Through The Eyes Of A Child
I approached this book not through the lens of a comic book, rather, I approached this book through the lens of a children’s book - an escapist fantasy where the child protagonist is the only person that can comprehend the fantasy elements around them. In Toby’s case, these fantasy elements are Marvel heroes and villains. Taking place in 1985, Marvel characters have somehow crossed from their reality to ours.
The story sets up the modern child fantasy trend of a broken home and a kid trying to find himself in this fractured family, usually manifested by the broken realm he will fall into. Other books like Spiderwick Chronicles and Series of Unfortunate Events operate in the same way. As a children’s book, so far Marvel 1985 has set itself up like that sort of story, and it appears to be a unique twist on the cliché children’s fantasy narrative in a new genre.
But this book is a comic, and as such is filled with plenty of Marvel name drops like the Dark Pheonix Saga and Frank Miller’s run onDaredevil, making Toby less a child and more a 40-year-old retrospective comic fan. While this miniseries can continue as a child fantasy narrative, there seem to be indications that this will quickly explode into just another comic book - big fights and lots of characters. This series can easily maintain an innocent, all-age accessible story if writer Mark Millar can refine the narrative and not go overboard.
What we need to see is Toby trying to hide the Hulk at home from his parents, Red Skull attack his school… something Neverending Storyish. This series can prove that comic characters are more than just comic characters, but only if executed properly.
Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.
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Matt Knicl
My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.