Audrey Loeb | Cammy's Comic Corner

Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection

Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on March 9, 2010

Book Of The Month – March

minimarvelsultimate

Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection

Superhero comics don’t always have to be so dark and serious. Back in the day they actually were fun and zany, unlike most of the comics you see out on the shelves today. However, different times call for different content, and whatever is selling at the moment is the model to base your stories on. Why can’t we slip-back into a simpler time, filled with rainbows and gummy drops, while still being able to feel like responsible grown-ups?

Well now we can.

The Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection by Chris Giarrusso collects all the published Mini Marvels stories; everything from the first comics, the event comics, and up to the current comics. I’ve always been a fan of Giarrusso’s writing and art, so to have them all collected into one trade had me howling with laughter throughout! It’s the simple jokes that pack the biggest punches.

For those not familiar with what Mini Marvels are all about, they’re basically simple stories that started-out in the back pages of Marvel comics, with the characters drawn in a childish cartoon style, making them feel that these are to be read by kids only. It’s at this point you let your guard down and dismiss them as comics for kids, and that’s when all the little jokes flow forth.

With a lot of the big events in the 616 Universe (Civil War, Planet Hulk, World War Hulk), readers tend to either read them all like good little Marvel Zombies, or pick and choose to their interests. If you decide to skip one event and read Mini Marvels version instead, you’re given the abridged version, and will still get the general gist of what the event was about. Better yet, if you did read the event, then read the Mini Marvel’s take, you’ll be joining me on the floor howling with laughter with all the parodies, inside jokes, and so many geeky references. It’s this kind of joy that you’re experiencing that makes all the countless hours of learning your continuity finally worth it, all told by the younger cast of your favorite superheroes.

My personal favorite stories of the series include the Spider-Man working at the Daily Bugle as a paperboy, Civil Wards, and poor little Wolverine trying to just enjoy a box of his favorite cereal. Hulk and his haikus are hilarious, and Hawkeye’s commentary on the “Illuminators” meeting is a riot!

haikuhulk

Chris Giarrusso is a wonderful human being with a heart of gold for working so dang hard on the mini versions of our favorite heroes. He unites the new readers with the old veterans, and everyone in between with these simple-yet-laugh-a-minute comics. If you’re looking for world peace, this collection wouldn’t be a bad place to start.