Giving these classic characters new and different stories is something I wasn’t sure would work, but Marvel seems to have done a very fine job of it. It’s neat to see these characters without all the high tech stuff they have in the future Marvel stories. I’d say issue one is a success! Read Full Review

Westerns and the Marvel universe were made for each other, having at least a sense of vigilante justice in common, and Gerry Duggan's recasting of familiar heroes in Western tropes is a joyous celebration of both. Read Full Review

1872 is an enjoyable Elseworld or ‘What if…?' kind of tale; the kind that we do not get a lot of these days. It is nice seeing these anachronistic renditions of familiar heroes who are de-powered but still built of the same moral stuff. Scenes with Ben Ulrich and mentions of Aunt May give the strange setting a definitively Marvel theme to the backdrop. And in a very nice touch, the map at the beginning of the comic, with touches of Marvel hero and organization names laid out showing properties, ranches, farms, and establishments is a warm and inviting way to get everyone settled in their seats for a creatively courageous riff on the norm. This one is a keeper, and should play out well. It is unfortunate that we know this cannot continue beyond the end of Secret Wars/Battleworld, so enjoy it while you can. Read Full Review

The big hero of 1872 is Nik Virella though. A book as specific as 1872 would have handled poorly with the wrong artist. While Duggan does have a fantastic script, that can get lost in transmission with someone who doesn't know how to communicate the iconography and the style of a Western, and Virella has all that in spades. While her characters do have some of the look and demeanor of their main Marvel Universe counterparts, they have plenty of differences to also send them off that same path. I never thought I'd be saying this, but 1872 is one of the best books to come out of Secret Wars. With any luck, we'll be seeing more of the Valley of Doom in the months to come. Read Full Review

"1872" is some of the Marvel characters in a small town in the old west. The comic plays around with old ideas, like the crooked mayor and the one-good-sheriff-trying-to-fight-him, but the book is presented in a crisp fashion that will keep the reader engaged. The cliffhanger promises more excitement in the next issue, which is also a big plus. If you like westerns then this is a great book to pick up. Read Full Review

Admittedly, this is the first book I've read that features the art of Nik Virella (that I know of), but I am impressed by both his character designs and his backgrounds, both of which evoke the familiar aesthetic that typify Spaghetti Westerns. Colorist Lee Loughridge is also to be commended for his contribution to this signature style as well. Read Full Review

Another Secret Wars with no overall tie in to the greater story gives us another fun romp with a new take on familiar characters. This is one of the few Westerns that take place in a comic which I've felt like I've been able to get into and I'm unsure if it is from the familiar faces or just overall great writing. I would highly suggest this for anyone with a love of Marvel characters that want something different, well if you like westerns that is. Read Full Review

While it may strike as predictable, it's hard to not be entertained by “1872”. The art is gorgeous and services the story extremely well, with comedic facial expressions and lush environments. While I do recommend the book, it's not mandatory reading. If you're looking for something tied directly into “Secret Wars”, look somewhere else for now since the book never mentions anything directly related to the ongoing event. That the book stands alone is a positive for those who want something different that doesn't constantly mention “The Shield” or (Praise Be) Doom. Read Full Review

Duggan and company have decidely placed their townsfolk Avengers on a hard and potentially fatal road to redemption. If anything, 1872 speaks more to hard-boiled drama than any winking salute to Steve Englehart. Read Full Review

Duggan's script possesses many of the requisite Western tropes"the solo lawman, the self serving mayor, the more-than-he-seems-drunkard"and populates it with a number of Marvel standouts. It's familiar with a capital F, but it's also well executed and engaging. Read Full Review

The flow and the melding of story to art sputters a little in "1872" #1 but, for the most part, holds together nicely. As the various domains of Battleworld are set to do, "1872" #1 gives readers a fun, alternative take on the core of the Avengers. The additional characters around the fringe add depth, but the heart of the story is Captain America as Sheriff Rogers in the Old West, making this an ideal comic for Old West fans, readers who enjoy alternate timelines or folks who just want to read a new take on classic characters. This isn't the flashiest of the "Secret Wars" tie-ins, but it has a lot of character and just as much potential. Read Full Review

Overall, 1872 #1 is a failed attempt at crafting something exciting using tropes that have been beaten to death. Simply replacing a few names isn't going to cut it, and the unnecessary slurs take away from the strong artwork by Virella. Marvel has a strong Western book out right now, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, that 1872 could have taken some tips from but this first issue was very disappointing. Read Full Review

The thing is, I love westerns. I think there is so much untapped potential for western comics, especially given that spaghetti westerns utilize so much of the same visual tricks as sequential art. Unfortunately, 1872 feels like the latest example of why so many publishers don't approach that genre. While this book has a solid foundation for its art, it moves so slowly and differentiates itself so little that it just feels like a bunch of Marvel characters randomly thrown together in variant costumes. If you want my fistful of dollars, you'll have to do better than that. Read Full Review