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What If? (Publication Order) #168-175
What If? Mirror Mirror
What if... Captain America fought in the Civil War? What if... the Fantastic Four were Cosmonauts? What if... Daredevil lived in feudal Japan? What if... Namor grew up on land? Hacking into the internet of an adjacent reality, teenager Hector Espejo discovers these and other startling stories - and learns that eavesdropping on a sinister parallel universe can be highly addictive! Collects What If: Captain America, What If: Daredevil, What If: Fantastic Four, What If: Sub-Mariner, What If: Thor and What If: Wovlerine.
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2006
12 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,267 books2,972 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 20, 2020
Some decent What If's mixed in with more Elseworlds type stories that didn't really work. When the stories were a riff on the actual characters instead of just plopping them in a different time period they worked well.
What If the Fantastic Four Were Cosmonauts? by Mike Carey & Marshall Rogers - ★★★★
This was my favorite of the bunch. What if Reed Richards grew up in Russia and became a Cosmonaut instead?
What If Prince Namor of Atlantis Grew Up on Land? by Greg Pak & David Lopez - ★★★★
Another story that worked great. What if Namor followed the Aquaman route and grew up with his father instead?
What If Captain America Fought in the Civil War? by Tony Bedard & Carmine DiGiandomenico - ★★
This was kind of boring and uninteresting. What If?'s work best when it's something small or a single decision in the character's life that changed. "A road less traveled" approach.
The Devil Who Dares by Rick Veitch & Tommy Lee Edwards - ★★
This wasn't even about Matt Murdock but some other kid who was blinded in feudal Japan. Meh.
Public Enemy Number One by Daniel Way & Jon Proctor - ★★★
Logan goes after Scarface in Chicago when a buddy of his is murdered during prohibition.
What If Thor Was the Herald of Galactus? by Robert Kirkman & Michael Avon Oeming - ★★★
A very by the numbers story of what would happen if Thor become Galactus's herald.
What If the Fantastic Four Were Cosmonauts? by Mike Carey & Marshall Rogers - ★★★★
This was my favorite of the bunch. What if Reed Richards grew up in Russia and became a Cosmonaut instead?
What If Prince Namor of Atlantis Grew Up on Land? by Greg Pak & David Lopez - ★★★★
Another story that worked great. What if Namor followed the Aquaman route and grew up with his father instead?
What If Captain America Fought in the Civil War? by Tony Bedard & Carmine DiGiandomenico - ★★
This was kind of boring and uninteresting. What If?'s work best when it's something small or a single decision in the character's life that changed. "A road less traveled" approach.
The Devil Who Dares by Rick Veitch & Tommy Lee Edwards - ★★
This wasn't even about Matt Murdock but some other kid who was blinded in feudal Japan. Meh.
Public Enemy Number One by Daniel Way & Jon Proctor - ★★★
Logan goes after Scarface in Chicago when a buddy of his is murdered during prohibition.
What If Thor Was the Herald of Galactus? by Robert Kirkman & Michael Avon Oeming - ★★★
A very by the numbers story of what would happen if Thor become Galactus's herald.
November 4, 2022
A bunch of What if? stories, that all range from great, decent, and a complete bore to read.
February 24, 2013
Hit and miss, but with a lot more misses than hits. And the hits were mostly on the mediocre side.
The Fantastic Four as cosmonauts was an interesting read, but the twists and turns of allegiances were a bit too convoluted.
The Prince Namor bit was ok, I really liked the artwork and I wish there were a few more pages to flesh out the concept a bit more. Still, it managed to tell an interesting spin with a decent pacing. Not too bad.
Captain America was my favourite out of the bunch and I think it was the one with the most potential to turn into a legit series. I do love alt-history forays and this Native Americanish version of the Captain was seriously cool.
The Daredevil one... it was the one premise that made me want to read this, and it was by far the absolute worst. So much potential down the drain... The plotline was ok, but the dialogs were absurd, the narrator annoying and pointless, and the characters were just ridiculous. Just... no.
The Wolverine was a serious contender for the spot of the worst. I really hated the artwork, for starters - it looked like everytime the panel changed the characters had a stroke that afected a different part of their face. The Wolverine got a bit mixed up with the Punisher too. I have no idea if that was accidental, or if the writer had no idea who Wolverine was and just wanted to write a Punisher story. The story itself was rambling and pointless. What a freaking mess.
Thor's story was in the ok range. I really don't have any more comments on it, it was safe and non-offensive and just... ok.
The Fantastic Four as cosmonauts was an interesting read, but the twists and turns of allegiances were a bit too convoluted.
The Prince Namor bit was ok, I really liked the artwork and I wish there were a few more pages to flesh out the concept a bit more. Still, it managed to tell an interesting spin with a decent pacing. Not too bad.
Captain America was my favourite out of the bunch and I think it was the one with the most potential to turn into a legit series. I do love alt-history forays and this Native Americanish version of the Captain was seriously cool.
The Daredevil one... it was the one premise that made me want to read this, and it was by far the absolute worst. So much potential down the drain... The plotline was ok, but the dialogs were absurd, the narrator annoying and pointless, and the characters were just ridiculous. Just... no.
The Wolverine was a serious contender for the spot of the worst. I really hated the artwork, for starters - it looked like everytime the panel changed the characters had a stroke that afected a different part of their face. The Wolverine got a bit mixed up with the Punisher too. I have no idea if that was accidental, or if the writer had no idea who Wolverine was and just wanted to write a Punisher story. The story itself was rambling and pointless. What a freaking mess.
Thor's story was in the ok range. I really don't have any more comments on it, it was safe and non-offensive and just... ok.
March 19, 2021
The original What If? series, back in the '70s, was mostly pretty interesting takes on premises of things that would never occur in the regular Marvel Universe (you know, What if Spider-man joined the Fantastic Four?, What If Conan existed in the current-day Marvel Universe?, What if Jane Foster had the power of Thor?, stuff like that). Like any anthology, some were better than others, but the ones I read were generally fun. This collection is a mish-mash of horrible ideas poorly executed. Any given What If? scenario presented here might potentially make a good story - sadly none of them do. One of the major problems is that every story takes an idea and extends it over a very lengthy period of time and what we're left with is more of an outline of an idea rather than a coherent story. Also, the art in nearly every story is terrible. Even some good artists turn in artwork far below their usual quality (Marshall Rogers) or are given a story that doesn't really work in their style (Tommy Lee Edwards and Michael Avon Oeming). The art in the Captain America and Wolverine stories is just plain bad. Only the Namor story has somewhat decent art, making it the best story here. A really awful collection.
July 4, 2023
Unlike most What If series, these six tales appear to all be set in the same alternate universe (Earth-717). Many of these stories move Marvel superheroes into earlier historical eras. This volume includes:
- What If the Fantastic Four were cosmonauts? Reed Richards leads a team of other Russian heroes as agents of the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. Probably the most compelling in the collection.
- What if Prince Namor of Atlantis Grew Up on Land? Namor is raised by his father instead of his mother. A decent story that could have been even better with a little more sophistication.
- What If Captain America Fought in the Civil War? The American Civil War, to be clear, not the Marvel crossover. A very different, but interesting, take on the Captain America mythos; also a bit surprising who they chose as their bad guys.
- The Devil Who Dares: Or, what if Daredevil lived in feudal Japan? Does an adequate job of transferring Miller-era Daredevil to that setting.
- Public Enemy Number One: Or, what if Wolverine fought the Mob in Chicago? Also, he's basically a Prohibition-era Punisher. This is OK.
- What If Thor Was the Herald of Galactus? The most conventional story of the set. Fairly solid (with very stylized art). (B+)
- What If the Fantastic Four were cosmonauts? Reed Richards leads a team of other Russian heroes as agents of the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. Probably the most compelling in the collection.
- What if Prince Namor of Atlantis Grew Up on Land? Namor is raised by his father instead of his mother. A decent story that could have been even better with a little more sophistication.
- What If Captain America Fought in the Civil War? The American Civil War, to be clear, not the Marvel crossover. A very different, but interesting, take on the Captain America mythos; also a bit surprising who they chose as their bad guys.
- The Devil Who Dares: Or, what if Daredevil lived in feudal Japan? Does an adequate job of transferring Miller-era Daredevil to that setting.
- Public Enemy Number One: Or, what if Wolverine fought the Mob in Chicago? Also, he's basically a Prohibition-era Punisher. This is OK.
- What If Thor Was the Herald of Galactus? The most conventional story of the set. Fairly solid (with very stylized art). (B+)
Read
September 25, 2007 Wow, actually an ultrapleasant surprise. Particularly after reading the other What If? trade that mostly kind of sucked. This one? Every story is at least interesting, and most of them are actually really good, even if their What If? premises don't sound the most exciting in the world.
Hearing "what if Namor had been raised on land?" makes me think I wouldn't give a fuck one way or the other, but it turns out it's a really interesting story. Good on you Marvel Comics!
Hearing "what if Namor had been raised on land?" makes me think I wouldn't give a fuck one way or the other, but it turns out it's a really interesting story. Good on you Marvel Comics!
September 2, 2014
Very cool. I liked the Captain America one the best
December 27, 2023
This is an excellent collection of MARVEL What if...? comics with most of the stories focusing on alternate versions of world history influenced by MARVEL superheroes transposed across different cultures and time periods. Two outstanding stories from this collection are What if... The Fantastic Four were Cosmanauts? and What if... Captain America Fought in the Civil War?
What if... The Fantastic Four were USSR Cosmonauts? This is an exciting and fresh take on the characters that delves into the political issues of the cold war in surprising ways. I would like to see more multicultural stories like this to bring the MARVEL Universe to new and diverse viewpoints. The setting and shift in character mindsets felt authentic and I enjoyed this comic.
I have always been interested in the fantasy of imagining a MARVEL superhero story set as a western. I was thrilled that in the same day reading What If... Captain America fought in the Civil War? and watching MARVEL What If...? Season 2 Episode 6 "What if... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" I found this desire satisfied. This is an excellent story that stands out as one of my favorite What if...? comics for taking on a very unique time period and style. Steve Rogers comes to challenge the moral ambiguity of both sides of the civil war (not the kind against Iron Man). The alternate history of the post war reconstruction timeline is also shaped by the actions of Captain America. I would even be interested in seeing a sequel to this alternate version of Captain America of how the fight against white supremacy continues to this day.
What if... The Fantastic Four were USSR Cosmonauts? This is an exciting and fresh take on the characters that delves into the political issues of the cold war in surprising ways. I would like to see more multicultural stories like this to bring the MARVEL Universe to new and diverse viewpoints. The setting and shift in character mindsets felt authentic and I enjoyed this comic.
I have always been interested in the fantasy of imagining a MARVEL superhero story set as a western. I was thrilled that in the same day reading What If... Captain America fought in the Civil War? and watching MARVEL What If...? Season 2 Episode 6 "What if... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" I found this desire satisfied. This is an excellent story that stands out as one of my favorite What if...? comics for taking on a very unique time period and style. Steve Rogers comes to challenge the moral ambiguity of both sides of the civil war (not the kind against Iron Man). The alternate history of the post war reconstruction timeline is also shaped by the actions of Captain America. I would even be interested in seeing a sequel to this alternate version of Captain America of how the fight against white supremacy continues to this day.
May 26, 2023
Once again, great ideas, lackluster execution. I can't tell if they were one offs or shorts or something, but I wasn't as satisfied as I felt like it could be.
Some of the best concepts from What If- such as Soviet Fantastic Four, Native American Captain America ( done much much better than Marvel's 1609 I must say) and a variety of times, the 1920s, feudal Japan- these concepts play well. But it so often it was " and they kept fighting" or " racism never goes away" or " He protected a lot of people after blowing up Al Calone, the end."
The artwork is either gorgeous or over the top 80s cartoons. And the vibe of him just reading these web pages from alternative universes is a weak concept. Though I do binge read Wikipedia occasionally, I can't see doing it to the depth The Watcher does.
The ideas really sing but they aren't supported at all. Half of these could have been their own expanded 1609 style treatment but they were just enough to ask the question what if... with no support or answers. ..
Some of the best concepts from What If- such as Soviet Fantastic Four, Native American Captain America ( done much much better than Marvel's 1609 I must say) and a variety of times, the 1920s, feudal Japan- these concepts play well. But it so often it was " and they kept fighting" or " racism never goes away" or " He protected a lot of people after blowing up Al Calone, the end."
The artwork is either gorgeous or over the top 80s cartoons. And the vibe of him just reading these web pages from alternative universes is a weak concept. Though I do binge read Wikipedia occasionally, I can't see doing it to the depth The Watcher does.
The ideas really sing but they aren't supported at all. Half of these could have been their own expanded 1609 style treatment but they were just enough to ask the question what if... with no support or answers. ..
January 1, 2022
I liked this collection though the choice of characters was a bit too predictable. None of the 6 stories had a female protagonist. Sigh.
The stories were solid and I liked how unexpected the character histories were. The new take on The Watcher was good.
But I did have some issues with this book.
An all-Russian Fantastic 4 that somehow still has Reed Richards was a strange choice. Are they saying Reed is what makes the team F4? The others don’t count?
The Cap story had some weird appropriation issues that made it uncomfortable to read. It also heavily leaned into the white saviour of POC trope. Also, why make Bucky the villain?
Otherwise, a really interesting read.
The stories were solid and I liked how unexpected the character histories were. The new take on The Watcher was good.
But I did have some issues with this book.
An all-Russian Fantastic 4 that somehow still has Reed Richards was a strange choice. Are they saying Reed is what makes the team F4? The others don’t count?
The Cap story had some weird appropriation issues that made it uncomfortable to read. It also heavily leaned into the white saviour of POC trope. Also, why make Bucky the villain?
Otherwise, a really interesting read.
May 16, 2017
What a great read! This volume contains 6 separate stories, each one is "What If" a Marvel character was set in a different location or time.
Civil War Captain America
Japanese Daredevil
Russian Fantastic Four
Prohibition-era Wolverine
Land Namor
and Thor is Galactus's herald (not really a different place, but sure!)
Also, what I really liked in these was that there were some lovely Easter eggs without forcing the exact same things happening in the usual Marvel Universe in this alternate one. Very good collection!
Civil War Captain America
Japanese Daredevil
Russian Fantastic Four
Prohibition-era Wolverine
Land Namor
and Thor is Galactus's herald (not really a different place, but sure!)
Also, what I really liked in these was that there were some lovely Easter eggs without forcing the exact same things happening in the usual Marvel Universe in this alternate one. Very good collection!
November 13, 2025
This is barely a What If collection.
As part of my X-Men readthrough, I'm focusing this on the Wolverine What If: "Public Enemy #1", in which Wolverine becomes engrossed in a story where a dying associate leaves him a bar during the Prohibition era and he ends up entangled in superhero drama. Basically, it's every boring Wolverine story from the late 90s/early 2000s. You can't even argue "Well, it's set in..." because he's Wolverine his back story spans literal centuries and has included stories set in Prohibition before.
There's no real reason to check this out.
As part of my X-Men readthrough, I'm focusing this on the Wolverine What If: "Public Enemy #1", in which Wolverine becomes engrossed in a story where a dying associate leaves him a bar during the Prohibition era and he ends up entangled in superhero drama. Basically, it's every boring Wolverine story from the late 90s/early 2000s. You can't even argue "Well, it's set in..." because he's Wolverine his back story spans literal centuries and has included stories set in Prohibition before.
There's no real reason to check this out.
August 18, 2021
Really enjoyed all the stories in this and how one change in the world changed everything else!
My one problem was in Steve's story, as it featured a lot of cultural appropriation, as he gets his powers from a Black man, and he wears a feathered headdress in the style of Native Americans. The whole story was very 'white saviour' to me.
My one problem was in Steve's story, as it featured a lot of cultural appropriation, as he gets his powers from a Black man, and he wears a feathered headdress in the style of Native Americans. The whole story was very 'white saviour' to me.
July 12, 2022
I absolutely go wild for these What If? books. I wonder if any of them reflect on ideas that were tossed around at the time, but Marvel powers-that-be decided on a different course. These stories were, for the most part, really good. I had some fun and did some thinking, too. Never a bad thing when reading.
July 23, 2022
Oof. Some bad art and bad storytelling sink this like a stone — Wolverine becoming the Punisher in the 1920s because Al Capone killed his girlfriend (a hooker) and his kid? And Scarface is actually Sabretooth? Ouch. Thor becomes Galactus’ herald but stays worthy? Even worse, the stories are supposed to take place in the same timeline, but none of them fit with each other.
August 18, 2021
It is always nice to go through a What If scenario. Overall, the stories are nice but, at the same time, slightly boring, having skipped a couple of them just because the premise didn't appeal.
If you're a fan of the format, you will eventually end up reading this.
If you're a fan of the format, you will eventually end up reading this.
December 27, 2024
Overall, this was a good collection of stories. The weakest ones were the Daredevil and Thor stories. But this is just my opinion, of course. I really enjoyed the story about the Fantastic Four and how things would have been if they had been cosmonauts. And of course, I love me some Wolverine.
June 9, 2020
Hikayeler genelde çok çok zayıftı. 2 puanın 1 tanesi "What If Thor Was the Herald of Galactus?", 1 tanesi de "What If Captain America Faught in the Civil War?" eserlerindeki çizgi kalitesine.
July 22, 2022
The stories were okay but nothing too amazing, but this is the first time I’ve seen *this* watcher and I really liked that.
September 8, 2023
Stories were ok, some better than others. Didn't like a lot of the art.
March 31, 2017
Some interesting what if situations, including if the Fantastic Four were Russian, if Captain America started during the civil war and if Thor was a Herald of Galactus. Lots of narrative squeezed into too few pages though.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews