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Dark Ages #1-6
Dark Ages
Collects Dark Ages (2021) #1-6, Free Comic Book Day 2020 (X-Men/Dark Ages) #1 (Dark Ages story).
This is what the Watcher has been watching for. A danger older than the planet threatens everything. The age of technology is about to end - and for once, the heroes who have saved Earth time and again find themselves almost completely powerless in the face of it. X-Men and Avengers will assemble. Spider-people and the Fantastic Four will come together. Heroes for Hire will fight alongside Champions. But none of it will be enough. The lights are about to go out. The world outside our window…is about to end. And after darkness comes Apocalypse! Nothing can prepare you for an all-new saga of the Marvel Universe as you've never seen it before - from acclaimed talents Tom Taylor and Iban Coello!
This is what the Watcher has been watching for. A danger older than the planet threatens everything. The age of technology is about to end - and for once, the heroes who have saved Earth time and again find themselves almost completely powerless in the face of it. X-Men and Avengers will assemble. Spider-people and the Fantastic Four will come together. Heroes for Hire will fight alongside Champions. But none of it will be enough. The lights are about to go out. The world outside our window…is about to end. And after darkness comes Apocalypse! Nothing can prepare you for an all-new saga of the Marvel Universe as you've never seen it before - from acclaimed talents Tom Taylor and Iban Coello!
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2022
17 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Tom Taylor
1,288 books1,077 followersOnce a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
December 7, 2022
A gigantic living machine designed to eat black holes has been imprisoned in the centre of Earth (for no reason) and is now awakening (for no reason) which spells the end of the world (no - in a Marvel comic? But those are hardly ever the stakes!). However, in putting a stop to the destruction, Doctor Strange (that bloody magician again!) inadvertently creates a “dark age” wherein all electricity no longer works on the planet. And still, even knowing the danger now lying dormant in the centre of Earth, the madmutant Apocalypse wants that power for his own - superheroes gotta stop him, dystopian(ish) future style!
Tom Taylor brings his brand of non-canon, Elseworlds-style storytelling (Injustice, DCeased, Dark Knights of Steel) over from DC to Marvel for one of their own non-canon, What If…?-type books: Dark Ages. And, like all of these offbeat tales, it’s not very good.
The novelty factor is there - seeing (some) familiar faces recast in (slightly) different roles in an unusual setting - and I appreciated that Taylor didn’t make his future world a predictably gloomy dystopian one - the post-electric world isn’t that bad and the atmosphere is often surprisingly upbeat. I liked Iban Coello’s art and Deadpool’s scenes were fun. I also liked how swiftly and effectively Taylor set up the premise in what might be in other hands an entire book-length storyline compressed down to a single issue.
But for all the nuances and little twists here and there, the story boils down to the tired, overused trope of one side of superheroes punching another side of superheroes until the big bad goes down. Characters die but it doesn’t really matter because this is a standalone piece so the consequences of this story won’t last, and also I just don’t care about the Marvel characters that much. I’m not a Marvel fanboy and Taylor doesn’t do enough to make me invested in anyone in particular.
Once we got past the premise and I saw what the comic really was, I quickly lost interest and never regained it as the familiar beats played out as they always do. It’s the same old superhero story in a slightly different outfit - it’s Dork Ages.
Tom Taylor brings his brand of non-canon, Elseworlds-style storytelling (Injustice, DCeased, Dark Knights of Steel) over from DC to Marvel for one of their own non-canon, What If…?-type books: Dark Ages. And, like all of these offbeat tales, it’s not very good.
The novelty factor is there - seeing (some) familiar faces recast in (slightly) different roles in an unusual setting - and I appreciated that Taylor didn’t make his future world a predictably gloomy dystopian one - the post-electric world isn’t that bad and the atmosphere is often surprisingly upbeat. I liked Iban Coello’s art and Deadpool’s scenes were fun. I also liked how swiftly and effectively Taylor set up the premise in what might be in other hands an entire book-length storyline compressed down to a single issue.
But for all the nuances and little twists here and there, the story boils down to the tired, overused trope of one side of superheroes punching another side of superheroes until the big bad goes down. Characters die but it doesn’t really matter because this is a standalone piece so the consequences of this story won’t last, and also I just don’t care about the Marvel characters that much. I’m not a Marvel fanboy and Taylor doesn’t do enough to make me invested in anyone in particular.
Once we got past the premise and I saw what the comic really was, I quickly lost interest and never regained it as the familiar beats played out as they always do. It’s the same old superhero story in a slightly different outfit - it’s Dork Ages.
March 31, 2022
OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD!
So an entity called the unmaker is unleashed and we see the power and origins of the said celestial and then what happens and how the heroes stop him and at what cost. An EMP that knocks everything down and thrusts the world into Dark Ages and from there we follow several characters and how they cope with it. Like the use of steam engine and mutant powers was an inspired choice and I love the way Tom tells the story through the sights of Spider-man and its awesome plus giving him a family and all and also the other heroes and how they help each other.
But their big threat: Apocalypse and his horsemen and how they have taeken control of the intelligent heroes like Iron Man, Mr Fantastic and thus it falls on the leftover heroes to unite to take down this enemy and its awesome the way it happens. Venom, Purple man and even Dracula later on and finally Apocalypse. Can the heroes save the world and stop this villains ultimate endgame plans?
Its a story that starts in "darkness" but ends with "light" or optimism and I love the way Tom focuses on heroes and unites their different abilities to defeat the villain and he does stop the threat of Unmaker rather than wait and do it for the sequel and it ends in optimism like how even ina dystopia the heroes created an utopia by working together and there are a lot of metaphors but that ending with them walking together is just perfect.
An amazing end and the art OMG its so good and some of the best I have seen and one of the reasons why this book works so well so yeah a huge recommendation from me!
So an entity called the unmaker is unleashed and we see the power and origins of the said celestial and then what happens and how the heroes stop him and at what cost. An EMP that knocks everything down and thrusts the world into Dark Ages and from there we follow several characters and how they cope with it. Like the use of steam engine and mutant powers was an inspired choice and I love the way Tom tells the story through the sights of Spider-man and its awesome plus giving him a family and all and also the other heroes and how they help each other.
But their big threat: Apocalypse and his horsemen and how they have taeken control of the intelligent heroes like Iron Man, Mr Fantastic and thus it falls on the leftover heroes to unite to take down this enemy and its awesome the way it happens. Venom, Purple man and even Dracula later on and finally Apocalypse. Can the heroes save the world and stop this villains ultimate endgame plans?
Its a story that starts in "darkness" but ends with "light" or optimism and I love the way Tom focuses on heroes and unites their different abilities to defeat the villain and he does stop the threat of Unmaker rather than wait and do it for the sequel and it ends in optimism like how even ina dystopia the heroes created an utopia by working together and there are a lot of metaphors but that ending with them walking together is just perfect.
An amazing end and the art OMG its so good and some of the best I have seen and one of the reasons why this book works so well so yeah a huge recommendation from me!
July 12, 2022
Tom Taylor has become the de facto guy for writing Elseworlds comics for the big 2 with Injustice, DCeased, Dark Knights of Steel and now Dark Ages.
A constant EMP has been going off across the world for the last 7 years leaving everyone without electricity. The remaining people on Earth have banded together to not only make their lives better but actually make the world better. The world has become something of a utopia. Except for in Europe where Apocalypse rules. Now Apocalypse has a plan to threaten them all. I like the twists Taylor puts on some of the characters in this future. Dr. Doom was fun. So was Venom. Iban Coello's art was very good.
A constant EMP has been going off across the world for the last 7 years leaving everyone without electricity. The remaining people on Earth have banded together to not only make their lives better but actually make the world better. The world has become something of a utopia. Except for in Europe where Apocalypse rules. Now Apocalypse has a plan to threaten them all. I like the twists Taylor puts on some of the characters in this future. Dr. Doom was fun. So was Venom. Iban Coello's art was very good.
January 1, 2023
Κείμενο στο Smassing Culture
O πολιτισμός μας δεν αξίζει να σωθεί
Το Dark Ages της Μarvel (πρόσφατα στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Anubis, σε μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα μετάφραση του Xρήστου Κανελλόπουλου) αποτελεί ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα limited series της εταιρείας, κυρίως για την κεντρική του ιδέα και όχι τόσο για την υπερηρωική δράση, η οποία προφανώς είναι άφθονη.
Στο graphic novel ο ηλεκτρισμός και όλα τα συστήματα που αυτός στηρίζει εξαφανίζεται και έτσι η ανθρωπότητα γυρίζει πίσω, παραγωγικά, στον Μεσαίωνα. Και ενώ αυτό θα μπορούσε να είναι η αρχή για μια Mad Max ιστορία (κάτι που και ο ίδιος ο σεναριογράφος Tom Taylor άλλωστε παραδέχεται), το συμπέρασμα στο οποίο πολύ γρήγορα καταλήγουν οι αλλησπαρασσόμενες για πόρους δυνάμεις είναι πως, τελικά, αυτό δε χρειάζεται. Πως υπάρχει ένας καλύτερος τρόπος.
Πολύ γρήγορα ο καπιταλιστικός ανταγωνισμός, η κοινωνική εξαθλίωση που αυτός επιβάλει σε όσους δεν κρίνονται χρήσιμοι και η αλλοτρίωση που επιφυλάσσει σε όσους είναι «τυχεροί» που έχουν δουλειά, αναγνωρίζονται ως αυτό που είναι: προβλήματα ενός πολιτισμού ο οποίος όχι μόνο είχε φτάσει πολύ πέραν του ορίου ζωής του, αλλά και το κουφάρι του μόλυνε το ίδιο το παρόν και το μέλλον του ίδιου του κόσμου που κατοικούμε. Είναι, όπως βλέπουμε καθημερινά, ένας τρόπος παραγωγής, ζωής και σκέψης, που όχι μόνο δε χρειάζεται, αλλά και δεν πρέπει να διασωθεί.
Μπορεί η έλλειψη τεχνολογίας να γυρίζει τον κόσμο στον Μεσαίωνα, αλλά αυτό συμβαίνει μόνο σε παραγωγικό επίπεδο, κάτι το οποίο, χάρη στο θαύμα των υπερδυνάμεων αλλά, κυρίως, της ευρείας κοινωνικής συνεργασίας, ξεπερνιέται. Αντί για έναν πολιτισμό που βλέπει απέραντη ανάπτυξη σε έναν πεπερασμένο κόσμο, υπάρχει ένας πολιτισμός συνεργασίας, αλληλοβοήθειας και αλληλεγγύης, όπου ο καθένας λειτουργεί ανάλογα με τις ικανότητες του και προσφέρει στους άλλους ανάλογα με τις ανάγκες τους.
Είναι επίσης πολύ ενδιαφέρον το πως ο Taylor μετατοπίζει το κέντρο βάρους της γεωπολιτικής εξουσίας, με την Αφρική (ελέω Wakanda) να είναι το λίκνο του νέου κόσμου και της Ευρώπη να μαστίζεται από τυράννους και εμφυλίους, από τους οποίους εκατομμύρια πρόσφυγες αναζητούν λύτρωση πέρα από τη θάλασσα.
Οι κίνδυνοι ενός τέτοιου κόσμου είναι κυρίως τα απομεινάρια του παλιού: ιδεοληψίες και δεισιδαιμονίες περασμένων καιρών (εδώ αυτά συμβολοποιούνται στα πλάσματα της νύχτας που επιτίθενται ανά καιρούς στα κέντρα) αλλά και ο εκάστοτε supervillain που ελπίζει να αποκτήσει απεριόριστη δύναμη, ακόμα και αν αυτό σημαίνει τη θυσία όλων των άλλων.
Βέβαια τόσο το σύντομο μέγεθος της σειράς όσο και οι εγγενείς αδυναμίες του υπερηρωικού είδους, το οποίο όσο καλές προθέσεις και αν έχει δεν μπορεί να ξεφύγει από τον αμερικανότροπο ατομοκεντρισμό του αδυνατίζουν κάπως την κεντρική ιδέα. Έτσι η αλλαγή φαίνεται ικανή μόνο μέσω της ανάθεσης στους υπερήρωες, ενώ η ίδια η κοινωνική δομή του νέου κόσμου, ενώ προσφέρει πολλές ατρόπους, τελικά γρήγορα εγκαταλείπεται για μια πιο παραδοσιακή ιστορία με μπόλικη υπερβία.
Πέρα από κάποια προβλήματα ρυθμού, ο Taylor καταφέρνει να ισορροπήσει αρκετά καλά τους (πολλούς) διάσημους ήρωες τους οποίους μεταχειρίζεται, τουλάχιστον όσους… επιβιώνουν! Ο θάνατος αγαπημένων ηρώων είναι ένα από τα εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιεί ο δημιουργός για να δείξει τις μετακινήσεις δύναμης στον νέο κόσμο και δεν προσφέρει απλά ένα κενό shock value. Η ίδια η μετάφραση του Κανελλόπουλου επιτρέπει σε αυτές τις συνθήκες να ακμάσουν, χωρίς να υπάρχουν στη γλώσσα αγγλισμοί και διάφοροι άλλοι περισπασμοί.
Ταυτόχρονα, το σχέδιο του Iban Coello είναι επίσης ένα από τα (πολύ) δυνατά χαρτιά του τόμου. Στιβαρό, σκοτεινό, βίαιο αλλά και εύπλαστο, καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει ακριβώς τις συνθήκες τόσο του θανάτου του παλιού όσο και την ελπίδα του νέου.
Επιλογικά, το Dark Ages αποτελεί μια τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία και είναι σίγουρο ότι δε θα απογοητεύσει τους λάτρεις της Marvel, αλλά και όσους θέλουν να δουν τον κόσμο που τους καταπιέζει να καταρρέει και να δίνει τη θέση του σε κάτι καλύτερο!
O πολιτισμός μας δεν αξίζει να σωθεί
Το Dark Ages της Μarvel (πρόσφατα στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Anubis, σε μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα μετάφραση του Xρήστου Κανελλόπουλου) αποτελεί ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα limited series της εταιρείας, κυρίως για την κεντρική του ιδέα και όχι τόσο για την υπερηρωική δράση, η οποία προφανώς είναι άφθονη.
Στο graphic novel ο ηλεκτρισμός και όλα τα συστήματα που αυτός στηρίζει εξαφανίζεται και έτσι η ανθρωπότητα γυρίζει πίσω, παραγωγικά, στον Μεσαίωνα. Και ενώ αυτό θα μπορούσε να είναι η αρχή για μια Mad Max ιστορία (κάτι που και ο ίδιος ο σεναριογράφος Tom Taylor άλλωστε παραδέχεται), το συμπέρασμα στο οποίο πολύ γρήγορα καταλήγουν οι αλλησπαρασσόμενες για πόρους δυνάμεις είναι πως, τελικά, αυτό δε χρειάζεται. Πως υπάρχει ένας καλύτερος τρόπος.
Πολύ γρήγορα ο καπιταλιστικός ανταγωνισμός, η κοινωνική εξαθλίωση που αυτός επιβάλει σε όσους δεν κρίνονται χρήσιμοι και η αλλοτρίωση που επιφυλάσσει σε όσους είναι «τυχεροί» που έχουν δουλειά, αναγνωρίζονται ως αυτό που είναι: προβλήματα ενός πολιτισμού ο οποίος όχι μόνο είχε φτάσει πολύ πέραν του ορίου ζωής του, αλλά και το κουφάρι του μόλυνε το ίδιο το παρόν και το μέλλον του ίδιου του κόσμου που κατοικούμε. Είναι, όπως βλέπουμε καθημερινά, ένας τρόπος παραγωγής, ζωής και σκέψης, που όχι μόνο δε χρειάζεται, αλλά και δεν πρέπει να διασωθεί.
Μπορεί η έλλειψη τεχνολογίας να γυρίζει τον κόσμο στον Μεσαίωνα, αλλά αυτό συμβαίνει μόνο σε παραγωγικό επίπεδο, κάτι το οποίο, χάρη στο θαύμα των υπερδυνάμεων αλλά, κυρίως, της ευρείας κοινωνικής συνεργασίας, ξεπερνιέται. Αντί για έναν πολιτισμό που βλέπει απέραντη ανάπτυξη σε έναν πεπερασμένο κόσμο, υπάρχει ένας πολιτισμός συνεργασίας, αλληλοβοήθειας και αλληλεγγύης, όπου ο καθένας λειτουργεί ανάλογα με τις ικανότητες του και προσφέρει στους άλλους ανάλογα με τις ανάγκες τους.
Είναι επίσης πολύ ενδιαφέρον το πως ο Taylor μετατοπίζει το κέντρο βάρους της γεωπολιτικής εξουσίας, με την Αφρική (ελέω Wakanda) να είναι το λίκνο του νέου κόσμου και της Ευρώπη να μαστίζεται από τυράννους και εμφυλίους, από τους οποίους εκατομμύρια πρόσφυγες αναζητούν λύτρωση πέρα από τη θάλασσα.
Οι κίνδυνοι ενός τέτοιου κόσμου είναι κυρίως τα απομεινάρια του παλιού: ιδεοληψίες και δεισιδαιμονίες περασμένων καιρών (εδώ αυτά συμβολοποιούνται στα πλάσματα της νύχτας που επιτίθενται ανά καιρούς στα κέντρα) αλλά και ο εκάστοτε supervillain που ελπίζει να αποκτήσει απεριόριστη δύναμη, ακόμα και αν αυτό σημαίνει τη θυσία όλων των άλλων.
Βέβαια τόσο το σύντομο μέγεθος της σειράς όσο και οι εγγενείς αδυναμίες του υπερηρωικού είδους, το οποίο όσο καλές προθέσεις και αν έχει δεν μπορεί να ξεφύγει από τον αμερικανότροπο ατομοκεντρισμό του αδυνατίζουν κάπως την κεντρική ιδέα. Έτσι η αλλαγή φαίνεται ικανή μόνο μέσω της ανάθεσης στους υπερήρωες, ενώ η ίδια η κοινωνική δομή του νέου κόσμου, ενώ προσφέρει πολλές ατρόπους, τελικά γρήγορα εγκαταλείπεται για μια πιο παραδοσιακή ιστορία με μπόλικη υπερβία.
Πέρα από κάποια προβλήματα ρυθμού, ο Taylor καταφέρνει να ισορροπήσει αρκετά καλά τους (πολλούς) διάσημους ήρωες τους οποίους μεταχειρίζεται, τουλάχιστον όσους… επιβιώνουν! Ο θάνατος αγαπημένων ηρώων είναι ένα από τα εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιεί ο δημιουργός για να δείξει τις μετακινήσεις δύναμης στον νέο κόσμο και δεν προσφέρει απλά ένα κενό shock value. Η ίδια η μετάφραση του Κανελλόπουλου επιτρέπει σε αυτές τις συνθήκες να ακμάσουν, χωρίς να υπάρχουν στη γλώσσα αγγλισμοί και διάφοροι άλλοι περισπασμοί.
Ταυτόχρονα, το σχέδιο του Iban Coello είναι επίσης ένα από τα (πολύ) δυνατά χαρτιά του τόμου. Στιβαρό, σκοτεινό, βίαιο αλλά και εύπλαστο, καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει ακριβώς τις συνθήκες τόσο του θανάτου του παλιού όσο και την ελπίδα του νέου.
Επιλογικά, το Dark Ages αποτελεί μια τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία και είναι σίγουρο ότι δε θα απογοητεύσει τους λάτρεις της Marvel, αλλά και όσους θέλουν να δουν τον κόσμο που τους καταπιέζει να καταρρέει και να δίνει τη θέση του σε κάτι καλύτερο!
November 22, 2022
This has been my faverite Marvel/Disney book I have read in a long time. A huge epic story, hood artwork and my faverite versions of all these characters.
Call me biased but I don't care. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson Parker together are my faverite Marvel family. They even have Peter as a responsible adult this was the Peter Parker I grew up reading not tgd man-child whining version I usually get since Brand New Day. They only had to destroy the world to have this version back.
Something unstoppable has awakened, the heroes managed to save the world but at a great cost. Not just how many of the died, but ot the world it's self. Billions died, those that survived fought and clawed to make a better world, but not the world will once again be threatened how far will the survivors go to save the world and lives they have built?
The only complaint I gave about this book is I want more of everything. Even thought it was 6 issues, I want the story longer. Companion books for almost the main characters. Like I said these are my faverite versions of all these characters. I would even like more fights. This book has just made me greedy for more from this universe. The book finishes with a sketch book and a varient cover gallery.
Call me biased but I don't care. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson Parker together are my faverite Marvel family. They even have Peter as a responsible adult this was the Peter Parker I grew up reading not tgd man-child whining version I usually get since Brand New Day. They only had to destroy the world to have this version back.
Something unstoppable has awakened, the heroes managed to save the world but at a great cost. Not just how many of the died, but ot the world it's self. Billions died, those that survived fought and clawed to make a better world, but not the world will once again be threatened how far will the survivors go to save the world and lives they have built?
The only complaint I gave about this book is I want more of everything. Even thought it was 6 issues, I want the story longer. Companion books for almost the main characters. Like I said these are my faverite versions of all these characters. I would even like more fights. This book has just made me greedy for more from this universe. The book finishes with a sketch book and a varient cover gallery.
March 22, 2023
As per the usual Tom Taylor what-if stories, this one, once more, felt like I was going through a whole domino effect, constantly moving forward, never taking a moment to build a connection between the incalculable number of characters and the reader, looking to present the next-big-death-of-a-major-character. I can't say the ending was rewarding but it was fun to just blast through this for what it is. The artwork is neat with some cool character designs too.
August 23, 2023
Now I have to search for the continuous comics 😂🤷♀️
Guess not this happened in an alternative earth so no continuation 🙄
Guess not this happened in an alternative earth so no continuation 🙄
May 4, 2022
As usual, interesting set up from Tom Taylor as the Marvel universe looses all electricity to power things. Jump forward a few years and Apocalypse is using his power and skill to take over certain heroes to take control of the earth. Was hoping for more, but this one seemed rushed.
April 1, 2023
Tom Taylor is really becoming the go-to guy for Marvel and DC's alternate universe tales. He takes a fun idea, adds a random narrator, blow everything up right away, then proceeds to slowly bring the world back together (while killing off a beloved hero now and then). It's a formula that is the very definition of formulaic, but it works. Look at DCeased and Dark Knights of Steel. Successes!
And now Dark Ages for Marvel. The Unmaker threatens to destroy the Earth from within (literally), so a group of heroes come up with a containment method that also acts as a world-wide EMP. A jump forward in time shows us how the heroes are handling a world without electricity. Unfortunately, villains are also handling it quite well - namely, Apocalypse.
Spider-Man narrates in bland fashion and the action moves at such a fast clip that there's rarely any time to process an unexpected twist. That's Tom Taylor for ya, though. My best recommendation is to just enjoy the sugar rush.
And now Dark Ages for Marvel. The Unmaker threatens to destroy the Earth from within (literally), so a group of heroes come up with a containment method that also acts as a world-wide EMP. A jump forward in time shows us how the heroes are handling a world without electricity. Unfortunately, villains are also handling it quite well - namely, Apocalypse.
Spider-Man narrates in bland fashion and the action moves at such a fast clip that there's rarely any time to process an unexpected twist. That's Tom Taylor for ya, though. My best recommendation is to just enjoy the sugar rush.
November 6, 2022
Well that was one hell of a lot of fun! Tom Taylor just gets how much whacky joy you can have when the rules of meatspace don’t have to apply to your completely made-up people - even worlds.
From all the different characters jammed together in ways that neither feel like fan service (except MAYBE Laura and Gabbie guest starring for more than a couple of scenes - that would be Taylor fan servicing himself) nor traditional groupings and silos, to the sheer madness of all that destruction, death and shackles-throwing (once all the stakes got raised) - we got ourselves one story full of turns that I wasn’t expecting.
Can TT be put in charge of the What If series on D+? Or commissioned to write the next 40-issue maxi-series on Marvel Unlimited? I’d pay an extra $20/year for this kind of fresh, shirt bursts of fun.
Minus one star for the rampant quippiness that made me question once or twice if I was reading the character I thought I was.
From all the different characters jammed together in ways that neither feel like fan service (except MAYBE Laura and Gabbie guest starring for more than a couple of scenes - that would be Taylor fan servicing himself) nor traditional groupings and silos, to the sheer madness of all that destruction, death and shackles-throwing (once all the stakes got raised) - we got ourselves one story full of turns that I wasn’t expecting.
Can TT be put in charge of the What If series on D+? Or commissioned to write the next 40-issue maxi-series on Marvel Unlimited? I’d pay an extra $20/year for this kind of fresh, shirt bursts of fun.
Minus one star for the rampant quippiness that made me question once or twice if I was reading the character I thought I was.
August 16, 2023
A reminder that the stories Taylor wants to write and those I want to read are not connected in any Venn Diagrams known to man.
Some fun bits with little May Parker and an interesting defeat plan vs Apocalypse but still a long grueling slog through a lot of pointless hero deaths and gloom & doom only fine because it’s a limited series.
Some fun bits with little May Parker and an interesting defeat plan vs Apocalypse but still a long grueling slog through a lot of pointless hero deaths and gloom & doom only fine because it’s a limited series.
April 10, 2022
This is how you write a 'What If?' story! Seriously! Great all around...
The earth is doomed! What happens to those left behind after a mystical EMP removes anything from the age of electricity onward. It's a whole new world and we're given unique, but logical, looks at how some of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe kept moving forward. Those creative minds still have to protect everyone from the darker things that didn't disappear with the new changes.
Bonus: Venom+Carnage=a super symbiote story I'd love to hear more of
Bonus Bonus: In this universe, Franklin is alive. Does this reality's Franklin Richards control reality still or is he the 'tank empty' version we've seen in the 616 universe? Another character that could hold the future in his hands
The earth is doomed! What happens to those left behind after a mystical EMP removes anything from the age of electricity onward. It's a whole new world and we're given unique, but logical, looks at how some of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe kept moving forward. Those creative minds still have to protect everyone from the darker things that didn't disappear with the new changes.
Bonus: Venom+Carnage=a super symbiote story I'd love to hear more of
Bonus Bonus: In this universe, Franklin is alive. Does this reality's Franklin Richards control reality still or is he the 'tank empty' version we've seen in the 616 universe? Another character that could hold the future in his hands
November 16, 2022
Well, this was pretty disappointing. Seems this was a half-hearted attempt to duplicate the success of Taylor's own
DCeased
series but in the Marvel U. It features a post-"apocalyptic" (ahem) future/alternate timeline where there is no electricity. The level of shocking deaths and violence mimics what you see in DCeased but it lacks the heart and familiarity of the characters you see in the DC version. Despite this darker title and tone, the art juxtaposes this with a cartoony style, wherein everyone sort of looks the same and are wearing painted on costumes.
June 2, 2025
The rare graphic novel, a Marvel publication no less, that is not only highly entertaining but also carries an imaginable utopian message for our time.
Will come back to this.
Will come back to this.
June 1, 2023
I wasn’t sure what to except from this comic. I thought this was going to be another huge crossover event that had no actual affect on the marvel 616. I was practically right but much happier with the comic than I thought I’d be.
The free comic book day preview that came out made me think this would be a 616 comic but it’s not. Getting to the first issue and seeing Peter and MJ with their daughter alive my heart melted. I was not ready to see May Parker. I’m 100% love the idea that Peter and MJ are parents. I own all the Renew Your Vows comic about them raising a daughter.
Okay the rest of the comic. It’s a fun alternative universe. All the power is out because of an emp blast that is constantly going off. Instead of getting a “wolverine’s wastelands” rehash we get something new. We get a happier destopia. There’s still villain and people trying to ruin things, but the food of humanity has mostly won out.
The main story is about Apocalypse trying to restart power and destroy the world to gain god powers. It’s and interesting story. For a special event you need a big villain and a huge world ending event. I really liked seeing lots of familiar characters tweeted just a little bit. I loved the spirit of vengeance pirates look.
I enjoyed the comic. I liked seeing steampunk Spider-Man done right. I liked seeing lots of characters. This world has lots of potential. I would love to see Tom Taylor come back and give us more stories in this universe. They don’t have to be huge world ending stories either. Just fun adventures in steam punk marvel, I mean the dark ages.
The free comic book day preview that came out made me think this would be a 616 comic but it’s not. Getting to the first issue and seeing Peter and MJ with their daughter alive my heart melted. I was not ready to see May Parker. I’m 100% love the idea that Peter and MJ are parents. I own all the Renew Your Vows comic about them raising a daughter.
Okay the rest of the comic. It’s a fun alternative universe. All the power is out because of an emp blast that is constantly going off. Instead of getting a “wolverine’s wastelands” rehash we get something new. We get a happier destopia. There’s still villain and people trying to ruin things, but the food of humanity has mostly won out.
The main story is about Apocalypse trying to restart power and destroy the world to gain god powers. It’s and interesting story. For a special event you need a big villain and a huge world ending event. I really liked seeing lots of familiar characters tweeted just a little bit. I loved the spirit of vengeance pirates look.
I enjoyed the comic. I liked seeing steampunk Spider-Man done right. I liked seeing lots of characters. This world has lots of potential. I would love to see Tom Taylor come back and give us more stories in this universe. They don’t have to be huge world ending stories either. Just fun adventures in steam punk marvel, I mean the dark ages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2023
10/10:
I absolutely loved exploring this new universe in the expansive Marvel multiverse, currently designated Earth-TRN891 with a seemingly similar history to Earth-616. There’s something so exciting about a utopia created in the absence of electricity, it’s something I genuinely dream of happening to our world. The writing of Tom Taylor with the art from Iban Coello was an absolutely brilliant combination, as the art truly pulls you into this new universe within the expansive Marvel multiverse.
The narration by Peter Parker (Spider-Man) is awesome and I love how his consistent storytelling really feels like he’s telling his grandkids about this adventure. He’s open about exactly what happened, his family fears (including his daughter May and wife Mary Jane). The badass resilience of Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) despite seeing so much death and destruction (The Thing, Doctor Strange, Human Torch, Scarlet Witch, Vision) is truly inspiring and showcases that inner strength we can all have.
Seeing so many intelligent characters uniting across the Earth in order to create this utopia and stop Apocalypse was awesome too! We see Moon Girl, Doctor Doom, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Black Panther, and so many others come together, even getting the allies of Apocalypse to turn against him (namely Dracula).
I would genuinely love to see some more stories come out of Earth-TRN891, and they could be from literally any character. This universe is just so exciting that it would be a shame to not revisit it.
I absolutely loved exploring this new universe in the expansive Marvel multiverse, currently designated Earth-TRN891 with a seemingly similar history to Earth-616. There’s something so exciting about a utopia created in the absence of electricity, it’s something I genuinely dream of happening to our world. The writing of Tom Taylor with the art from Iban Coello was an absolutely brilliant combination, as the art truly pulls you into this new universe within the expansive Marvel multiverse.
The narration by Peter Parker (Spider-Man) is awesome and I love how his consistent storytelling really feels like he’s telling his grandkids about this adventure. He’s open about exactly what happened, his family fears (including his daughter May and wife Mary Jane). The badass resilience of Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) despite seeing so much death and destruction (The Thing, Doctor Strange, Human Torch, Scarlet Witch, Vision) is truly inspiring and showcases that inner strength we can all have.
Seeing so many intelligent characters uniting across the Earth in order to create this utopia and stop Apocalypse was awesome too! We see Moon Girl, Doctor Doom, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Black Panther, and so many others come together, even getting the allies of Apocalypse to turn against him (namely Dracula).
I would genuinely love to see some more stories come out of Earth-TRN891, and they could be from literally any character. This universe is just so exciting that it would be a shame to not revisit it.
June 29, 2024
DCeased, Injustice gibi alternatif evrenlerde geçen kıyamet sonrası hikayeleri yazan Taylor bu kez de Marvel'da benzer bir rotaya yönelmiş. Bu kez dünyada elektriğin kaybolduğu bir evren sunan Taylor ilk etapta güzel bir giriş yapıyor. Elektriğin yokluğunda çıkan kaosta milyarlar hayatını kaybetse de sonrasında kahramanlar yeni bir dünya düzeni inşa ediyor. Her şey güllük gülistanlık gözükse de kötülük uyumuyor. Kısaca Apocalypse tüm dehaları kendi himayesi altına alıp mutlak güce erişmeyi amaçlıyor.
Altı sayılık bir hikaye için ilk dört sayısı epey güzel gitse de ardından yokuş aşağı gidiyor maalesef. Hem finaldeki savaşın tatmin edicilikten son derece uzak olup çok hızlı yaşanması hem de hiç gözükmediği için muhtemelen ölmüştür diye düşündüğümüz kahramanların son anda sırf hikayede yer almak için ortaya çıkması hikaye bittiğinde ağızda kötü bir tat bırakıyor.
Gönül isterdi ki yerli baskısını alıp yerli yayıncıyı teşvik edebilseydim fakat ülkedeki bilinçsiz okur kitleyi ve ağızlarından salya saçarak sert kapak toplayan "koleksiyoncu" kitleyi sağmak adına sert kapaklı basıp tonla para isteyen bir yayıncıya kuruş vermem.
Altı sayılık bir hikaye için ilk dört sayısı epey güzel gitse de ardından yokuş aşağı gidiyor maalesef. Hem finaldeki savaşın tatmin edicilikten son derece uzak olup çok hızlı yaşanması hem de hiç gözükmediği için muhtemelen ölmüştür diye düşündüğümüz kahramanların son anda sırf hikayede yer almak için ortaya çıkması hikaye bittiğinde ağızda kötü bir tat bırakıyor.
Gönül isterdi ki yerli baskısını alıp yerli yayıncıyı teşvik edebilseydim fakat ülkedeki bilinçsiz okur kitleyi ve ağızlarından salya saçarak sert kapak toplayan "koleksiyoncu" kitleyi sağmak adına sert kapaklı basıp tonla para isteyen bir yayıncıya kuruş vermem.
November 15, 2022
Antes da pandemia do Covid-19 começar, a Marvel fez uma divulgação pesada dessa minissérie, Idade das Trevas, escrita por Tom King e desenhada por Iban Coello, que mostraria um futuro alternativo do Universo 616 em que todo o planeta pederia a eletricidade. Um preview chegou a ser publicado numa edição do Free Comic Book Day. Mas com a chegada da pandemia, a Marvel segurou a minissérie. Assim, as espectativas aumentaram. Tom Taylor é o cara para desenvolver futuros alternativos sombrios de super-heróis, mas a arte de Iban Coello não me agradou para esta ideia, ela lembra muito o estilo mangalizado de Joe Madureira, que não combina com pós-apocalipses. A trama é divertida, aventuresca, tem carisma. Mas eu estava, sinceramente, esperando mais depois de tanta espectativa que foi criada pela Marvel.
June 29, 2023
Make this movie!
Please for the love of all, make this movie!
Everything except the very end, amazing!
Probably could have plucked at the heart a little bit more by adding a couple more pages to it.
It was nice that I could just jump into this without having to read 20 other series before it and still understood almost all of what was going on.
Certain characters weren’t familiar, but there were about 100+ characters in this comic, so I didn’t need to know them all to comprehend the gist of it.
The concept is amazing and the fact that it’s a stand alone is sooo awesome - make the movie.
Please for the love of all, make this movie!
Everything except the very end, amazing!
Probably could have plucked at the heart a little bit more by adding a couple more pages to it.
It was nice that I could just jump into this without having to read 20 other series before it and still understood almost all of what was going on.
Certain characters weren’t familiar, but there were about 100+ characters in this comic, so I didn’t need to know them all to comprehend the gist of it.
The concept is amazing and the fact that it’s a stand alone is sooo awesome - make the movie.
October 22, 2022
A fun “the world suddenly ends” comic from Tom Taylor, following in the tradition and style of his DCeased comic for DC. It’s fairly slight, and not as funny as some of his other works, but it packs in enough cool characters and interesting ideas to make it a worthwhile read, especially with Iban Coello’s dynamic art bringing it all to life.
Lots of fun, if a little insubstantial.
Lots of fun, if a little insubstantial.
March 31, 2024
This was a fun one! Everyone was in this one.
May 9, 2023
Mediocre
November 29, 2022
This non-canon Marvel story was AMAZING!!!!
The Story: A power hungry machine known as The Unmaker was put inside the Earth. After billions of years, he's decided to wake up and he'll do anything to break out of his prison. When heroes start dying, Doctor Strange opens a portal to a universe that has a constant EMP, which shuts down The Unmaker, but also takes all electrical power away from the Earth. At some point, "villains" decide to plot to take over the world... but can they?
TONS of heroes we know and love DIE in this story. Some of it is even very graphic.
AND THE ART IS FANTASTIC!
Very very impressed with this story, and the fact that it is not connected to the main MCU canon makes it idea for someone to pick it up and enjoy.
Definitely check this out.
The Story: A power hungry machine known as The Unmaker was put inside the Earth. After billions of years, he's decided to wake up and he'll do anything to break out of his prison. When heroes start dying, Doctor Strange opens a portal to a universe that has a constant EMP, which shuts down The Unmaker, but also takes all electrical power away from the Earth. At some point, "villains" decide to plot to take over the world... but can they?
TONS of heroes we know and love DIE in this story. Some of it is even very graphic.
AND THE ART IS FANTASTIC!
Very very impressed with this story, and the fact that it is not connected to the main MCU canon makes it idea for someone to pick it up and enjoy.
Definitely check this out.
April 23, 2022
I never really followed particular writers but I recently noticed whenever I read anything random and loved it it was always by Tom Taylor. Injustice, All-New Wolverine, and now Dark Ages. Even his social media posts are great. Sad he apparently won't be writing for Marvel at all for the foreseeable but very glad he's getting work.
March 28, 2024
Dark Ages is a 2021 miniseries by Tom Taylor and Iban Coello; it is yet another one of those "hey what if we did a dystopian AU" miniseries, so if you like that you'll probably like this one. I think it has a whole lot of interesting worldbuilding and a nicely optimistic spirit (especially when you consider the amount of character death going on), but it's also one of those series that suffers from trying to do too much. Like, maybe we didn't need every single hero ever to be involved in this. Maybe we could have just picked a couple we really liked.
The premise: there is no electricity anymore.
I mean, that's it, really. Sure, there's a very convoluted backstory, but that's basically it. We are now seven years into the post-apocalyptic dystopia, and everyone has to go fight Apocalypse, who would like to turn the lights back on (good) and then maybe destroy the Earth (bad).
This is also one of those series for which Marvel has continued the annoying trend of putting material in the preceding FCBD issue that isn't duplicated in the series itself and that you might actually want to read. So you should read this in trade; it has the FCBD stuff. It isn't as bad as reading Hellfire Gala 2023 and being like "wait, how did someone try to murder Cyclops and Captain America tonight, when did that even happen" but it's a nice little story about the Avengers at the beginning of the disaster here that you might want to read.
Tom Taylor's famous for writing a variety of comics I mostly haven't read because I don't actually read DC, but I am a comics Iron Man fan (yes, he is my favorite character; yes, this is a sad life I lead) and I have read his Superior Iron Man. SIM read like it was being written by an actual IM fan who had unfortunately been given the villain AU assignment, so it was nice to read him writing a story where Tony Stark was -- okay, I guess I can't say he was 100% a good guy because he spent five-sixths of this being mind-controlled by the Purple Man, but he was a main character and he was ultimately on the side of good and I wish Taylor had gotten to write an IM run that was less... evil. But this is kind of like that. The Tony characterization is nice. Look, we all have our priorities.
The downside of this miniseries is that it just tries to do So Much, and it's probably Too Much. Everyone's there. There's Apocalypse and the Purple Man and Magneto and Iron Man and Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four and a bunch of X-Men and Moon Girl and Doom and Dracula and Deadpool and so many more. There are only six issues. They can't all be the stars. Put some back. Please put some back.
(I may regret saying this because as I am writing this Avengers Twilight has not finished and it might still jump the shark, but one of the things Twilight is doing well is focusing tight on a core cast. It's a Captain America story, and he's being aided by Iron Man, Thor, Ms. Marvel, and the new Bullseye/Hawkeye. It's not trying to do everything.)
But even so, this is fun and I recommend it. It's not my favorite dystopian AU miniseries, though -- I think that honor goes to Captain America Corps.
The premise: there is no electricity anymore.
I mean, that's it, really. Sure, there's a very convoluted backstory, but that's basically it. We are now seven years into the post-apocalyptic dystopia, and everyone has to go fight Apocalypse, who would like to turn the lights back on (good) and then maybe destroy the Earth (bad).
This is also one of those series for which Marvel has continued the annoying trend of putting material in the preceding FCBD issue that isn't duplicated in the series itself and that you might actually want to read. So you should read this in trade; it has the FCBD stuff. It isn't as bad as reading Hellfire Gala 2023 and being like "wait, how did someone try to murder Cyclops and Captain America tonight, when did that even happen" but it's a nice little story about the Avengers at the beginning of the disaster here that you might want to read.
Tom Taylor's famous for writing a variety of comics I mostly haven't read because I don't actually read DC, but I am a comics Iron Man fan (yes, he is my favorite character; yes, this is a sad life I lead) and I have read his Superior Iron Man. SIM read like it was being written by an actual IM fan who had unfortunately been given the villain AU assignment, so it was nice to read him writing a story where Tony Stark was -- okay, I guess I can't say he was 100% a good guy because he spent five-sixths of this being mind-controlled by the Purple Man, but he was a main character and he was ultimately on the side of good and I wish Taylor had gotten to write an IM run that was less... evil. But this is kind of like that. The Tony characterization is nice. Look, we all have our priorities.
The downside of this miniseries is that it just tries to do So Much, and it's probably Too Much. Everyone's there. There's Apocalypse and the Purple Man and Magneto and Iron Man and Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four and a bunch of X-Men and Moon Girl and Doom and Dracula and Deadpool and so many more. There are only six issues. They can't all be the stars. Put some back. Please put some back.
(I may regret saying this because as I am writing this Avengers Twilight has not finished and it might still jump the shark, but one of the things Twilight is doing well is focusing tight on a core cast. It's a Captain America story, and he's being aided by Iron Man, Thor, Ms. Marvel, and the new Bullseye/Hawkeye. It's not trying to do everything.)
But even so, this is fun and I recommend it. It's not my favorite dystopian AU miniseries, though -- I think that honor goes to Captain America Corps.
November 28, 2022
After the success, Tom Taylor had been having with Elseworlds tales at DC comics it only seemed natural that the editors at Marvel would want Taylor to tell an out-of-continuity tale featuring the Marvel characters. This is a fast pace story that gives us a different look at the Marvel universe with a post-apocalyptic flare. Now I really enjoyed Mr. Taylor's writing on DCeased, Injustice, and the recent Dark Knights of Steel. How does this story rank amongst those? It's good but not as good as Taylor's DC comics Elseworlds books. The plot is simple, a world-ending event happens on Earth and all the electronics/technology go down. The world has been thrust into complete darkness and earth's greatest heroes are forced to pick up the pieces. In the power volume that is created in this dark world fan favorite X-men villain rises to stake his claim over what is left of the earth. Taylor does a great job building the world and catching us up on what has happened to the marvel superheroes we know. It was a great choice to have Spider-man be the narrator. The artwork is great here as well. The colors really make this book pop and the pacing is really top-notch. Where the weakness of the book really lies is in the characters and a few scenes I feel needed to be expanded. There were times were some of the really juicy stuff happens off the panel. There is some major reveals in this story that would have been cooler if we got more setup. I mean Magneto and Wolverine were easily defeated with the latter being almost godlike with his control of magnetism. I wasn't surprised that Taylor wanted to focus on X-23 more than Wolverine as she was the focus of his All-New Wolverine run. Laura is just not that interesting here. I also felt the final battle happen too quickly in this book. Taylor set up really good stakes but in the end rushed to get to the conclusion. I couldn't help but feel that Marvel comics either didn't see this as a long-running series or that they just wanted a really tight 6 issue story arc. This was not a horrible story but it had the potential to be so much more. Still, If you are looking for a break from the modern continuity of Marvel this book is not a bad read.
April 1, 2022
I finished a new Marvel Comics event last night. This is Dark Ages! In this one-shot comic Spider-Man narrates the story of an ancient being known as The Unmaker awaking inside of Earth, placed there billions of years ago by cosmic beings who had no other way of containing his power. The heroes of the world come together as usual to evacuate cities and a small team is sent to the center of the Earth to stop The Unmaker from waking. They win… but at what cost? Upon his death, Dr. Strange opens a portal to an alternate dimension that can’t close thus releasing an EMP that swallows the planet whole. Set seven years after the world fell apart we follow the world our heroes made when the Earth went dark. This story brings out a lot of fun cameos and it’s nice to see a lot of the younger heroes grown up. Dark Ages is short but full of great moments that’ll make you realize why you loved these characters to start with. There are stakes and you will lose some of your favorite characters as they fight Apocalypse and his army of brain washed heroes and villains in his attempt to gain more power. I think if Marvel Studios is open to doing alternate reality stories like DC with The Joker and The Batman, this story would have great potential for the big screen or even as a show of some sort. I don’t usually read alternate reality or future set stories, so thankfully for this story I didn’t know what it was when I started. But the story was so good it drew me in right away. There is so much light and hope in this story about a world with no power with some excellent world building in only six issues. If you’re looking for a way to start reading Marvel Comics this is a good jumping on point. You can read this story without needing background knowledge for these characters and then pick people you like to learn more about them from there. The art looks fantastic and the character designs are super cool. I’m giving Dark Ages a pretty big 9/10 (4.5/5 starts rounded down), which is a big deal for me. I mean it when I say I don’t usually read these types of stories. -Tyler.
October 3, 2022
An enormous magical EMP destroys all technology in the world, plunging the planet into darkness. Now, heroes and villains alike must band together to protect it from an even darker threat - Apocalypse!
Dark Ages has a great set-up, and Tom Taylor unfolds it nicely across the first few issues as we meet new versions of our favourite characters. Yes, some of them meet horrible ends, because this is a Tom Taylor What If? story after all, but you know what you're getting with those. The time skip from the beginning of the series to the actual beginning of the story helps as well, because it means we're dealing with slightly older versions of these characters, and it lets some unexpected players show up as well.
The issue comes here at the end - everything wraps up super neatly in 20 pages, but there's definitely the sense that there was more story to be told here. I wonder if Taylor's newfound DC exclusivity meant that he had to finish this off in a hurry rather than leaving it open to continue or expand, which is a shame.
Iban Coello's sleek artwork works really well for the series; he's no stranger to having to draw massive crowd scenes after his Venomverse work, and he gets to draw basically everyone in the Marvel Universe at some point in this series, which he manages without missing a beat.
A lot of build-up for a hurried conclusion hampers Dark Ages' overall presentation. I don't know how long the premise could have run anyway, but if DCeased can be at like 6 series, I'm sure we could have gotten a few more out of this.
Dark Ages has a great set-up, and Tom Taylor unfolds it nicely across the first few issues as we meet new versions of our favourite characters. Yes, some of them meet horrible ends, because this is a Tom Taylor What If? story after all, but you know what you're getting with those. The time skip from the beginning of the series to the actual beginning of the story helps as well, because it means we're dealing with slightly older versions of these characters, and it lets some unexpected players show up as well.
The issue comes here at the end - everything wraps up super neatly in 20 pages, but there's definitely the sense that there was more story to be told here. I wonder if Taylor's newfound DC exclusivity meant that he had to finish this off in a hurry rather than leaving it open to continue or expand, which is a shame.
Iban Coello's sleek artwork works really well for the series; he's no stranger to having to draw massive crowd scenes after his Venomverse work, and he gets to draw basically everyone in the Marvel Universe at some point in this series, which he manages without missing a beat.
A lot of build-up for a hurried conclusion hampers Dark Ages' overall presentation. I don't know how long the premise could have run anyway, but if DCeased can be at like 6 series, I'm sure we could have gotten a few more out of this.
October 3, 2025
Marvel Dark Ages by Tom Taylor, with art from Iban Coello, is a thrilling and inventive story that reimagines the Marvel Universe in a world without electricity. The premise is bold: the only way to stop an apocalyptic threat is to permanently shut down all power on Earth, forcing heroes and villains alike to adapt to a drastically altered world.
One of the strongest aspects of this story is that much of it is told from Peter Parker’s perspective, with his voice as the narrator grounding the narrative in heart and humor. Taylor excels at balancing a large ensemble cast, and nearly every character gets a standout moment. Highlights for me included Peter’s relationship with May, Deadpool stealing scenes with his trademark chaos, and Laura/Wolverine shining in key battles.
That said, as much as I enjoyed the ride, I couldn’t help but wish for more. At just six issues, the series feels a little rushed. The climactic battle in Europe comes and goes too quickly, and Apocalypse’s defeat feels too easy—I would have loved to see him push the heroes to the brink before falling. The finale especially left me wanting an expanded conclusion, something closer to a ten-issue run.
Even with those pacing issues, Marvel Dark Ages is absolutely worth reading. It’s packed with great character moments, clever team-ups, and Tom Taylor’s signature mix of heart, action, and humor. For fans of Taylor’s work—or Marvel readers looking for a fresh “what if” style tale—this is a must-read. I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
One of the strongest aspects of this story is that much of it is told from Peter Parker’s perspective, with his voice as the narrator grounding the narrative in heart and humor. Taylor excels at balancing a large ensemble cast, and nearly every character gets a standout moment. Highlights for me included Peter’s relationship with May, Deadpool stealing scenes with his trademark chaos, and Laura/Wolverine shining in key battles.
That said, as much as I enjoyed the ride, I couldn’t help but wish for more. At just six issues, the series feels a little rushed. The climactic battle in Europe comes and goes too quickly, and Apocalypse’s defeat feels too easy—I would have loved to see him push the heroes to the brink before falling. The finale especially left me wanting an expanded conclusion, something closer to a ten-issue run.
Even with those pacing issues, Marvel Dark Ages is absolutely worth reading. It’s packed with great character moments, clever team-ups, and Tom Taylor’s signature mix of heart, action, and humor. For fans of Taylor’s work—or Marvel readers looking for a fresh “what if” style tale—this is a must-read. I’d give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
January 11, 2023
I should’ve loved this book, but it’s just okay. Tom Taylor is still my favorite writer, and I love all of these characters. Taylor has a playground with this universe but he doesn’t do much with it. After the first issue with the setup of the world becoming this dark age, nothing really happens. They lose all electricity billions die, they have to start over, and it could be a lot of fun. But then Apocalypse decides to go back to the source of what caused the power outage so he can destroy the world and escape to somewhere else and our heroes have to stop him. The issues are fun but they don’t go anywhere, they go on this trip across the ocean and stuff but it feels like nothing happened. Maybe it’s just me but the stakes never felt real to me, and this story had less heart than what Tom Taylor stories usually have. The universe and setup is definitely interesting, there could be good stories in this universe, Taylor could revisit this universe in a few years and tell a more interesting story, once his DC contract is up. On the art side Iban Coello does a great job with all of the characters and they look great with their apocalypse outfits that he designed. I’m really looking forward to reading his and Ryan North’s Fantastic Four book because I love how he draws them. Not a bad book, world has more potential.
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