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Marvels: Eye of the Camera #3: Review

Jan 2009
Kurt Busiek, Jay Anacleto

Story Name:

Shadows Within

Review & Comments

Rating:
4.5 stars

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #3 Review by (March 31, 2021)

Review: For a review of the series as a whole, see under issue #1.

This issue: Phil is so disturbed at the cynical and even hostile reactions to the Marvels that his indignation grows until his own faith is shaken. Phil’s world has crumbled. He has a few more issues in which to get it back but that’s not his basic concern: as we’ve seen, his greatest fear is that his life has been spent foolishly. And that’s a harder thing to get over.

Comments: Story takes place after the events of MARVELS in the late 1970s, real time. Marcia Hardesty was introduced in MARVELS #4. The Madbomb story was in CAPTAIN AMERICA #193; the X-Men tale in X-MEN #97; the Spidey adventure in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #175. Roger Stern is credited as co-writer; no inker is credited. And yes, the cover says this is part 1 of 6.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #3 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Phil Sheldon goes on a TV talk show to talk about heroes: why the Marvels who give us hope are criticized and unappreciated by the populace; the host, Sam Reuther, brings up questionable new heroes like the Punisher, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider. Phil is offended at this new dark breed of hero indistinguishable from villains but his time is up and he leaves the studio discouraged. On his way out he encounters Marcia Hardesty, his former assistant, who is gaining experience in creating documentaries, which Phil once suggested to her. He leaves on a happier note….

Phil continues with his cancer therapy, still annoyed at the world’s more cynical take on the Marvels. His doctor suggests he find something to occupy himself. Soon, he’s in Central Park, interviewing a kid who was thrilled to see Iron Fist in action. At Avengers Mansion, Phil learns that Wasp was injured in action so he heads to the hospital where he finds the giant Yellowjacket passed out in the street; Vision delivers a serum created by Beast and the huge hero’s life is saved. Phil is happy to hear positive comments about the Marvels after these incidents….

Then Phil learns of the genuine monsters popping up all over the country: Morbius, Man-Thing, Son of Satan, Werewolf By Night, and more. Then the Falcon is accused of murder so Phil hits the streets and interviews citizens about the matter and meets a man who lost his family’s home when Daredevil and Torpedo destroyed it during a battle….

Weeks later, Phil is still thinking about collateral damage when the Madbomb strikes and Captain America and the Falcon seem helpless. Then the X-Men are involved in an incident at the airport and apparently Marvel Girl wipes all evidence from camera and minds which Ben Urich calls a cover-up, not the act of “good” guys. J. Jonah Jameson is kidnapped by the villain called the Hitman and held at the Statue of Liberty; Spider-Man and the Punisher team up to rescue him and…Spidey stands by while Punisher outright murders Hitman. Even Phil’s faith is shaken in the Marvels…and he collapses….



Jay Anacleto
Brian Haberlin
Jay Anacleto (Cover Penciler)
? (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Richard Starkings.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Falcon
Falcon

(Sam Wilson)
J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson

(JJ Jameson)
Punisher
Punisher

(Frank Castle)
Spider-Man
Spider-Man

(Peter Parker)

Plus: Hitman (Burt Kenyon).

> Marvels: Eye of the Camera: Book info and issue index

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