Marvel: The Lost Generation #12

The Plot: A time traveler journeys to the past and learns the fate of some previously unknown Marvel heroes who died fighting off a Skrull invasion between the Golden and Silver Ages. She then goes further into the past to prevent the tragedy she just witnessed.

Anyone who liked Byrne's art on John Byrne's Next Men will enjoy the look of this title. Despite an unmemorable cover, I was curious enough about this book to pick up the first (well, 12th) issue. Yes, that's right; DC's Zero Hour numbering was so well regarded and so brilliant that Marvel is repeating it here, adding the innovation of having the words "One of Twelve" appear right under "#12" on the cover. God, what are future generations going to think of this crap?

Anyway, I won't be buying the second issue. Stern and Byrne are obviously trying here, and they do have a story to tell. I just don't find it a particularly compelling one.

I don't have an axe to grind against either creator. Stern's Avengers 1 1/2 was one of my favourite comics of 1999, and I gave Byrne's X-Men Hidden Years a positive review as well (although it's a bit slow for my taste). But I don't really understand what the purpose of this series is, other than to perhaps fill a place on the schedule where Avengers Forever once stood.

Unfortunately, neither the plot or the artwork is as compelling as that found in that recently concluded series. I don't make the comparison lightly; both series had stiff, cardboard covers. Both had time travel as a central element. Both had Roger Stern in the credits.

This story, "This is Where It Ends," is apparently the end to a circular tale which will come back to this moment at some point. The generic heroes of the 50s, dying to stop the Skrulls. It all seems mostly an exercise in costume-design for Byrne, and not very good designs at that.

In fact, the only moment that really stood out for me was when the Catwoman-avatar had her moment with the Batman-lookalike. Cute, retro, even dramatic--but not enough to make me spend another dime to see what happens next.

If you're really fascinated by the minutiae of the Marvel Universe, if you really love everything John Byrne does, if you really dig clever time-travel conceits--maybe this is for you. But I didn't enjoy this issue, I don't care what happens next, and I really can't recommend it.

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