Marvel 1985 #3 Review

MARVEL 1985 #3
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards

This issue started out quite slowly when you consider the fact the last issue ended with Sandman attacking Clyde Wyncham's nurse and Electro zapping her fleeing boyfriend in the middle of the streets combined with the promise of the villains taking over the peaceful town.

However, the slow burn as Millar gave us some breadcrumb backstory on the mysterious Wyncham and Toby's father's relationship with him. There's very little information given, but there are subtle hints that Toby's father, Jerry, and his girlfriend at the time (Toby's mother) had something major happen in their lives because of Wyncham and it was so bad they decided never to speak of that night ever again.

After the slow start, we see the town beginning to react to the events of the double homocide the night before and Toby's father still refuses to believe him that their are real super-villains, just like in the comic books, up at the old Wyncham house.

What follows is a gradual escalation of the villains' attacks on the townspeople as we see MODOK and the Mole Man rounding up people and one scene even shows an entire street littered with dead bodies as an unsuspecting couple stumbles across Ultron. Fin Fang Foom is even found in the harbour and the National Guard is called in to deal with the creature.

However, for all the insanity that is going on, no one outside of Toby and his father, who was forced to believe everything his son has told him once he's seen the super-villains with his own eyes, seems to be the least bit concerned over the sudden appearance of these characters.

Hell, Fin Fang Foom should have been a national panic, but the National Guard and other people shown didn't even seem phased by it, as if it was an everyday occurance. I'm hoping this is explained away as some kind of pyschic suggestions or something to do with Wyncham because it was really at odds with the otherwise "real world" feel of the story so far.

Verdict - Must Read. Despite that small nitpick over the reaction of some of the real world people, I still loved this issue and Edwards art fits this type of story perfectly. With only a couple of issues left, I'm a bit concerned about whether or not Millar can wrap this up with a satisfying conclusion, but I'm certainly enjoying the ride so far.

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