MARVEL 1602

written by Neil Gaiman

art by Andy Kubert

published by Marvel Comics

ISBN-10: 0785123113

ISBN-13: 978-0785123118

reviewed by Adam Armstrong

3.22.09

Always blaming it on the Indians.

A changling comes to England and brings with her the end of the world. Count Otto von Doom kills Queen Elizabeth I to help King James ascend the thrown and get rid of all witchbreed. Carlos Javier wants to bring his witchbreed to the new world where they’ll be free of religious persecution. A secret weapon is being guarded by the Knights Templar but Doom has plans on acquiring for his own use. When Javier’s group gets to the new world they quickly find that they were followed and are being hunted. And a strange white Native American, Rojhaz, holds the key to everything.

This was pretty cool. Marvel (and DC for that matter) is pretty big on running alternate versions of popular characters and I think this is one of the coolest reinvention yet. Gaiman took a group of popular Marvel characters from the 1960’s and dropped them into 1602 England in some form or another. However it barely felt like Gaiman worked on it, typically his work is a bit deeper than 1602.  The art and coloring are something to really take a closer look at. Instead of having the work inked, the coloring is done right over the penciling giving the whole work an odd and refreshing feel.

If you’re a fan of Gaiman don’t expect too much:

4 out of 5