Lauded writer J. Michael Straczynski has countless projects under his belt where he has built and developed unique, fascinating worlds. From Babylon 5 (1993) to Sense8 (2018), the TV and movie industry has benefited from the visionary writing that Straczynski brings. Thankfully, the world of comics has also been blessed by Straczynski’s craft, notably with his long run on Amazing Spider-Man and his take on the Man of Steel in Superman: Earth One. If you are a fan of Straczynski’s writing or comic anthologies in general, then I can confidently recommend you pick up Marvel Tales by J. Michael Straczynski. The trade paperback is a solid collection of fun, new takes on some of Marvel’s most beloved characters, and you’ll surely enjoy the journey.
Straczynski’s writing has been positively written about for decades, and the character development and thematic emphasis that underlie much of his work continue on full display in Marvel Tales. Besides the strong storytelling that endures throughout the collection, each short story is elevated by gorgeous art, featuring fabulous illustrators and colorists. Will Robson, Bernard Chang, Elena Casagrande, German Peralta, Natacha Bustos, Juan Ferreyra, and Phil Noto all lend their talent to the collection, and for that, I am thankful. The main covers by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson, as well as Gary Frank and Alex Sinclair, are stunning and perfectly uplift the pairings in each story.
Weirdly, the trade paperback features an absolutely epic cover from Leinil Francis Yu with coloring by Romulo Fajardo Jr., and I cannot seem to find a single place in the trade where they are given credit. I don’t like this, and hope Marvel corrects this in the future!
Variant Cover by Declan Shalvey
The Marvel Tales collection features six main stories: Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon, Captain America & Volstagg, Nick Fury vs. Fin Fang Foom, Hulk & Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider vs. Galactus, and Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Sixteen. Plus, the trade also has the mini-short story Agatha Harkness & Aunt May, as well as a satisfyingly large number of variant covers in the back. The trade also ends with a letter from Straczynski talking about his pitch for Marvel Tales and the process. I was happy to see that, because I often wish for a Letter from the Author on trades that are so particularly attached to one singular creator.
Personally, my three favorite stories were Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon, Captain America & Volstagg, and Ghost Rider vs. Galactus, all for different reasons. I really loved the pairing up of the narcissistic Doom and Rocket, as well as the emphasis on Doom’s questioning of “Why am I,” instead of Who am I?” I thought that Straczynski’s recontextualization of Volstagg’s buffoonery as intentional and targeted was a great retcon, and added depth to a hero many see as generally surface-level. And, while I also enjoyed the story of Ghost Rider attempting to take down Galactus, Juan Ferreyra’s art in the one-shot was actually ridiculous. It was just vibrant, emotive, and perfectly referential to more classic comic styles.
Variant Cover by Kyle Holtz and Dan Brown
Sadly, while I loved German Peralta’s art in Hulk & Doctor Strange, the story itself just didn’t do it for me. It didn’t feel like a fresh, different take on Bruce’s origin story, and I thought the fourth-wall-breaking humor was out of place and didn’t land. It was definitely not bad, just the weakest of all the stories, in my opinion. I think I would have greatly preferred the Clea Strange & Iron Man story that Straczynski mentions pitching in his letter. Also, as a self-proclaimed X-Men fangirl, I would have loved to see at least one of the stories feature a mutant hero! Not even a complaint against Straczynski’s choices, just a shout into the void of who I wish I saw him write.
I think this is a great anthology of Marvel stories, and certainly worth your investment. Not only are the stories collected within a blast to read, but they work well together (with some of them even referencing the other tales). Plus, the trade itself is very beautiful, with a unique design and epic Leinil Francis Yu cover. If you like any of the characters I have mentioned in this review, or Straczynski’s work in general, I highly recommend you check out Marvel Tales. Maybe, if the sales are high enough, Straczynski will get to publish six more stories!
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