As a casual comic book fan, I am by no means an expert on the genre. I generally try to read the seminal graphic novels about various superheroes, but there are too many different stories to follow to keep up with Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. I recently read a “Best Graphic Novels of All-Time” list, and Marvels by Kurt Busiek was on the list. I thought I would give it a shot.
Marvels tells the story of several superheroes and supervillains from the perspective of photographer Phil Sheldon, who was around for the birth of the Human Torch in the 1930s, the arrival of Galactus, the death of (SPOILER ALERT) Gwen Stacy, etc. I thought the narrative would be a little more objective and contain some more origin-story elements, but instead, it was centered around Sheldon, his family, and the way the public viewed these various superheroes as they marched through New York. I kept waiting for Busiek to dive a little deeper into the stories or for Sheldon to make a strong personal connection with any of the mutants or heroes, but that time never came. Ultimately, I found the book left me feeling unsatisfied – not in the genre itself, but in the perspective from which Busiek tried to narrate.
As for that “Best Graphic Novels of All-Time” list, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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