Half of the Marvel Universe joins Spider-Man in the third volume of Marvel Team-Up’s Marvel Gold volumes, a deluxe size published by Panini Comics.
The first two volumes, previously published by the Panini Comics of Marvel team-up, were a little treat for fans of the classic era of Marvel Comics who could appreciate and enjoy these types of stories. Now we finally get another little gem that continues this series, the third volume, published by Marvel Gold. Marvel Team-Up 3 – Nightmare in New Mexico!
Let’s go back to the future of the Marvel Universe
Bill Mantlo isn’t exactly a screenwriter who gets the respect many people get in his day, but in this series he does one of the best and funniest work we’ve ever seen in its previous form. At the start of this volume, Mantlo joins another regular force in the series, artist Sal Buscema (along with Mike Esposito), to present us with an imaginative saga.
Time travel is always cool, and when done with a little care, as in the case, even more so. Over six issues, Mantlo tells the story of Spider-Man’s time travel from Salem in 1692 to a distant post-apocalyptic era, and it’s all created by Doctor Doom. In the age of witch hunts, a character like the Scarlet Witch (accompanied by the inevitable vision) would obviously be a special guest.
What is most interesting about this story is the inclusion of some real historical facts, such as the Puritan Reverend Cotton Mather, who is known for his tragic significance in relation to the burning of witches. But since Mater is the demonic nature behind everything: the dark knight, who only longs to gather power… to become even more powerful? To make it bad? Of course something of that style, that’s not important…
But aside from the clichés typical of the genre, Mantlo’s effort in this story should be commended for delivering a plot full of deeper moral ambiguities than any Marvel Comics reader was used to reading in the mid-1990s.
This masterful and even disheartening treatment remains as Spider-Man moves from Salem forward, first to Deathlok and then to Kilraven. (Although we already know how time flows in the Marvel Universe).
Special guests
After this amazing time travel saga, some traditional chapters, cake stories will come where we will see the wall seeker share his attention with fantastic characters like The Thing, Iron Man, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Black Widow, Doctor Strange or Captain America. . However, among all the superheroes, it is the common man who stands out the most, and here we see Captain Jean DeWolf, an example of women’s empowerment at a time when it was not as common as it is today.
Special mention deserves Klaus Jansen’s color debut. Next, John Byrne comes in as artist to show us in all his glory, first the Hulk (the glorious cover used for the soundtrack) and then the Warlock.
At a certain point, Mantlo left the series in favor of mainstream comics such as Chris Claremont. He makes his debut with Byrne in an episode where The Wasp and Yellowjacket are special guests. But maybe when Iron Fist comes around, Claremont, who until then seems to be treating the series as a form of entertainment, will take things a little more seriously and give him a chance to move on and close out the subplots he himself opened up some time ago. Characteristically a regular series.
Misleading Buscema
In the graphic department, Buscema should be seen as the protagonist of the voice, and the work is uneven. Depending on which foot you get up on during the workday, your skills will seem more or less sharp. Interestingly, here we see him being very authentic with the female characters, he does fantastic work in front of them, and we get a little bit of everything in terms of setup and action scenes. Of course, when Buscema shines, he shines a lot. And more in this issue. Byrne, the other man primarily responsible for the painting, does an accurate job, though it is far removed from his more recognized works.
In short, we get some very interesting stories in this volume (especially the first one about time travel), great moments for the story (there’s Captain DeWolf), and also more insightful parts that can easily be missed on a second reading. And although it is the latter, this is the most interesting volume of the three ever published.
Published by Panini Comics in hardcover, the volume measures 17 x 26 cm and contains 608 color pages. and US issues #41 to #64 of Marvel Team Up as well as the First Annual, issue #17 of Marvel’s Two-One, issue #31 of Marvel’s Premier and issue #13 of Marvel’s Treasury, as well as an extensive extra section. It has a recommended retail price of €55 and goes on sale in December 2023.
Brilliant gold. Marvel Team-Up 3 – Nightmare in New Mexico!
ISBN: 9788411508384
A golden age for the common arachnid collection. First, the epic and memorable sagas created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. From the amazing time travel that takes Spidey to the witches of Salem or to the future of Kilraven and Dehtloc, the first adventure of Captain DeWolf with the Wallfinder, The Thing, Iron Man and the Doctor’s guest. About the spectrum.
As if that weren’t enough, the emergence of Chris Claremont and John Byrne comes at a very exciting time for the creative team that changed the course of comics history. It includes Spidey’s first encounter with the new and different X-Men.
Cast: Ron Wilson, Bonnie Wilford, Bill Mantlow, Sal Buscema, Gerry Conway, Chris Claremont, John Byrne, George Tuska, Mike Esposito and Roger Stern.