Mark Gruenwald’s Quasar

Mark Gruenwald was one of Marvel’s most prolific and popular comic book writers of the 80s and 90s, but his most personal and dynamic comic book series has been largely ignored since it was last published in 1994. His five-year run on Quasar, the adventures of Wendell Vaughn, the Quantum Band–wielding Protector of the Universe, features some of Gruenwald’s best work in his extraordinary career, and it deserves to be discussed and seen as one of the era’s best. Even though most observers would consider Quasar a footnote, it is anything but—it’s a bold and wild ride through some of the strangest corners of the Marvel Universe. This book will provide a thorough look at what makes Quasar so essential to Gruenwald fans, comic readers of the 80s and 90s, and those interested in Marvel’s cosmic universe by discussing how the series handles themes both light and heavy, often simultaneously. Chapters will discuss topics as wide-ranging as Gruenwald’s interests in continuity and science, along with more serious themes that permeate the series, like depression, suicidal ideation, atheism, and more. Quasar is a tour-de-force that embodies what makes Mark Gruenwald such a key figure in Marvel’s history.

Jason Olsen lives in Price, Utah where he is an associate professor of English at Utah State University Eastern.

Jason Olsen
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9545-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5651-9
Imprint: McFarland