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The Marvels (2021) #7-12
The Marvels: The Undiscovered Country
Master storyteller Kurt Busiek continues to tie together the length and breadth of the Marvel Universe! Lady Lotus has erected an impenetrable dome over the Asian nation of Siancong - but what is her goal, and how does it tie into events from decades ago? The Avengers and Fantastic Four have assembled an assault team, but will the vital final member be in place by the time the strike begins? Meanwhile, learn what the citizens of Siancong (and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Melinda May) have been through under the dome! The strike team will confront giant monsters, Golden Age mysteries and strange happenings - but when the final truths are revealed and the unimaginably deadly scale of the threat in Siancong becomes apparent, the Marvels must find a way to save a world, a universe…and themselves! Collecting THE MARVELS (2021) #7-12.
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2022
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Busiek
1,863 books627 followersKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 8, 2023
I don't think this mini series is part of the main Marvel timeline. OK read. Nice art. Recommended
Read
November 6, 2023DNF.
I don't know who this comic was intended for or what it was trying to accomplish but its crowded, verbose storytelling was not my speed.
I don't know who this comic was intended for or what it was trying to accomplish but its crowded, verbose storytelling was not my speed.
November 29, 2022
I appreciated what Busiek was trying to do here: it's a long form story, 12 issues, and he tried to add some depth to what otherwise feels like quick, forgettable stories in most modern books. It's still padded at times with what seems like unnecessary action scenes but it was nice to read something that took it's time and tried to build to a conclusion.
A few characters just don't seem to fit though. I like that he tried to include C-level and below people to shake things up but at the same time, it didn't feel like they were really necessary. I also liked that he plucked various bits of Marvel Universe history and included them into the narrative. When writers can combine elements from history, it gives the MU a cohesiveness that used to be present in all of the books pre-1980's but rarely do you find it anymore.
In the end, it's "comfort food", maybe not the best but makes you feel like you've come home to someplace you've missed.
A few characters just don't seem to fit though. I like that he tried to include C-level and below people to shake things up but at the same time, it didn't feel like they were really necessary. I also liked that he plucked various bits of Marvel Universe history and included them into the narrative. When writers can combine elements from history, it gives the MU a cohesiveness that used to be present in all of the books pre-1980's but rarely do you find it anymore.
In the end, it's "comfort food", maybe not the best but makes you feel like you've come home to someplace you've missed.
February 11, 2023
Kurt Busiek é um dos caras que melhor sabe escrever quadrinhos de super-heróis e um dos que melhor entende de sua mitologia e de sua cronologia. Ele começou bem esta homenagem aos 80 anos da Marvel no encadernado capa dura anterior e faz um arremate ainda melhor neste aqui. Nos deparamos com o Visão da Era de Ouro, mas também Busiek nos apresenta três novas personagens femininas: Lady Lotus e sua história no submundo da nação ficctícia de Siancong, Warbird (que não entendi por que a Panini não usou a tradução Rapina já usada em outras personagens), uma moça híbrida de Wakandanos e Shiares, e, por último mas não menos importante, a criatura feminina que encarna o próprio país de Siancong onde revolve toda a história neste segundo encadernado. Uma trama muito interessante e um a homenagem à Casa das Ideias que somente um escritor do calibre de Kurt Busiek poderia ter concebido.
October 3, 2022
Siancong remains under threat, but when the true power behind the Black Lotus is revealed, it'll take all of the assembled Marvels to save not just one but two universes!
I think this series might have been a little too ambitious for its own good. It does manage to tell a cohesive and complete story by the end, but it does so in a manner that feels a little soulless, especially for a Kurt Busiek book.
There are a lot of characters here, and some of them don't really do anything after a certain point. Warbird gets an entire issue as backstory before being basically forgotten, while people like Spider-Man and the Human Torch just don't do anything other than quip during the fight scenes. Kevin Schumer's role in the series turns out to be a bit of a joke, and mystery characters Ace and Threadneedle don't get any kind of explanation to them at all. It's all very frustrating.
Yildiray Cinar's artwork is also fine. That's all I really have to say about it. It does the job, but it's also kind of flat and uninspired, which is a shame. It might be the colouring, or it could just be the fact that the hollow story takes out any enjoyment you could wring from the art.
The Marvels isn't bad, but it feels very by the numbers and possibly a little rushed. The bloated cast never really have the time to shine that they deserve, and the overall plot becomes a bit of a farce by the end of it all. Readable, but definitely not Busiek's best work, unfortunately.
I think this series might have been a little too ambitious for its own good. It does manage to tell a cohesive and complete story by the end, but it does so in a manner that feels a little soulless, especially for a Kurt Busiek book.
There are a lot of characters here, and some of them don't really do anything after a certain point. Warbird gets an entire issue as backstory before being basically forgotten, while people like Spider-Man and the Human Torch just don't do anything other than quip during the fight scenes. Kevin Schumer's role in the series turns out to be a bit of a joke, and mystery characters Ace and Threadneedle don't get any kind of explanation to them at all. It's all very frustrating.
Yildiray Cinar's artwork is also fine. That's all I really have to say about it. It does the job, but it's also kind of flat and uninspired, which is a shame. It might be the colouring, or it could just be the fact that the hollow story takes out any enjoyment you could wring from the art.
The Marvels isn't bad, but it feels very by the numbers and possibly a little rushed. The bloated cast never really have the time to shine that they deserve, and the overall plot becomes a bit of a farce by the end of it all. Readable, but definitely not Busiek's best work, unfortunately.
Read
February 5, 2024I had hoped this might pull itself together with Siancong no longer in the title, but instead it doubles down on that misbegotten continuity sinkhole, adding fresh layers of fuckery even when it seems to be trying to fix the mess, while losing touch even with the first volume's legitimate Astro City/Marvels (as in the original) moments of showing us human life in the shadow of superhumanity. The heroes run around shouting idiotically like something from a not particularly good comic 30 or 40 years ago; Stark in particular, while often a dick, hasn't been this much of a whiny dick in ages, not to mention his insistence on spelling out the jokes, as when the original Vision* says that he retired from the law "to commune with the smoke in its infinite variety". A grievously missed opportunity all round.
*Clearly featuring here to make good on the series' promise of encompassing the Marvel Universe from Aarkus to Zzzax. Weirdly, in the week I started this he also cropped up in something else I read, an experience I suspect I share with Douglas Wolk and few others.
*Clearly featuring here to make good on the series' promise of encompassing the Marvel Universe from Aarkus to Zzzax. Weirdly, in the week I started this he also cropped up in something else I read, an experience I suspect I share with Douglas Wolk and few others.
May 6, 2023
This is really trying hard to be the Astro City of the Marvel universe and suffers for it. (Yes, I'm well aware of the original Marvels series by Busiek and Ross.) There's just way too many characters. They take center stage for a few pages or an issue and then fall back to the background again. A lot of new characters are introduced. However, knowing how Marvel operates, they've probably all been forgotten about already. Although I did like the Tinkerer's nephew specifically. There's also so much background and exposition that adds mothing to the series. It's the rare Kurt Busiek misfire.
October 26, 2022
I do enjoy those books where marvel or DC answers questions that nobody was asking - like, whats the deal with these Non Real World Countries? We the audience know they are just inoffensive proxies for real places, but Kurt and team weave a whole mythology around the concept, and it mostly sticks the landing - a few too many characters and plots juggled in the twelve issues, and the crazy omniscient godlike dude reminded me a bit too much of a similar character in Astro City from the relaunch era, but it was fun action comics, so no complaints.
January 9, 2024
A decent enough superhero adventure, but it doesn't quite live up to the backstory from the first volume. Also, perhaps too much time is spent on new character Warbird's story arc, as it doesn't really add much to the overall narrative. The revelation of the true nature of Siancong is interesting, though the idea also feels underdeveloped. All in all, an OK read, but a definite letdown after the first part. (B)
August 15, 2024
I’m really not sure what this title was supposed to be. The first volume felt almost like a rebooting of the Marvel Universe, but it started in the past instead of the modern day. This second volume was just a normal superhero story, so I am a bit confused. I still enjoyed the overall story, but I prefer the normal superhero stuff. Marvel spends way too much time rebooting and renumbering.
I still list Busiek as my favorite writer, and will buy a title solely because he writes i5, but this was not his best stuff. The art was very good.
I still list Busiek as my favorite writer, and will buy a title solely because he writes i5, but this was not his best stuff. The art was very good.
February 2, 2023
Not that impressive a finish to this story in my book.
I guess it does have a tiny bit to say about colonialism, and American adventurism but Busiek not only used a fictional analog to Vietnam, in the end
I guess it does have a tiny bit to say about colonialism, and American adventurism but Busiek not only used a fictional analog to Vietnam, in the end
November 20, 2023
The story told is mildly diverting without being anything special, with the time taken in an attempt (albeit not always successful) to garner some depth in a genre that can so easily fall into a -villain-of-the-issue type format.
November 27, 2022
Just never quite came together. Some fun and interesting individual scenes and moments, but ultimately the reach exceeded the grasp, unfortunately.
January 27, 2023
It just goes over my head and starts to feel bonkers.
So many characters and backstory that I think I need to read this but hey maybe I don’t either…it’s a mystery to me.
So many characters and backstory that I think I need to read this but hey maybe I don’t either…it’s a mystery to me.
April 15, 2023
Great story (tho not much character development), but Cinar's art was not up to what Busiek brought to the mix
May 24, 2023
I don’t enjoy the history of the Marvel universe as much as the DC universe. Busiek is trying to weave together generations of stories, but I just can’t get into it. I’m going back to Astro City.
October 20, 2022
Vol. 1 ended with a set of giant doors containing untold secrets...
Vol. 2 tries REALLY hard to make all the jumpcut story telling and timeline flashbacks worthwhile.
It just isn't up to the, admittedly, low bar Marvel has set things at in recent years. I've never been a fan of characters brought into stories just to help the plot along. This story needed several to sort things out. Will they be back? I can see...maaaaaaybe one of them returning in some capacity.
The meta-ness of the third act (basically ANY time Threadneedle appears) is just jarring and has no real character connection TO it. I could see something like this working if you brought in a character who consistently deals with cosmic/meta situations. Silver Surfer, maybe? Maybe have someone mention how this seems like a Beyonder problem? There are ways....
Bonus: Journey Into Mystery Comic shop...hmmm..
Bonus Bonus: The Tinkerer's nephew with the clutch Marvel hero gear
Vol. 2 tries REALLY hard to make all the jumpcut story telling and timeline flashbacks worthwhile.
It just isn't up to the, admittedly, low bar Marvel has set things at in recent years. I've never been a fan of characters brought into stories just to help the plot along. This story needed several to sort things out. Will they be back? I can see...maaaaaaybe one of them returning in some capacity.
The meta-ness of the third act (basically ANY time Threadneedle appears) is just jarring and has no real character connection TO it. I could see something like this working if you brought in a character who consistently deals with cosmic/meta situations. Silver Surfer, maybe? Maybe have someone mention how this seems like a Beyonder problem? There are ways....
Bonus: Journey Into Mystery Comic shop...hmmm..
Bonus Bonus: The Tinkerer's nephew with the clutch Marvel hero gear
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews