Marvel 1602: New World

(Marvel, 2005-2006)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Equaling the quality of an original is tough to accomplish, and this series demonstrates the fact. Neil Gaiman’s Marvel 1602 mini-series made clever use of the Marvel characters, altering their names and backstories, giving them a different feel. This follow-up is less subtle and, therefore, less creative. Here, readers are introduced to some new Marvel characters, and their identities are obvious. We meet The Hulk and Master Iron, both of whose 1602 versions are strikingly similar to their modern version.

The real disappointment of the series, though, is the art. Greg Tocchini should be one of the hot up-and-coming artists. Before this series, his style was clean and easy to point out on the printed page. But here, for reasons I don’t believe are his own, his pencils are muted and hidden. Maybe it’s the inker or lack thereof, but his pencils on this book do not match those I’ve seen from him in the past—and those that I felt would make him one of the next Marvel super-stars.

— Ian M. Feller

Jump to issue: