Back in the dark depths of the '80s, the folks at Marvel had a pretty good idea. Why not start a whole new universe, where we can tell stories that don't fit into the regular, hero-filled Marvel Universe? The New Universe was a parallel reality, closer to our real world than the Marvel U, a whole new universe where anything could happen. The possibilities were endless! And then they came out with books starring a guy with a super-powered tool box and a bunch of other mediocre, goofy characters. The New Universe soon vanished, never to be heard from again. Until today...
Marvel is taking another shot at making the New Universe cool, and this time they have talented guys like Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca at the helm. In NewUniversal #1, Ellis takes the basic concept of a realistic, parallel world where people gain powers, and runs off wildly in his own direction with it. The first issue introduces a bunch of interesting characters, but doesn't give away too much about where they are all headed. They are just living their normal lives, good and bad, when something weird happens. There is a white flash in the night sky, an ancient temple is uncovered, weird symbols pop up everywhere, some people die and some people seem to develop paranormal abilities.
Being a Warren Ellis book, NewUniversal is full of great characters, big sci-fi concepts, and a few angry Brits. What more could anyone ask for in a comic? (Besides a monkey pirate fighting a zombie ninja. They seem to have left that out of this issue.) Salvador Larocca's art is also a real treat. He excels at small character moments and facial expressions, but he also pulls off giant, cosmic, space stuff. His work here is a little more down to Earth than his recent X-Men art, which emphasizes that the strange goings-on are happening to "real" people. A strange flash in the sky would be the least weird thing to happen in the craziness filled Marvel Universe, but here it seems unique and ominous.
I'm not really sure what might happen next in NewUniversal, and that is a good thing. There is a whole new world of possibilities opened up here and, with Ellis and Larocca in charge, it will be fun finding out what happens next. As long as they keep those Kickers, Inc guys far away from this guaranteed Book of the Week. They were sooo lame.
Marvel is taking another shot at making the New Universe cool, and this time they have talented guys like Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca at the helm. In NewUniversal #1, Ellis takes the basic concept of a realistic, parallel world where people gain powers, and runs off wildly in his own direction with it. The first issue introduces a bunch of interesting characters, but doesn't give away too much about where they are all headed. They are just living their normal lives, good and bad, when something weird happens. There is a white flash in the night sky, an ancient temple is uncovered, weird symbols pop up everywhere, some people die and some people seem to develop paranormal abilities.
Being a Warren Ellis book, NewUniversal is full of great characters, big sci-fi concepts, and a few angry Brits. What more could anyone ask for in a comic? (Besides a monkey pirate fighting a zombie ninja. They seem to have left that out of this issue.) Salvador Larocca's art is also a real treat. He excels at small character moments and facial expressions, but he also pulls off giant, cosmic, space stuff. His work here is a little more down to Earth than his recent X-Men art, which emphasizes that the strange goings-on are happening to "real" people. A strange flash in the sky would be the least weird thing to happen in the craziness filled Marvel Universe, but here it seems unique and ominous.
I'm not really sure what might happen next in NewUniversal, and that is a good thing. There is a whole new world of possibilities opened up here and, with Ellis and Larocca in charge, it will be fun finding out what happens next. As long as they keep those Kickers, Inc guys far away from this guaranteed Book of the Week. They were sooo lame.
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