In previous years, this was a memory box so we didn't miss any good nominations for the Cappies. With the Cappies hypertimed away, that doesn't mean we have to discontinue these threads. I've always liked going back at the end of the year and seeing the books and stories and moments that people really champion -- including plenty of stuff that I've forgotten about come Christmastime.
So have at it, Legionnaires! It's a bold new year! What in 2017 has knocked you out?
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ALSO SHIPPED TODAY:
This is the fourth in the "Marvel Arts" series from Abrams Comicarts.
"The story opens with a sweeping tour through the classic origins of Marvels most iconic characters. Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Wolverine, and many others appear in dramatic, fully painted spreads that echo their earliest stories. A narrator describes each moment with confidence, guiding the reader through these touchstones of Marvels history. But as the story moves forward, the tone begins to shift. The voice behind the narration is not who the readers expect and carries a motive that slowly pushes the narrative somewhere darker and far more unpredictable. Once this change becomes clear, the book expands into something larger and more surprising. Storylines twist in on themselves, characters behave in unexpected ways, and events ripple across the Marvel Universe with growing tensions. Ross uses the structure of the book to create anticipation and pull the reader deeper into a mystery that keeps widening. Every new sequence reveals another layer, building toward a final act that reframes everything that came before it. A bonus 32-page comic book is included that is pivotal to the storyline. With Marvel Dimensions, Ross approaches the Marvel Universe from a new angle with new character invention that invites readers to question what they think and what they know."
Getting this one!
"The story opens with a sweeping tour through the classic origins of Marvels most iconic characters."
20 characters/teams get two-page "origin vignettes."
"A narrator describes each moment with confidence, guiding the reader through these touchstones of Marvels history."
That's a bit misleading. "A" narrator, yes, but each origin gets its own narrator. For example: the Hulk's origin is narrated by General Ross; Spider-man's by Jonah Jameson; Thor's by Don Blake; and so on. It's fun trying to guess who is "narrating" before it's revealed.
"The voice behind the narration is not who the readers expect..."
Again, that's misleading. I guess we're supposed to think that the story itself is being told from the point of view of The Watcher, but it's not. No real spoiler here (for anyone paying attention), but it's actually Machine Man.
"...a motive that slowly pushes the narrative somewhere darker and far more unpredictable."
That's true. Machine Man is gazing into an alternate Universe (the "In-verse," as he calls it), a dark reflection of MU 616 (introduced in a "comic book" bound in to the graphic novel itself. Machine Man is trying to learn about the nature of good and evil by observing the "evil" counterparts of the heroes he knows.
"...events ripple across the Marvel Universe with growing tensions."
That's not really accurate, either. Events ripple across the In-verse with growing tensions. Basically, the characters of the In-verse are pitted against each other in order to obtain the Ultimate Nullifier. It's kind of like the MU equivalent of DC's "Earth-3." Lots of Easter eggs; the more you bring into it the more you'll get out of it. Ultimately, Machine Man learns that evil is not the opposite of good, but abscence of it.
I don't know who wrote that copy (some intern, probably), but feel free to ignore it for the most part. I do recommend Marvel Dimensions, however.
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