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madelinerossell's review
5.0
The artwork, the storytelling, the nuanced idealism of heroes, the examination of the media and celebrity. *chefs kiss*
This would probably be a great introductory comic to get people up to speed on general occurences in Marvel's history, though reader be warned it's good to come in with a basic understanding of marvel characters origins so nothing is spoiled.
This would probably be a great introductory comic to get people up to speed on general occurences in Marvel's history, though reader be warned it's good to come in with a basic understanding of marvel characters origins so nothing is spoiled.
katyanaish's review
5.0
This rating is all about the artwork. There are shots in this book that are literally breathtaking.
That's not to say the story is a slouch. Its actually a really fun idea. Its a retelling / look back at the emergence of superheroes onto the world scene, from the eyes of a reporter in Mahattan who was lucky enough to have a front row seat. Its a nice tweak on the usual superhero stories, in that its told from the POV of a shocked normal guy... and the art is gorgeous, pieced together from his photos of the action as things unfolded.
That's not to say the story is a slouch. Its actually a really fun idea. Its a retelling / look back at the emergence of superheroes onto the world scene, from the eyes of a reporter in Mahattan who was lucky enough to have a front row seat. Its a nice tweak on the usual superhero stories, in that its told from the POV of a shocked normal guy... and the art is gorgeous, pieced together from his photos of the action as things unfolded.
reaperreads's review
5.0
I don't know where to begin to describe my love for this graphic novel. I could not put it down for longer than a second to get a sandwich and return to it immediately with a mouthful of peanut butter, and mind full of anticipation. Busiek and Ross brought the story down to a very human level that I had been waiting to see ever since I got into reading comics. A taste of the civilian's perspective was gleaned from "Daredevil: Wake Up" when I read that work a little while ago, but Marvels takes that perspective to the next level by showing an entire timeline from the perspective of a photographer who is progressing through careers, adulthood, married life, etc. We watch as he changes while the world around him changes at a similar, if not alarmingly quicker pace. There is more to the story than watching a photographer watching the frightened people watching their once-enemies-now-idols warp their world into an unbelievable stage of fantasy. Are we not all watchers, as the creators of Marvel satirically hint at in several different continuities? We listen, we become alarmed, then we forget. It is a simple cycle that Busiek captured and dissected to show just how much more complex that sort of human condition is when we really take a gander at it. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the elements that Busiek and Ross chose to highlight in this Graphic Novel, and would recommend to any lover of comics.
i_have_no_process's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.75
The most joyful kind of retrospective imaginable. Nostalgia, charm, and humanity weaving together splendidly.
fowziabowza's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sandeeisreading's review against another edition
3.0
RATING: 3 just okay stars. 5 stars for the art though.
I am a huge fan of Alex Ross' art hence why I decided to grab Marvels. It was an okay story. I know that is a well-loved book so I was expecting a lot more, but it felt a bit flat for me. Story-wise, it didn't leave me with any lingering thoughts about what I read. It felt like there was a lot of back and forth between narratives, one moment were talking about this and now this, then even when we haven't completely resolved this, we jump into another one. I kind of get why the narrative is sort of choppy as this person narrating is a person outside looking in, but at least give us some closure on some of the things talked about.
There were a lot of times, I looked at how many more pages of this should I read because, honestly, I was getting impatient and bored.
And the ending... it wasn't satisfying. After everything, that's what he did. It didn't make sense to me.
Before I can completely forget, I love the foreword from Stan Lee. It made me teary-eyed a bit.
I am a huge fan of Alex Ross' art hence why I decided to grab Marvels. It was an okay story. I know that is a well-loved book so I was expecting a lot more, but it felt a bit flat for me. Story-wise, it didn't leave me with any lingering thoughts about what I read. It felt like there was a lot of back and forth between narratives, one moment were talking about this and now this, then even when we haven't completely resolved this, we jump into another one. I kind of get why the narrative is sort of choppy as this person narrating is a person outside looking in, but at least give us some closure on some of the things talked about.
There were a lot of times, I looked at how many more pages of this should I read because, honestly, I was getting impatient and bored.
And the ending... it wasn't satisfying. After everything, that's what he did. It didn't make sense to me.
Before I can completely forget, I love the foreword from Stan Lee. It made me teary-eyed a bit.
solariscrescent's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
kennisn's review
5.0
Marvels takes a totally different perspective on the events that shaped the Marvel Universe - that of photojournalist Phil Sheldon who lived through it all. His point of view gives a unique look at how these superheroes and supervillains (may have) changed the lives of the ordinary people around them. At the same time, it also puts the major events that occurred in the Marvel Universe, mostly in New York, in chronological order. Even though these major conflicts play out in the background, their frequent occurrences demonstrate the grander scale of what these civilians had to deal with. It really gave a sense of what life might be like in the age of "marvels" - in more ways than one (psychologically, financially, etc.)
It's the exceptional writing on the part of Kurt Busiek and the amazing artwork by Alex Ross that truly makes Phil Sheldon conflicts with this "Marvelous" world he has to contend with resonate.
It's the exceptional writing on the part of Kurt Busiek and the amazing artwork by Alex Ross that truly makes Phil Sheldon conflicts with this "Marvelous" world he has to contend with resonate.