1602

[Cisco]

Man, for a storyarc with such a great start; such a great concept, a great writer, and great artwork, I have to admit that it went out with a bit of an "eh."

One thing I never managed to figure out though was: who was Virginia Dare? And yes, I know who she was in real life, but why was she a shapeshifter in the comic?

Anyway...what did you guys think of it?

[Krokodil]

[QUOTE=Cisco]One thing I never managed to figure out though was: who was Virginia Dare? And yes, I know who she was in real life, but why was she a shapeshifter in the comic?[QUOTE]

In an interview, Gaiman said that there was some kind of Indian legend that when the Roanoke Island colonists disappeared, Virginia Dare became some sort of magical shape-shifter who lived out her days in animal forms in the wild. I'd never heard of it. He seemed surprised that no one in America was familiar with this story.

[citrus x paradisi]

Thanks, I was always confused about that myself.

Because of my lack of funds and distance from reputable comic stores, I have only read the first, second, and fourth issues. I loved what I was able to find, though I'm really not into action-type comics, and was often left mystified by the Marvel storyline.

[Fiver]

I assumed Virginia Dare was made up for the story or was otherwise from outside Marvel continuity.

I'm still kicking myself for not figuring out who "Rojhaz" was.

But I'm with the OP: at the end, this really wasn't more than a notch or two above most "What If..." stories, which seem to take an almost moralistic attitude of, "it had to happen the way it happens in canon, or else all come to grief."

[Ranchoth]

But I'm with the OP: at the end, this really wasn't more than a notch or two above most "What If..." stories, which seem to take an almost moralistic attitude of, "it had to happen the way it happens in canon, or else all come to grief."

Hear-hear. I tell ya, it's a varient of the old "Tampering in God's Domain" clause, rearing it's ugly head.

Nietzsche would have a few words to say about that kind of "moral," I suspect.

[Cisco]

In an interview, Gaiman said that there was some kind of Indian legend that when the Roanoke Island colonists disappeared, Virginia Dare became some sort of magical shape-shifter who lived out her days in animal forms in the wild. I'd never heard of it. He seemed surprised that no one in America was familiar with this story.



Now that you mention it, the thing about getting shot while in the form of a white deer did seem vaguely familiar.


I'm still kicking myself for not figuring out who "Rojhaz" was.


The guy at the comic book shop told me after his first appearance (the first issue?) I have no idea how he figured it out so soon but it made sense the way he explained it. "Rojhaz" being a Spanish form of "Rogers" as in Steve Rogers and also something about being American.

[Askia]

Well I knew who Rojhaz was, but,,,
I'm kicking myself for not even suspecting he was the displaced time traveler. That "Viking child" was oddly pat, and I didn't even question it. Also I am STILL kicking myself for not figuring out the Templar weapon, "The most powerful weapon on Earth" was the stick, i.e., the hammer of Thor.

Overall -- interesting concepts that suffered from having the wrong, wrong artist to interpret Gaiman's visions... and an anticlimax for an ending.

Two and a half stars out of five.

Andy Kurbert was at LEAST as wrong for this project as Kyle Baker was for 'The Truth" and Bart Sears is for the new Captain America/Falcoln series.

[Fenris]

I thought the end was a huge let-down as well. I also didn't like the one-panel shot at Bush--they shoulda just made a generic President-For-Life. The math doesn't work (he'd have been, what, 100? 120? by the time Cap went back in time?) and it dates the thing in a bad way, IMO.

Frankly, I want to see what comes next. What's Magneto gonna do next? there's the story I want to read.

[Fiver]

What's Magneto gonna do, and what will Fury's life in the future be like? Those are my two biggest (potential) sequel interests.

And Fenris, how come you thought that was supposed to be Bush? He didn't look like him.

And Askia, I disagree that Kubert was the wrong artist. I thought he was perfect, even if Virginia looked a little too much like a Margaret Keane painting.

[Max Carnage]

I agree that the Prez didn't look like Bush at all. In fact, now that I think about it, he looked more like Perot.

I assume everyone figured out Rohjaz when he threw the platter back in issue 4 or so? Up till then I was stumped.

The ending was a little anti-climatic, with a Heroes Reborn feel to it. But I really enjoyed the read and wouldn't mind another story with these characters. Maybe in 1603.

[Fenris]

And Fenris, how come you thought that was supposed to be Bush? He didn't look like him..
Really? I kinda thought he did, but I'll admit I read it late at night when I was tired. I'll look at it again.

[Koffing]

One thing I never managed to figure out though was: who was Virginia Dare? And yes, I know who she was in real life, but why was she a shapeshifter in the comic?


Dude, Snowbird. Turns into white versions of any American (because Canada didn't exist as a separate entity yet) creature. Made sense to me :)

[Max Carnage]

Couldn't be Snowbird. Gaiman said he was only using characters from about 1968 and prior. Alpha Flight came along much later than that. She apparently, being a real historical figure, was not a displaced Marvel. I don't believe any real people were marvels.

[Leaper]

Couldn't be Snowbird. Gaiman said he was only using characters from about 1968 and prior. Alpha Flight came along much later than that. She apparently, being a real historical figure, was not a displaced Marvel. I don't believe any real people were marvels.

As a note for those who didn't see it, post #2 in this thread explains this issue quite well, straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

[Idlewild]

OK, my husband and I both want to know - since Gaiman says that the President for Life (because life matters! I love that) is NOT Bush, and IS a Marvel character, and he thought it should be obvious which one, who is it!?

(My site for this is his journal at neilgaiman.com)

[Nekosoft]

I missed it the first time too. Upon revisiting, I'd say with confidence The Purple Man (http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/p/purpleman.htm).

[Fenris]

I missed it the first time too. Upon revisiting, I'd say with confidence The Purple Man (http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/p/purpleman.htm).

Duh.

I retract the "Bush" criticism. In retrospect it's obvious, but I would never have gotten it on my own.

Thanks! You've just really improved my enjoyment of this series! :)

[SolGrundy]

Man, for a storyarc with such a great start; such a great concept, a great writer, and great artwork, I have to admit that it went out with a bit of an "eh."
[...]
Anyway...what did you guys think of it?
I finally read the last issue yesterday. I thought it was pretty good, but then I can't think of any Neil Gaiman story that I thought had a great end -- they all just give me a sense of, "Well, okay, I guess that's over then, is it?"

I was never much of a Marvel fan; I spent most of the early issues trying to sort out who was who and trying hard to remember their backstories. (I thought for sure that Virginia Dare was some obscure Marvel character, which I guess shows how much I know about American history).

I didn't see the coming of
Captain America
at all, although in retrospect I guess it's obvious. I wish they'd done more with Banner, and I wish they'd done a lot more with Peter Parker. And towards the end, it seemed like the cast list was getting too unwieldy -- too many characters with no chance to do anything interesting with them all.

On the whole, I thought it was a typical Neil Gaiman story -- very neat concept, research, some obscure references, plot twists, anti-climax. I realize that sounds dismissive, but I really did like it.

[Max Carnage]

But...but...Purple Man is Yugoslavian! He couldn't possibly become President! :)

And actually, Fenris, when I went back and looked again, he did kinda look like Bush. A purple Bush, but none the less....

[Paul in Qatar]

I was thinking of buying this when I get back to the States this summer.

Should I?

[Cisco]

I was thinking of buying this when I get back to the States this summer.

Should I?


If anything I would get the trade paperback. Reading them all together at once would probably do the series a little more justice.