What If? Classics Volume 4

What If? Classic, Vol. 4 by Bill Mantlo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book issues 21-26 of What If?

There are some strong issues revisiting some well-worn Marvel Universe themes. What If? #21 is a sequel to What If? #1 which had Spidey join the Fantastic Four and ended with the Invisible Girl choosing to go off and marry Submariner. This turns Reed so sour that the Thing and Spidey quit leaving Reed and Johnny to plot to overthrow Submariner. It's an interesting turnabout story and a fun tale for the Submariner.

Issue 22 is, "What if Doctor Doom became a hero?" and it's an interesting premise. However, the pivot point for the change seems a little weak and implausibly has him locked in a struggle with Mephisto.

Issue 23 is a bit more obscure, "What if the Hulk's Girlfriend Jarella had Not Died?" It's a good story but nothing the cover feature which has the Hulk dressed like some Barbarian. The end is a bit too uncertain for my tastes. The back up feature in this one is a little dumb as it asked what would hav happened if Aunt May had been bitten by the radioactive spider.

Issue 24 is, "What if Gwen Stacy had lived?" A big question and the answer mostly focuses on how Spider-man deals with the Green Goblin. Given the status of Norman Osborn in so much of the Marvel Universe and spin-off media, I wasn't impressed. It's as if the story's point was that if Gwen Stacy had lived, Spider-man would still have various storylines.

Issue 25 is, "What if Thor fought Odin Over Jane Foster," a tale that allows lots of fighting around Asgard and Avengers getting Asgard-powered. It's harmless fun. It has Quicksilver skipping the trip to Asgard which I guess was meant to illustrate whatever universe he 's in, Quicksilver can be a bit of a jerk.

Issue 26 is, "What if Captain America were elected President?" In the comics, he passed on a run in 1980, but this book asks what would have happened and doesn't do a whole lot with the concept. Because there'd be questions, 'How would this guy get along with Congress?' Would he have added credibility with some people? Less? There's nothing interesting in the story."

The back up tale is actually a little more interesting as it asked, "What if Man-Thing had Regained Ted Sallis' brain?" The outcome is interesting given that Man-thing was usually benign in the 1970s.

The book also features, "Untold Tales of the Marvel Universe" which tell about obscure Marvel mythology about the Celestials and Eternals. It was stuff started by Jack Kirby but really isn't engaging as written in this book

One big positive is that this book reprints the letters page so you can see what fans thought of books at the time. However, because the letters were about two issues behind, you'd have to have read What If? Classic Volume 3 to understand what the early ones were talking about.

Overall, not the greatest of, the, "What if? Books" but a few interesting stories in here.



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