Let me give you the bottom line first: buy this book.

Neil Gaiman is one of the best writers and creators I have encountered in the last 15-20 years. He is a true descendants of the old story tellers who have kept people wide-eyed, listening to wonderful stories late into the night around the tribal fire since the dawn of humanity.

In 1602 Gaiman does to the Marvel universe what - in my humble opinion - no other writer has been able to do. Taking the story 400 years into the past and placing it in the court of Queen Elizabeth (and a few other Renaissance Europe locations) gave Gaiman the freedom of interpretation and imagination to create a truly intriguing and enjoyable set of story lines. He has captured the essence of some key Marvel heroes (Nick Fury, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, Peter Parker, Xavier and the X-Men, Magneto, the Fantastic 4, Doom, Thor and more) and created alike-yet-different characters, immersed in their time and period - resulting in a very convincing story.

The story stands out on its own - you don't have to be an expert in the Marvel Universe with its myriad of characters to enjoy it. It is enough just to know who the popular Marvel heroes are. And Gaiman is wise enough to divulge the hints about the characters gradually along the stories, some more upfront, some more subtle. This results in a delightful feeling of revelation when you tell yourself - "Hey, this XXXX person is actually magneto!"

Now for the artwork - it is just superb. Totally enjoyable in and as of itself. An additional touch of grace can be found in the covers - created in the style of Renaissance engravings which perfectly convey the feeling of looking at a piece of art from Elizabeth's court.

Marvel 1602 must be on your bookshelf.

The name Neil Gaiman on a comic book sets expectations high. Although largely out of the business nowadays, instead concentrating on his novels, he is still considered one of the best comic writers in the history of the medium, and his reputation is well-deserved. Although it is not always genius, he rarely fails to deliver something great.

The concept of "Marvel:1602" is an intriguing one, and one that fits very much with Gaiman's style. Shift the Silver Age Marvel characters back to the year 1602, with Queen Elizabeth on the throne, soon to be succeeded by King James of Scotland. Elizabeth is all that stands from the religious fervor of James, and the occultists and "witchbreed" live in fear of the transition. Some of the superheroes have been given real-life counterparts, like Nick Fury replacing spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham and Dr. Strange becoming the Queen's personal mystic Doctor John Dee. Others, like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, and just their usual selves transplanted in time.

Andy Kubert really reaches deep into his talent and developed a style that works well with Gaimen's story. Kubert is a good artist, but he usually just works in the standard superhero style, so I was impressed by his work here. It has a nice, authentic old-fashioned flair. The scratchboard covers, by Scott McKowen, are also impressive, and something I would love to see more.

However, while "Marvel: 1602" is really, really good, it's just not quite as good as it should be. Some of it is the scope, which is just too large for the number of issues available. Gaiman tries to fit in too many characters, and he doesn't have as strong a theme for all of them. When it works, it works really well. The intrigue between Fury, Strange and the re-imagined Daredevil, Dr. Doom and The Black Widow, are entirely gripping. These are characters that work really well in the historical setting. Thor, being a mythical character, also has no problem fitting in with the period. However, the more "superhero" characters like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four just don't work. In the world of succession plots and Kingdoms, a big rocky Thing and the high-flying Angel are out of place. Also, Gaiman's efforts to tie "Marvel:1602" into current Marvel comic continuity are unnecessary, and distracting to the over all story.

If he had stuck to what inspired him, and used the characters that worked in that context, instead of trying to fit in everyone, then "Marvel:1602" would have been a classic comic for the ages. Instead, it just works as a high quality comic, one that comes close to its potential but falls just short.

Neil Gaiman, renowned for his classic series The Sandman, moves to Marvel to create one of the most interesting tales the company has had in ages. The premise of Marvel 1602 is as deceptively simple as the title suggests: the iconic characters of the Marvel universe are placed into Elizabethan England. The story involves the usual crusading associated with Marvel characters but halfway through the book the problems take on a much grander scale and the reason for the series to exist finally becomes apparent. Gaiman's reimagining of characters and Kubert's excellent art provide heroes that are decidedly familiar and yet distinctly different, a great asset when trying to mask the identities of certain heroes until given turning points in the book. The characters are all fleshed out perfectly and act exactly as they should within the different context and the references to their powers and origin stories within the framework of this book are done masterfully. The ending is also highly rewarding and ties in the events of 1602 to the rest of the Marvel universe without destroying the continuity or any of the resonance of the original story arcs. Marvel 1602 is a perfect vehicle for Neil Gaiman to jump back into the comics world and Marvel will definitely benefit from his presence.