Brooke's Reviews > WHAT IF? CLASSIC: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 1

I would do a 3.5 if GR would allow it.

These are the first 12 What If? issues from 1977. They are sprinkled with the things that everything was sprinkled with in 1977--sexism being the most prevalent. Most of the female characters are just so lame, and the male characters treat them accordingly. (At one point, Hank Pym introduces Janet Dyne as "the airhead heiress" and Janet worries that her supersuit clashes with her eyeshadow. Yeesh.) However, there are some decent ladies featured: Jane Foster/Thordis, Lady Sif, Miss Liberty, Betty Brandt/Spider-Girl...all pretty cool.

This collection feels weighted heavily by lots of Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Hulk. That grew tedious. The most enjoyable issue for me was "What If Jane Foster Had Found the Hammer of Thor?" The worst was "What If the Marvel Bullpen Had Become the Fantastic Four?" (Literally Stan Lee & pals become the Fantastic Four. I cannot imagine anyone was ever excited about this issue. Except Stan & pals.) The absolute weirdest was "What If the Spider Had Been Bitten by a Radioactive Human?" That one had me going "wut?"

So much of this was tedious reading, but I think overall I would rate it as "fun." And I do want to read the later issues to see changes in art, etc.