STORY STUDY - COMICS/GRAPHIC NOVELS: “Marvel: 1985”
1985 was the beginning for quite a few geek related items. It was the year “Back to the Future” premiered; it was the year Studio Ghibli was founded in Tokyo, Japan; it was the year “Calvin and Hobbes” first appeared in 35 newspapers in the United States; it was the year Elmo was introduced by name on “Sesame Street.”; it was the year Super Mario Bros. was released, as well the North American release of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
It is also the year a young comic reader will remember forever.
Written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards, “Marvel 1985” tells the story of Toby Goodman, a young boy who reads, of course, Marvel comic books (and only Marvel comic books). On top of hearing news that he will be moving to England with his mom and stepdad, and trying to maintain his relationship with his somewhat slacker father, his town is suddenly invaded by Marvel villains.
The likes of Red Skull, Doctor Doom, The Lizard, and others terrorize the town, leaving dead bodies all over, confusing the public and the police on how and why this is happening.
Toby puts it upon himself to find a way to save everyone.
What makes this story stand out is the atmosphere, which is exhibited through its protagonist. Toby is a normal boy. Not even a normal boy who lives in a world where superheroes exist (at least before the villains arrived. Now it is part of a superhero multiverse), he is a normal boy in a normal world. Now, all of a sudden, he’s witnessing one of the villains hypnotizing a group of people and has them walking into a lake, ultimately drowning them.
This is a creepy, gothic setup (at least until the last act, which I won’t give away here), on par with what you see in horror stories. It’s also part mystery, as Toby has to figure out how and why the villains are in his town in the first place, but honestly, it’s not the selling point of this story, as the characters knew the “who” pretty quickly; it’s the fact that Toby was living out a fantasy (or a nightmare, given this specific situation) most geeks would want.
As expected in a setup like this, there are Meta jokes and references regarding the Marvel Universe. Whether you’re a fan of such jokes or not, it really doesn’t matter, since they are not a highlight of what makes 1985 so good. It’s just that it feels like going Meta at times is just obligatory with a story like this.
Marvel 1985 doesn’t really pop up as often when it comes to discussing famous or influential comic book titles. It’s my understanding that Mark Millar doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to his stories, but this doesn’t retain any of the tropes he is infamous for. When it comes to this book, it feels like a legitimate, “Twilight Zone”-type comic up until the end, where the superhero tone becomes prevalent.
Check it out, and read it for yourself, and see if you agree or disagree.
