In the distant future,
Manhattan has virtually eliminated crime and poverty thanks to Reed Richards
and Tony Stark. While the rest of the world has benefitted from their
achievements, the Big Apple has reaped the most rewards thanks to the
oversaturation of superheroes living in the city. A cabal of some of the Marvel
Universe’s biggest and baddest enemies have struck an uneasy truce in hopes of
destroying their adversaries under the banner of equal access to technology for
all of earth’s peoples.
The concept behind Big Town is starting to
round out. It’s basically an allegory to how technology, often seen as societies’
savior can become humanities worst warden. I also think there is a little bit
of commentary on the gap between the lower and middle class versus the upper
class. Think about it, Stark and Richards are billionaires, who live in
penthouse apartments looking down on the peon citizens that they’ve taken upon
themselves to ‘benefit’ through their technological advances. The heroes seem
charitable but at what expense to the evolutionary process of humanity. Plus
the people living in Queens live like paupers compared to the super heroes in
Manhattan.
Thus it’s easy to see
why people are standing up behind the likes of Doctor Doom, Magneto, and the
Red Skull. It’s like in the film “The American President” if people are thirsty
enough and nobody will lead them to water, then they’ll listen to the person
shouting loud enough “Drink the Sand” and the masses will!
Big Town was published
in 1999-2000 and was meant to take place in the not too distant future. With
Occupy, Obamacare, and the constant struggle to make ends meet with food prices
getting higher and higher while the amount of our annual raises get smaller and
smaller, it’s a little eerie how familiar this comic is. Did somebody have a
crystal ball or has it finally reached the boiling point?
I’m still not sure if
this book is meant to be future Marvel universe canon or an imaginary story,
but I like it. Big Town is full of action, excitement, and at the bottom line-
it makes you think. Stan Lee must’ve been proud with this one.
Worth Consuming.
Rating: 9 out of 10
stars.
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