| Wildlife and Nature Books Online in Association with Amazon.com |    |
|
|
|
| What If? Classic, Vol. 2 | 
| Authors: Roy Thomas, Jim Shooter, Don Glut, Jim Craig, Herb Trimpe, Gil Kane
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $3.16
You Save: $21.83 (87%)
New (30) Collectible (1) from $3.16
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 579384
Media: Paperback
Edition: Direct Ed
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 216
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.6
ISBN: 0785118438
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9780785118435
ASIN: 0785118438
Publication Date: January 4, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Ships immediately! Perfect and New! Direct Ed. 2006 Paperback.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 What if issues 7-12 of Marvel What if where compiled into one book? August 11, 2008
This is the 2nd vol. of Marvel what if classics. That has issues 7-12 of the comic that dares to ask the question...what if? I liked the first one a little better but this vol. did have good what ifs in it.
What if someone else besides Spiderman had been bitten by the radioactive spider?: This is a 3 part story taking place in 3 different alternate universe but all the endings have the same result. In all three universes Peter isnt bit by the spider that turns him into Spiderman. Instead we find out what if Flash Thompson, Betty Brant and John Jameson had been there and got bit instead. All three become heroes but not the same one Peter would have been. This was a pretty good story. The only complaint is I wish each story was a little longer.
What if the World knew Daredevil was blind?: The title is self explainatory. You would think this would have been a good story but it wasnt. It wasnt much different, except people knew Daredevil was blind and use it to their advantage. I wont go into any further but its nothing really special.
-What if the spider was bitten by a radioactive human?: This was a mini comic that was featured in the What if the World knew Daredevil was blind? and can be credited as the first ever What huh comics which was an issue of the what if series that was all humor. Well anyway its what it sounds like. In this world all the characters are bugs the bug version gets bit by a radioactive human to become Man-Spider. The story goes the same way as the first issue of Spiderman but with bugs instead of people. Pretty good.
What if Rick Jones had become the Hulk?: If you dont know by now Bruce Banner became the Hulk when he saved teenager Rick Jones from the Gamma bomb by pushing him into safety. But what if Rick Jones pushed Banner into safety and got hit by the gamma bomb. Well this is what this story is about. Its pretty good, they follow some of the aventures Rick has (becoming Bucky II, etc) but while turning into the Hulk while Banner seeks a cure for him. Pretty good story to read.
What if Jane Foster found the hammer of Thor?: This story revolves around Jane Foster who was the nurse for the man who would become Thor. She goes on vacation with him to Norway where she finds the hammer of thor instead of him. So she joins the Avengers and fights the battles he would have had. But this wasnt meant to be and she realizes that. Again good story, I never knew the origin of Thor before this story is good for people like me.
What if the original Marvel Bullpen became the Fantastic 4?: Ok possibly the worst what if I have ever read in my life. The marvel bullpen was a nickname for the 4 main people (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, etc) who worked in Marvel during the time this issue was made. So the story follows what if they became the Fantastic 4. This is in a world without superheroes and a some of the villians (Skrulls, Namor, etc). They got the same powers as the real Fantastic 4 but got their personalities which wasnt that entertaining.
What if the Avengers fought during the 1950s?: I couldnt figure out if this was an alternate universe or untold history. Iron Man shows fellow Avengers an alternate universe that in the 50s a group of heroes (3D Man, Human Robot, etc) became the Avengers to rescue the president from a group of villians. Even though about the confusement and never hearing about these 50s heroes. I found the story very entertaining. Very good what if story.
So I think this book is perfect for any comic collector.
 An uneven collection of stories January 19, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
While I enjoyed the old What If? stories more than most older series, this collection was a little weak. At this time, the series was just starting to stretch its wings and get creative, so the stories have their hits and misses. The Spider-Man story had a few good moments, especially seeing Flash Thompson as his version of the hero (Spider-Man without the webs...interesting). The Daredevil story is perhaps the strongest in the collection, though the discovery of his blindness is a little contrived. The Thor story and the Fantastic Four story are the weakest in the bunch. The Avengers story was a really great idea, showing us the 3-D Man (an underused hero) teaming with other greats like Marvel Boy and Gorilla Man for an intriguing twist on the Avengers legend. The Hulk story was funny because you'd never expect the Hulk to call anyone a "square". Still, it was the 70's, so it makes sense. It gets annoying though when they announce the next issue is "What if Conan had lived today?" about 3 times (I don't know what the hold up was or why they kept pushing the story back issue after issue, but they shouldn't have kept announcing the story until they were ready for it. I guess it shows up in the next collection.).
The series got stronger after the stories in this collection, and I hope Marvel continues to release the series, though an Essential collection would probably make more sense. While seeing the stories in color is a nice bonus, only getting 6 stories per collection and paying more for them seems to rob it a bit. Still, keep an eye open for future stories in the first run of the series. They were great!
What If... we could get more stories per book??? December 15, 2005
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
While I appreciate Marvel's effort to get a second volume of WHAT IF CLASSIC into print, their incentive for doing so is not so much to give the classic series more attention, but to wring more money out of their latest round of modern What If comics. There is really no reason why Roy Thomas' classic series couldn't have been reprinted as an Essential Edition. By using their expensive glossy trade format for the collecting of What If Classic, Marvel sticks us with only six issues per volume for twenty-five dollars apiece. Think about that - only two volumes so far, reprinting only 12 issues, and you will have spent fifty bucks, the equivalent of a Marvel Masterwork! The big question is: is the printing of What If Classic in this expensive trade format really worth it? The answer is "not really", but that answer is due primarily to the fact that there just aren't enough stories here.
As I stated in my review of WHAT IF CLASSIC volume 1, the ideas for Roy Thomas' series took a while to build up steam. While the stories in volume 1 just barely cut it, however, the 6 issues contained here in volume 2 are more inspired, and definitely a step in the right direction, as Don Glut takes over the writing chores from Thomas. Consider this line-up:
#7: What if someone else besides Spider-Man had been bitten by the radioactive spider? Three members of Spidey's supporting cast get their turn at using the proportionate strength and abilities of a spider. The results aren't all that pleasant, and all three cases tie together into an ending that is a bit of a cheat.
#8: What if the world knew Daredevil is blind? Great concept, but a horrible set-up. Is that really all it would take to discover DD's secret?
#9: What if the Avengers had fought evil during the 1950s? A truly great entry in the series - Marvel/Timely characters from the `40s and `50s are resurrected in a very entertaining story, and thorough references are provided so you won't be left scratching your head. Superb.
#10: What if Jane Foster had found the hammer of Thor? Ehh... this one really could have been better.
#11: What if the Marvel bullpen had become the Fantastic Four? This almost seems like an inspiration for James Sturm's FF: UNSTABLE MOLECULES, as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Sol Brodsky, and Flo Steinberg gain the powers of the FF. Crazy Kirby story and art.
#12: What if Rick Jones had become the Hulk? The funniest of the bunch. Rick-Hulk speaks in hipster slang, and he STILL gets to be Bucky II and Captain Marvel's human anchor. A bit of an overload, but it has a great ending.
I prefer this volume to the first, due to the quality of writing, as well as the focus on more diverse characters. Also, the stories fit in better with major and minor events from the characters' histories. But still, 6 issues per book just doesn't make it worth it. The best way to go with the WHAT IF CLASSIC volumes is to order them at a discount from Amazon.
|
|
|
Wildlife, nature and the Environment
Sponsored Links
Learn how to get your own Amazon Book shop | |
|
