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We crack open the collected edition of the Eisner nominated miniseries

So…while you were away DC Comics just rebooted their Universe. I know, I know, DC does this all the time. The last specific instance being in 2011, when this whole New 52 business first started. However, yesterday’s Convergence #8 revealed the publisher’s ulterior motives for the event.

Spoilers for Convergence #8.

Minor Information Update: 8:30

This might sound completely ridiculous, but it turns out that DC was actually trying to utilize their huge crossover to simply do some maintenance on their current Multiverse policy. So…the Multiverse is now back with new versions of old characters along with the full Multiverse concept, the difference is that all of these worlds have evolved for the aforementioned new characters. The Multiversity Guidebook #1 seems to be more important than ever, as the company is now trying to bring that series into effect with the various worlds introduced inside of it.

Of course, the publisher loves telling event series that are born out of huge sweeping changes to their line. One of the most notable and influential stories being the seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths by George Perez and Marv Wolfman. Since then, the DC has attempted to pay homage to that story time and time again. However, Flashpoint, and the New 52 did mark a time of exploration with them — albeit a tumultuous time in comics that ended up splitting comics fandom in two towards their opinions of DC. In fact, Convergence #8 featured a pair of splash pages highlighting some of the different Earths that were saved by Brainiac in the big event.

The planets with updated characters from the Multiverse include the Pre-Crisis Universe, the New 52 Universe, a gender swapped Universe, a Bizarro Universe, Earth 2, an Ultra Comics Universe, Captain Carrot’s Universe, a place for the Charlton characters, a world for Kamandi to roam free as the last boy on Earth, and more.

Yet with Divergence now being imminent as the next upcoming DC reboot, the company is really attempting to give comics fandom exactly what they want. The House of Batman and Superman are experimenting with new looks for each character and shedding some light on their older and newer established properties. DC is always stronger when they take advantage of their already established canon. DC is over 75 years young, which is exactly why spinning concepts like Prez with new cultural context is likely going to payoff for the comics creators.

With a Multiverse filled with characters both old and new, comics fans should honestly be excited about what is coming next — even if the event that got us here (Convergence) seemed to be too wrapped up in editorial policy to contain a story that stood it’s own ground as a great comic book.

Via Paste Magazine, who also scored a great interview with Grant Morrison about the eighth chapter of his critically acclaimed The Multiversity, here is a five page preview of this week’s reunion between Morrison and his Superman Beyond collaborators Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy: The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1

Given that Superman Beyond is one of my favorite Morrison comics ever, it’s no surprise that I’m looking forward to just what this dreaded comic, that’s appeared in the majority of The Multiversity‘s previous chapters as a corrupting object, will offer.

If my eyes turn red and I start attacking all of my loved ones, you’ll know who to blame.

As an additional note, when speaking with Paste at the above link, Morrison made mention of the team’s biggest influence for the new issue:

One more thing is that Ultra Comics was inspired by the 1970s head comics. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Jim Starlin’s Warlock or Captain Marvel. I grew up on that. Back in the day, people like Starlin would come back from Vietnam and did these fantastic allegorical kind of Pilgrim’s Progress-style superhero comics. So I think Ultra Comics was my and Doug Mahnke’s attempt to almost create one of those cosmic comics of the ‘70s. Everything is allegorical. Everything is a metaphor. Everything is some psychological state. I will mention that, because those guys were a big inspiration for this particular issue.

 

THE MULTIVERSITY: ULTRA COMICS #1

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:10 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:25 Variant cover by DUNCAN ROULEAU
1:50 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:100 Variant cover by GRANT MORRISON
On sale MARCH 25 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
The penultimate chapter of the greatest adventure in DC’s history is here!
The acclaimed FINAL CRISIS team of Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke reunite for a story so big it could only take place in the real world – that’s right, Earth-33 is back!
With the Multiverse under attack, a team of scientists create one final savior to take on the otherworldly threat…and its name is Ultra Comics! Literally held in your hands, one being will attempt to halt the annihilation of creation – and you, the reader, will have a front-row seat as you become an integral part of the resistance!
It’s another exciting, experimental story told by two of today’s top creators! You won’t want to miss this exciting issue which acts as chapter eight of THE MULTIVERSITY storyline.

The Multiversity has easily been among the best of DC Comics’ output since it debuted last August, and with each succeeding issue, it keeps getting better and better. Embracing everything that is weird and wonderful about the DC Universe has made it an utterly unique experience, with its most recent Guidebook issue even being hailed by Robot 6 as the “most DC Comic ever”.

Despite lots of critical acclaim that has it standing shoulder to shoulder with other great superhero comics like Ms. Marvel, the one thing that Morrison’s opus hasn’t quite done is rack up massive sales. They’ve been moderately successful, but slowly diminishing to where Thunderworld sold just under 48,000 copies (and the Guidebook selling under 39,000 per Comichron)

But if there’s one creator that can spike sales with some level of frequency, it’s Jim Lee. He’ll teaming up with Morrison for next week’s Mastermen, which focuses on the Nazi Justice League ruled Earth 10 and the Freedom Fighters.

Via Buzzfeed, here’s a preview of the upcoming issue:

THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:10 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE
1:25 Variant cover by AARON KUDER
1:50 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:100 Variant cover by GRANT MORRISON
On sale FEBRUARY 18 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Superstar writer Grant Morrison joins legendary artist Jim Lee on Earth-10 for one of the most dynamic, action-packed issues of this entire world-shattering series – THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN!
Imagine a world where the Nazis not only won World War II but went on to direct world culture for the next 60 years with the help of an orphaned, alien super-weapon known as Overman! But hope is not lost! Rising from the ashes of oppression are a diverse band of heroes raging against the fascist regime – a band of heroes known as THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!
What nightmarish parallel worlds haunt the dreams of Overman? Who is the mysterious figure called Uncle Sam? And when the dust settles, will the actions of Phantom Lady, Black Condor, Human Bomb, Doll Man and The Ray be enough to stop Leatherwing, Blitzen and the other “heroes” of Earth-X?
Learn all this and more in this exciting issue that acts as chapter seven of the critically acclaimed MULTIVERSITY storyline

Grant Morrison’s Multiversity mini-series has proven to be an unexpectedly fun rfrolic thruogh the various realities of DC’s multiverses. Well, perhaps unexpected is not the world, since Morrison actually excels at this kind of thing and he’s does it before —Seven Soldiers—and probably will do it again. Actually, since this has been in the works since at least 2009, maybe Morrison already did it before. Tt’s Multiversity—anything is possible.

Anyway, the series continuing with an issues drawn by Jim Lee that takes us to a dimension where The Nazis won. This is the seventh of 8 connnecting one0shots ritten by Morrison with art by various folks, depicting various alternative realities of the DCU. Elsewolrds will never really die, will it?

Uproxx has the advance information:

THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:10 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE
1:25 Variant cover by AARON KUDER
1:50 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:100 Variant cover by GRANT MORRISON
On sale FEBRUARY 18 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Superstar writer Grant Morrison joins legendary artist Jim Lee on Earth-10 for one of the most dynamic, action-packed issues of this entire world-shattering series – THE MULTIVERSITY: MASTERMEN!
Imagine a world where the Nazis not only won World War II but went on to direct world culture for the next 60 years with the help of an orphaned, alien super-weapon known as Overman! But hope is not lost! Rising from the ashes of oppression are a diverse band of heroes raging against the fascist regime – a band of heroes known as THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!
What nightmarish parallel worlds haunt the dreams of Overman? Who is the mysterious figure called Uncle Sam? And when the dust settles, will the actions of Phantom Lady, Black Condor, Human Bomb, Doll Man and The Ray be enough to stop Leatherwing, Blitzen and the other “heroes” of Earth-X?
Learn all this and more in this exciting issue that acts as chapter seven of the critically acclaimed MULTIVERSITY storyline.