The Multiversity #1 Review and Spoilers

[HsssH]

Captain Carrot seems to remember meeting Superman in Final Crisis, but Superman's memories of events are like dreams.

He might have met Superman somewhere else. After all he mentions that all humans look same to him, he goes by costume colors mostly.

So Superman's crew were headed for Earth-7, but landed on Earth-8, which was going through 90% similar events. Shouldn't Nix still be on Earth-7? Is this an alternate version?

It isn't clear on how much time has passed between the time that Nix saved Thunderer and all the crew gathered. He might have been corrupted on Earth-7 and reborn on Earth-8 in that genesis egg.

[morgothsenior]

Can someone who doesn't have a PHD in DC history understand what's going on in this book?

[Sirzechs]

Can someone who doesn't have a PHD in DC history understand what's going on in this book?

Yes in a sense. long time DC fans will recognize most of the characters but new readers can still jump on certain things will still be confusing like the first six pages

[morgothsenior]

Yes in a sense.

Well, that disclaimer's not too encouraging.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

Can someone who doesn't have a PHD in DC history understand what's going on in this book?

Honestly? I don't think a new reader will enjoy this. It's loud noise and meta-references and chaos and recycled themes. You could easily just call this book "DC COMICS". I think that may be the point of the story.

I would be lost and confused and mildly entertained if I weren't a DC fan and read it. If you're a fan of the Crisis events, this is the book to read. So far, it feels like Final Crisis 2. It continues the story in a broader sense. We're seeing the multiverse thrown into chaos since the Monitors were killed and left the Hall of Heroes unoccupied. The New 52 may actually turn out to be the effects of the multiverse being attacked and not guarded by the Monitors properly.

The themes and visuals in this book are all of the abstract(and incredible) things Morrison introduced in Final Crisis that confused and frustrated the lazier readers. There's a certain demo that thinks comics should be nothing but heroes killing each other or maniacs murdering super villains page after page. If you aren't in that demo, then give this book a shot. It pushes the boundaries of what a comic book can be. It's hyper-fiction.

[DjessNL]

Some 5th grade deducing from a Morrison newb:

Obviously the Transmatter Cubes, or rather the ideas of it, were sent through the universe in different forms. Really Inception shit. Visions, comic books, drug induced hallucinations.. Won't be long till we hear of Dreams. I supspect we will actually see Dream himself too. Daniel, that is.

I really thought Thunderer was a Thor analogue and we saw the Marvel verse in the first few pages, what with the dead Captain America on the ground. Liking Thunderer though, and Aquawoman. Is Red Racer a Quicksilver analogue as rumored? I really doubt it.. Calvin Ellis continues to be one of my favourite characters in recent comics.

I was intrigued that Vathlo didn't name a Earth we know. Or well, know better. Earth 1, 2, 3 and such. It makes sense to not have them be a base plotline, but an offhand mention wouldnt hurt (unless those numbers are the ones we'll be visiting next. Haven't done my homework). But if it wasn't, something odd is going on... 'They don't know their DC from Major comics' had me giggling. Is that Power Torch Arcane? Arcane Green Lantern? I haven't been reading Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse either.. (I know it's not part of the Nu52... right?)

Ah.. there we go. Lord Havok. And it seems he has analogues of Mjolnir and the Infinity Gauntlets, DUH, but what is the Genesis Egg? I wonder if the Omni Gauntlets work in similair fashion as the Infinity Gauntlets, only working in their home universe.. and if every universe has them? Doubt it. I REALLY like the Not!Spider-Man/Spider-Woman and Not!Hawkeye.

OH! Major is Marvel huh? Wow. Slow me. I mean, I realized the Earth was an analogue to Marvel but figured that hte offhand mention to Major Comics was.. Idk, didn't they buy a company called Major back in the days?

So next issue is ConstantineFate, EtriganLantern and Lady Blackhawk and such, right? Get hype.

[morgothsenior]

Honestly? I don't think a new reader will enjoy this. It's loud noise and meta-references and chaos and recycled themes. You could easily just call this book "DC COMICS". I think that may be the point of the story.

I would be lost and confused and mildly entertained if I weren't a DC fan and read it. If you're a fan of the Crisis events, this is the book to read. So far, it feels like Final Crisis 2. It continues the story in a broader sense. We're seeing the multiverse thrown into chaos since the Monitors were killed and left the Hall of Heroes unoccupied. The New 52 may actually turn out to be the effects of the multiverse being attacked and not guarded by the Monitors properly.

The themes and visuals in this book are all of the abstract(and incredible) things Morrison introduced in Final Crisis that confused and frustrated the lazier readers. There's a certain demo that thinks comics should be nothing but heroes killing each other or maniacs murdering super villains page after page. If you aren't in that demo, then give this book a shot. It pushes the boundaries of what a comic book can be. It's hyper-fiction.

DC doesn't want my money these days.

[Jim Kelly]

I think it's safe to say most folks are aware he's not writing this out of nowhere at this point. He's done this so many times, dipping into the mythology of so many series, it's practically his M.O.

Probably, but I got a different impression in your review when you said "It’s fun to see all the new characters Morrison has come up with. The superhero rabbit known as Captain Carrot for instance."

I know you're not connecting the dots, but a little connecting of dots might bring things into perspective.

On the other hand, I think I way overthought Morrison's SEVEN SOLDIERS which fizzled out at the end. Likewise with FINAL CRISIS. Morrison has a hard time bringing things to a conclusive conclusion.

[Sirzechs]

I thought Red Racer was a multiverse flash, seeing he was with a Green lantern.

[HsssH]

I don't really agree that new reader wouldn't enjoy this. Sure there are various details that people familiar with DC and Morrison's work might notice, but story works perfectly without those details too. You don't need to PhD to laugh at cartoon physics line and issue has number of such moments.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

Thunderer is an Aboriginal analogue of Thor. The story starts off on Earth-7, but Superman seems to have sent them to Earth-8. He might have played one of the notes sharp or flat and they went slightly off. E7 and E8 are elements in between the universe. Earth 7 seems to be sort of an amalgam of DC/Marvel, while Earth 8 is a direct analogue. So Thunderer is similar to the new Shazam Wizard and Thor both. Wunderjin is the Thor analogue.

Red Racer is a Flash analogue. He's the boyfriend of their Green Lantern analogue, Hank. They seem somewhat similar to Power Ring and Johnny Quick. They're from the same universe as Superdoom. Their team is apparently the only heroes left after Superdoom attacked. Red Racer's name is a reference to the Black Racer, the New God Grim Reaper that also takes the form of the Black Flash to hunt and kill Speedsters.

Morrison is staying away from the main earths because they already have books. Earth 1 is a mystery, but still seems to be a newborn world centered around Krona and his egg prison from Trinity Weekly.

I think non-Hawkeye is named Deadeye.

The next issue stars Doc Fate from Final Crisis, a pulp hero Dr. Fate and Green Lantern, which seems to be Abin Sur mixed with some of the Alan Scott's mystical origins. Morrison gave him an ironic 'demonic' look, which causes earth not to trust him.

[Sirzechs]

Seen the reviewer over at comicvine say this isn't a new52 book but isn't it basically expanding the new 52 multiverse?

[HsssH]

You think that elements of Trinity weekly will be revisited?

[ReverseReverseFlash]

Seen the reviewer over at comicvine say this isn't a new52 book but isn't it basically expanding the new 52 multiverse?

He's wrong and shouldn't be reviewing anything.

This is the New 52 multiverse. Morrison has been tasked with mapping out the entire thing.

Keep in mind, there are some hard-headed readers who dismiss everything "New 52" as different or alien or unfamiliar. They don't want to admit that the New 52 is just another post-Crisis era phase of the DCU. So anytime they see anything reference any old history(like with Nix from Final Crisis), they ignorantly label it pre-New 52. They don't know any better and they're too closed-minded to believe otherwise. Ignore them.

These are the same morons who say Batman Incorporated was pre-New 52. They haven't actually read any of the new books, so they base everything off of solicits, covers, and assumptions, and they'll push that viewpoint on everyone else to protect their ignorance and bias against anything that doesn't agree with their nerd-nostalgia.

You think that elements of Trinity weekly will be revisited?

I....Kinda hope not. But the multiverse map shows Earth 1 as being that glowly proto-world that was born at the end of the weekly from Krona. This may be a carry-over from Morrison's older version of the story and the result of DC simply not wanting to do anything with Earth 1 right now.

[Jim Kelly]

My thought on looking at previews was that the Red Racer was intended as a reversal on the Black Racer of Death.

Looking at the multiversity map, I was let down to see that the Bleed is only between the new 52 Earths. When I read FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND 3D, I got the feeling that the Bleed was enveloping everything and beyond beyond. Hinting that should you go right outside the 52 multiverse, you would emerge into the infinite multiverse where every possible reality exists.