The Marvels Project #5
For a time it seemed that everything Ed Brubaker touched turned to gold. That has not happened with The Marvels Project. Don’t get me wrong; this was an excellent issue just like the previous four. However, for some reason this series just has not caught on. Everything I’m about to tell you about this particular issue holds true for the series as a whole, at least up to this point.
The artwork for this issue is crisp, clean and well laid out. Steve Epting has done a particularly good job with his rendering of all the major characters. Everyone looks just the way you think they should look, at this point in time, The Angel, Captain America, Nick Fury but most especially the Red Skull. Epting is able to make the Red Skull just exude evil.
Beyond Epting’s solid artwork Ed Brubaker has been able to craft a compelling tale of the formative years of the Marvel universe. Drawing on real world history and various early Marvel stories Brubaker is able to weave together a story of how events unfolded to create the Marvel universe readers are familiar with today. What makes this a real accomplishment and a testament to Brubaker’s skills as a writer is the fact that much of Marvel’s early work really wasn’t of the best quality. I mean, lets be honest, most of the Marvel universe readers know today originated in the Silver Age not the Golden Age and there is a reason for that. Still, Brubaker is able to take the best of that material, mix in some of the revisions that other writers came up with over the years, add in some of his own creativity, mix it together with a little real world history and come up with a winner. The story is informative, while still being entertaining and relevant to the current Marvel universe. Brubaker’s attention to detail enables him to work in some obscure characters and events without bogging down the story. The story is also accessible to everyone, no matter how much you may know about Marvel’s history.
This issue and the series as a whole, at least to this point, get my vote. So, don’t be afraid, go ahead and give The Marvels Project a try. If you do give the series a try I think you’ll strike gold.