MARVEL GOLD ’76 #1 – Certainty Ruins the Game

Creative Team – Stephanie Phillips, Madibek Musabekov, Luis Guerrero, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Leinil Francis Yu, Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Published by Marvel Comics

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The Story

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Shawn – I really was not ready for Marvel Gold ’76 #1. The unlikely pairing of heroes with an even more unlikely (but somehow perfectly reasonable) pairing of villains was such a unique experience. The result is a chaos-run-amok story from Stephanie Phillips that is entertaining and compelling. Phillips perfectly captures these characters, with a particular honor reserved for how well she writes Bullseye in this story. She perfectly captures the brash ego of Poindexter, while also sending a chill down your spine with his ruthless commitment to perfection.

I love the characters Phillips paired up for this issue. It gave me the same feelings of excitement I got from Imperial Guardians when you get to see characters that, on paper, probably don’t make a lot of sense working out together because of stellar writing. Phillips kept my attention through the entire story, complete with an ending that I really didn’t see coming. It was neat to see her weave each of these characters, powerful in their own right, into a cohesive story.

Megan – Marvel Gold ’76 #1 brings together a team of very unlikely heroes to stop the plans of the Mad Titan. Nova, Jack of Hearts, and Starlord each are on their own mission, but working towards the same goal. The only problem is that they’re working against the most deadliest assassin in the Marvel Universe, Bullseye. Bullseye was hired by Thanos on a mission that could possibly end the world as we know it, and Bullseye is never one to back down from a challenge.

Seeing these intergalactic heroes work together makes me want to see them team up again! Stephanie Phillips writes each of these characters to work as a well oiled machine, even when they’re up against someone as unpredictable and unhinged as Bullseye. What I love is that the team is made up of characters that you don’t get the pleasure of seeing very often. Nova, Jack of Hearts, and Starlord are all powerhouses in their own right and I’d love to see more of them in the future! Characters aside, the comic is full of action, excellent team work, and and some excellent powersets put on full display! this was a ton of fun and you really couldn’t guess what was going to happen next. Great work from Stephanie Phillips!

The Art

Shawn – Madibek Musabekov, Luis Guerrero, and Joe Caramagna perfectly captured the tone and chaos of this story. Musabekov gives the story a current look but with a classic feel deserving of the comic’s title. The cityscape in particular shines as some of Musabekov’s best work making the city feel like a character. The city alone gave me John Romita Jr. vibes thanks to Musabekov’s line work and shading.

I thought Luis Guerrero did a stellar job handling so many cosmic heroes. It’s tough to balance these comic heroes against a street-level threat like Bullseye in a way that gives each character their own chance to shine, but Guerrero captures it perfectly in the colors. I particularly loved the way energy was colored in the story, capturing the cosmic feel of everything. Joe Caramagna does another stellar issue of sound effects while also making sure the story paces well by helping you move effortlessly through it. Caramagna makes sure that when someone as powerful as Thanos is speaking, you feel the weight of his words. You feel the challenge and sadism in Bullseye’s voice.

Megan – With a story as fun as it was, you have to have artwork that matches the energy, and that’s exactly what the artists gave us. Madibek Musabekov, Luis Guerrero, and Joe Caramagna gave a lot to the pages of Marvel Gold ’76 #1 and I think the readers will absolutely love it. Musabekov’s line work is nothing short of stunning, with beautiful detailing work and excellent shading. I loved the looks of the characters, especially Nova, Jack of Hearts, and Starlord. Each character had their own unique look on full display but somehow fit in very well with the others.

Guerrero handled the coloring and knocked it out of the park. The comic takes place at night, and Guerrero was able to add vibrancy to the nightlife of New York City. The characters look very bold and bright against the dark backgrounds and it really makes the characters feel like they could pop off the page. Joe Caramagna is the letterer of Marvel Gold ’76 #1 and does a fantastic job at capturing the tones of the wildly different characters and making them mesh together beautifully. Caramagna also makes great use of the sound effects that help the reader experience the excitement on a whole new level. Together, the artists really made something special!

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 9/10. Marvel Gold ’76 #1 was a fun romp through some unique characters. Stephanie Phillips really took the opportunity to showcase how a street-level threat could pose a serious challenge for a cosmic level team of heroes.

Megan – 10/10. I had so much fun with Marvel Gold ’76 #1! I loved seeing these characters come together and work toward the same goal. Also, it’s nice to know that Bullseye is a nuisance for even the intergalactic heroes.

Overall Grade – 9.5 /10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of this issue!