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AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!!! (Avengers vol.5 #1 cover art by Dustin Weaver)

Well it has been a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng month. Life has happened, like it always does and it is not so enjoyable all the time. One thing that has been enjoyable? Diving into Marvel Unlimited.

Like everyone else and their grandmother, I purchased the PS4 Spider-Man video game (Spoiler Alert: it was good). It has been many months since I have touched the game, but then a thought flew into my head; there is a Marvel Unlimited promo code inside the case. To quote Anakin Skywalker from The Phantom Menace, YIPPEEEEE!!!!.

Seeing that I have only read DC and their extensive library, I knew it was beyond time to dive into Marvel and their long 80 year history aswell. However, I knew that my budget would only mean I would keep Marvel Unlimited for one month…so I treated it as such. I did what any normal person would do in this scenario and I asked r/Marvel for some advice on what they would recommend if I only could ever read one month of Marvel’s entire 80 year library.

As a result I got a decent amount of recommendations from fellow redditors and I was not dissapointed…for the most part. So for an entire month I tossed DC Universe to the side and went all in on these recommendations and this is what I have to say about each of these runs and stories. Follow me true believers!!!!

Chris Claremont’s X-Men

BYRNE! COCKRUM! LEE! X-MEN!!!! (X-Men Days of Future Past cover by John Byrne)

Everything you know about the X-Men comes from the Chris Claremont run, and what a long run it was. From 1975-1991 and on a multitude of titles, Claremont was the “Head of X” (what Jonathan Hickman calls himself now on the newest run of X books) and made the X-Men a household name.

Everything in X-Men: the Animated Series? Comes from a Claremont book. Most of the X-Men films brought to the big screen? Inspired by a story from the Claremont run. For most comic book fans, the X-Men are Chris Claremont’s baby and his work is the holy grail. That is why it disappoints me to say that I did not finish the Claremont run on Marvel Unlimited and did not enjoy much of it.

For me, the dialogue of Claremont felt dated and there was nothing to hook me into the series. Even major story arcs such as The Dark Phoenix Saga (1980) and Days of Future Past (1981) did not hit the mark for me as the impact of such events never hit me, especially in Days of Future Past (1981) being only 2 issues. All of favorite characters are in the run, such as Wolverine and Storm, and characters which I grew to like, such as Colossus and Kitty Pryde. However, I felt as if those reading Claremont was a chore and sadly it took up half of my month.

All of it was a dissapointment with one exception: God Loves, Man Kills (1982).

The best X-Men story ever written (God Loves, Man Kills cover art by Brent Anderson)

In what I considered to be Chris Claremont unleashed, God Loves, Man Kills (1982) is a deep dive into race relations through a story revolving around the proposed annihilation of all mutants by Reverand William Stryker. The graphic novel begins with two mutant children hunted down and killed by a shadow organization lead by Reverand Stryker, setting the dark tone that drives this tale.

Brent Anderson art lives up to the writing of Claremont as the X-Men go up against a Nazi like enemy in Stryker, who preaches the elimination of mutants. The message being that mutants are an abomination of the humans God created, and that abomination must be eradicated. Eventually the X-Men, along with help from their archnemesis Magneto, defeat Stryker in front of a massive audience at Madison Square Garden, but not without doubt of their current peaceful path.

The X-Men really benefit from dark and distrubing storytelling and Claremont and Anderson truly deliver here. If you enjoyed X-2 (2003) like I did, you will enjoy the material it is inspired by. I may not have enjoyed Chris Claremont run, heck I quit it entirely, but God Loves, Man Kills (1982) is the quintisential X-Men story and will have you asking who is truly right in the end about humanity, Xavier or Magneto.

The Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman

Marvel’s First Family (Fantastic Four #570 cover art by Dale Eaglesham)

To be honest I was very discouraged by my start on Marvel Unlimited. Almsot half of the month had been used reading the Claremont run and it became tedious to the point where I was not enjoying it. But this run….man this run.

I had always wanted to jump into two different things that turned out to be one run: a Fantastic Four run and a Jonathan Hickman story. The hype surrounding this run from 2009-2013 was the gold standard of Marvel Comics, and from reading I can see why there is such glamour surrounding the run. The Fantastic Four possess both family tales and tales of the extraordinary in terms of science fiction.

Hickman and artists such as Dale Eaglesham, Neil Edwards, and Nick Dragotta manage to mash both sci-fi and family into a run that will make you smile, laugh, and cry, and sometimes do all of it in one issue. Not many writers can handle a book with so many characters in the limelight, but Hickman excels at it where each of the Fantastic Four and their children each get moments that will last as long as people read and love comics.

From Ben Grimm’s one week in human form, to the death of the Human Torch, to the relationship between Valeria Richards and Doctor Doom, and to the revelation of Franklin Richards’ true power, Hickman delivers one of the greatest Fantastic Four stories ever told. There are lots of layers and lore to the Hickman run, and it is not necessarily easy to understand for new readers. As a new reader to Marvel, it was a little difficult to follow everything Hickman wanted to tell, but as an experienced Grant Morrison reader, I learn to live with it and understand everything to the best of my ability.

However, if I could reccomend a single Marvel run to anyone, it is Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run. The art is fantastic throughout the run and the storytelling is even better. It is so good in fact that it may have been a bad idea for me to read it as my first Fantastic Four story, as I may be dissapointed for any other ones I read. I can only hope that Hickman’s X-Men run will end up being as good as his run on Fantastic Four.

Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross

Alex Ross…Nuff Said (Marvels #1 cover art by Alex Ross)

As someone who read Kingdom Come (1996), I was excited to jump into Marvels (1994) when I saw it on the list. Alex Ross is a magician and truly the definitive artist of the 1990s. Like Kingdom Come (1996), Marvels (1994) follows a civilian through the world of superheroes, or as the main character Phil Sheldon calls them, “Marvels”.

We see the progression of Sheldon’s career as a photographer from the days of World War II with the rise of the first superhero in the form of the first Human Torch, all the way through the 1970s and the death of Gwen Stacy. Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross tell a magnificant story on the civilians of the Marvel universe and how they percieve the superheroes.

We get the perspectives of the citizens of New York on how they go from worshiping heroes like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four to crucifing them and vice versa. We see the fear of people that are different through the hatred of the X-Men and mutants through a dark tale of a mutant girl hiding at the Sheldon residence like a Jew in Nazi Germany. Of course, we see the climax of Phil Sheldon’s perspective of the death of Gwen Stacy and his alienation with the rest of society for moving on so quickly from such a horrific death.

Busiek and Ross dive into the lore of Marvel through Marvels (1994) and produce a breathtaking work of art. This is Alex Ross’ emergance into the world of comic books and what an amazing debut. Although it is nowhere near as good as Kingdom Come (1996), the story of DC’s superheroes with religious overtones, Marvels (1994) is definitely worth checking out…oh and happy 25th anniversary to the book.

Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender

X-FORCE!! (Uncanny X-Force #1 cover art by Esad Ribic)

It is tough to dive into a run that is decades rich with X-Men lore. That can be a major barrier when beginning to read Uncanny X-Force (2010), but after you begin to get settled in, you get a book dealing with one major topic: sinners. No, not religious judgment onto people, but self-evaluation from people that do not believe in what they are doing.

That is the X-Force: a covert mutant ops group that hunts down and eliminates any threats to the X-Men and the mutant community. They are the mutant group that kills. Led by Wolverine, the group consists of Archangel, Psylocke, Deadpool, and Fantomex and this run revolves around the archvillain Apocalypse. Well more of making sure Apocalypse’s followers do not restore him to power and bring about an Age of Apocalypse.

In what appears to be a team a killers without second thought, writer Rick Remender and artists such as Jerome Opeña and David Williams create a run where all of the X-Force are questioning their motives while fighting the followers of Apocalypse. Characters like Archangel fall to evil while the other members of X-Force question their morality, even Deadpool! (who was written magnificantly and was still funny). It was not one of my favorite run out of the reccomendations given to me, but Uncanny X-Force (2010) sure does have its moments.

If you are a fan of the current Jonathan Hickman run on X-Men, you will see the obvious seeds planted for the breakaway from Charles Xaviers’ philosophy in this run. If you are an overall fan of stories where the heroes question their own morality, than Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender is definitely worth checking out. Oh and it has Deadpool in it, and everyone loves Deadpool.

Silver Surfer: Requiem by J. Michael Straczynski and Esad Ribic

The Herald of Galactus (Silver Surfer Requiem #1 cover art by Esad Ribic)

Just like a book involving Alex Ross, Silver Surfer: Requiem (2007) is defined by its art. The second you open the first issue, the water colors pop out at you and shock you with its beauty, how is such art found in a comic book? However just like an Alex Ross book, the story itself is moving and can hit you like a rock in many ways.

The premise is simple: The Silver Surfer is sick and is going to die. Silver Surfer: Requiem (2007) explores how Norrin Radd would spend his last days, and J. Michael Straczynski and Esad Rabic deliver to the letter. In each of the four issues, the Silver Surfer interacts with different people and races, such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the people of Linneas and Rumati, his home planet of Zenn-La, and of course Galactus.

What would a powerful being such as the Silver Surfer do in his last days on the plain of the living? How could he share his power to help make a positive impact on the universe? These four issues explore the Norrin ending war, showing people the cosmic power involved in being the Silver Surfer, and getting closure with his people, and it is all satisfying.

Being an elseworld (DC Comics terminology for non-canon) tale, Silver Surfer: Requiem (2007) is not the death of the 616 (main Marvel universe) Silver Surfer, but remains one of the best death stories told in comics. The art of Rabic matched with the writing of Straczynski leads to a tearjerking story with a beautiful ending worthy of a major character such as the Silver Surfer. If that isn’t enough for you to check this story out, then I do not know what else to tell you…OTHER THAN YOU’RE NUTS!

The Vision by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta

One happy android family (Vision #1 cover art by Michael Del Mundo)

If you have been following DC Comics since Rebirth, you know of the name Tom King. He is one of the most divisive writers in comics at the moment, as his Batman (2016) run and Heroes in Crisis (2018) story has divided fans and downright pissed some off. On the other hand, books such as The Omega Men (2015) and Mister Miracle (2017) have been regarded as masterpieces with underlying narratives of PTSD and parenthood.

For Marvel, Tom King only had the opportunity to write one story, but that story made it onto r/Marvel’s list of recommended runs. The run in consideration is Vision (2015). Imagine an android who has achieved human emotion and has the desire for one thing: a family. The logical conclusion? Create a family of androids.

This is a book filled with Twilight Zone vibes and told in the typical storytelling that we have come to know from Tom King. It is freaky, and that is what makes it a fun read. Vision simply wants to have a family, but that family could also lead to the destruction of the Avengers and possibly humanity. Crazy right?

Tom King delves into the craziness through the newly created “Visions” which include Vision’s wife Virginia (and they are living in Virginia), his daughter Viv, his son Vin, and even a mechanical dog in the form of Sparky. Each of King’s comic runs explore a topic and his dive into family through an unorthodox family is beautiful and dark all at the same time. Even if you are not a fan of Tom King, there is something to enjoy in Vision (2015) and shows just why Tom King has become such a power in comics during the 2010s.

Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment by Roger Stern and Mike Mignola

The Sorcerer Supreme and the Dictator of Latveria (Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment cover art by Mike Mignola)

I am not huge into magic. It simply is not an appealing topic in my mind, but I have become more open to delving into that realm. Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989) by Roger Stern and Mike Mignola is a graphic novel that delves into the crowning of a sorcerer supreme and a trip down into hell.

Fun stuff right? Spoiler alert: it involves Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom. Two polar opposites must work together after Doctor Strange is crowned sorcerer supreme and therefore Doctor Strange owes Doctor Doom a favor. Yeah I cannot say I was entirely into the graphic novel I was reading.

Nonetheless, their journey to hell to battle Mephisto is great exposure of Doctor Doom’s true character, and how he is not a heartless dictator. In fact, it shows how Doctor Doom was never how people thought of him, yet it still managed to show how Doom is still an evil human being.

Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989) also serves as a year one for Doctor Strange, as we get flashbacks to Steven Strange before he became Doctor Strange in a retelling of his origins. If you have seen Doctor Strange (2016) then you know his origins, and it matches panel for panel with this graphic novel.

Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange together is a powerhouse team and this book is quality team up between hero and villain. If you love the mystic arts in comics, such as Justice League Dark, then you will enjoy Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989) from Roger Stern and Mike Mignola.

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.

Plot twist: he’s blind (Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1 cover art by John Romita Jr.

If you have seen Daredevil (2015) on Netflix and enjoyed it, then you will enjoy Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (1993). The entirity of season 1 is based off of this short five issue run by comic legends Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. Miller, who delivered on Batman: Year One (1987), delivers on another origin story with Daredevil, who had already produced one of the greatest Daredevil stories of all time already through Born Again (1986).

This is the definitive origin story for Daredevil as Miller and JRJ explore Matt Murdock’s beginnings through the incident that causes him to go blind, the death of his father, meeting Foggy Nelson and Elektra, and training to becoming the vigilante known as Daredevil.

I do not have as much to say regarding Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (1993) like the other stories I read during the month because it literally is the 1st season of Daredevil (2015). If you want to read the source material on the show, I highly reccomend checking Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (1993) out.

Captain America: Man Out of Time by Mark Waid and Jorge Molina

My last run read in my month on Marvel Unlimited might have been my most enjoyable read. The year is 1999. A new millennium is on the horizon and music is as awesome as ever. Oh and in the universe of Earth-616, Captain America is found in the ice. This is the story of Captain America: Man Out of Time (2010).

When I see the name Mark Waid on a book, I am confident it is going to be good and I was not disappointed this time around. The king of everything Wally West delivers on humor and depth on what it must have been like when Steve Rogers was awoken 45 years after World War II in a world that has drastically changed.

Unlike the MCU, Steve Rogers is not an immediate leader in the 21st century and is unsure if he truly belongs in this new world. We get humor as we see Rogers completely dumbfounded at the price of coffee, why the Dodgers are in Los Angeles and what Mets are, and the music of Radiohead.

But on a serious note, we see Steve Rogers interact with Tony Stark as Stark shows Rogers the progress humanity has made such as going to the Moon and the unification of Germany. The book really hits hard as Steve is amazed and delighted on the equal opportunity for all races in the United States of America compared to the 1945 world he left behind.

It is a very heartwarming origin story for Captain America and outside of Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four, Captain America: Man Out of Time is the story I would most reccomend to any new Marvel reader.

That was one month on Marvel Unlimited. I was not able to read a lot of quality runs, such as Brian Michael Bendis’ and Mark Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) and Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye (2015) and hopefully I get around to reading them. But overall, these are all amazing stories and will immediately get you hooked on the world created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko. Like always, I will put links to all of the runs I read for you to check out and thank you again for reading. EXCELSIOR!!!!

Recommended Reading

References

Busiek, K., & Ross, A. (1994). Marvels. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Claremont, C., & Anderson, B. (1983). X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Claremont, C., & Byrne, J. (1980). X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Claremont, C., & Byrne, J. (1981). X-Men: Days of Future Past. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Hickman, J., Eaglesham, D., Edwards, N., Epting, S., Chen, S., & Granov, A. (2009). Fantastic Four (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Hickman, J., Epting, S., Mounts, P., Magyar, R., Kitson, B., Bobillo, J., & Dragotta, N. (2011). FF. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

King, T., & Beganda, B. (2015). The Omega Men. Burbank, CA: DC Comics.

King, T., Finch, D., Janin, M., Jones, J., Mann, C., Daniel, T. S., & Gerads, M. (2016). Batman (Vol. 3). Burbank, CA: DC Comics.

King, T., Mann, C., & Gerads, M. (2018). Heroes in Crisis. Burbank, CA: DC Comics.

King, T., Walta, G. H., & Bellaire, J. (2015). Vision. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Miller, F., & Mazzucchelli, D. (1987). Batman: Year One. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Miller, F., & Mazzucchelli, D. (1986). Daredevil: Born Again. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Miller, F., & Romita, J. (1993). Daredevil: Man Without Fear. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Remender, R., Opeña , J., Alberquerque, R., Ribic, E., Tan, B., Brooks, M., … Williams, D. (2010). Uncanny X-Force. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Straczynski, J. M., & Ribic, E. (2007). Silver Surfer: Requiem. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Stern, R., Mignola, M., & Badger, M. (1989). Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment. Burbank, CA: Marvel Comics.

Waid, M., & Molina, J. (2010). Captain America: Man Out of Time. New York, NY: Marvel Comics.

Waid, M., & Ross, A. (1996). Kingdom Come. New York, NY: DC Comics.