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Neil Gamian's 1602


The NZA

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As part of hsi agreement with Quesada for legal defense against McFarlane in the rights to Miracle Man (a whole other forthcoming thread), Gaiman agreed to do a Marvel mini-series of whatever he liked, in his long awaited return to comics. Though he has this & his soon to be released Sandman: Endless Nights special, he hasnt done any work in the medium since his original Sandman series, as far as I can recall, so there's a bit of hype goin around on this one. Again, Comic Book Resources had this one.

 

Like a teenage pop star, Marvel Comics has learned they can get a whole lot of mileage out of the art of the tease.

 

And with nary a bared midriff in sight, The House that Stan Built is back at it, with a new three part tease released Tuesday, hyping (or perhaps just hinting at hyping) Neil Gaiman's "1602."

 

The only accompanying blurb: "This August, EVERYTHING changes."

 

No further details were forthcoming at press time, with Marvel spokesman Michael Doran simply saying "More info to follow another time."

 

Those hungry for more information can get a tiny bit more information in the May 20 edition of Neil Gaiman's online journal. The author confirmed the project includes "lots" of Marvel characters (although he specifically says one in particular is not there) and that the teaser art is all from the miniseries' first issue.

 

Kubert on the interior, Isanove painting the covers...im glad some people paid attention to their excellent teamwork on Origin.

 

1602_a.jpg

 

1602_b.jpg

 

1602_c.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Yeah, its damn fine, Andy Kubert can do no wrong (youve read Origin, right?)

....the series seems to be about what woudl happen if the Marvel heroes came into existence in 1602, and how it would affect things. Gaiman's ambitious, but he come through too. Sadly no Wolvy, but lots of other characters are involved - big focuses on Fury, Angel, and others....its really shaping up.

 

cover.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

# 1's out this week - amongst some interestin shit this summer (Straszinski's Superme Power, Millar's Trouble), 1602 still stands pretty strong - of course, half the fun is all the cameos & Marvel references, but its great to see Gaiman's alternate takes on some of the lesser characters. Im bettin there's gonna be some clone mini-series spawned off his ideas here.

Anyway, its the end of the world as we know it, and Queen Victoria has summoned 1st gaurd Fury & Sorcerer Strange to try to prevent this happening, all while the witchhuntings (mutant executions) are taking place, with a small rebellion beginning...

Trick is, everyone's trying to get to Jerusalem, the holy land, where one item that could save it all is, before Count Von Doom or anyone else finds it (the infinity gauntlet..?)....

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Did anyone pick 1602 up? I left California (where there were two comic book stores ten minutes walk either way from where I was living) and now I'm back in Joosey (where the closet one I know of is in NYC - that being said I havn't really looked) and I wanna know if the trek to get it is worth it or will I be able to hold off for the enevitable TPB in sane mind?

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I did - its good from this issue, but i really gotta read another one or so to see where theyre goin with it, ya know? His takes on mutants, daredevil etc are fun, but if you really cant find # 1, hold out for the trade, im sure it wont be long.

Ill review # 2 here when its out.

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  • 4 weeks later...

You know, i actually havent read # 2 yet for some reason. 1 was promising tho (and it is Gaiman); fun how he gets to take the least popular characters and make them more interesting. Honestly, when was the last time you gave a fuck about Angel...?

DD's bad as fuck, too. Strange & Fury seem pivotal here...I dunno, i gotta read more but it seemed great so far. Oh, and if you need a Gaiman fix, Ive heard nothing but great reviews on Sandman: Endless Nights, im hopin to have the cash to grab a copy (its hardcover; $30 retail) sometime soon....check out the4thrail's review.

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Issue 2 is better. Hank McCoy (well, not really but'cha catch my drift) is in da hizzie. Also Chuck and Master John Grey, who I think is a chick pulling a Yentl. He looks a wee bit too feminine...

 

Still no "Fantastik" Four though. I can't wait to see them.

 

As for not caring about Angel, he's doing pretty good over in Uncanny :D

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Well, on your say-so, 1602 # 2 makes the front of the queve, jumping in front of Alais, Universe X & Blankets, so ill be back on this one.

 

2T - i tried readin "Poptopia" but got one of them "hey buddy this aint a library" things, didnt see much...i did read "Hope", it was ok at parts...that X2 movie arc, "God loves, man kills 2" felt weak...doesnt it seem like Austen is workin with Morrisson's table scraps? Anyway, be sure to check out Endless Nights if ya can, too, ill review it too whenever i get it.

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I dug "Poptopia" for a few reasons, the team was Iceman, Nightcrawler, Angel and Wolverine, and they were on the hunt for Chamber (c'mon, the first 30 or so Generation X issues were cool!). The art is also purty as hell.

 

"Poptopia" also has a great Wolvie moment in it. He's flying into Heathrow airport and they ask him for his clearence code. He gives it and the air traffic controller comments that "this Interpol code is over thirty years old!". "Still works don't it?" says Wolvie "Class has it's privelages".

 

Dunno about shelling out 30 clams for Endless Nights though...

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  • 4 years later...

Ok, I know I'm getting into this late (as I do with alot of comic things, lol) but I started this yesterday, and finished it tonight. I sat outside on my porch letting the cool breeze blow down my neck, occasionally sparking up a cig when I would come back to reality.

 

Very beautifully put together. I really dug how Gaiman wrote everyone... It was great seeing "familiar" faces. The one that I didn't know, my friend Logan filled me in on. I called him right after reading it and we gushed together about it, lol (he was the one that let me borrow it).

 

While the ending is very nice, did anyone else get the feeling that there could be more?

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I this is as good a first post as any.

I totally forgot about those other 1602 books, primarily because they are very forgettable. No Gaiman = Trash. Marvel and DC have a nasty habit of beating a dead horse until it's blood splattered and mangled.

I can't wait until Ultimate 1602 2099 finally overcomes it's battle with with contradiction and gives us another precious taste of mediocrity.

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