Kurt Busiek's "The Marvels"

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Enjoying the heck out of this so far. Kurt Busiek never disappoints. Love how he uses second string characters as well as the big dogs. Other writers should take note of how it is done. Nice to read stories that are out of continuity. Gives a writer free rein to create a whole new alternate universe. Great job so far Kurt!

[strathcona]

Enjoying the heck out of this so far. Kurt Busiek never disappoints. Love how he uses second string characters as well as the big dogs. Other writers should take note of how it is done. Nice to read stories that are out of continuity. Gives a writer free rein to create a whole new alternate universe. Great job so far Kurt!

These stories aren't out of continuity.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

These stories aren't out of continuity.

If you count Sin-Cong. I grew up with Reed and Ben in WWII, Tony in Vietnam. There wasn’t a Sin-Cong then. I realize everything has to be retconned so every hero isn’t a 100 years old. I don’t really worry about that to much. I just read and enjoy the stories.

[Kurt Busiek]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Glad people are liking it.

If you count Sin-Cong. I grew up with Reed and Ben in WWII, Tony in Vietnam. There wasn’t a Sin-Cong then.

Sin-Cong debuted in 1965, in AVENGERS 18. It's been around a long time.

But it has some strange secrets...

kdb

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Glad people are liking it.



Sin-Cong debuted in 1965, in AVENGERS 18. It's been around a long time.

But it has some strange secrets...

kdb

I did not know that. I will have to get my Marvel Masterworks Avengers out and re read it.

Edit: The Commissar! Now I’m on the same page. Haven’t read this in a long time. Great issue though. It took the combined might of the kooky quartet to bring him down.

[Kirby101]

Enjoying this series too, one of the only Marvel books I still read. This isn't Kurt, but all of Marvel has to move time forward, as Porcupine says. I still think of Reed and Benn fighting in WWII, but that's my baggage.
We see here a mentioned of Reed's space project, which judging by Johnny's age is still years away. From the timeline in this book, that is probably around 10-12 years ago. And his spaceship has to be some trans-space, warp drive thingy, because "reaching space" as he wanted to in 1961, isn't a big deal. (ask Beezos and Musk)

[JudicatorPrime]

Enjoying this series too, one of the only Marvel books I still read. This isn't Kurt, but all of Marvel has to move time forward, as Porcupine says. I still think of Reed and Benn fighting in WWII, but that's my baggage.
We see here a mentioned of Reed's space project, which judging by Johnny's age is still years away. From the timeline in this book, that is probably around 10-12 years ago. And his spaceship has to be some trans-space, warp drive thingy, because "reaching space" as he wanted to in 1961, isn't a big deal. (ask Beezos and Musk)

One of many consequences of recalibrating the start date of the "modern era" of the Marvel Universe is that Reed will miss out on some of the scientific discoveries that were made in the now voided time period. I guess now it's not so much a Space Race, but a race to launch commercial space ventures and deep space exploration.

[Huntsman Spider]

Enjoying this series too, one of the only Marvel books I still read. This isn't Kurt, but all of Marvel has to move time forward, as Porcupine says. I still think of Reed and Benn fighting in WWII, but that's my baggage.
We see here a mentioned of Reed's space project, which judging by Johnny's age is still years away. From the timeline in this book, that is probably around 10-12 years ago. And his spaceship has to be some trans-space, warp drive thingy, because "reaching space" as he wanted to in 1961, isn't a big deal. (ask Beezos and Musk)

One of many consequences of recalibrating the start date of the "modern era" of the Marvel Universe is that Reed will miss out on some of the scientific discoveries that were made in the now voided time period. I guess now it's not so much a Space Race, but a race to launch commercial space ventures and deep space exploration.

Despite its flaws, I liked the premise of Ultimate Fantastic Four initially revolving around interdimensional travel and exploration, as that would definitely be an unexplored frontier in real life. Keeping it closer to this universe, I would think a modernized Fantastic Four could use interdimensional gateways as a means for nearly instantaneous travel between Earth and other planets, as well as commentary on the contemporary commercialization of space travel, especially given its potential as a springboard for corporate-led colonization of the solar system.

[JudicatorPrime]

Despite its flaws, I liked the premise of Ultimate Fantastic Four initially revolving around interdimensional travel and exploration, as that would definitely be an unexplored frontier in real life. Keeping it closer to this universe, I would think a modernized Fantastic Four could use interdimensional gateways as a means for nearly instantaneous travel between Earth and other planets, as well as commentary on the contemporary commercialization of space travel, especially given its potential as a springboard for corporate-led colonization of the solar system.

No doubt, there are still a number of discoveries that can be made by Reed and others given the adjusted time scale...

...although not lost on me is the fact that there are scientists like the Enclave, Adam Brashear and others whose achievements during that voided time period should be more pronounced. I mean Reed doesn't "discover" the Negative Zone until the 21st century now. Well, back in the 20th century Adam Brashear stands as living proof that an antimatter universe exists. Further, he's "discovered" the Neutral Zone (Exo-Space), which is the region outside of the multiverse. He even wrote a paper on it. We're talking Nobel Prize in Physics worthy stuff. Given how the scientific community works, Reed would have studied those papers and he would have likely sought out Adam when Sue's pregnancy required anti-matter particles. After all, that was the impetus for the FF going to the Negative Zone. Given that, does Reed discover the Negative Zone under the current model? I'm not so sure.

Obviously, I don't expect Marvels to address any of this. These things shouldn't affect new and young readership at all. It's just something for us old heads to muse about as we enjoy our sunset on the not so distant horizon.

[Huntsman Spider]

No doubt, there are still a number of discoveries that can be made by Reed and others given the adjusted time scale...

...although not lost on me is the fact that there are scientists like the Enclave, Adam Brashear and others whose achievements during that voided time period should be more pronounced. I mean Reed doesn't "discover" the Negative Zone until the 21st century now. Well, back in the 20th century Adam Brashear stands as living proof that an antimatter universe exists. Further, he's "discovered" the Neutral Zone (Exo-Space), which is the region outside of the multiverse. He even wrote a paper on it. We're talking Nobel Prize in Physics worthy stuff. Given how the scientific community works, Reed would have studied those papers and he would have likely sought out Adam when Sue's pregnancy required anti-matter particles. After all, that was the impetus for the FF going to the Negative Zone. Given that, does Reed discover the NZ under the current model? I'm not so sure.

Obviously, I don't expect Marvels to address any of this. These things shouldn't affect new and young readership at all. It's just something for us old heads to muse about as we enjoy our sunset on the not so distant horizon.

Some very good points you raise in your middle paragraph there, though.

[captchuck]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Glad people are liking it.



Sin-Cong debuted in 1965, in AVENGERS 18. It's been around a long time.

But it has some strange secrets...

kdb

Oh, Cool! I'll have to re-read that! I'm loving everything about your new series so far!

[strathcona]

Kurt, I meant to ask this when the latest issue came out, but I wanted to wait until I'd gotten the final issue of the MODOK: Head Games mini. You portrayed George Terleton as a genius in your book, but the mini showed him to be unintelligent. I know his origin has gone back and forth over the years, but how do you rectify the two portrayals in your opinion?

[Kurt Busiek]

Kurt, I meant to ask this when the latest issue came out, but I wanted to wait until I'd gotten the final issue of the MODOK: Head Games mini. You portrayed George Terleton as a genius in your book, but the mini showed him to be unintelligent. I know his origin has gone back and forth over the years, but how do you rectify the two portrayals in your opinion?

I don't. I haven't read MODOK: HEAD GAMES, and may have plotted THE MARVELS 3 before it was a thing, as far as I know.

So maybe someone'll come along in the future and address it, but I don't think I have to explain how my story fits together with something that didn't exist when I wrote it.

Plus, of course, whether Tarleton's a genius or whether Renard just thinks he's one, who knows?

kdb

[strathcona]

I don't. I haven't read MODOK: HEAD GAMES, and may have plotted THE MARVELS 3 before it was a thing, as far as I know.

So maybe someone'll come along in the future and address it, but I don't think I have to explain how my story fits together with something that didn't exist when I wrote it.

Plus, of course, whether Tarleton's a genius or whether Renard just thinks he's one, who knows?

kdb

Thanks for the answer. And it was a good answer. I do recommend reading Head Games, Patton Oswald did a great job. Did a great job on the show too.

[jackolover]

I am more and more puzzled with the way Kurt’s rendition of “this” early Marvel Universe worked, compared to what we knew from 1961, or the readjusted history timeline of 2000. I am not even sure if this is a further readjustment of history timeline due to if post-Secret Wars being this synthetic imaginary reality, fits in with this as well. If someone would tell me ANAD’s true condition as to being real or imaginary, that would help. And also, if ANAD could have been altered due to the 7th Iteration being a whole new set of Physics rules compared to the 6th Iteration, that would help too.

But Kurt putting it out there what the history of the MU is as of now, is an interesting adventure, because from the the first three issues, I don’t recognise much, from a 1961 standpoint. And like Judicator Prime says, us old hands “are enjoying our sunset in the not too distant future”.

And we are in the throws of the FF Life Story going on and have to compare Kurts and Mark Russels continuity.

With the impending release of the much anticipated August 1961 Omnibus we see the first issue of the FF again, and from the 1961 perspective, it seems to me the FF received their powers months before their first adventure together against the Mole Man. And it seems to me that the FF had some arrangement or understanding with the government after their origin, whereby they were freely allowed to wait in the community, and to act as agents of the government once they had to be ignited. It will be interesting how Kurt sees that period in time in his story.