natasha acts as nothing but a betrayer/seductress. The last one in that list is driven home by this point: Susan Storm/Invisible Woman's FIRST SCENE in the book, after being held captive by Doom, is knocking out Natasha and simply uttering "Whore." !!!! All subtlety is thrown to the wind when you can rely on using women as misogynistic antagonists against one another. After that, Susan's defining, redeeming quality is being a good listener to an old drunk man. Jean Grey is a great character in the book, but she hardly speaks and is mostly interesting because she's resorted to stealthily passing as a lad, which leads to some tender queer romance from Angel and typical macho possessive bullshit antics from Scott/Cyclops.
Ok, so as usual, I have to vent about the things that bother me much more than I talk about all the things I loved. I figure there's already enough of that out there to read if you haven't already. I highly recommend reading and owning this book, especially if you want an introduction to Marvel comics and only have a cursory understanding of the most well-known characters from pop culture.
I stand by 1602 as being one the best told, most important re-tellings of the Marvel Universe (in this instance, the Silver Age, thrown into the early 17th century.
The two things that irked me (which should not be surprising if you know me or follow my reviews) are:
1. Rojhaz (it really shouldn't be a spoiler that he's supposed to be Captain America) - the only American Indian representative we see during this pivotal time in Colonialist history is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white man. Towards the end, Gaiman reveals some clever plot twists that make this quasi-white-washing a bit more palatable/less offensive, but for the duration of the comic, we have to put up with a bullshit excuse that he's "proof of an earlier Welsh influence in the Americas." And we still have to deal with the lack of POC characters in the book. As long as they're re-imagining so many well-known characters with new names and nationalities*, why the hell couldn't Gaiman/Kubert have also had a few black, brown, or red people out of the 30+ main characters?! The fact that they stick a band of feathers on Cap's head, reduce his linguistic abilities, and use him as the token Native just adds insult to injury. *(The Spanish characters are still given Whiteness in all but name.)
2. The female Marvel characters we see almost completely play into the Virgin, Mother, Whore trichotomy. Virginia Dare plays the Virgin; Clea Strange represents the Mother and Crone; Black Widow/Natasha acts as nothing but a betrayer/seductress. The last one in that list is driven home by this point: Susan Storm/Invisible Woman's FIRST SCENE in the book, after being held captive by Doom, is knocking out Natasha and simply uttering "Whore." !!!! All subtlety is thrown to the wind when you can rely on using women as misogynistic antagonists against one another. After that, Susan's defining, redeeming quality is being a good listener to an old drunk man. Jean Grey is a great character in the book, but she hardly speaks and is mostly interesting because she's resorted to stealthily passing as a lad, which leads to some tender queer romance from Angel and typical macho possessive bullshit antics from Scott/Cyclops.
Ok, so as usual, I have to vent about the things that bother me much more than I talk about all the things I loved. I figure there's already enough of that out there to read if you haven't already. I highly recommend reading and owning this book, especially if you want an introduction to Marvel comics and only have a cursory understanding of the most well-known characters from pop culture.
lindetiel's review against another edition
2.0
I was really eager to read Marvel 1602 - Elizabethian period mixed with superheroes it could have been great! I enjoyed the setting and character creation (or implementation to the given period). Neil Gaiman invites the reader to solve some puzzles that he left here or there, as some of the identities are not clear and some guesswork is needed in order to unravel who is who.
Unfortunately the story was overcomplicated, which was completely unnecessary, with traveling through time plot that was a poor explenation for certain events. The pace of the story was terribly uneven, too slow or too fast, and a result made the story a much less enjoyable experience in general.
Worth reading due to the interesting setting but a huge disappointment storywise.
Unfortunately the story was overcomplicated, which was completely unnecessary, with traveling through time plot that was a poor explenation for certain events. The pace of the story was terribly uneven, too slow or too fast, and a result made the story a much less enjoyable experience in general.
Worth reading due to the interesting setting but a huge disappointment storywise.