Marvel Universe by Arthur Adams Omnibus

by Arthur Adams, Chris Claremont, Tom DeFalco

Like all great comic-book artists, Arthur Adams earned his way in through long, hard work - by hitting the pavement with his portfolio in hand. But it didn't seem that way. Adams seemed to burst out of the clear blue sky with an avalanche of unbelievable artwork. Energetic, richly detailed, full of character and just plain fun, his art merged East and West - bringing manga influences to American readers and influencing a generation of future artists. Now, this Omnibus collects Adams' complete Marvel work from the 1980s through the early 1990s in one volume! From Longshot to the X-Men to the New Fantastic Four; from covers galore to pinups, posters and trading cards - not to mention a huge trove of pencils and original art - this is your be-all, end-all Arthur Adams Omnibus! Collecting LONGSHOT #1-6, NEW MUTANTS SPECIAL EDITION #1, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #9-10, CLOAK AND DAGGER (1985) #9, X-FACTOR (1986) #41-42, MOJO MAYHEM and FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #347-349 - plus material from WEB OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #2, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #12 and #14, FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #358, and MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (1991) #1.

Genres: Graphic Novels

1200 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Arthur "Art" Adams is an American comic book artist and writer. He first broke into the American comic book industry with the 1985 Marvel Comics miniseries Longshot. His subsequent interior comics work includes a number Marvel's major books, including The Uncanny X-Men, Excalibur, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, Hulk and Ultimate X, as well books by various other publishers, such as Action Comics, Vampirella, The Rocketeer and The Authority. Adams has also illustrated books featuring characters for which he has a personal love, such as Godzilla, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Gumby, the latter of which garnered him a 1988 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue.

Reviews

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't explain how big an Arthur Adams fan I was in the 80's. Right from the moment I first saw his detailed art and unique poses I was hooked. And while his art style has become less detailed over the years and leans towards more cartoony it does mean he doesn't take 8 months to finish one issue of art anymore (as was the case with Longshot 1 his first venture into comics.

This was my most eagerly awaited omnibus/graphic novel of 2023 and I was not disappointed. Although I had almost all the stories in their original issues I hadn't read many in years and looked forward to seeing them restored to their full glory (especially Web of Spider-man annual 2 - where his art really shines but my original copy's colours and line work have faded).

Highlights of this omnibus are:
Longshot (his art is still maturing but it is unique and fantastic from the start - the story and character of Longshot are interesting and creative but very weird - typical Ann Nocenti.
The two parter New Mutants/X-Men annual on Asgard. One of my favourite comic book stories ever.
Web of Spider-man: Arthur's take on Spider-man was so perfect.
Fantastic Four 3-Parter: An okay story by Walter Simonson but worth it for the way Arthur draws monsters/Skrulls, Hulk, and Ghost Rider.

The other stories are okay but nothing amazing. There are many X-men Annuals (which suffer from the "OMG X-Men were too complicated back then" especially the time travelling Franklin Richards story) and X-Babies, and a 2 part X-Factor.

The worst of the lot is Mojo Mayhem as an Excalibur prestige format issue because a) Mojo is very one dimensional as a villain b) we only really see Kitty Pride not Excalibur c) the story drags on way too long (I think it was originally going to be a normal annual and then they changed their minds and made it longer) and reads very juvenile (Mojo's agent needs everyone's signature so one by one the characters are tricked into signing things) d) the reveal of who the Agent is makes zero sense (they make it seem like the Agent has been around forever but they are basically created out of one of the other characters).

So the weaker stories is one reason for only 4 not 5 stars and also there is a LOT of padding in this. I mean - I love extras and the addition of all of Arthur's covers was VERY welcome...but over 100 pages (maybe closer to 200) of pencil art is too much for me especially when some of the breakdowns are barely visible. I don't want to complain too much because some of the pencilled art was so worth it but it was a lot of filler. It highlights the fact that two decades of Arthur's art (although he did do work for other companies during this time - to be fair) still isn't a lot of issues - he was a slow drawer.

Make no mistake though - I loved this omnibus and am super happy to have it. Highly recommended.

[Paul Cocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the Marvel Universe by Arthur Adams Omnibus because, like the title probably suggests, the book showcases Adams' influential work at Marvel Comics. There’s no denying that the dude burst onto the comic scene in the 1980s and made an impact. His fresh style made me an instant fan, so I figured this book would be a perfect way to collect everything he did for Marvel during his heyday.

At 1200 pages, the omnibus includes his breakout Longshot mini-series, his two-part New Mutants/X-Men Asgardian blockbuster, and his tongue-in-cheek "New Fantastic Four" arc that features Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Hulk. While some stories hold up better than others, Adams' art consistently shines throughout.

Outside of the obvious stories we remember, some highlights in the omnibus also include:

- Cloak and Dagger #9 -- lob a softball pitch to Art Adams because the characters play into his strengths, so it’s great to see what he does with them
- X-Factor #41-42 -- a playful, somewhat flawed plot leaves an impression because Art Adams makes it visually exciting
- Web of Spider-Man Annual #2 -- a hidden gem! -- showcases Art Adams' take on the wall-crawler and the antics of the shapeshifting Warlock
- X-Men Annual #12 -- another classic example where a mediocre comic story succeeds thanks to the presence of killer Art Adams art
- Extensive extras -- pencil art, character designs, and unused covers that provide insights into Art Adams’ process

Adams' tenure at Marvel still impresses the heck out me, especially considering his relatively small body of work while there. Sure, Michael Golden predates him by a few years and has a strikingly similar style, but  Adams just came onto the scene at the right time to make his impact. He made male characters look like "gigachads" before that was even a thing and gave female characters a cartoon sexiness before Jessica Rabbit even came onto the scene. And, of course, he popularized the crosshatching technique, making a cool, distinctive flair to rendering that an upcoming 90s wave of artists imitated.

For fans of Adams or 80s/90s Marvel, this omnibus is worth checking out. It captures a period when Adams shaped the visual language of superhero comics for years to come. It serves as both a nostalgia trip for longtime fans and a reminder of why Adams became such a figure in the industry.