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Marvel Graphic Novel #12
Dazzler: The Movie
Allison Blaire (AKA The Dazzler) is an ally of the X-Men with the mutant power to transform sound into light, which she uses to create a spectacular stage show to accompany her singing performances. This soap-opera-esque graphic novel follows her ill-fated romance with Hollywood celebrity Roman Nekoboh, a co-star in her first movie, and his public outing of her as a mutant--those who are born with special powers or abilities which cause them to be societal pariahs.
68 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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96 people want to read
About the author
James Shooter
16 booksComic book creator and editor more commonly credited as Jim Shooter.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 9, 2021
The only part I really liked was when this issue showed just how powerful Dazzler and Black Bolt can be together. I'm hoping for more crossovers but I doubt that happened.
Merged review:
Another skim read. I was not a huge fan of what was happening in this story.
I especially disliked anything to do with Roman Nikoboh. There were just SO many things wrong with that character and his ‘relationship’ with Alison.
What’s worse is Alison just forgives him of any wrong-doing! He literally exposed her as being a mutant….so they’d be even more famous *facepalm*
Let’s not even mention the not so subtle body shaming. That Alison does to herself!!
Not being in shape and being overweight are two different things.
Ugh, it just frustrated me reading that.
Anyway, I do NOT recommend this comic.
Sure, this big thing happened to Alison but honestly, the story it’s wrapped up in is not worth it.
Merged review:
Another skim read. I was not a huge fan of what was happening in this story.
I especially disliked anything to do with Roman Nikoboh. There were just SO many things wrong with that character and his ‘relationship’ with Alison.
What’s worse is Alison just forgives him of any wrong-doing! He literally exposed her as being a mutant….so they’d be even more famous *facepalm*
Let’s not even mention the not so subtle body shaming. That Alison does to herself!!
Not being in shape and being overweight are two different things.
Ugh, it just frustrated me reading that.
Anyway, I do NOT recommend this comic.
Sure, this big thing happened to Alison but honestly, the story it’s wrapped up in is not worth it.
July 23, 2025
This was ok I suppose. I meant to read this while I was reading through the Claremont X-Men omnibuses but I couldn’t find it😂. Well now I’ve found it. Allison hade some rich people take notice of her, one being a movie producer. He wants to shoot a movie starring her. News comes out that she’s a mutant and problems arise of course, trying to slow the progress. The movie gets finished and they think it’s great. However, due to some seedy background machinations, the movie never gets to see the light of day which is sad. It was going to change the country’s views on mutants. Dazzler was shown as a power house in these pages the way she was using her powers which was cool. And like a lot of these Marvel graphic novels, the art was top notch.
June 20, 2021
One of my prized possessions as a comic nerd is a full run of the original Dazzler series, bought monthly. Anyone who was there with me knows Alison didn't have a superhero title, but a romance comic! This GN takes you back there, with a dose of Valley of the Dolls for good measure. Dazzler falls for a Hollywood Hasbeen with promises of Fame but her mutant talents continue to get in the way. I'm giving it five stars just for nostalgia.
June 20, 2015
if i read this novel b4 xmen god loves man kills i would have given it 5stars because everything fades in comparison to the legend chris claremont made
July 9, 2020
Novela gráfica donde aprendemos algo más sobre Dazzler, la mutante que no quiso formar parte de ningun grupo de superhéroes y dedicarse al cine y la música.
El argumento no dista mucho del de cualquier película donde una chica guapa quiere triunfar en Hollywood y se ve rodeada de magnates que quieren comprarla con su dinero. Pasable.
El argumento no dista mucho del de cualquier película donde una chica guapa quiere triunfar en Hollywood y se ve rodeada de magnates que quieren comprarla con su dinero. Pasable.
February 14, 2019
The soap opera and romance that defined the Dazzler series are cranked to 11 here. The story is an emotional roller coaster, with the lead character's dreams and sorrows taking the spotlight. The superhero elements are quite toned down. So, no encounters with Galactus or the Enchantress to distract from the romance(s) here.
What isn't toned down is the morality play on prejudice and persecution that is so important to Marvel's mutant characters. Along with this is a commentary on the treatment and expectations of women in entertainment. In this, the era of #MeToo, the commentary is sadly still timely.
Dazzler the Movie may not be as full of thrilling action as superhero comics are typically known for (though that element isn't totally absent), but it is a fascinating and mature use of the character, and a testament to how versatile the superhero genre can be.
What isn't toned down is the morality play on prejudice and persecution that is so important to Marvel's mutant characters. Along with this is a commentary on the treatment and expectations of women in entertainment. In this, the era of #MeToo, the commentary is sadly still timely.
Dazzler the Movie may not be as full of thrilling action as superhero comics are typically known for (though that element isn't totally absent), but it is a fascinating and mature use of the character, and a testament to how versatile the superhero genre can be.
February 7, 2016
Good comic story. Nice art and plot. Recommended
September 2, 2020
Ladies and Gentleman that's how a Queen is born
April 3, 2019
A book of failed promise, but saved by some very nice artwork.
Dazzler has always been a character that never fulfilled her potential. Created in the late 70s and designed to be boosted by the disco craze, she was unfortunate in that she came as the disco craze was ending, and the public never really took to a superhero that really wanted to be a pop star instead of a superhero. Even Chris Claremont, guru of all things mutant in the Marvel Universe, never really found much use for her.
So Jim Shooter, who is a very good comic writer, had a go in this graphic novel. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to deliver this time, possibly because the book was over-hyped - promising that this book would affect the fate of all mutants in the MU. However, nothing really changed, although Dazzler got a significant power increase, ranking her with some of the most powerful mutants. There was a ramping up of the level of hostility to mutants, but that was happening anyway in the X-books that were around at the time - X-Men and New Mutants - so this story really didn't even change it that much.
The artwork by Frank Springer and Vince Colletta is really nice, and made this a visual pleasure even if the story lacked somewhat.
Dazzler has always been a character that never fulfilled her potential. Created in the late 70s and designed to be boosted by the disco craze, she was unfortunate in that she came as the disco craze was ending, and the public never really took to a superhero that really wanted to be a pop star instead of a superhero. Even Chris Claremont, guru of all things mutant in the Marvel Universe, never really found much use for her.
So Jim Shooter, who is a very good comic writer, had a go in this graphic novel. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to deliver this time, possibly because the book was over-hyped - promising that this book would affect the fate of all mutants in the MU. However, nothing really changed, although Dazzler got a significant power increase, ranking her with some of the most powerful mutants. There was a ramping up of the level of hostility to mutants, but that was happening anyway in the X-books that were around at the time - X-Men and New Mutants - so this story really didn't even change it that much.
The artwork by Frank Springer and Vince Colletta is really nice, and made this a visual pleasure even if the story lacked somewhat.
June 22, 2023
Dazzler: The Movie, like the character herself, is very underrated. This book is pretty adult, for the time. Probably the first truly adult comic featuring a mutant. (Someone asks Dazz if she did porn, someone else calls her a whore, she’s drinking and smoking.) Not counting God Loves, Man Kills which didn’t deal with sex and substance abuse. It’s nice to see Dazzler become corrupted by Hollyweird, eventually rediscover herself, and then tell the devil to suck it, burning it all down to remain true to herself.
And believe it or not Dazzler: The Movie pushes the mutant-human relations envelope further than Claremont had done so far on X-Men. When Dazzler, riding high on her newfound starlet fame, is outed as a mutant, we see how the public respond. She’s not hidden away in the X-Men’s secret headquarters, so she has to deal with the paranoia and hysteria of the press and public. It’s very good, and this story definitely shapes Dazzler’s future X-Men journey. Those Uncanny issues have many call backs to her series.
Random thing I liked: Ali is such a sweetheart, she never even comments on the fact that her Hollywood legend boyfriend is secretly a fat, bald old guy. Neither does the story make a big deal of her discovering the truth. She loves the guy. Longshot, he ain’t (mullet or no.)
If you’re a fan of Ali, give this a chance, especially as presented in the Marvel Masterworks Dazzler v3. You might be shocked how not terrible it is! Recommended.
And believe it or not Dazzler: The Movie pushes the mutant-human relations envelope further than Claremont had done so far on X-Men. When Dazzler, riding high on her newfound starlet fame, is outed as a mutant, we see how the public respond. She’s not hidden away in the X-Men’s secret headquarters, so she has to deal with the paranoia and hysteria of the press and public. It’s very good, and this story definitely shapes Dazzler’s future X-Men journey. Those Uncanny issues have many call backs to her series.
Random thing I liked: Ali is such a sweetheart, she never even comments on the fact that her Hollywood legend boyfriend is secretly a fat, bald old guy. Neither does the story make a big deal of her discovering the truth. She loves the guy. Longshot, he ain’t (mullet or no.)
If you’re a fan of Ali, give this a chance, especially as presented in the Marvel Masterworks Dazzler v3. You might be shocked how not terrible it is! Recommended.
March 22, 2022
Oh boy. Okay I think this deserves a real review.
Dazzler moves to LA and is immediately preyed upon by Roman Nekobah, a sleazy film star who puts on a fake portrayal of himself to seduce women, and Eric Beale, an equally sleazy producer. Beale attempts to seduce Dazzler by buying the gym she works at but she turns him down. Meanwhile, Roman stalks Dazzler, tells the press they're in a relationship, and breaks into her house where he attempts to force himself onto her.
Eventually Dazzler gives into Roman, starts dating him, and he offers to film a movie with her as the star. From this point on the narrative seems to view this as an actual romance (though, admittedly, a dysfunctional one that results in Dazzler taking up smoking, gaining weight, and being generally less comfortable with herself).
Unable to find producers for their film, Roman approaches Eric Beale. Conspiring with Beale, Roman convinces Dazzler to reveal to him her mutant powers and then releases the info to the press, telling Dazzler after the fact that it will allow them to make the first film starring a mutant, doing wonders for mutant rights.
People endlessly harass and attack Dazzler after learning she's a mutant, protesting the film with signs saying "Kill all muties." After the filming concludes, Roman disappears and Beale tells Dazzler that he will only release the film if she signs a contract that will make him "own her." Dazzler refuses to sign, destroys the film reel, breaks up with Roman, while still claiming to love him, and leaves, still hopeful about her future.
It is... something. The art is fantastic and the pacing is actually really good but the story itself is... troubling. On the one hand, it bears a powerful #metoo message but on the other hand, I'm not sure how aware of that it is. Is Roman intended to be an abuser or a complicated love interest? It's unclear and it really shouldn't be.
Dazzler moves to LA and is immediately preyed upon by Roman Nekobah, a sleazy film star who puts on a fake portrayal of himself to seduce women, and Eric Beale, an equally sleazy producer. Beale attempts to seduce Dazzler by buying the gym she works at but she turns him down. Meanwhile, Roman stalks Dazzler, tells the press they're in a relationship, and breaks into her house where he attempts to force himself onto her.
Eventually Dazzler gives into Roman, starts dating him, and he offers to film a movie with her as the star. From this point on the narrative seems to view this as an actual romance (though, admittedly, a dysfunctional one that results in Dazzler taking up smoking, gaining weight, and being generally less comfortable with herself).
Unable to find producers for their film, Roman approaches Eric Beale. Conspiring with Beale, Roman convinces Dazzler to reveal to him her mutant powers and then releases the info to the press, telling Dazzler after the fact that it will allow them to make the first film starring a mutant, doing wonders for mutant rights.
People endlessly harass and attack Dazzler after learning she's a mutant, protesting the film with signs saying "Kill all muties." After the filming concludes, Roman disappears and Beale tells Dazzler that he will only release the film if she signs a contract that will make him "own her." Dazzler refuses to sign, destroys the film reel, breaks up with Roman, while still claiming to love him, and leaves, still hopeful about her future.
It is... something. The art is fantastic and the pacing is actually really good but the story itself is... troubling. On the one hand, it bears a powerful #metoo message but on the other hand, I'm not sure how aware of that it is. Is Roman intended to be an abuser or a complicated love interest? It's unclear and it really shouldn't be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2025
For several years, Marvel had a series called Marvel Graphic. These were all top notch writers given months, if not a year to develop their stories without worrying about a monthly deadline. Big name artists would been given time to really give the work their all. it they put on higher paperstock using a more advanced color pallet. This series produced a number of GREAT stories. This series produced a number of GREAT stories. Claremont's X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. What was going to be the opening four three or four issues of New Mutants were turned into issues of Marvel Graphic Novel. Dave Cockrum's Futurians. Dr. Stange Into Shamballa by J.M. DeMatteis. MOST of the time the only downside to these stories was the price. While they were 3 and a half times the length of an average comic (since they had no ads) the expensive paper and lack of ads mean they were six times the price. But all the stories I just mention... well... had I been old enough to be reading those in the 80s, I would have thought they were worth it.
Dazzler The Movie though.... doing did we really need A Star Is Born minus the tragedy only with Dazzler? No. Was it well written? Not quite. The art is nice but that's the only good thing you can say about it. And I don't think that's enough. This was clearly Editor in Chief Jim Shooter- you know the guy who initiated Marvel's writers shouldn't be editing themselves policy, handling writer Jim Shooter word in despearate attempt to save a floundering character that he saw as 'his baby' that most of the creators who had been assigned the character didn't like, retailers didn't like and most importantly readers didn't like but giving them... guess what... a story that while far better than what most of the stories near the tail end of Dazzler's run... a majority of people didn't like.
Dazzler The Movie though.... doing did we really need A Star Is Born minus the tragedy only with Dazzler? No. Was it well written? Not quite. The art is nice but that's the only good thing you can say about it. And I don't think that's enough. This was clearly Editor in Chief Jim Shooter- you know the guy who initiated Marvel's writers shouldn't be editing themselves policy, handling writer Jim Shooter word in despearate attempt to save a floundering character that he saw as 'his baby' that most of the creators who had been assigned the character didn't like, retailers didn't like and most importantly readers didn't like but giving them... guess what... a story that while far better than what most of the stories near the tail end of Dazzler's run... a majority of people didn't like.
June 29, 2020
Of course Jim Shooter wrote a story where the male romantic lead is a gross old man. This is a wild ride, it's so bad it's good. And hey, the art is nice, admittedly.
April 7, 2021
The character is intriguing but the story suffers from a weirdo 1960s mentality that's not flattering.
August 2, 2022
Reading this makes me think that Jim Shooter might be a legitimate creep.
June 10, 2024
i love the dazzler shes so real and her vibes are so chill.
August 4, 2024
Barbara Cartland, Corin Tellado... what de h.ll happened here?
BTW: Great Sienkiewicz cover
BTW: Great Sienkiewicz cover
January 5, 2025
Wow, did this age poorly. So cringe. Skip skip skip
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August 12, 2018A little short
A real 80's kind of novel ,short and superficial. Dazzler always seemed like a romance comic of the fifties. How dazzler dresses and who she is romancing is more important than the supervillain.
A real 80's kind of novel ,short and superficial. Dazzler always seemed like a romance comic of the fifties. How dazzler dresses and who she is romancing is more important than the supervillain.
February 28, 2011
Another library find. Much better than the Power Pack one. A good story and really nice art.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews