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Back to the Future (2015) #1
Back to the Future, Volume 1: Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines
Back to the Future creator/screenwriter Bob Gale returns with all-new tales from the twisting and turning timeline that made Back to the Future a, well... TIMELESS pop-culture phenomenon! Take a trip back to 1985 and be there when Doc Brown and Marty McFly first meet, and then jump even farther back, to 1945, to witness Doc's involvement in the super-secret Manhattan Project. Collects issues #1-5.
120 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
July 31, 2025
(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: An assorted-art anthology, it's nothing great, still fun to see: expounds upon the trilogy, and deepens the mythology.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-4 ◦ Issue #5
Notes: An assorted-art anthology, it's nothing great, still fun to see: expounds upon the trilogy, and deepens the mythology.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-4 ◦ Issue #5
March 31, 2016
Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Those who know me well, know that I am a HUGE Back To The Future fan. Back when we got our first ever DVD player, my dad bought the trilogy on DVD during a Boxing Day sale. He sat the family down and we all watched Back To the Future, me for the first time ever. I have since lost count of how many times I have seen it and it remains to be my favourite film of all time.
My first reaction upon coming across a Back to the Future comic series was pure excitement. Then I thought about it for a little, and I started to worry. What if it doesn’t do the story justice? Maybe they should have just left it alone? I understand that what was once considered the “future” in Back To The Future Part Two recently became the past last year and a lot of hype started to resurface around the Back To Future trilogy. I was one of the many who celebrated with a Back To The Future marathon on October 21st 2015 and I am all for the hype, but when does it become too much? When does the hype start tainting what made the story so wonderful to begin with?
I was hesitant to start reading at first, but then I decided to just jump in quickly without thinking too much about it. I am happy to say that I actually really did like this story! Was it amazing? Did it have me at the edge of my seat? Did I devour it? No, but it was thoroughly entertaining and I quite enjoyed the time I spent reading it.
There were a lot of little moments that Back To The Future fans will definitely appreciate such as little nods to the original films that were really clever and well done. References like: needing roads and having more than one television per household were entertaining inside references that were added to this story.
I did like the way that this series filled in gaps between timelines within the films. It provided insights into what happened when Marty finally made it back to 1985. What did 1955 Doc do between 1955 and 1985 after he helped Marty get back? How did Marty & Doc even meet in the first place? This comic series fills in a whole bunch of gaps between the 1885, 1955, 1985 and 2015 timelines and it did so very creatively. It didn’t feel forced, it actually felt like these moments were genuinely what happened in between those time periods.
Although I wasn’t blown away, this comic series was thoroughly entertaining and I suggest every Back To The Future fan at least try giving this one a go!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
It's no secret that Back to the Future is my favourite film of all time. I absolutely adore this story and its characters more than you will ever know. At first, I was super excited to come across this comic series while browsing through NetGalley...then I started to worry. In my mind, nothing can live up to the amazingness that is the original trilogy and I began to wonder...maybe they should have just left it alone?
December 15, 2020
Some fun stories featuring a lot of timey-wimey and surprisingly little Marty McFly. Instead Doc Brown takes centre stage (mostly), though my favourite was the issue featuring Clara's backstory.
March 9, 2017
3.25/10
Fun Nostalgic Ride but that's about it. mostly just a random Mashup of what ifs and origin stories.
Fun Nostalgic Ride but that's about it. mostly just a random Mashup of what ifs and origin stories.
November 30, 2017
Back to the Future is one of those movies I've seen so many times, I could probably recite the dialogue from start to finish. And yet any time I surf past it on cable, I'm inclined to stop and watch from wherever I've jumped in until the end.
So when I heard that there was a new series of comic books that filled in a few untold tales from the popular trilogy, I immediately decided to give it a try. Thankfully, the collection includes original movie author Bob Gale as a contributor. And while none of what we get in the collection would necessarily be canon, there are still some fun tales here.
Collecting five issues of stories, this collection has something for everyone. Whether it's the story of Biff going back in time to the age of dinosaurs or the circumstances of Marty's first meeting with Doc Brown, there are several winners in the collection. And unlike other media tie-in comics, it's easy to recognize the characters we've come to know and love over the course of three movies. (It's a pet peeve of mine when the art becomes so abstract that it's hard to tell who is being depicted in a tie-in comic book).
If you're a fan of Back to the Future, this is a fun collection that will remind you of just why you fell in love with the original movie to begin with. And if you're like me, it may even tempt you to dust off the movies and spend some time with a few old friends again.
So when I heard that there was a new series of comic books that filled in a few untold tales from the popular trilogy, I immediately decided to give it a try. Thankfully, the collection includes original movie author Bob Gale as a contributor. And while none of what we get in the collection would necessarily be canon, there are still some fun tales here.
Collecting five issues of stories, this collection has something for everyone. Whether it's the story of Biff going back in time to the age of dinosaurs or the circumstances of Marty's first meeting with Doc Brown, there are several winners in the collection. And unlike other media tie-in comics, it's easy to recognize the characters we've come to know and love over the course of three movies. (It's a pet peeve of mine when the art becomes so abstract that it's hard to tell who is being depicted in a tie-in comic book).
If you're a fan of Back to the Future, this is a fun collection that will remind you of just why you fell in love with the original movie to begin with. And if you're like me, it may even tempt you to dust off the movies and spend some time with a few old friends again.
June 2, 2018
Rating: Perfect😍
Emotions: Joy, Excitement, nostalgia.
Recommended for: Fans of the movie.
Would I continue reading this series? Yes.
2018’s Marvel-a-Thon Captain America:A book set or written in WWII.
Back to the future is my favorite movie ever (I count the whole trilogy as one movie). Since I discovered it last year, I wanted to read them, they were awesome!
It’s 100% nostalgia for me, we get to see random stories that answer questions we may — or may not— have, like when and how Marty and Doc first met, Clara’s backstory, Emmet’s past, and so much more.
If you are a fan like me, I highly recommend it.
Emotions: Joy, Excitement, nostalgia.
Recommended for: Fans of the movie.
Would I continue reading this series? Yes.
2018’s Marvel-a-Thon Captain America:A book set or written in WWII.
Back to the future is my favorite movie ever (I count the whole trilogy as one movie). Since I discovered it last year, I wanted to read them, they were awesome!
It’s 100% nostalgia for me, we get to see random stories that answer questions we may — or may not— have, like when and how Marty and Doc first met, Clara’s backstory, Emmet’s past, and so much more.
If you are a fan like me, I highly recommend it.
January 12, 2020
I loved this! I loved how it didn't try to retell the stories that we already know and love and it stayed true to the characters as we all know them. This is exactly what it says it is. It is untold stories and alternate timelines. We get to see things like how Marty and Doc first met, what happened to mess up the delorean when Biff stole it, what doc did to get the delorean flying. It was great and I highly recommend!
December 2, 2020
This was made up of little vignettes of events that happened between 1955 & 1985. Marty after he met Doc, but before the events of the first movie, and Doc and family back in 1885.
October 25, 2019
Some fun stuff and some not-so-fun stuff. This trade is a collection of short stories that take place after the trilogy, most of which include Doc telling stories to his kids. Hey, we do get Clara's backstory! Recommended for purists of BTTF.
October 25, 2017
Soy una fan de Back to the future, amo la película y aunque la he visto varias veces nunca me cansare de verla. Por eso cuando vi estos cómics no pude resistirme
El dibujo es el tradicional de un cómic americano, están tan bien diseñados y dibujados, me agrada que los dibujos me recuerdan mucho a los actores de la película.
En si los cómics nos hablan de pequeñas historias que involucran a los personajes, en sí no son de la película, lo que es bueno porque tenemos un poco más de Back to the future.
En este primer tomo conocemos como es que el Doc. Y Marty se conocen y comienza su aventura juntos.
En la segunda historia vemos que. El Doc se involucra con el gobierno para un proyecto secreto.
El dibujo es el tradicional de un cómic americano, están tan bien diseñados y dibujados, me agrada que los dibujos me recuerdan mucho a los actores de la película.
En si los cómics nos hablan de pequeñas historias que involucran a los personajes, en sí no son de la película, lo que es bueno porque tenemos un poco más de Back to the future.
En este primer tomo conocemos como es que el Doc. Y Marty se conocen y comienza su aventura juntos.
En la segunda historia vemos que. El Doc se involucra con el gobierno para un proyecto secreto.
May 16, 2016
2.5*
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was fine, but nothing more really. I wasn't really a huge fan of the art - it looked cute, but I would have preferred something a bit more realistic in terms of actually looking like the characters from the film.
I liked the stories well enough, but they just didn't capture the same tone the films did. So while this was an alright read, I didn't love it.
This bind-up comes out May 31.
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was fine, but nothing more really. I wasn't really a huge fan of the art - it looked cute, but I would have preferred something a bit more realistic in terms of actually looking like the characters from the film.
I liked the stories well enough, but they just didn't capture the same tone the films did. So while this was an alright read, I didn't love it.
This bind-up comes out May 31.
October 21, 2017
Nada mejor para un ochentoso Fan de Volver al Futuro que el mismísimo Bob Gale te cuente historias paralelas y te responda preguntas que nunca tuvieron respuesta, como. Cuando se conocieron el Doc y Marty? No puedo ser parcial, disfrute cada viñeta como un purrete. Seguiré con los demás tomitos. #backtothefuture
November 24, 2020
2.5
I don’t know what I was thinking this would be about but it wasn’t this. I was honestly confused and bored. Like a lot of it didn’t make sense and wasn’t explained and then Marty wasn’t really in it. This just wasn’t for me.
I don’t know what I was thinking this would be about but it wasn’t this. I was honestly confused and bored. Like a lot of it didn’t make sense and wasn’t explained and then Marty wasn’t really in it. This just wasn’t for me.
November 22, 2021
Inessential, but moderately good fun. One for the die-hard fans, maybe
May 13, 2024
Отримав набагато більше ніж очікував. Дуже непоганий фансервіс у Всесвіті трилогії "Назад у майбутнє". Якщо графіка подекуди підводить, сюжетне наповнення та атмосфера на найвищому рівні. Захотілось передивитись легендарне першоджерело.
August 31, 2024
Olvide que lei estos comics hace unos 2 años jaja, este primer volumen lo recuerdo divertido
June 5, 2024
hardly any george :( therefore mid
February 5, 2025
3.5 stars
May 29, 2016
Check out more of my reviews at Boricuan Bookworms
Review Copy provided by Publisher in Exchange of Honest and Unbiased Review
Since I was a kid, I've loved the Back to the Future Trilogy and would watch it constantly. This comic was a welcome addition to that obsession where readers are able to read a series of short stories surrounding the movie trilogy. I loved the art in each short story, each one being a different style to more detailed or loose, more vibrant colors to darkers, depending on the setting. Among the short stories, I was able to know more about the eccentric and loveable Doctor Emmett Brown before he knew Marty, how he even got to meet someone as Marty McFly, his life in the past with Miss Clayton and his kids, and even more. One of the many things I loved was the backstory to Miss Clayton before meeting Doc, and loved how I was able to relate to her with her love for books and how she was different among the women of her society, someone out of time, you may say.
It was great to also see more character development to some we already knew like Marty's parents about the things you expect couples to go through once in a while, and how the Biff from the future ever figured out how to travel with the Delorean.
Overall, it was highly entertaining and wonderful to rediscover this classic film story in a whole different way. A definite must for all fans, and I hope there are more of these <3
Rating: 5 stars
Review Copy provided by Publisher in Exchange of Honest and Unbiased Review
Since I was a kid, I've loved the Back to the Future Trilogy and would watch it constantly. This comic was a welcome addition to that obsession where readers are able to read a series of short stories surrounding the movie trilogy. I loved the art in each short story, each one being a different style to more detailed or loose, more vibrant colors to darkers, depending on the setting. Among the short stories, I was able to know more about the eccentric and loveable Doctor Emmett Brown before he knew Marty, how he even got to meet someone as Marty McFly, his life in the past with Miss Clayton and his kids, and even more. One of the many things I loved was the backstory to Miss Clayton before meeting Doc, and loved how I was able to relate to her with her love for books and how she was different among the women of her society, someone out of time, you may say.
It was great to also see more character development to some we already knew like Marty's parents about the things you expect couples to go through once in a while, and how the Biff from the future ever figured out how to travel with the Delorean.
Overall, it was highly entertaining and wonderful to rediscover this classic film story in a whole different way. A definite must for all fans, and I hope there are more of these <3
Rating: 5 stars
October 11, 2016
This was fun. My only regret was waiting for so long before finally reading it. This is the first volume of a new series that, luckily, got picked up to run beyond the initial 5 issues. This volume serves as a series of short stories that play a run in the entire mythos of Back to the Future. Naturally, the first in the series of stories covers the first meeting between Marty and Doc Brown. After that, the general setting is Doc Brown telling his wife and kids a series of important stories that all lead up to the initial adventures we see in the films. Meanwhile, in the back drop the Doc is setting in place the steps that will eventually show us how he was able to bring the family and the futuristic train time machine we see at the end of the third film. There is one slight confusing detail in that the end of this volume shows us the initial attempt with the train was a failure. I started reading the next volume of the series and, so far, I think that is going to be where we gets some answers so those questions.
I totally recommend for fans of the series to pick this up because it really is entertaining and it helps provide us with some funny adventures and mannerisms each character has. The final issue of this volume provides a neat back story to Clara and how she perceives the adventures of time traveling. The ending to some of these short stories get picked back up upon starting volume 2 so, again, I recommend reading this.
I totally recommend for fans of the series to pick this up because it really is entertaining and it helps provide us with some funny adventures and mannerisms each character has. The final issue of this volume provides a neat back story to Clara and how she perceives the adventures of time traveling. The ending to some of these short stories get picked back up upon starting volume 2 so, again, I recommend reading this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2016
'Back to the Future: Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines' features stories by Back to the Future Screenwriter Bob Gale. It fill in some things we didn't know about Doc and Marty.
The framing story involves Doc Brown in the old West. He's got a couple young sons now and loves to tell them stories. He talks about how he first met Marty, and then what happened with Marty's dad shortly after Marty saved their marriage. We learn about some of the science Doc Brown was involved in, and how future Biff got more than he bargained for when he stole the Delorean.
This is the kind of book that probably should have come out 20+ years ago. Now it's only of interest to fans of the movie, and the stories come across as a bit juvenile. None of them have the pizzazz of the movies, and unless you've seen the movies, you'll miss quite a few in-jokes along the way. The art doesn't look much like the characters and is just kind of mediocre. Kind of like this whole graphic novel.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The framing story involves Doc Brown in the old West. He's got a couple young sons now and loves to tell them stories. He talks about how he first met Marty, and then what happened with Marty's dad shortly after Marty saved their marriage. We learn about some of the science Doc Brown was involved in, and how future Biff got more than he bargained for when he stole the Delorean.
This is the kind of book that probably should have come out 20+ years ago. Now it's only of interest to fans of the movie, and the stories come across as a bit juvenile. None of them have the pizzazz of the movies, and unless you've seen the movies, you'll miss quite a few in-jokes along the way. The art doesn't look much like the characters and is just kind of mediocre. Kind of like this whole graphic novel.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
July 28, 2016
Collects Back to the Future issues #1-5
In some ways, this is a must-read comic book series for any hardcore “Back to the Future” fans. In other ways, it can be frustrating in the way that it feels like fan fiction. Luckily, Bob Gale, one of the original creators of “Back to the Future” is helping to write the stories, so that gives them a little more credence. Bob Gale has comic book writing experience (I’ve read a lot of his “Amazing Spider-Man” stuff), so this medium isn’t new to him.
As the subtitle indicates, this collection gives us a bunch of short stories of events that happened in the “BTTF” canon that never made it into the film. Some of the stories are impactful, and some are just fun to read. Every now and then I felt a little bored, but as a huge “BTTF” fan, this was definitely worth my time.
I bought the first six issues of this series in the floppy comic book form, but because it didn’t blow me away, I decided to stick with reading the collected editions.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
In some ways, this is a must-read comic book series for any hardcore “Back to the Future” fans. In other ways, it can be frustrating in the way that it feels like fan fiction. Luckily, Bob Gale, one of the original creators of “Back to the Future” is helping to write the stories, so that gives them a little more credence. Bob Gale has comic book writing experience (I’ve read a lot of his “Amazing Spider-Man” stuff), so this medium isn’t new to him.
As the subtitle indicates, this collection gives us a bunch of short stories of events that happened in the “BTTF” canon that never made it into the film. Some of the stories are impactful, and some are just fun to read. Every now and then I felt a little bored, but as a huge “BTTF” fan, this was definitely worth my time.
I bought the first six issues of this series in the floppy comic book form, but because it didn’t blow me away, I decided to stick with reading the collected editions.
Final rating = 4.5 stars
May 16, 2020
I am a big fan of Back to the Future movie series and especially Doc Brown. That is why I really enjoyed the stories told by him to his sons :)
May 16, 2018
I'm not a big comic book reader, but I do love Back to the Future and I needed something quick to meet this week's reading goal. This series is available on Hoopla and I definitely want to read more.
February 10, 2017
A fun trade to flick through.
April 19, 2018
Go Back to Back to the Future With This Great Collection of Tales
GREAT SCOTT! A great mix of tales set in and around the classic films. I didn't think there were more stories to be told about these characters, but I thought wrong, dude. I won't give anything away, but if you want to find out how Doc and Marty first met, where - sorry, when - Biff went to before giving himself the Almanac in 1955, and how and why Doc's mansion burned down, then you need to buy this book. So glad I found this!
GREAT SCOTT! A great mix of tales set in and around the classic films. I didn't think there were more stories to be told about these characters, but I thought wrong, dude. I won't give anything away, but if you want to find out how Doc and Marty first met, where - sorry, when - Biff went to before giving himself the Almanac in 1955, and how and why Doc's mansion burned down, then you need to buy this book. So glad I found this!
January 2, 2019
Containing 11 new tales which were originally published in 5 issues, this volume presents several stories about past/present/future meetings and happenings, such as how Marty and the Doc met, why was his house burnt down, and more.
The first issues were loose stories, not completely related to each other. But the final one, "Clara's story" is the setup for volume two of the series, "Continuum Conundrum".
They are pretty easy to read and very entertaining, and contain a preface by series creator Bob Gale. Highly recommended!
The first issues were loose stories, not completely related to each other. But the final one, "Clara's story" is the setup for volume two of the series, "Continuum Conundrum".
They are pretty easy to read and very entertaining, and contain a preface by series creator Bob Gale. Highly recommended!
May 7, 2020
A lil collection of utterly What If? stories.
Some are funny, couple are dumb, the art changes as each one is by a different artist
All these artists and still none of them know how to draw a proper lady like Clara. But easter eggs such as a certainArmy dude Lab Director clearly being Rod Serling? That we got a-plenty!
Also completely worth a look if only for an angry Biff bashing a small dinosaur on the head
Some are funny, couple are dumb, the art changes as each one is by a different artist
All these artists and still none of them know how to draw a proper lady like Clara. But easter eggs such as a certain
Also completely worth a look if only for an angry Biff bashing a small dinosaur on the head
May 13, 2016
Bookdepository'den ciltli halini pre-order etsem mi diye düşünürken internette sayılarını tek tek bulduğum için çok mutlu olduğumu belirtmem gerek. Çünkü 50tl veresim ve üstüne 1 ay daha bekleyesim yoktu açıkçası.
Öyle aşırı süper değiller ama filmlerde anlatılmayan ara kısımlardaki küçük hikayeleri anlatıyorlar. En merak edilen konu olan Marty ve Doc Brown'ın tanışma hikayesi gibi. Baya tatlışlar. Çizimler de çok güzel.
Bütün diyeceklerim bu kadar 6. ve 7. sayıları okumaya gidiyorum şimdi.
Öyle aşırı süper değiller ama filmlerde anlatılmayan ara kısımlardaki küçük hikayeleri anlatıyorlar. En merak edilen konu olan Marty ve Doc Brown'ın tanışma hikayesi gibi. Baya tatlışlar. Çizimler de çok güzel.
Bütün diyeceklerim bu kadar 6. ve 7. sayıları okumaya gidiyorum şimdi.
March 2, 2016
Great Scott! I truly enjoy the Back to the Future franchise, and this comic series is no exception. While it does have rotating artists (something I really don't like), the great writing makes up for it. The series follows the various adventures of Doc, and Marty, all throughout time, and helps to fill in the gaps that the movie trilogy left out. How did Marty and Doc meet? Why did Doc build a time travel train? Get this book to find out!
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