1602

1602

by Neil Gaiman (author) and Andy Kubert (illustrator) [j741.5 Gai]

Intriguing look at the traditional heroes of the Marvel Comics universe, reimagined into the year 1602 by master fantasist Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Good Omens). The characters of Nick Fury, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spiderman, Dr. Doom, The Watcher, the X-Men, Magneto and many more are not simply transported through time. Rather, Gaiman takes these archetypal characters and "reinvents" them -- providing equivalents (with variations on similar names) from individuals in the Elizabethan age. The writing in this series is a nice mix of serious and humorous -- with a major, surprising plot twist towards the end of the story. The art ranges from rough and rustic to highly detailed, often resembled woodcuts. This was original a series of monthly issues, since compiled into a "graphic novel" format. When it originally came out, it polarized comics fans -- some hated it and some loved it. Personally, I found it an interesting comics artifact, and recommend it to anyone who's at least slightly familiar with well-known Marvel Comics characters. If you're not at least passingly family with the Marvel Universe, you probably won't appreciate this as much. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Wikipedia entry for Gaiman's 1602 ] [ official Marvel Comics web site ] [ official Neil Gaiman web site ]

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