Monday, December 8, 2008

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1

Kurt Busiek has long been one of the better writers working in comics today, and his reputation was made with the publication of the original Marvels story, which has been collected and reprinted many times.

It took an unusual tact for a comic book - it told the story from the point of view of an ordinary man, photographer Phil Sheldon, who happened to be a witness to some of the key moments in the history of the Marvel Universe.

Featuring art by the then-unknown Alex Ross, it was a terrific piece of work, and served as a springboard for Busiek's excellent Astro City series. (By the way, aren't we long overdue for another chapter from that series?)

Anyway, the good news is, Phil Sheldon is back, along with Busiek, in the mini-series Marvels: Eye of the Camera.

So far, the story is set between the pages of the original Marvels, as we see a ground-level view of what it was like when Marvel's Silver Age first began, and heroes such as Spider-Man, Thor and the Hulk first appeared.

The series doesn't have Alex Ross providing the art, but it does feature outstanding work Jay Anacleto and colors by Brian Haberlin. The work is amazingly detailed and, well, real. It includes some stunning splash panels of New York City, and an inspiring first public appearance by the Fantastic Four.

It'll be interesting to see how this fits in with the original story (which reminds me, I need to dig that out and re-read it), but the series is off to an excellent start.

Busiek really gives you an original, real-world look at the world of heroes, and it's downright refreshing.

Grade: A-

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