Marvel's "What If" Series

**pinkfloydsound17** · 07-30-2012, 07:30 PM

I know about this series but have never ventured into reading any of the issues. I have done a bit of reading but I figured I would ask you guys if any of the Marvel "What If" issues are worth a read and if so which ones.

**Scott Harris** · 07-30-2012, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by pinkfloydsound17

I know about this series but have never ventured into reading any of the issues. I have done a bit of reading but I figured I would ask you guys if any of the Marvel "What If" issues are worth a read and if so which ones.

Two classics:

**Jezebel Bond** · 07-30-2012, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by pinkfloydsound17

I know about this series but have never ventured into reading any of the issues. I have done a bit of reading but I figured I would ask you guys if any of the Marvel "What If" issues are worth a read and if so which ones.

There are two series...one from 1977-84 and the other from about 1989 up. I prefered the first series, having read about 30 of them. I went according to my favourite characters....Spidey, Daredevil, X-Men characters like Phoenix. As you're a Spidey fan you might enjoy #1, 8, 19, 24, 30. I was never too sure about Sgt Fury and outer space...

**destro** · 07-30-2012, 08:24 PM

Both series are a mixed bag, so many different people worked on them.

I tend to think that the 1st series was a bit stronger. The 2nd series went a bit mad with "everybody dies" stories and had a heavy emphasis on all of the usual 90s suspects. The 2nd series also tried out more new talent, which led to a lot of fairly weak art in the later issues.

Since there is no need to read them in any sort of order, I'd suggest just picking up a bunch of the cheaper issues from both series and see what you think of them.

Even some of the weaker issues are kind of fun, just in how bizarre they are. I always enjoyed the way they were presented by the Watcher as actual alternate realities unfolding.

**GavinR** · 07-30-2012, 08:37 PM

That is my favorite issue from the first series. The second series has some gems but I do have to agree with destro.

That is my favorite issue from the second series.

**destro** · 07-30-2012, 09:09 PM

I'd also like to note that you can't really judge them by their covers. Some of the best premises were done quite badly. And some of the stupidest ideas worked out nicely.

Case in point, #24 of the 2nd series "What If Wolverine was Lord of the Vampires". Kind of stupid premise and the cover features 3 characters I personally could care less about. Amazingly it's not a bad story. So it's worth sampling even the odder/dumber sounding issues at times.

Edit: Wow, I never noticed before but Roy Thomas actually wrote this one.

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**Alan2099** · 07-30-2012, 09:21 PM

From the second series, two of the ones that really stood out to me were "What if Ironman sold out" where instead of just being a superhero, Tony Stark mass produces his armor and technology and puts it on the market. Another one I love is just "What if Starrign Juggernaut". Towards the end of the series, they changed the titles around so instead of telling you what the idea for the plot was, they just told you who it starred. The stories here tended to be rather dark, even by What if Standards. Still, What if starring Juggernaut had a very nice twist on the cliche "everybody dies" formula that lots of people tend to say they disliked about the series.

**adam_warlock_2099** · 07-31-2012, 07:25 AM

One of my first comics I ever read was a What If? about the Hulk. It had Larry Stroman art in it and it was a good read. I still like it out of nostalgia.

Some of my favorites all from the second series ...

#22 -- ... the Silver Surfer had not escaped Earth?
#49 -- ... Silver Surfer possessed the Infinity Gauntlet?
#71 -- ... the gamma bomb had spawed a thousand Hulks?
#77 -- ... Legion had killed Magneto?
#81 -- ... the Age of Apocalypse had not ended?
#108 -- stars Silver Surfer and Carnage
#112 -- stars Kazar if NY were still the jungle
What if starring X-Men in the Age of Apocalypse one-shot
What if Annihilation had reached Earth one-shot

**Phil Maurice** · 07-31-2012, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by destro

The 2nd series also tried out more new talent, which led to a lot of fairly weak art in the later issues.

Very true. Some awfully poor scripting as well. I liked the premise for #28 (What if Captain America led an army of Super-Soldiers in WWII?) enough to order the second part of the story. It arrived yesterday (What if Captain America formed the Avengers?), and was a crushing disappointment. Spidey Super Stories-level writing with middling art.

To say something positive: from the first series, #35 ( the now-anachronistic "What if Elektra had lived?") was a decent story with some nice Frank Miller work.

**Roquefort Raider** · 07-31-2012, 08:32 AM

The first volume was based on classic Marvel stories, mostly, and often used creators associated with the characters depicted. Frank Miller did the "What if Elektra had lived?" story, Jack Kirby did the "What if the F.F. were the original Marvel Bulletin?" and the story "What if Conan walked the Earth today?" was made by the regular team of Thomas, Buscema and Chan. The series often had a classic feel to it. There are truly great issues in there ("What if Dr. Doom had been a hero?", "What if Shang Chi had not turned his back on Fu Manchu?", "What if Dr. Strange had been a disciple of Dormammu?" and so on).

The second volume relied more heavily on current Marvel stories, and because many stories of the 80s were pretty bad the result was less interesting. Who cares if the crossover Inferno had ended differently? And the art was rarely up to par with the first volume. There are a few good ones, but it doesn't compare with volume 1 IMO.

**dan bailey** · 07-31-2012, 08:52 AM

A favorite of mine --

If memory serves, the scenario was resurrected for the fine Agents of Atlas mini(s) a few years back.

**Scott Harris** · 07-31-2012, 09:13 AM

I will also echo that the quality of the first series is significantly higher than the second, for all the reasons previously mentioned. There are some solid stories scattered throughout the second series, but the first is better all around.

Also note that just about every issue being held up as examples here feature the Avengers. I'm not sure why the Avengers had so many great What If? issues, but if you are an Avengers fan, you will definitely want to check out the first series.

**dan bailey** · 07-31-2012, 09:15 AM

As it happens, I own only a couple of issues from the 2nd series, probably purely by happenstance. The first series, though, I made a point of acquiring every issue of.