SuperSearnold - Comic Book Reviews

Greetings from your friendly neighborhood Searnold [Shár- Nŭhld]. Welcome to my comic book review blog - thanks for tuning in. Today is Wednesday, September 17th, 2008.

Today’s Issue:

Marvel: Your Universe Saga. Much like Daredevil Saga (which I reviewed a few days ago) this book is published by Marvel and completely FREE. It is a summary of EVERYTHING that has happened in the Marvel Universe (also called the 616) since Avengers: Disassembled (about 5 years ago if my memory serves me). Written by Madison Carter (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Ultimate Secrets) with art from a plethora of creators from the last 5 years - all of the art is clipped from each of the stories that get summarized in this issue.

Premise:

Uatu, The Watcher, is commenting on the growing peril facing those special group of humans called superheroes. To prove his point, he gives a summary of everything that has been happening recently - starting with Avengers Disassembled and leading right up to Secret Invasion #4. The back of the book has reprented a few pages from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

The Awesome Parts:

Even I - who voraciously reads Marvel Comics - has not been able to keep up with everything they publish. It was nice to get to see what had been happening in a few of the books I hadn’t picked up. The eclectic art was great as only the best of the best was selected. I also enjoyed being reminded of some of the more awesome events to have occurred recently - a reminder why I love this universe. Ah yes, and let’s not forget what seems to be my motif for this week: FREE entertainment is always the best kind.

Not-So-Awesome Parts:

My biggest issue with Marvel: Your Universe Saga is the same I had with Daredevil Saga - an innocent bystander, unsure what this free comic they had been presented with was, might pick it up and have spoilers galore thrust upon their face. So many spoilers. The summaries aren’t vague at all. They are basically one paragraph per major event giving the set-up and resolution within a few sentences. On that note, they aren’t written all that well, either. Daredevil Saga was great because the story unfolded the same way it would have had you actually been reading the issues in order. But there was no mystery or suspense in the pages of Marvel: Your Universe Saga. All the big reveals (like who all have the Skrulls replaced) are just put right into the same paragraph as the set-up. I recognize that covering 5 years worth of material while making mention of every major Marvel title in a mere 17 pages is no easy task - but I do think the summaries could have been written in a way that was more engaging to the reader. This reads like a handbook. [For those unaware of the reference - Marvel regularly publishes a title called “The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe” which is essentially an encyclopedia about their universe.]

My Recommendation:

That’s a tough call. Obviously the fact that it’s free is great. I sure am a fan of knowledge - and this does pack A LOT of knowledge into 17 pages. But it wasn’t an interesting read. And there were A LOT of spoilers of a lot of stories that you might want to read in trades or back issues. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who is unfamiliar with the Marvel Universe and may want to start reading their comics (which - in general - I am huge supporter of.) Going from zero understanding to a basic knowledge of the past 5 years will be helpful for jumping into new titles (also something that appears to be a motif of the last week.) But if you’re a Marvel fan, probably already familiar with the basics, but hoping to catch up with a few stories when you have the money for the trades or back issues [personally - I prefer the back issues], then reading this might not be the best idea. For example, I haven’t gotten around to reading Annihilation yet. I’m aware of the premise (for those unaware - there’s a HUGE space battle of EPIC proportions happening in the Marvel Universe right now.) I do plan to read it in the near future, and now I know how it ends because of one small poorly written paragraph. But on the plus side, I’m now more familiar with Ghost Rider and Moon Knight than I had previously been. Perhaps the best idea is to read this SELECTIVELY and CAREFULLY. Yes - that’s my recommendation.

That’s it for today. if reading Marvel: Your Universe Saga sparks your interest in any of these Marvel stories, but you aren’t sure if they’re worth your money - let me know! I’d LOVE to review them for you! I can be contacted at SuperSearnold@yahoo.com, or just leave a comment. As always - thanks for reading - see you next time.
-Searnold

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