BOOK REVIEW: MARVEL TAROT DECK & GUIDEBOOK
I admit that tarot is something of a complicated subject for me. Although I don’t consider myself a huge believer in divination, I grew up around such things as tarot and astrology, and I do find the concepts interesting. I appreciate the art design of tarot card decks, and I find ideas of the arcana and their symbolism intriguing. Moreover, as a fan of the Persona video game series, which draws its influences heavily from the tarot, I can appreciate what the tarot can offer as a storyteller. So while I come to the subject of tarot as a relative skeptic, I’m willing to keep an open mind to it as well.
Regardless, the idea of a deck of tarot cards designed around the Marvel Universe was an intriguing idea. With the depth of characters and concepts that Marvel offers, there is some real possibility with the tarot. Each of the cards represents an archetype that can be represented by a specific character. The idea is to represent the journey through life by passing through each stage represented by the cards. That corresponds well with the hero’s journey that characters undertake during their adventures. If you’re interested in seeing how this works in practice, I recommend looking into the Persona series, where the protagonist (representing the Fool Arcana) interacts with the other Arcana types and grows, finally reaching the World, which is the last of the Major Arcana. This is a greatly simplified explanation, but hopefully it shows how the tarot are compatible with fictional characters. In any case, this is a concept that connects beautifully to the Marvel Universe, and I appreciate that Rizzoli was able to release this tarot deck and the guidebook.
The deck itself is a good quality product, and each of the cards is beautifully made. The cards themselves are made from good quality material, with glossy print that allows the artwork to shine through. The back side art of the cards find that proper balance between the Marvel brand and the spirituality of the tarot; it’s a simple design, but an effective one. Though bendable, the cards are also reasonably sturdy and should be strong enough to hold up well after repeated shuffling.
The artwork of Lily McDonnell is presented on each of the individual cards, as well as in the corresponding pages of the included guidebook. Each card stylishly represents each of the characters and artifacts, giving a good sense of each one’s place within the deck. Where appropriate, McDonnell’s art brings out the personality of each character, whether it’s the stoic melancholy of the Silver Surfer, the youthful exuberance of Kamala Khan, or Loki’s devilish charm. The artifacts maintain their visual uniqueness, in some cases bringing that sense of mysticism or cosmic grandeur that works perfectly for a tarot deck. The background and trade dress are also well chosen, allowing the art to stand out while also clearly indicating the card information at the bottom.
Where this deck is likely to meet the most potential resistance is in the choice of characters presented in this set. To be fair, it’s impossible to represent everyone’s favorite characters in a single deck, and there are likely many characters who were considered for each slot in the deck. All that having been said, the choices in this deck seem to heavily favor more recent characters and portrayals, especially legacy characters and those characters presented in the post-Endgame MCU. And to be fair, some of these are well chosen, such as Kamala Khan and Miles Morales. I also appreciated a few of the more obscure choices, such as Illyana Rasputin’s Bloodstone Amulet and the Wand of Watoomb. Other choices are simply offbeat and fun, like Jeff the Land Shark. Spider-Man fans will also like the selection of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson for the Lovers Arcana, a classic couple that often doesn’t get the respect they deserve from the comics. There are some good and even excellent choices in this mix, with some in key roles, such as Deadpool or Daredevil.
At the same time, there are some missed opportunities, and the classic characters should have gotten more representation than we see here. There is no mention of Steve Rogers as Captain America, and even in the entry on Cap’s shield, it’s represented as Sam Wilson’s shield and not the classic version used by Steve Rogers. Hulk is not listed at all, and while She-Hulk is an acceptable character to use, the exclusion of such an iconic character as Hulk, even from a place like Strength where he would clearly fit, is baffling. Other cases were more instances where other characters might have worked better. Adam Warlock would have suited the Death Arcana better than Jean Grey, since Warlock has also died repeatedly, and his resurrections also involve metamorphosis. Longshot might have worked for the Wheel of Fortune, given that his power entirely revolves around luck. Also, there are excluded characters who might have fit thematically in either the deck or the guidebook, such as Tarot of the Hellions, who uses tarot cards as part of her power. None of the final choices in this deck are fatal ones, but there are other character choices that might have been more suitable.
The guidebook by Syndee Barwick is a good introduction to the tarot for the uninitiated, using the Marvel characters to introduce tarot concepts. Each of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards are individually listed and explained, connecting the thematic idea with the chosen character. Each entry also covers the meanings of each card whether it’s upright or reversed, again using the Marvel characters to explain the concept. The book is small-sized, designed to fit in the box containing the tarot deck, so one shouldn’t expect a detailed guide to tarot. Still, it’s an effective starting guide for tarot beginners who happen to be Marvel fans, though I’d suggest consulting more detailed tarot guides in addition to this one.
If you’re a Marvel fan and don’t mind some of the character choices presented here, you’ll get some strong value out of the Marvel Tarot Deck & Guidebook. The deck itself is beautiful to look at, the cards work well functionally, and there are some really good characters that work well in this deck. Other choices are more questionable, especially for fans of the classic characters, but there’s a good enough mix in this deck that the overall selection holds well. Experienced tarot readers may not get much use from the guidebook unless they happen to be curious about the Marvel characters, but they may still get value from it if they enjoy the films. This tarot deck seems primarily aimed towards Marvel fans, but it’s a good deck that will serve its purpose, whether it’s for serious tarot readings or simply for fun.
Score: 4.5/5
Writer: Syndee Barwick
Illustrator: Lily McDonnell
Publisher: Rizzoli Universe/Marvel
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
