Suvudu Universe

I had a blast reading the Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration anniversary special.

It wasn’t the stories — although the publisher did a good job of mixing tales and creators, with some of their biggest names participating — but the one-page gag inserts that were my favorite. Under the umbrella title of “Marvel Comics We Never Made”, these pages demonstrate a sense of humor about the company history and characters. They’re all written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by selected artists, based on the subject matter.

But first, the tales. The book opens with an overview of key characters of the Marvel universe by James Robinson and Chris Samnee. It isn’t a story, but a check-in of what everyone was doing when the soon-to-be Fantastic Four went to space. It’s something of a trivia game, since you have to know the characters to get the references, but for those who do, it’s a welcome reassurance of the interconnections that have always been Marvel’s strength, if a bit self-congratulatory. (I had KC explain some of them to me, since I didn’t recognize Namor. And I’m guessing that the Sam kid is maybe Nova?) Samnee does a great job with the tones and backgrounds of all these heroes.

One of the selling points of this oversized issue is a “lost story” by Stan Lee. His first story for Marvel was a text piece in Captain America Comics #3 in 1941. Now, they’ve turned it into a comic, illustrated by Bruce Timm. Captain America, in the guise of Steve Rogers, is hanging out in an Army camp with Bucky, “his young side-kick, the camp mascot”. It’s well-drawn for what it is, but it’s so old-fashioned in its approach and premise that if read today, without the historical importance, it’s laughable. The original two text pages are also included.

Bendis and Michael Gaydos bring back Alias, the Jessica Jones series, in a piece about seeking forgotten memories. An old woman, rescued by a fireman when the Human Torch first appeared, hires Jessica to find him, 75 years later. It’s very Bendis, with a ton of dialogue and narration, but the theme is touching.

I skipped the Spider-Man story by Tom DeFalco and Stan Goldberg because I’ve concluded I just don’t like the character. There’s also a Wolverine piece by Len Wein and Paul Gulacy in which he has visions while visiting Australia. It sums up the character, but since anyone reading this likely knows all his key moments and villains, I’m guessing the point is “we’re all in this together, remember this and that.”

Here are my favorites of the pinups. “Squirrel Girl”, romance style, is drawn by Maris Wicks. “The Portland Avengers”, as you might guess from the grouping, is by Kevin Maguire and Marte Gracia. “Groot” is by Francesco Francavilla, whom I’m developing a real appreciation for. Others make fun of kid Avenger covers, corporate-driven tie-ins, making kid characters dark, and the wishes of X-Men fandom. There are also a few text pieces, “Forgotten Heroes of the Golden Age”, “Marvel’s Black Superheroes”, and “Marvel Reflecting the Real World”, plus an “In Memoriam” page listing lots of people who worked for the company who are no longer with us.