1602

[DanMcS]

Final issue comes out this wednesday, 3/31, I believe. Heard about this series on this board first, and went out and bought the first 3 issues. Loved them. Marvel heroes in late medieval europe.

Then, I forgot about it until last week, when I was in the comic store hunting for Ultimate X-Men TPB #7, and saw that they had issues 4 through 7 on the shelf. Yay! I hate buying individual comics, they're so short, but buying them 3 or 4 at a time works pretty well for me.

End result, I had pretty much forgotten how the first three went, exactly, so I reread them and then the next four, and it's great. I'm not totally familiar with all the marvel characters, but between the ultimate series and all the marvel movies lately I got most of it. Still fuzzy on who Virginia Dare is, exactly.

I was greatly amused when I finally figured out why

Spoiler

Peter Parqua

and

Spoiler

Bruce Banner

appear in this comic as normal people. Their superpowers are a result of interacting with super-science, radioactivity and mutating agents and stuff, so in the world of 1602 they're stuck as their normal selves, very smart, innovative, but non-powered. Or maybe the 8th issue will prove me wrong, and we'll get to see the

Spoiler

Hulk

clad in a kilt.

Between this and the two collected League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books, I'd kind of like to run a medieval superhero game. Mutants and Masterminds with hp rules instead of damage saves would probably work.

 

[Richards]

Virginia Dare is the 1602 equivalent of Snowbird, a shapeshifter from Canada's original Alpha Flight who could take the forms of any animal native to the Canadian tundra - she spent a lot of time as a snowy owl, for instance.

Johnathan

 

[Umbran]

I was greatly amused when I finally figured out why

Spoiler

Peter Parqua

and

Spoiler

Bruce Banner

appear in this comic as normal people. Their superpowers are a result of interacting with super-science, radioactivity and mutating agents and stuff, so in the world of 1602 they're stuck as their normal selves, very smart, innovative, but non-powered.

Nice, but faulty logic.

Possible spoilers, so you'll need to highlight to read my thoughts:

Spoiler

The Fantastic Four got powers from "cosmic rays" in normal continuity, and yet have powers in 1602. If mutating agents exist for them, they can exist for Peter and Banner as well. In addition, if JMS' "Amazing Spider Man" is to be believed or taken as canon, Peter's powers are not necessarily all that linked to modern technology.

In general, if Gaiman is smart, he won't hinge on details of origin story.

 

[DanMcS]

Well, as of issue 7, they're all on boats headed to the new world, and there's one issue left (comes out tomorrow! It'll be like a geeky little christmas!), so we'll find out one way or another.

 

[John Crichton]

Spoilers Abound!

** Raises Thread **

Just picked up the HC collected version of this thing and I am damn impressed. I don't know how it was reading it monthly but being able to do the thing in one big gulp was very fun. Considering the general lack of action I was very entertained. Considering that you never really get to see the FF fight or the J-men and the Brotherhood go at it, it was quite exciting to get to the ending. I know that comic books aren't all about the action or the fights but with so many Marvel staples around you'd think that it would break down into that. And no Doom for the final chapter was neat as well.

Kinda reminded me of "All Good Things..." from Trek. And the door is wide open for a follow-up which would be a real treat.