MARVEL MANGAVERSE #3
"The Evil Entity"
Recommended (7/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writers: Kevin Gunstone & Ben Dunn
Artist: Ben Dunn
Colors: Guru eFX
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: C.B. Cebulski
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Longtime fans of the Marvel Universe are bound to enjoy this title, as it takes familiar names and faces and transforms them into new, fun and energetic ideas. Meanwhile, anime fans will find the power, weirdness and quirky personality that they often find in Japanese sci-fi. When the Marvel Mangaverse concept was first announced, I was leery, but I'm pleased to say now that it makes for an enjoyable read every month.
The Inhumans pledge to help young Marvin Elwood, AKA the new Captain Marvel, to reach the heart of Galactus in order to destroy the cosmic parasite. Barring their path, though, is Kreega the Super-Skrull, the Lava Men and a quarter of gigantic guardians. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Fantastic Four tries to calm down Marv's mom, who, it turns out, has her own colorful, costumed past.
Say what you will about manga and anime art, but if there's one thing it does well above all else, it's conveying a sense of the cosmic. Dunn's visuals here certainly convey the larger-than-life, everything's-in-the-balance nature of the plot, and the immense power of the various players involved. The colors by eFX reinforce that sense of poewr and energy that's inherent in all of the characters as well. Dunn's eerie, organic designs for several visual elements also bring out the alien nature of the living landscape.
Marv's everyman (or "everykid") attitude and disbelief serves to bring the reader into the story and makes it a lot easier to suspend one's disbelief. More than anything, though, it's Dunn and Gunstone's "re-imagining" (to use a Hollywood phrase) of both familiar and obscure Marvel characters and concepts that holds the most fun for me. They breathe new life into classic ideas and touch upon the rich storytelling potential that lies in Marvel's shared continuity.
Yep, there's some fun to be had for old fogies like me who still enjoy their super-hero comics, and I think anime fans will dig on Dunn's Japanese sensibilities as well. But new comics readers are likely to be left out of the loop. The action is over the top, and without an appreciation of anime or the redefinitions of the characters, some of the appeal will be lost. I'm also surprised that there's no explanation of the Mangaverse concept here, or any kind of note to set this apart from other Marvel super-hero titles.
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