Guide Note

Marvel 1602 was a limited comic miniseries written by Neil Gaiman that ran for eight issues in 2003. The series takes many popular heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe and transplants them from a modern setting and into the year 1602. The plot centers around a mysterious anomaly called the Forerunner that has disrupted the timeline and caused superheroes to appear much earlier in history. The initial mini-series spawned two sequels, 1602: New World in 2005 and Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four in 2006.

Fast Facts

1. Publisher: Marvel Comics
2. Writer(s): Neil Gaiman
3. Artist(s): Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove, Scott McKowen
4. Number of issues: Eight
5. Format: Limited mini-series
6. First published: 2003
7. Initially intended to be six 36-page chapters instead of eight 22-page segments
8. Used the "enhanced pencils" technique to skip straight from the pencil drawings to the coloring artist.
9. Received mixed reviews, attributed mainly to high expectations after Gaiman's work on the Sandman series.
10. Two sequels, 1602: New World and Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, were launched in 2005 and 2006, respectively

"It's not a senses-shattering Marvel epic, but then it's not meant to be. It's nothing more or less than a chance to enjoy reinterpretations of some familiar characters." —ShakingThrough.net Review