Marvel Comics in the 1970s: The World Inside Your Head by Eliot Borenstein

Marvel Comics in the 1970s: The World Inside Your Head Reviews

• 
  Steve

  I don't imagine too many people are precisely located in the center of the potential audience for a book like this than I am. I discovered comic books in 1966 when I was 7, and by the time covered in this work, basically 1972-1977, it seemed as if comics were growing up right alongside me. Not all of them, of course, but I was most impressed by the ones written by Steve Englehart, Don McGregor, and Steve Gerber, as well as some of the ones written by Doug Moench and Marv Wolfman. Borenstein does a deep dive into most of the comics I loved the most as a teen.
  
  Borenstein is a comics fan, but he's a Professor of Russian and Slavic studies for a day job. The guy is extremely good at seeing patterns in these comic books that I only dimly understood at the time. I could tell they were different from all the rest, but Borenstein goes deeper into explaining what made them work (and what flaws they still had) than anybody I've read.
  
  Doctor Strange, Captain America, the Avengers by Englehart. Werewolf by Night and especially Master of Kung Fu by Moench. Tomb of Dracula by Wolfman. Killraven and Black Panther by McGregor. Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, and Howard the Duck by Gerber (though I wish he had made the chapter longer and covered the Defenders as well). Yes, comic books are a visual medium, and he does refer to the artists some of the time - but these writers were consistently different from the rest of Marvel's output at the time, and it's great to see them recognized.
• 
  Kevin

  An interesting and an intellectual read on the landscape of 1970s Marvel. I especially appreciated Borenstein's ability to discuss the historical & cultural importance of characters that have become insensitive and problematic in our contemporary understanding of race and culture. Borenstein gracefully writes across the challenges to understand the history without vaulting problematic characters out of the dustbin of history.
• 
  Brent

  An interesting look at Marvel Comics in the 70's, concentrated on some of my favorite comic book writers: Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Doug Moench, and Don McGregor.
  I didn't always agree with the authors interpretations and conclusions, but I do enjoy hearing other people talk about comics.
• 
  Ben

  If I see a book with this title, I'm going to read it. The interest that this book held for me was contaminated by its obligatory stupid wokeness and predictably smug sophistry.
• 
  Nick Tangborn

  Deep nerdness waxing heavily on plot summaries. For fanatics only.
• 
  Michael Dunn

  The 1970s typically doesn’t get as much attention as the 60s or 80s in terms of major comics history, but this book does a nice job showcasing how creators took what was established in the decade prior and added their spin to it, dating to make more radical stories and give more depth to certain characters that may not have been as loved as the biggest sellers.
  
  The arc summaries might get old to some, but it’s definitely nice seeing these stories and creators get love.
• 
  John Smith

  An Academic exploration of several major Marvel series in the 1970s. Start out establishing Jen Jack Kirby and stanplease contributions acontributions about making superheroes more human and introspective Period Then we get looks at Doctor Strange Tomb of Dracula Master of Kung Fu Werewolf By Knight and Howard the Duck and wrap up with a brief look at Claremont's X-Men.
• 
  Paul Dinger

  If this is your jam, you are going to love this book. It's section on Dough Moench and Master of Kung Fu has been done better in All the Marvels. But his section on Steve Gerber is excellent despite leaving out a discussion of his Defenders run which is masterful in balancing comedy and super hero isms. Gerber's Guardians of the Galaxy is good, but not as good as that.
• 
  Douglas Biggs

  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an academic deep dive into multiple Marvel authors and their runs in the 1970s. Was it overly nerdy? Did it try to apply too much philosophical insight into comic books? Did all this make my day? Yes to all three.
• 
  James

  Very nice serious look at what made these comics special. Not too serious.
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  Rob Eastin

  Very interesting look at some of the writers of marvel comics in the 70s and how they evolved comics with their revolutionary approaches.