Rating: ****

The work that’s been done by James Robinson and Geoff Johns at DC over the past 10 years with the DC Golden Age characters has been amazing.  These men took these characters and have told some great stories.  Well, thanks to Ed Brubaker, it looks like Marvel has their own guy to work some magic with their Golden Age characters.  I know very little about Marvel’s Golden Age when they were then known as Timely Comics.  Other than Captain America and the Invaders (then known as the All-Winners Squad) I really didn’t know much about anyone else.  So when Ed Brubaker introduced the character of Thomas Halloway, The Angel in the first issue of the Marvels Project, I had to back track and do a Wikipedia search for the character to find out more about him.  In this second issue, Halloway dons a costume and begins fighting crime as the Angel. 

Other Golden Age characters make their appearance as well and begin fighting crime including: Fiery Mask, Mister E, and the Phantom Bullet.

In this issue we also see the defection of Nazi Scientist Abraham Erskine to the Allied Forces.  His caravan is ambushed by a young Nick Fury and Red Hargrove.  Again, I wasn’t familiar with the Hargrove character either and I had to do a search.  I feel ashamed.  I thought I knew a lot about comic book history, but Brubaker is teaching me a lesson. 

In the last issue we saw the android Human Torch escape from his concrete prison and set New York aflame.  The Torch escaped and we find him hiding out in a barn out in the country.  There he rescues a man who was about to be killed by some men.  The man thanks the Torch and reveals himself to be an undercover cop.

Another Golden Age character, Monako, makes an appearance.  He is a magician and is preforming at a theater in Times Square. 

During his patrols, the Angel comes across two police officers who find the dead body of the Phantom Bullet.  The Angel attends his funeral and vows to bring the killer to justice.

Our story ends with the Human Torch returning to the city to a police precinct where he asks the desk sergeant how can he join the police department. 

The Marvels Project is great so far.  The duo of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting who have worked together on the current Captain America series are in top form here as well.  I love history, so I’m looking at this story as a history lesson of the early days of the Marvel Universe.  I hope Marvel gives these two another a chance to play around in this part of the Marvel Universe again.  Or maybe even create a Ultimate Marvel Universe series that focuses on these characters.  How cool would that be?  There they could have free reign to do a lot more and change some things if they like the way Nick Fury was changed into an African- American.

Love this series so far.  The only disappointment is that its a miniseries.  I want more!  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  Pick it up now!