Multiple universes.
Multiple worlds.
Multiple heroes.
Multiversity!
You’re in for a delicious comic book treat today! Take a guided tour of the various realities that make up the pantheon of the DC Comics universes with the 80-page The Multiversity Guidebook #1.
Follow me after the jump for a brief introduction!
The Multiversity Guidebook #1
Written by: Grant Morrison
Illustrated by: Various
Published by: DC Comics
Over the last few months, long-time DC Comics writer Grant Morrison has been writing a sort of DC Comics swan song with Multiversity – a somewhat irregular mini-series that takes readers on a tour of the various fifty-two universes that make up the DC Comics universes proper. This column highlighted the first issue, last August, which you can find here.
Each issue, thus far, has been a standalone story, with each having a common storyline thread to them. During the series, readers have visited places like “Thunderworld” – where Captain Marvel (perhaps better known as Shazam!) operates, as well as the Watchmen world in “Pax Americana”– in what was one of the best single comic books I’ve read in a long, long time – a really special issue for the medium.
Anyway I say “swan song” very loosely as there’s no indication that Morrison, a fan favourite writer, won’t work within the confines of DC again. Still, of late, Morrison’s been bringing his various projects to other publishers, so it does seem like he’s done all he’s wanted with DC and is now moving on to different places.
In any case, The Multiversity Guidebook #1, written by Morrison and illustrated by a whole host of fabulous artists, is an 80-page tour of the fifty-two universes that make up DC Comics. It harkens every fanboys wet dream, the 1980’s series called Who’s Who, and acts as a sort of encyclopedia about characters, locales, and even events. Here, you’ll not only find info on the fifty-two worlds, but you’ll also get a detailed history of the various “Crisis” events, a map of all known DC Comic book existence, and action-packed stories starring Kamandi of Earth-51 and the Atomic Knight of Earth-17. You’ll meet the Agents of W.O.N.D.E.R., the Super Americans, the Accelerated Man, Aquaflash and BiOmac, along with many, many others!
With the Multiversity series and The Multiversity Guidebook #1 (there will only be one issue), Morrison is invoking the 1960’s and 1970’s silver age of comics – an age where everything could exist and anything could happen. It was a time of imaginative fun for storytellers, artists and readers – and this book brings all of that youthful exuberance back to the fore.
Make the run to your local comic book shop today and take the tour of the DC universes with The Multiversity Guidebook #1.
Anyone of any height can take this ride – it’s going to be a blast!
