It’s a celebration of the Marvel Age of Comics, and we’re all invited! Your Major Spoilers review of Marvel Age #1000 from Marvel Comics awaits!
MARVEL AGE #1000
Writer: Mark Waid/Ryan Stegman/Rainbow Rowell/Dan Slott/Armando Iannucci/Steve McNiven/Jason Aaron/J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio/JP Mayer/Marguerite Sauvage/Michael Allred/Adam Kubert/Steve McNiven/Pepe Larraz/Kaare Andrews
Colorist: Mattia Iacono/Dave McCaig/Laura Allred/Frank Martin/Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $9.99
Release Date: August 30, 2023
Previously in Marvel Age: Everything from Marvel Comics #1 in 1939 until now!
You’re welcome!
MIGHTY MARVEL’S BIGGEST STARS!
As with the actual Marvel Age, Marvel Age #1000 starts in 1939, with the Human Torch, examining his earliest days. The transition from artificial man to a perfectly human guy during the 1940s has never really been addressed in-universe, but it’s interesting to see this story of how the Torch became human. Spider-Man faces The Lizard in a tale set during his high school days, followed by an examination of the earliest school days of the X-Men, showing us how Cyclops and Marvel Girl’s relationship advanced. The alien pretending to be Walter Lawson has to balance his mission as a Kree infiltrator with his newly found status as one of the superheroes, but Captain Marvel finds his appreciation for humanity in their popular music. Daredevil finds his lost smile, while The Silver Surfer faces Mephisto once more, A young woman who hates superheroes encounters Thor herself, as well as Jane Foster, and a heartfelt tribute to the creators who are the heart of Marvel wraps it all up.
THE ANTHOLOGY PROBLEM
With that much content in these pages, it’s really hard to judge how to grade the total package. The Thor and Captain Marvel stories were really excellent, with the Captain Marvel tale showcasing the Allreds’ love of classic rock and roll records. I found McNiven’s new(?) art style in his Silver Surfer story to be really intricate and artistic, but the script to be less compelling. Rowell and Sauvage really deliver on the young X-Men romance, though the continuity cop in me is bothered by liberties taken with Marvel continuity. As for the final story, Straczynski’s attempts to honor Ditko, Kirby, and Lee come across as twee and juvenile. The leadoff stories featuring Spider-Man and the Golden Age Human Torch each have artistic choices that feel like flaws, making the order of the stories somewhat puzzling to me. Perhaps the crowning moment in this anniversary celebration comes in the high-profile role that Carol Danvers plays in the adventures of Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel, which feels like a lost chapter that foreshadows the shape of things to come.
BOTTOM LINE: A PRETTY GOOD COMIC
For me, the biggest mark against Marvel Age #1000 is the ten-dollar price tag, but when you divide that by 8 stories, 7 of which either hit or exceed expectations, that math might be a little different for you, breaking down to 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. If you’re willing to drop that kind of cash, you’ll find a pleasant comic reading experience, with only the cringy moments of the closing story really feeling like a creative misstep. Plus, you get seven Marvel Value Stamps, which is great for the five percent of the audience who actually remembers what a Marvel Value Stamp is.
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MARVEL AGE #1000
It's always tough to judge, but even with the issue's high points, it doesn't quite feel like ten dollars worth of comic book.
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.