Spider-man 1602, #5

The conclusion of Spider-man 1602 pits Peter Parquagh against a mutated Count Octavius, now a giant human-octopus hybrid.  Parquagh is grossly outmatched as he must run a gambit against several foes at one time, while freeing his lady love, and hopefully redeeming Dr. Pym, who’s been blackmailed into working for Octavius least his wife, Jane, now shrunk into a teeny size and encapsulated in a fragile bell jar.

The ending was fantastic and bitter sweet. Technically, this will probably be my last foray into the 1602 world. Though the Fantastic Four 1602 mini-series came after this issue (in terms of order, not publication date), reading Spider-man 1602 completes my journey through that alternate earth. It’s been about 5 years since this series was published and with the new Marvel Now! Initiative to make the books more like the films, we probably won’t ever get another 1602 book. That’s a real shame as I love this series and the last few pages set up a possible Avengers 1602 storyline.

So, listen up Marvel: somebody out there still loves Marvel 1602. Please bring it back for another adventure. You’ve done a fantastic job of creating a unique mosaic of alternate versions of our favorite Marvel characters. I’ve yet to feel like I was reading any of the classic Marvel comics just set in medieval times. Each established Marvel character’s background and life story in the 1602 world is different than what Stan and Jack wrote up in 1963. 1602 is so fresh unlike some of DC’s Elseworlds books which for example, have the tendency to retell the Superman origin over and over, just in a different country or time period.

So, until DC comes out with its line of DC: 1776 books make mine Marvel: 1602.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.