(I originally read these comics in mid/late April 2016)
The success of Kurt Busiek's and Alex Ross' 'Marvels' inspired a slew of follow-up series and one-shots that took a similar approach of examining the impact of super-heroes on the lives of average people. 'Wonder Years' is a story of a shy, teenage Wonder Man fan and how in the wake of his seeming death (in Force Works # 1) she finds the will to move on. It's a touching story by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning about growing up and the pains of leaving adolescence behind, with great (if vividly-coloured) painted art by Igor Kordey.
'Blockbuster' is about the surviving residents of a building seeking compensation after it's destroyed during a battle between the Silver Surfer and Tyros (in the pages of Fantastic Four # 260) and how one grieving man is driven to seek revenge. 'Inner Demons' is the tale of a Skid Row bum who finds the will to conquer alcoholism with the help of his down-and-out, amnesiac friend in a story taking place between the panels of Fantastic Four # 4 (and if you've read it you'll know who that 'friend' is). The talented Bob Wakelin paints some nice pages but obviously had to rope in help and pages by other hands are amateurish in the extreme, almost certainly the worst painted art I've seen in a Marvel comic.
Incidentally, 'Inner Demons' artist Bob Wakelin works in Liverpool (or used to) and back in 1994 or '95 my college tutor, an acquaintance of his, arranged for me to meet him at his studio. He was working on the issue at the time, so I got to see pages before it was published. By chance, I saw (and snapped up) the comic months later in a comic shop in Warrington and recognised those same pages =)
Tales of the Marvels: Wonder Years (1995) # 1/2, Tales of the Marvels: Blockbuster (1995) and Tales of the Marvels: Inner Demons (1996) are collected in:
Softcover:
Tales of the Marvels: Blockbuster (1995) is collected in:
Softcover:
