Marvel Comics In The 1980s: An Issue-By-Issue Field Guide To A Pop Culture Phenomenon

For those unfamiliar with this series, it should be noted that this isn't a stand-alone book that gives an unbiased review of notable comics in Marvel's publication history from the 1980s. This book is a continuation of the TwoMorrows series reviewing Marvel Comics in the decades of the 1960s and 1970s. These books represent author Pierre Comtois' opinion that Marvel went through a creative explosion in the 1960s (Formative Years, Consolidation Years, Grandiose Years) and a long, sustained creative decline in the 1970s and 1980s (Twilight Years).This is important to know going in -- if you want a nostalgic and positive look back at this decade of Marvel Comics, this is not the book for you. It's central premise is that Marvel in the 1980s was undergoing a creative decline and as such, the author has a negative outlook on many books from this time period.Personally, I don't completely agree with the author's premise, nor do I share his personal tastes -- for example, he seems to feel that the introduction of Elektra and The Hand were negative aspects of Frank Miller's Daredevil run, despite them being two of the most popular elements of Miller's work on the character.Comtois also very opinionated on the output of various creators -- he gives John Byrne nothing but glowing praise while criticizing most of Chris Claremont's work, even suggesting that the success of Claremont's 16-year run on Uncanny X-Men was largely due to goodwill from the John Byrne collaboration on the title (since the book was a best-seller with Claremont at the helm for a decade after Byrne left, this idea seem preposterous). The author doesn't mince words -- if he dislikes a creators output, he can be very harsh with his criticism and even insulting at times.He also seems to put forth some unusual reasoning at times as well -- he mentions how ridiculous it is for female characters like the Black Widow and Elektra to physically contend and defeat men twice their size, but doesn't seem to have an issue suspending disbelief when a blind man like Daredevil pummels a room full of seasoned thugs. For Comtois, it seems a genetic abnormality giving a man the ability to fire an unending stream of energy from his eyes is plausible, but a woman beating up a larger man stretches the imagination too far. The power fantasy of superhero comics only extends toward the male gender, it seems.So despite all this, why do I give the book four stars? I like reading other people's opinions, even if they're contrary to my own, and find his premise interesting. He does a good job of clearly presenting his views on notable and important comics in Marvel's publishing history. I find myself briskly moving through the book and enjoying myself along the way. Simply put, I like reading what Pierre Comtois has to say.And if you enjoyed the 1960s and 1970s books of the series, you'll likely enjoy this volume as well -- it continues along the same lines. This is a book ideally suited to Silver Agers who think comics have been all downhill since the end of the 1960s and wants to read validation of that opinion. However, it's also a book ideally suited to people who like alternate viewpoints to their own and enjoy interesting, conversational writing.

Excellent book, great details on the pivotal decade of story from Marvel.

Here's the thing. I love the approach to the material, with a breakdown of what the author considers key material. However, the book is absolutely marred by several key things: 1.His insistence on insulting female characters unless they fit into his narrow view of the role of a woman. 2. His constant praise for John Byrne and John Romita Jr., despite the absolute hackery of most of their later work, while at the same time insulting and dismissing fan favorites such as Mike Zeck, Gene Day, Todd McFarland, etc. 3. This is the worst offense. If I buy a book about comic book history, I don't need to hear his conservative political rants about how liberalism destroyed comics. It becomes so over the top, going so far as to say that empowering the Wasp and Captain Marvel is just kissing up to feminists. His book becomes a right wing rant about how the world isn't what he wants it to be. Well, boo hoo. My book isn't what I wanted it to be, either.

This is a great addition to Comtois' previous books. A number of reviews have canned this volume for the author's negativity. If you are looking for a book that paints a rosy picture of comics in the 1980s, this isn't for you. It's a great read, even if many of the author's opinions may be confronting. The book appeals to me as it supports my opinion of Marvel's decline after the (very) early '70s. As with the previous books, some syntax of its grates; characters (I feel) are created, not invented, but other than that minor criticism, I recommend the book. A good read that covers the end Bronze Age into the beginning of the Modern Age of Comic Books. Expect to be infuriated!

The book has for me the same good quality as the other two books of the series. An interesting opinion complemented with a few beautiful illustrations of original comic art.

I think this is a very fine guide to the comics that Marvel produced during this decade. Let me say at the outset that I believe it is fact and not opinion that at this point in time The House Of Ideas was in a state of artistic crisis. They produced more and more books with less and less storytelling value. The chose to pursue an ugly and mean spirited vision. Indeed, by mid decade I had stopped collecting. Still, they did occasionally strike gold and my contention is that Mr. Comtois knows a good thing when he sees it. He has sifted through all the garbage so that you don't have to. All the reviews in this guide are of comics that have some redeeming value. Those comics, (and they were countless), that lacked merit in the 80's are left unmentioned. He actually brought to my attention a long run on The Avengers that I knew nothing about. I found these books very cheap at a local comic shop, and guess what? While I'm not finished yet, this is the most fun I've had reading comic books in a long time. Anyway, whether you agree with his opinions or not, Mr. Comtois has written enjoyable critique of a very tumultuous decade in the Marvel universe.

The author noted in the introduction that he didn't like comics of the 1980s. He was correct about that --he doesn't like many of the comics he wrote about. Much (Much!) of the book is him lamenting the loosening and dissolving of the Comics Code Authority. He also complains about female characters given more assertive roles, and is insulting to many comics creators. Basically, the book is a shrill complaint that comics didn't stay the way they were in the 1960s, without much humor or insight to leaven the bitterness.Although I disagreed with many of his opinions, I did enjoy reading the companion volumes about the 1960s and 1970s. I can't say that about this volume. TwoMorrows' publications are normally about the love that the authors have for the subjects. This is just about the disdain the author has for the subject, and the incivility to the writers and artists who worked on the comics is particularly galling. Avoid this.

I thought this was significantly weaker than its two precursors, with a fairly arbitrary selection of highlighted issues and judgements. Comtois' obvious hostility to Chris Claremont, the best and most successful of Marvel's 80s writers, appears to be based at least partly in his homophobia (see Page 203) and qualms about strong female characters. I usually enjoy browsing through discussions of old comics, but on this occasion was left with a bit of a bad taste.

This wasn't great. The author has such low opinions of the majority of the Marvel comics of the 80s that you wonder why he chose to continue this series beyond the 70s. His books on the 60s and 70s marvel comics were far better and his talents may have been better suited to writing similar books on the DC comics of that era or similar.

Es gibt zu diesem Buch zwei Vorgänger (Marvel Comics in the 1960s & 1970s), die ich bisher nicht gelesen habe. Es wäre wohl besser gewesen, die Bücher chronologisch zu lesen, da sich sehr schnell das Gefühl einstellt, hier einen dritten Teil vor sich zu haben, der nur sehr bedingt für sich steht oder stehen kann.Inhaltlich stellt dieses Buch die subjektive Meinung des Autors da, der auch gar keinen Hehl daraus macht. Seine These ist, dass es in 80er Jahren bei Marvel zu einem kreativen Niedergang kam und er versucht diese These anhand von Beispielen zu untermauern.Ob und wieweit man seiner Argumentation folgen möchte, bleibt jedem selbst überlassen.Ich frage mich, ob man hier wirklich von einem Buch im klassischen Sinn sprechen kann. Es werden diverse Hefte aus Serien wie Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man etc. "untersucht", in dem erst eine Zusammenfassung der Handlung erfolgt und im Anschluss kommt die Meinung des Autors, warum dieses oder jenes gut, schlecht oder wie auch immer war. Es ist lediglich eine Sammlung von vielen kleinen Kritiken und mir fehlt ein bisschen die formale Struktur eines Buches.Also "VORSICHT"! Wer sich mit diesem Buch einen möglichst objektiven Blick auf die Geschichte Marvels in den 80ern verschaffen möchte, der wird enttäuscht. Auch wird derjenige enttäuscht sein, der sich ein klassisches Buch wünscht. Wer sich davon nicht abschrecken lässt, dem ist dieses Buch zu empfehlen.

Pretty good read, but it's a tough challenge to tell the story of Marvel in the 1980's by charting a couple dozen anecdotal issues of various comic books. So it ends up being light on the political happenings, and a bit of a disjointed journey through the decade.

Great book on quality white paper but removing a half a star rating for missing out on some of my favorite issues (it is not an EVERY issue by issue guide) and one BIG 1.5 star that would've really made it a 4.5 star book if there had only been interior color!