Series
Description
Within the Marvel Universe, heroes soar high in the skies, ready to battle the villains who threaten their world. Yet living in the shadow of these extraordinary icons are ordinary men and women who view the "Marvels" with a mixture of fear, disbelief, envy and admiration. Among them is Phil Sheldon, a New York City photojournalist who has dedicated his career to covering the exploits of the Marvels and their effect on humankind. Written by Kurt Busiek and masterfully illustrated by Alex Ross, Marvels presents a richly painted historical overview of the entire Marvel Universe, spanning from the 1939 debut of the Human Torch to the fearsome coming of the world-devouring Galactus - and culminating in the shocking death of Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man's first love.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1994
Physical description
248 p.; 6.63 inches
Publication
Marvel (2018), 248 pages. The Remastered Edition
Pages
248
ISBN
1302913166 / 9781302913168
Local notes
A photographer follows the development of the Marvel universe through four decades from the first appearance of the original Human Torch through to Green Goblin's murder of Gwen Stacy.
Similar in this library
Awards
Eisner Award (Nominee — 1994)
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2007)
Harvey Award (Winner — 1995)
Squiddy Award (1994)
User reviews
LibraryThing member calum-iain
Marvels is issue 15 (volume 13) in Marvel’s Ultimate Graphic Novels" Collection. The novel collects the “Marvels” mini-series (issues 1 through 4) from January to April 1994. Written by Kurt Busiek and fully painted by Alex Ross, the series was revelatory both in its style and approach,
The story itself begins in 1939 with the creation of the robotic, original Human Torch and follows his battles with Namor,the Sub-Mariner, before the advent of the Second World War and the creation of Captain America. Sheldon becomes a war correspondent and witnesses the “Marvels” in action against the Nazis. After the war he marries his sweetheart Doris and by the early 1960s they have two children. Working in New York he is acutely aware of the Fantastic Four and The Avengers but is concerned about the growing fear and hate around mutants and the mutant team, The X-Men. When an anti-mutant mob goes on the rampage he finds that his daughters are sheltering a mutant girl in their basement. Sheldon becomes more preoccupied with the Marvels and begins to put his family in second place in an obsessive pursuit of the strange heroes, but all of this is put into perspective when a world-destroying threat in the fom of Galactus appears. After the Fantastic Four defeat the alien, Sheldon promises to spend more time with his family. By the 1970s he has has written a best-seller called "Marvels" and is becoming more-and-more disgusted by the public dislike of the heroes, particularly J. Jonah Jameson’s rants against Spider-Man. Believing the web-slinger to have been framed for the death of police officer Captain Stacy, he begins investigating the murder and befriends Stacey’s daughter, Gwen. When Gwen is kidnapped by the Green Goblin Sheldon is there at the Brooklyn Bridge and witnesses her death. When forensic reports reveals that Gwen died from the shock of the fall, Sheldon's faith in the Marvels is destoyed - he decides he’s had enough of these heroes and retires. The “Marvels” book is produced to the same high quality standards as the previous – hardback, tightly bound, with beautiful colourful glossy pages. Extras include chapter forewords by Stan Lee and John Romita, Snr, along with those of Busiek and Ross themselves. There is also an overview detailing how Busiek and Ross went about creating the books and an interesting and informative artist workshop with Alex Ross. A brilliant package to complement a brilliant story.
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examining key events in the Marvel universe from the everyman perspective of news photographer Phil Sheldon. By retelling events from an everyman perspective, Busiek’s story poured new perspectives onto the superheroes themselves and onto Marvel rich history. The artwork from Alex Ross is simply brilliant, revolutionising what could be done with comic book art – his approach has been much imitated but seldom bettered. The story itself begins in 1939 with the creation of the robotic, original Human Torch and follows his battles with Namor,the Sub-Mariner, before the advent of the Second World War and the creation of Captain America. Sheldon becomes a war correspondent and witnesses the “Marvels” in action against the Nazis. After the war he marries his sweetheart Doris and by the early 1960s they have two children. Working in New York he is acutely aware of the Fantastic Four and The Avengers but is concerned about the growing fear and hate around mutants and the mutant team, The X-Men. When an anti-mutant mob goes on the rampage he finds that his daughters are sheltering a mutant girl in their basement. Sheldon becomes more preoccupied with the Marvels and begins to put his family in second place in an obsessive pursuit of the strange heroes, but all of this is put into perspective when a world-destroying threat in the fom of Galactus appears. After the Fantastic Four defeat the alien, Sheldon promises to spend more time with his family. By the 1970s he has has written a best-seller called "Marvels" and is becoming more-and-more disgusted by the public dislike of the heroes, particularly J. Jonah Jameson’s rants against Spider-Man. Believing the web-slinger to have been framed for the death of police officer Captain Stacy, he begins investigating the murder and befriends Stacey’s daughter, Gwen. When Gwen is kidnapped by the Green Goblin Sheldon is there at the Brooklyn Bridge and witnesses her death. When forensic reports reveals that Gwen died from the shock of the fall, Sheldon's faith in the Marvels is destoyed - he decides he’s had enough of these heroes and retires. The “Marvels” book is produced to the same high quality standards as the previous – hardback, tightly bound, with beautiful colourful glossy pages. Extras include chapter forewords by Stan Lee and John Romita, Snr, along with those of Busiek and Ross themselves. There is also an overview detailing how Busiek and Ross went about creating the books and an interesting and informative artist workshop with Alex Ross. A brilliant package to complement a brilliant story.
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LibraryThing member ander23
I'm a Marvel nerd :) This is what you want people to understand when you tell them that you love a comic book character, and them understanding why that makes sense. This is the book that ends the argument that is comics versus art, nerdom versus reality, and mythology versus understanding. This is
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a story that bridges all the misconceptions of genre fiction and brings it into just fiction: this is a story, without pre-concieved notion of story, and you follow it thusly. 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan
Marvels is a look at the early years of the Marvel Universe from the viewpoint of normal folks. Our everyman is Phil Sheldon, a news photographer. As the events of various Marvel comics occur in the background, Phil observes and reacts to them. The original series had four issues. The first deals
--J.
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with the rise of super-powered beings, referred to as "marvels" by Phil. The second shifts to the second age of Marvel comics in the early sixties, contrasting the celebrity of the Fantastic Four with the fearful reactions to the X-Men. Issue three shows the reaction on the street to the first coming of Galactus. And, finally, issue four tells how Phil hooked up with Gwen Stacy in his attempt to write a book on what the "marvels" should mean to the common people of humanity. It's a collection that really struck a chord with this fan-boy, or ex-fan-boy, or whatever I am these days. I loved getting a different perspective on the stories--the mythology--I read all those years ago. And of course Alex Ross' art is magnificent, bringing a unique sense of reality without sacrificing the necessary unreality that the superhero genre requires. Part of me is tempted to go out and get a brand new copy rather than this worn hand-me-down paperback. Either way, I want to keep Marvels on my shelf.--J.
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LibraryThing member JohnMunsch
It was neat that it centers around the "real" people living in the city with the Marvel Universe characters like Spider-man and The Fantastic Four. It was also better than anything else I've seen Alex Ross's artwork in so far. He definitely deserves to be paired with an equally talented writer.
LibraryThing member wilsonknut
What makes a great graphic novel is a story that goes beyond the typical comic book fare and grapples with deeper themes, usually only found in literature, in a new and enlightening way. Oh yeah, and great artwork. Marvels is simply one of the best graphic novels to date. The storyline is
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inventive, telling many of Marvel comics' classic stories through the eyes of the ordinary people on the ground. The protagonist is a photographer who goes through internal philosophical debates and epiphanies about how ordinary people should feel about these super heroes. The reader, like those on the ground, spends a lot of time looking up, but also spends a lot of time looking around at their fellow humans. How do they react to these beings greater than themselves that they do not fully understand? How do they react to their helplessness in the face of these grand dramas and battles? Classic stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member wikkyd
Limited Edition Graphitti Designs Hardcover. One of 8500 numbered and signed by Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek.
LibraryThing member EikaiwaCafe
With MARVELS, you needn't even open the cover to realize that you have something special in your hands. MARVELS was the debut of Ross' fully painted, nearly photo-realistic comic book illustrations. I still remember going into the comic book shop as a kid and seeing the individual issues on the
Busiek shows key points of legendary Marvel characters in the formative years of the Marvel Universe... but instead of showing us the battles from the perspective of the heroes themselves, we watch the world through the eyes... err lens of a photojournalist, Phil Sheldon, from his first days on the job, prior to the explosion of superheroes, through his retirement.
In the first story, he is a rookie photographer that wants to make a name for himself covering the war in Europe. At the time, the original Human Torch and Namor are the first two super beings to frequent the city... and at first, Sheldon feels powerless and insignificant beside them, even calling off his marriage because he feels he is unable to live up to a husband's duty to protect his wife and future children. However as Captain America and then the Human Torch and Namor begin fighting the Germans and Japanese, the people of America learn to embrace them as 'their heroes'. Sheldon throws off his funk and starts his career on a path not of war journalism, but of documenting the exploits of the superheroes.
In the second story, set in the 60's, having come to revere the superheroes... he deals with anti-mutant prejudices. In a moment of mob passion he even throws a rock and hits Ice Man in the head. However, the discovery of a small mutant child his children have been hiding helps him learn the horror of the prejudice against mutants. This is the most touching story in the MARVELS collection, in my opinion. The end is sort of anguishing... until you take another look at the beautiful cover.
The next story covers the coming of Galactus. At this time, the public perception is turning against the superheroes. Sheldon is disgusted with all the negativity directed towards the heroes, and the feeling of entitlement the people have in their protection. He decides to work on a book to put heroes, "Marvels" as he calls them, in their proper light. To this end, he becomes lost in his work and neglects his family, until, believing that the world finally is coming to an end, he realizes that he wants to spend his last moments with his family. Of course Galactus is defeated and the world is saved.
In the final story, Sheldon's book is published to instant popularity. However, he finds he isn't satisfied. He still wishes to do something more, he wants to find a way to turn the tide of negative publicity, by the likes of Jameson in the Daily Bugle... though in a moment of honesty, Jameson reveals that his need to tear down the heroes are really as immaculately selfless as they seem... how can a normal man every measure up to them. He, and his readers, feel a need to pull the heroes down to a more human, fallible level. Sheldon set's out to write a book, clearing Spiderman of the accusation that he is responsible for the death of George Stacey. He finds a surprising ally in Stacey's daughter, Gwen. He sees her as the beautiful innocent that the heroes are their to protect. However, his vision of the superheroes comes crashing down as he witnesses the death of Gwen Stacey at the hands of Green Goblin. He witnesses the failure of Spiderman to save her... and his faith in the superheroes is shattered. He passes on his camera to his assistant and retires to spend time with his family.
If you read MARVELS and find the story of how people relate to their superheroes, I highly recommend Busiek's "Astro City". In which he manages to refine the concept to even greater levels.
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shelf. I was awed by the covers, but back then the comic book shop was more of a place I entered and dreamed about, I hadn't the money to buy anything. As an adult, I've rectified that situation and the art is just as breathtaking now as it was then, but that isn't all that sets MARVELS apart, though I probably wouldn't have appreciated Kurt Busiek's story as much as a kid.Busiek shows key points of legendary Marvel characters in the formative years of the Marvel Universe... but instead of showing us the battles from the perspective of the heroes themselves, we watch the world through the eyes... err lens of a photojournalist, Phil Sheldon, from his first days on the job, prior to the explosion of superheroes, through his retirement.
In the first story, he is a rookie photographer that wants to make a name for himself covering the war in Europe. At the time, the original Human Torch and Namor are the first two super beings to frequent the city... and at first, Sheldon feels powerless and insignificant beside them, even calling off his marriage because he feels he is unable to live up to a husband's duty to protect his wife and future children. However as Captain America and then the Human Torch and Namor begin fighting the Germans and Japanese, the people of America learn to embrace them as 'their heroes'. Sheldon throws off his funk and starts his career on a path not of war journalism, but of documenting the exploits of the superheroes.
In the second story, set in the 60's, having come to revere the superheroes... he deals with anti-mutant prejudices. In a moment of mob passion he even throws a rock and hits Ice Man in the head. However, the discovery of a small mutant child his children have been hiding helps him learn the horror of the prejudice against mutants. This is the most touching story in the MARVELS collection, in my opinion. The end is sort of anguishing... until you take another look at the beautiful cover.
The next story covers the coming of Galactus. At this time, the public perception is turning against the superheroes. Sheldon is disgusted with all the negativity directed towards the heroes, and the feeling of entitlement the people have in their protection. He decides to work on a book to put heroes, "Marvels" as he calls them, in their proper light. To this end, he becomes lost in his work and neglects his family, until, believing that the world finally is coming to an end, he realizes that he wants to spend his last moments with his family. Of course Galactus is defeated and the world is saved.
In the final story, Sheldon's book is published to instant popularity. However, he finds he isn't satisfied. He still wishes to do something more, he wants to find a way to turn the tide of negative publicity, by the likes of Jameson in the Daily Bugle... though in a moment of honesty, Jameson reveals that his need to tear down the heroes are really as immaculately selfless as they seem... how can a normal man every measure up to them. He, and his readers, feel a need to pull the heroes down to a more human, fallible level. Sheldon set's out to write a book, clearing Spiderman of the accusation that he is responsible for the death of George Stacey. He finds a surprising ally in Stacey's daughter, Gwen. He sees her as the beautiful innocent that the heroes are their to protect. However, his vision of the superheroes comes crashing down as he witnesses the death of Gwen Stacey at the hands of Green Goblin. He witnesses the failure of Spiderman to save her... and his faith in the superheroes is shattered. He passes on his camera to his assistant and retires to spend time with his family.
If you read MARVELS and find the story of how people relate to their superheroes, I highly recommend Busiek's "Astro City". In which he manages to refine the concept to even greater levels.
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LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
If you’ve followed my LT:ing, you know that I love what Kurt Busiek does to super hero comics. In his Astro City series, he’s constantly exploring what it’s like, not primarily for the guys in costumes battling it out on the roof tops, but for the mom with two kids standing on the street
This is, I guess, the book that started it. In it, we follow a news photographer through the 20th century in the Marvel universe. From the emerging of the first beings with super powers, creatures like the Sub-Mariner, over the creation of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, up until the Silver age with heroes like X-men and Spiderman. Through the eyes of Phil Sheldon, we get a feel for what is going on in the city around the men and women in spandex. The initial feeling of inferiority. The insecurity those early beings created by not being heroes or villains, but acting on their own Moral code. The pride of the hero powered war machine in WW2. The brewing disgruntlement with the heroes’ refusal to play by the rules. The hatred against mutants. And the taking of the heroes for granted.
Really, what firstly deserves mention here is Alex Ross’ artwork. I’ve seen his fabulous covers for the Astro City series, but this is the first time I see him do a full book. The result is stellar, best I’ve seen in the realistic genre. Most of these faces, even the ones just appearing in a panel or two, are people you’d recognize in the street. And the angles, the colors….
Busiek has done a massive work here too, following the Marvel universe from the birth of The Human Torch to the death of Gwen Stacy and peppering the story line with both major events and tons of little winks. I’m not well read in Marvel enough to get it all, but still feel the cleverness of letting a teenage Nick Fury, as a man in the street, express his admiration of Captain America to a reporter, or letting the nice normal boy on a bicycle in the last page be called Danny Ketch.
Unfortunately, Phil Sheldon isn’t quite interesting enough as a main character to me. He feels this way about the marvels, then he feels that way, and his reactions are usually either to rush out into the fray with his camera or head home to be with his family. I have a feeling much more could be achieved by a bigger cast of “normal people” as main characters, allowing for more diversity and conflict, rather than having the main guy revising his viewpoint every three years. Still, a remarkable work, and mandatory reading for anyone interested in the Marvel universe.
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seeing it happen. His work is the best example I’ve seen of whet it might actually *be like* to live in a world where super heroes, alien invasions and secret identities really exist. This is, I guess, the book that started it. In it, we follow a news photographer through the 20th century in the Marvel universe. From the emerging of the first beings with super powers, creatures like the Sub-Mariner, over the creation of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, up until the Silver age with heroes like X-men and Spiderman. Through the eyes of Phil Sheldon, we get a feel for what is going on in the city around the men and women in spandex. The initial feeling of inferiority. The insecurity those early beings created by not being heroes or villains, but acting on their own Moral code. The pride of the hero powered war machine in WW2. The brewing disgruntlement with the heroes’ refusal to play by the rules. The hatred against mutants. And the taking of the heroes for granted.
Really, what firstly deserves mention here is Alex Ross’ artwork. I’ve seen his fabulous covers for the Astro City series, but this is the first time I see him do a full book. The result is stellar, best I’ve seen in the realistic genre. Most of these faces, even the ones just appearing in a panel or two, are people you’d recognize in the street. And the angles, the colors….
Busiek has done a massive work here too, following the Marvel universe from the birth of The Human Torch to the death of Gwen Stacy and peppering the story line with both major events and tons of little winks. I’m not well read in Marvel enough to get it all, but still feel the cleverness of letting a teenage Nick Fury, as a man in the street, express his admiration of Captain America to a reporter, or letting the nice normal boy on a bicycle in the last page be called Danny Ketch.
Unfortunately, Phil Sheldon isn’t quite interesting enough as a main character to me. He feels this way about the marvels, then he feels that way, and his reactions are usually either to rush out into the fray with his camera or head home to be with his family. I have a feeling much more could be achieved by a bigger cast of “normal people” as main characters, allowing for more diversity and conflict, rather than having the main guy revising his viewpoint every three years. Still, a remarkable work, and mandatory reading for anyone interested in the Marvel universe.
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LibraryThing member NoirSeanF
Collects the "Marvels" series by [[Alex Ross]] and [[Kurt Busiek]], #1-4 and issue #0. The first story, published serially as Marvels #0, is fantastic.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
After enjoying Kingdom Come, it was probably only natural that I'd want to experience more Alex Ross art, and once I heard of this book, the concept was too intriguing to pass up. It follows a New York photographer through the early days of the Marvel universe, from the emergence of the original
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Human Torch up to the death of Gwen Stacy, as he grows older, marries, and raises a family. Alex Ross's painted art is fantastic, of course, but Buseik's writing is also strong, effectively weaving the trials of a little man in a world of marvels. The section on mutants was probably the best-- showcasing the best and worst of humanity-- the same day the city rallies around the wedding of superheroes Reed and Sue Richards, our protagonist sinks low enough to throw a brick at a mutant. (originally written January 2008) Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
You really would have to know the Marvel Universe to understand some of this, but overall it's an interesting story of a man, Phil Sheldon, a photographer, and his experience of living in a city populated by supereroes and what this does to him and his life.
In this story the everyman takes centre
Not being as familiar as I perhaps would like to be with the Marvel universe I'm pretty sure I missed on nuances and in-jokes but I did still enjoy the read.
In this story the everyman takes centre
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stage while the superheroes are in the background, the aftermath of their battles is felt rather than being ignored and the emotions of the characters, feelings of resentment and stress can also be seen.Not being as familiar as I perhaps would like to be with the Marvel universe I'm pretty sure I missed on nuances and in-jokes but I did still enjoy the read.
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LibraryThing member rodhilton
Marvels focuses on different points in time, following various big events (the coming of Galactus, the death of Gwen Stacey) but rather than telling the story through the eyes of superheroes, it is told through the eyes of a news photographer.
Anchoring the story with a simple man has an interesting
Unfortunately, by spreading the concept out for decades, the story somewhat loses focus, and each issue seems to have a sense of "what can the internal monologue be about that kind of relates to the event covered in this issue?" Overall, the narrative is a bit spotty.
Additionally, because we are seeing classic events through a new person's, the stakes are much lower than in, say, Kingdom Come, where we are seeing new events and have a great deal of insight into the older versions of classic characters.
Marvels definitely works - the artwork is amazing, the concept is fresh, and it's a good read. It occasionally drags in some places and isn't quite as good as some other work, but if you've never read it and you have a passing familiarity with the Marvel universe, it's definitely worth a read.
Anchoring the story with a simple man has an interesting
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effect, very much like using the priest character in Kingdom Come. You never see anything about secret identities or personal lives, and the action is always from the outside, from a distance. I appreciate the approach and I think it largely works.Unfortunately, by spreading the concept out for decades, the story somewhat loses focus, and each issue seems to have a sense of "what can the internal monologue be about that kind of relates to the event covered in this issue?" Overall, the narrative is a bit spotty.
Additionally, because we are seeing classic events through a new person's, the stakes are much lower than in, say, Kingdom Come, where we are seeing new events and have a great deal of insight into the older versions of classic characters.
Marvels definitely works - the artwork is amazing, the concept is fresh, and it's a good read. It occasionally drags in some places and isn't quite as good as some other work, but if you've never read it and you have a passing familiarity with the Marvel universe, it's definitely worth a read.
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LibraryThing member scarequotes
This doesn't hold up as well as I remember, for two major reasons:
1) Alex Ross's art is technically fantastic, but distracting throughout. The photorealism plays more as a stunt than real comics.
2) Phil Sheldon is ... not very interesting. Which is a problem for the main character and narrator of a
The most appealing part of the book this time through is Busiek's research.
1) Alex Ross's art is technically fantastic, but distracting throughout. The photorealism plays more as a stunt than real comics.
2) Phil Sheldon is ... not very interesting. Which is a problem for the main character and narrator of a
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book. The most appealing part of the book this time through is Busiek's research.
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LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross's Marvels collects issues 0-4 of the seminal Marvel series, originally published in 1994, and telling the history of the Marvel Universe from its origin with the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner through Gwen Stacy's death in Amazing Spider-Man nos. 121-122 from 1973. Rather
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than focus on the heroes themselves, Busiek and Ross use newspaper photographer Phil Sheldon, who lives and works in New York City, thereby allowing him to interact with most of the major events of the Golden and Silver Ages of comic books. Along with the World War II-era heroes in the first issues, Busiek and Ross retell the origins of the Fantastic Four, the coming of the X-Men and the mutants, and the arrival of Galactus, focusing on how the public would likely react to all of these superheroes arriving on the scene and the impact of their battles on the city and its inhabitants. In the background, Busiek includes references to various other stories from the Marvel Universe. Marvels recaptures the excitement and nostalgia of the classic comics with Ross's photo-realistic art transforming the stories from two-dimensional to lifelike episodes in a real city. This book appeared just after the bust in the speculator market of the 1990s and foreshadowed the turn toward realism and nostalgia that characterizes much of the work from the 2000s. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daumari
Alex Ross's excellent art and Kurt Busiek's story take us back through the building of the Marvel universe through the eyes of a freelance newspaper photographer, from the 1930s arrival of the Human Torch and Namor through the 70s simultaneous idol worship of the Fantastic Four and demonization of
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the mutants, through the death of Gwen Stacy. Gorgeously illustrated. Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
A look at the Marvel superhero gods through the eyes and lens of a photojournalist. Words by Busiek and art by the unmatched Alex Ross.
What more do you need? Freaking brilliant.
What more do you need? Freaking brilliant.
LibraryThing member aarow
A great take on popular Marvel super-heroes from the point of view of a newspaper writer/photographer. The art is beautiful and it's great to see some of the classic stories happening through the eyes of an ordinary person and the effects these events had on the rest of the public.
LibraryThing member Jazz1987
Well written and it's sad to see that people seem not to want comic books like these anymore where we question whether or not that if superheroes were real would we see them as gods and get tired of them like we do with celebrities? The movies seem to disagree, especially the Marvel Cinematic
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Universe has made us seem them as heroes and not humans. Show Less