Impressions: Mini Marvels

Aimlessly walking through the New York Comic Con 2009 artist alley, I came across something that I have never seen before. I spotted a cover of small Marvel characters and I instantly grabbed the book. First thing that came out of my mouth was "OMG! This is so cute!" I browse through the book while I was contemplating whether or not to purchase it. Again, I do not like buying stuff only to end up being disappointed. It is a horrible consumer moment. So, what did I do again? I took a risk and purchased Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors by Chris Giarrusso.

While flipping through the pages, one may notice the simplicity of the artwork. It is comprised of solid colors with less shading and not as intimidating or dynamic as other Marvel character artworks. However, the Marvel characters are recognizable. For example: Spiderman and Fantastic Four maintain their colors, traditional uniform and weaponry.

In regards to the content, there were seven stories and the last page was a look back at the first Mini Marvel comic strips. The features were as follows: Paperboy Blues; Cereal Quest; Paperboy Showdown; Hulk Date; World War Hulk Rally the Troops; Passing the Torch and The Iron Avengers. Even though each story was starring a certain character, such as the Human Torch and Vemon, there was a range of Marvel characters that made appearances, including Captain America, Hawkeye and the X-Men, just to name a few.

The stories were easy to follow, but there was one moment where I did not realize it was part of the story. If you flip through the pages, there is one page that looks like an advertisement. However, looking at the panels before and after the page, I realized that it was part of the story, just a different look. Mini Marvels does contain light humor, but nothing too crazy. I love how the emotions of the characters were drawn. Especially, when one of those moments was when the character instantly changes its facial expression: from a smile to a straight face. I could not help but laugh at the situation. After reading the book, I actually enjoyed it.
© 2010 Linda Thai

Thank you Chris Giarrusso for the cover art!

Check out the links below for more information:
Chris Giarrusso Official Website
The Mini Marvels