What if...? Marvels' series allows creators to wonder

The "What If?" story has long been a tradition for Marvel Comics. In these stories, writers take a look at some turning point in the life of a character, or a key event for the Marvel Universe itself, and ask , "What if this went another way?" The best thing about these stories is that they allow creators to go crazy, without having to worry about breaking Marvel's toys. In a "What If?" story, they can kill off characters, destroy planets, alter reality, or let the bad guys win.

Recently the folks at Marvel comics have unleashed a wave of "What Ifs" on readers, and they make for some interesting possible twists to recent Marvel history. The first off the block What if? House of M. Now, I admit that the idea of doing an alternate take on a story that already takes place in an alternate timeline may seem a little crazy, but the result is pretty nifty. Instead of wishing away mutants, that naughty Scarlet Witch gets rid of all powers, leaving a Marvel Universe with no super-powered heroes. This leaves technology-powered Iron Man as pretty much the only game in town, too bad for him that the Red Skull takes advantage of this power vacuum to whip out that annoying cosmic cube and start wreaking havoc. This issue also has the first installment of the serialised What If the Runaways became the Young Avengers?, so fans of those two teams will want to check this out.

Another interesting offering is What If? Newer Fantastic Four. Some readers may remember the Art Adams classic FF story in which Spidey, The Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider took over for the mising FF. This story shows what would have happened if this replacement team became permanent. Once Thanos gets his big purple mitts on the Infinity Gauntlet, most of the Marvel heroes are disappeared as Thanos tries to impress Death, his dream girlfriend, with a mass extinction of life across the whole universe. The team replaces the vanished Ghost Rider with Iron Man, and sets off to save all reality. While this issue has a pretty interesting premise, the best part of the book is the Mini Marvels World War Hulk: Final Showdown. I don't want to spoil anything, but Mini Hulk comes loaded with haikus and beatdowns for all!

Of interest to Spidey fans is What If? Spider-Man Back in Black. As someone who did NOT like One More Day or Brand New Day, I enjoyed this story more than the ones we really got. If MJ had been shot by the Kingpin's sniper, instead of the all-too-frequently victimised Aunt May, what would Spidey do? The answer may upset Peter's sweet old aunty, but at least it doesn't involve Mephisto, or a mass destruction of the character's history. (Sorry, I think the reviewer's bias is showing here! I'll behave now.)

So, if you want to see what could happen when creators don't have to worry about what's going to be in the next issue, you should check out any or all of Marvel's recent crop of What If? one-shots. What if you missed the chance to check these out while they are guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies? You'd be sorry then! Personally, I'm still hoping for What if Wolverine Got a Manicure? or What If Daredevil Ate Too Much Pie?, but those are probably never going to happen.

A Real World View: Marvels - Eye of the Camera #1

In comic book terms, fifteen years seems like forever. In that amount of time, the readership changes, creators come and go, heroes are created, killed off, brought back to life, turned into villains, and turned back again. Some readers may not remember 15 years ago, when Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross made a huge splash with their work on Marvels.

The Marvels limited series did something that was almost unheard of at the time, it treated the amazing world of Marvel's super heroes as if it were a real place. Through the eyes of everyman photographer Phil Sheldon, readers were given a street-level view of a normal world that was suddenly populated by incredible heroes, villains, and unbelievable menaces. How would we really react to the Fantastic Four? What would it be like to have Galactus walking through our cities? It would be amazing, exhilarating, and pretty darn terrifying, is what it would be. With Busiek’s script and Ross's intensely realistic art, Marvels perfectly captured those feelings.

Now, just a decade and a half later, the follow-up to that ground-breaking series is here! Marvels: Eye of the Camera is still written by Busiek, but this time he is teamed up with artist Jay Anacleto. I can only imagine that, for an artist, following up iconic work by Alex Ross is a pretty terrifying prospect, but Anacleto rises to the challenge admirably. His work is equally detailed and "real," but he doesn't attempt to copy Ross' famous style. He brings his own approach to this world, but still convinces readers that a man can set himself on fire and fly around New York.

This first issue of Marvels: Eye of the Camera re-introduces us to Phil Sheldon, and the experiences he first had capturing the "Marvels" on film. Where the original series focused on events from the Lee/Kirby era of the 1960s Marvel Universe, this series will be moving forward to cover the events of the '70s. Don't worry if you didn't read the original Marvels all those years ago! This book tells you everything you need to know about Phil, his family, and his interaction with the Marvel heroes. If you have read the original, I probably don't have to do much to sell you on picking this up, other than to say that it seems like a worthy successor.

Don't miss out! Would you even know what to do if you found your world invaded by heroes, villains, and conquering aliens? Probably not, so you can learn from Phil Sheldon, and bring back some of the sense of wonder to your jaded fan heart, with Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1. Try it now, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!

Sir Apropos of Nothing gives you every reason to read!

Heroes are usually strong, honorable sorts, but how much more interesting is the man that blunders into trouble, manages to succeed by pure luck, and is crowned a hero?
Peter David's eponymous star Sir Apropos of Nothing is just this sort of reluctant hero and we in the audience can revel in the cringe-worthy moments, because we know Sir Apropos will turn it around...eventually.
Before I go any further, I must confess to being a Peter David fan. His name above the title -- be it comics or novels -- will ensure that I'll pick it up and give it a try. The Sir Apropos of Nothing novels are one of David's success stories. The story provided the perfect venue for David's off-beat sense of humor and gave him a playground for his skillful wordplay. When the publishers said they didn't want another Apropos tale, despite keeping the first three titles in print, David decided to take his hero into a new medium. Sir Apropos of Nothing is finding new life in comics and while these are new stories starting after the book series, comics readers can pick up right where David drops them -- in a desert where Apropos is riding a horse with no name. A horse he stole while the original rider's pants were down. Apropos says the horse probably has a name "but since it didn't ask me mine, I saw no reason to inquire after its." Apropos successfully escapes defeat twice in this issue alone, but there's a certain man in black who is not going to be happy with Apropos's treatment of his dark tower.
Seeing Apropos for the first time through the art of Robin Riggs is a real treat. Riggs' art realistically brings Apropos and his world to life, which provides an excellent foil for the sometimes ridiculous circumstances Apropos finds himself in. The first issue is colored in pastel pinks and blues, a washed out landscape fitting for the desert setting. Apropos is an attractive bloke, whose good looks are tempered by his crippled leg. He starts the issue with his trusty staff with a secret in its tip (double entendre intended), a sword on his back, and a treasure map, which is all Apropos needs to have an adventure.
Fans of the novels will celebrate to have more tales of their hapless hero while the comic should draw in a new fan base. Why not give Apropos a try while the first issue is Four Color Fantasies Book of the Week? (Plus, if you like it, issue 2 also is on the stands.)