In 1939, Martin Goodman started a small company known as Timely Comics. 80 years later it has transformed into Marvel Comics, one of the largest and most well known comic publisher in the world. With the brilliant minds of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and many others Marvel Comics spreads across multiple genres and media enterprises.
To celebrate their 80th year, Marvel published Marvel Comics #1000 with a creative team from past, present, and future endeavors. Every page is by a different team focusing on the unique characters of the Marvel Universe. While serving as individual stories, they also interconnect to unravel a further mystery.
There is something for everyone in this book; a bit of action, a bit of romance, and bit of humor, fantastic homages to past stories, and a hint of whats to come in the future. With nearly every character you can think of, you are sure to love it.
My personal favorite interconnecting part was the speech bubbles detailing the historical moments in Marvel History. Events like the Human Torch debuting in Marvel #1 in 1939 and Black Panther created in 1966.
Tying everything together is the mystery of the Masked Raider. Pre-dating Marvel Comics, the Raider was a gun-slinging cow boy protecting the wild west. Later rebranded the Masked Rider, he is one of the first comic heroes. Now in the anniversary of Marvel Comics, the character, and his mystery, is once again entering publication. Who the Masked Raider is now is anyone’s guess and is promised a reveal in 2020.
Final Thoughts
Showcasing the creative minds at Marvel Comics, I loved this book. despite the stories only being a single page, they are able to tell a cohesive and deep story in a variety of creative ways.
Some that stood out is the heartfelt love from the hero America and why she fights. The monologue from Captain America about why he wears his mask. Hulk’s resistance of an interview. T’Challa’s honest interview about being one of the first black superheroes. A heartfelt tribute to Gwen Stacy. A homage to Hulk #181, the introduction of Wolverine who is arguably one of Marvel’s most famous characters. A page dedicated to Star Wars and it’s success in comics. Storm’s story helping a refugee and showcasing how Marvel has never shied away from political commentary and social issues. An interesting look at Jessica Jones and her love for her family. A page of Young Avengers, a brilliant team with that features some amazing LGBT+ heroes. Armor: Disassemble, though having no writing, tugged at my heartstrings. A witty response to the infamous MJ cover on Spider-Man (you know the one). A fun little story of the life of Miles Morales. A comedic show from Deadpool, featuring a cameo by Batman.
All of these stories were fun, entertaining, and delightful. Certainly a great comic to celebrate 80 fun years of Marvel. I can’t wait to see what else Marvel has for us in the future.
