MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #4 REVIEW

[Adam Chapman]

Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Chapter Four: Deep Wounds

The Secret Wars occur, and the Beyonder comes to Earth!

Writer: Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern
Art: Jay Anacleto
Color Art: Brian Haberlin
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Associate Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Special Thanks: Bill Jemas
Phil Sheldon Created By: Kurt Busiek & Alex Ross
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I'm consistently impressed by Busiek/Stern's work in this issue, as we see the continuation of Phil Sheldon's struggle against cancer, and his crisis of faith in the Marvels all around him.

Ever since the original series ended, many had hoped for a sequel, as it was rife with so many possibilities, as it had only covered the era up to the end of the Silver Age, ending, appropriately enough, with the event which is widely considered to be the turning point in comic books between the Silver and Bronze age of comics. This series has been quite fascinating because we see how Phil Sheldon, who lived through the initial age of Marvels, and the full-blown second age of Marvels, deals with the darkening age of heroes that the '70s and '80s represented (predominantly the '70s era).

Showing the Punisher, Bullseye, and other elements really manage to drive home these ideas, and this issue in particular is effective because of how Ben Urich was himself personally affected by that era. I'm really enjoying how Phil and Ben's friendship has been shown, and so it made perfect sense that the series touch upon the time when Urich got a sai through his back by Elektra, which occurred during Frank Miller's run on Daredevil.

In fact, one of my favourite things about this series is how it manages to be a walk through memory lane, highlighting all these things that happened in the history of the Marvel Universe, some big and memorable, some not, and looking at them in an entirely different light. Seeing what they would mean to the average bystander, who wasn't part of the action. What would the world be like? How did the average person react when all of the heroes disappeared during Secret Wars?

Busiek/Stern do an absolutely superb job on grounding this story with a very human element, even when dealing with super powers, the Beyonder, and much more. Phil's struggle, although one of faith and belief, is also connected to his own personal physical struggle against his cancer. In prior issues, as his faith was broken down, his physical self started to falter, to lose the battle. Here, his faith is slowly rewarded, as he finally sees the goodness that he once did, and comes to some important realizations, both about the heroes and villains, as well as himself, while ironically enough doing that which he does best, which is take pictures that change people's lives, including his own.

The artwork by Anacleto is fantastic, he manages to imbue each and every page with such life, which is quite a feat. He retains the realistic sensibilities that the original series possessed thanks to Alex Ross, but his artwork has much more life to it, is nowhere near as cold and disconnected. It's beautiful stuff, and there are particular panels in here that are just gorgeous. He really does the time period justice.

A great issue, yet again. If you're one of those people who decided to wait for the trade, you're missing out on a great series coming out each month, but in just a couple months you'll be able to read the entire series all at once, and enjoy the fantastic work of Busiek/Stern/Anacleto. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


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[Roger Stern]

Glad you're enjoying it.

-- Uncle Rog

[Ben Lehnsherr]

I've throughly enjoyed the first three issues, but this is the one that stuck in my mind the most. The writing here is just so rich, and there's a theme of the parallel of Phil Sheldon's cancer worsening and the darkening of the heroes in the era, and its even foreshadowed several times with Sheldon's words (like when he was talking about no one being immune to a foul infection). Fabulous dialogue as well, and another stellar effort from Jay Anacleto.

And quite a heart-breaking last few pages. Those really resonated with me. What a book.