From across the Marvel Universe, heroes must assemble to face the threat of Lady Lotus. Your Major Spoilers review of The Marvels #5 from Marvel Comics awaits!
THE MARVELS #5
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Yildiray Cinar
Colorist: Richard Isanove
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 29, 2021
Previously in The Marvels: For starters, there’s a Big Little Book. Plus monsters, international mayhem, the arrival of heroes in trouble and a deadly threat for Dr. Strange. And apartment problems, phone calls and an audience with Namor of Atlantis. You know, those kinds of things. Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Storm and more, plus the return of a Golden Age great and… Dakota North?
“I MIGHT KNOW A GUY”
Somewhere, possibly in another dimension, the being known as Threadneedle sits and reads a Big LIttle Book… of the world, apparently. Threadneedle is upset by the sight of Wave’s withered arm, but when the mysterious Warbird arrives to help her, he decides to act. Worried that things are happening too soon, he plucks the threads of a harp that didn’t exist a moment before, altering fate in tiny ways. Back in New York, the man known as Ace delivers a message to the assembled heroes: Spider-Man cannot go along on the mission to the other side of the globe, but Black Cat must go, as must tour guide Kevin Schumer. While the heroes of the world battle the strange monsters of darkness, Iron Man, Captain America, The Human Torch, Doctor Strange, and Black Cat set out in a borrowed Wakandan sky yacht. Warhawk and Wave join them soon after, and while Strange is able to cure Wave’s mystical illness, it puts him out of action. Then, Storm arrives, offering to take his place as the group seeks help from one of Captain America’s old allies: Aarkus, the original Vision!
I LIKE THE PREMISE
First and foremost, Yildiray Cinar does a great job on the art in these pages. Everyone looks amazing, from his redesigned Arkus to Namor to the members of The Order, The Soviet Super-Soldiers and the Agents of Atlas. But, that sheer number of character is also the source of the most difficult part of this issue: There’s SOO MUCH going on. Ace appears and disappears, Warbird implies that she and Wave somehow hovered in the air for several days, there’s no explanation for Storm’s sudden appearance, and while several characters exit the narrative, there’s still a lot going on. Busiek’s tight plot and scripting are fun throughout, though (especially Black Cat’s glee at seeing another platinum blonde join their ad hoc super-team) but I did have to read through a couple of times to get everything together in my head. Of course, the fact that this book can go anywhere, interact with anyone and access Kurt’s extensive deep cut knowledge of the totality of the Marvel Universe is also a big selling point.
BOTTOM LINE: STILL WORTH YOUR TIME
To be honest, though, I’d rather have too much going on than not enough to fill the issue, and The Marvels #5 is a book with much to offer readers who are willing to play along, with truly excellent art and even a little bit of Sub-Mariner, earning a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars overall. Whatever is going on with Lady Lotus is clearly a big deal, and with next issue promising to address her history, I’m going to be sticking with this one for the long term.
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THE MARVELS #5
The premise is compelling and the art is quite lovely, but this issue feels like a little TOO much is happening all at once. Even so, I enjoy seeing the rotating cast and Busiek's dialogue, so I can let it slide.
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Writing8
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Art9
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Coloring8
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