REVIEW: ‘The Marvels,’ Issue #1

The Marvels #1 is written by Kurt Busiek, illustrated by Yidilray Cinar,  colored by Richard Isanove, and lettered by Simon Bowland. It is published by Marvel Comics.  The first issue spans the history of the Marvel Universe, beginning in the Sin-Cong Province and leaping to multiple locations including New York City. It also features the debut of a new villain in the form of the mysterious Lady Lotus and an unlikely hero in the form of a young man named Kevin Schumer.

Busiek had previously chronicled the history of the Marvel universe in the critically acclaimed Marvels series and has also written nearly every character in the Marvel Universe. Since Marvels took place from the perspective of a normal man, The Marvels switches focus to the heroes themselves. Quite a few Marvel heroes show up, including stalwarts such as Captain America and Spider-Man, and even new characters like Aero. Busiek perfectly captures each character’s personality, showcasing them in their respective elements. Spider-Man is his usual web-slinging wisecracking self, Captain America exudes confidence and is able to command various forces, and the Punisher shoots criminals in the face.

Busiek also leaps through various points in time in his script, setting up multiple mysteries to be explored in future issues. He also balances the heroes’ personal lives with their heroic exploits; a battle between Spidey and the Vulture intercuts with Captain America and Captain Marvel having lunch. Most superhero crossover stories such as King in Black are often packed with wall-to-wall action; as Busiek notes in his afterword, this series is intended to be the opposite of that.

Busiek has worked with several amazing artists over the course of his career and Cinar is no exception. Cinar draws each character with the appropriate movements and stature. Captain America stands tall with confidence that radiates off the page and uses a mix of hand-to-hand combat in addition to slinging his mighty shield. Spider-Man is often airborne, twisting to dodge the Vulture’s attacks and countering with bursts of webbing.

Bringing his artwork to life is Isanove on colors. From the lush green foliage of Prospect Park to the menacing overcast skies of Siancong, every environment has its own unique look and feel. Each location change comes complete with a set of wry captions that keep track of the ongoing story, courtesy of Bowland.

Perhaps the aspect of the issue I liked the most is Kevin Schumer. Schumer has an encyclopedic knowledge of Marvel’s heroes and works for Kshoom, which is essentially a rideshare app that takes a tour through the Marvel Universe. In short, he has my dream job. Under the creative team, Schumer feels like the essential Marvel hero—a normal person just trying to get through life. Said normal person just happens to pilot one of the Fantastic Four’s Fantasticars and has a wealth of gadgets including Ant-Man’s jetpack.

The Marvels #1 begins a massive adventure in the Marvel Universe, perfectly capturing the sense of adventure and humanity that fuels the Marvel Universe. If you are a fan of Marvel’s characters, this is the comic for you. Busiek, Cinar, and Isanove have created something special here that looks to follow in the same footsteps as Marvels.

The Marvels #1 is available wherever comics are sold.