‘All of the Marvels’

Journalist and critic Douglas Wolk spent his pandemic immersed in the world of Marvel. And we don’t just mean he watched all three ‘Iron Man’ movies. Wolk read just about every single issue of every comic book Marvel has published since 1961. The result is ‘All of the Marvels’, the most comprehensive imaginable critical appraisal of what Wolk calls “the biggest story ever told.” Wolk doesn’t retell the Marvel story, except in a brief appendix. But he does trace the Marvel comics universe through diverse threads, from more well-known plots like Spider-Man and the X-Men, to fans-only books like ‘Masters of Kung Fu’ and ‘Dazzler.’ There’s also an extended appreciation of the work of Jack Kirby, the artistic genius behind Marvel’s Golden Age.

I interviewed Wolk just as Wolk was getting ready to head out on a book tour to promote ‘All of the Marvels.’ You’ve never heard two dorkier comic-book dorks dorking out about comics. Or maybe you have. You will learn a lot, and you’ll learn even more if you read Wolk’s book. Excelsior!