Review: Marvel Tales by Alan Davis

A three (arguably four) part ClanDestine story, Marvel Tales by Alan Davis begins through a 'stealth prologue' in Thor: The Truth of History. It then casts a wide, appealing net to draw readers in through Fantastic Four Annual #33, funnels them down through a sliding scale of interest (ClanDestine fans vs.  non-fans) in Daredevil Annual #1, and finally drips the remaining few out of Wolverine Annual #1. Dr. Strange is also utilized as a linking thread throughout all three annuals, acting (just as the title characters) in varying degrees of importance with each issue. 


An even balance of character focus, fun and plot clarity is struck in Fantastic Four Annual #33, although lack of ClanDestine knowledge had me slipping a bit. Dr. Strange 'feels' right, although I still miss the heavier, overwrought dialogue from his early years. Interplay between Ben and Johnny-in-a-jar is very well done, and feels warm and authentic. Artwork, inking and coloring are great, and struck me as a bit retro in a positive way. Story elements start with a bang, jumping and flowing through the plot, and pull off the trick of ending neatly, yet being open-ended at the same time. Overall a fun, what-was-that? ride through the Fantastic Four (Fantastic Two?) lens. A good read and worth recommending.

Daredevil Annual #1 complicated the mix, with the addition of Cuckoo into the plot. I followed what was happening, but the tale begins to rely on an assumed body of knowledge, interest and empathy for the ClanDestine characters and back story that I simply don't have. Writing and art done for a specific character (offhandedly dismissed as 'Haitian') struck me oddly in tone and presentation. It felt cliché, and blunt-force synecdoche used in this way (facial structure, language) are something I find off-putting. Daredevil is a character I can't recall actually reading before, and I liked what I saw here, leaving me open-minded about revisiting him again.

Wrapping up the story is Wolverine Annual #1. Speaking as someone who has never read ClanDestine before, the story doesn't so much reach a third act as it does melt into an incomprehensible mess. I firmly believe that a significant problem with the state of the comic industry today is inaccessibility. It's fine to build upon prior events, but the third act contained in Wolverine manages to somehow almost exclusively tell without showing (a no-no itself), yet at the same time does so without actually explaining anything at all. After consulting Wiki on ClanDestine, I found myself bored and unable to even get through all the backstory. As for the issue, Wolverine is merely a prop, Dr. Strange acts as a meek bystander, Cuckoo has incomprehensible motives, and the cast of characters within ClanDestine felt one-dimensional at best, trying to grapple with a multi-dimensional problem.

Although my exposure and affection for X-titles has been random, the Chris Claremont/Alan Davis 'Excalibur' was one of my favorite titles decades ago. I followed it from issue #1 until it stumbled here and there, to finally poop its pants and die around issue #70, where I gave up and abandoned it. Having not paid a whole lot of attention to the names of writers and artists at the time, it wasn't until much later that I realized Scott Lobdell was responsible for the stumbling and the pooping. ClanDestine doesn't seem to be a concept that works with me, and as a result, Marvel Tales as a complete story doesn't work either.