Once a month, we’ll be releasing a list of fictional Multiversity Collection releases. A small group of staff will pick books that they believe are essential for every comic book collection, give you a short reason as to why and then create what we feel would be the ultimate release edition of that book. With that in mind, every one of these articles will start with the following note:
- None of these books are actually books that are in production, nor will they ever be in production. We don’t produce books, just articles.
- This is all very much and incredibly unsubtly based on the Criterion Collection, which actually produces high quality DVDs and Blu-rays of fine films that you can buy. If you haven’t already checked them out in the past, you should really check out their selection now.
So, with that in mind, we bring you the first wave of the Multiversity Collection.
The Multiversity Collection is dedicated to gathering the greatest comics from around the world and publishing them in editions of the highest artistic quality, with supplemental features that enhance the appreciation of the art of comics.
Previous months: May, June, July
#016: Cerebus by Dave Sim and Gerhard
Collection curated by Matthew Meylikhov
One of the single most important comic book series of all time, “Cerebus” is an oft-imitated yet never credited landmark run of comics from Dave Sim and Gerhard. Starring Cerebus the earth-pig born (more cololquialy referred to as an aardvark) with the goal of creating a 300-issue series from a singular creative team to follow one character’s life, Cerebus’ journey from humble beginnings as a barbarian into politics and religion find himself wrapped up in one of the most existential and thought-provoking comic series ever written. Both controversial and epic beyond belief, “Cerebus” was a breeding ground for artistic and storytelling innovation that traveled down many roads, all of which lead to a final poignant moment within the earth-pig born’s long, tumultuous life.
Collected now for the firs time in its entirety in two massive hardcover tomes split at the 150 mark, Cerebus’ life is in your hands now to love and learn from in this boundary-pushing entry into the medium. Never has anything in comics reached for so lofty a goal.
Special Features
- “From Swords and Sorcery to High Society,” a new and raw feature-length documentary with Dave Sim and Gerhard charting the long and tumultuous history of what occured behind-the-scenes durign the production of “Cerebus'” 300 issues
- “Tarim Be Praised”, a literary analysis of the ideas of religion explored within the series
- A collection of all 300 opening pages to “Cerebus,” never before collected outside of their original print editions
- “A Moment of Cerebus,” a companion book annotating “Cerebus'” many nods to other media, put together by the writer of the Moment of Cerebus blog
- A small stuffed Cerebus plush figure
#017: Final Frontier by Tom Scioli
Collection curated by Brian Salvatore
A webcomic, thus uncollected in the United States, “Final Fronteir” is the story of the world’s greatest band – a band who also happens to be made up of superheroes. The story picks up as the band is breaking up, partially due to two participants getting married, and the chaos that ensues not just at their wedding, but all over the universe. Scioli is a master of synthesizing influence, and this book has equal love of pop music and Silver Age comics, all filtered through his unique sense of humor, creating a truly captivating story.
Continued belowSpecial Features
- The Frontiersmen – A character by character analysis by Scioli, showing what tropes, stereotypes, and homages are present, and sometimes hidden, in each of the book’s characters
- Robot Dracula Rises From The Grave – A collection of classic Hammer Horror Dracula posters, recreated with Robot Dracula in the lead position
- Mapping the Final Frontier – A large, 3D (glasses included) map of the universe the story takes place in
- Bonus CD of Final Frontier songs, co-written by Scioli, performed by an all star band of Dave Grohl (GB), Shadowidow (Eleanor Friedberger), Doctor Stiff (John Linnell) and Frank (Mike Watt)
#018: Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and JD Mettler
Collection curated by Vince Ostrowski
Brian K. Vaughan’s socially conscious take on post-9/11 America aimed to take superhero-sized shots at both sides of the political aisle, while trying to show the apathetic and the indifferent why this stuff matters. Current New York Mayor, ex-superpowered crusader Mitchell Hundred is a complex, flawed individual that gives “Ex Machina” the compelling center that a Vaughan comic typically possesses. We watch as his life gets turned upside down by his complicated past and the vulnerabilities of his office. Tony Harris brings a sometimes frighteningly familiar America to life, as he accurately details the dirt of politics, the controversies that arise when art and values are mixed, and the compromises made by those in positions of power. “Ex Machina” is harrowing, at times – brilliantly funny at others – blending pure comic book attitude with weighty hot-button issues in a no-holds-barred way that few mainstream comics ever have.
Special Features
- “The First Hundred Copies”, 100 copies of the edition have been signed by the principle creators and uniquely numbered to be sold exclusively on pre-order from the Multiversity Collection.
- “Journal’s Journal”, a 28-page journal-style account from Journal Moore (as written by Brian K. Vaughan) of her time in the office’s of Mayor Mitchell Hundred.
- “Tony’s Journal”, a 200-page tome of photos of Tony Harris’ friends, NYC sites, and other key reference materials for use in “Ex Machina”. All of them alongside corresponding sketches, notes, correspondence from Vaughan, unfinished art, and finished sequences from the full run of the series. A process piece in the truest, most comprehensive sense of the term.
- “The Political Machine”, a 60 minute interview of Brian K. Vaughan conducted by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow about post-9/11 America, the influence of politics on art and media, and rising political tensions in the present day.
- A do-it-yourself instructions to creating a functioning “Great Machine” costume, including detailed step-by-step parts acquisition and assembly guide. (ability to control machinery with ones mind not included)
#019: Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Collection curated by Walter Richardson
Before “The Private Eye,” before “Saga,” before “Ex Machina,” “Y: The Last Man” was the comic that introduced many to Brian K. Vaughan. Alongside the unstoppable artistic team of Pia Guerra and Goran Sudžuka, Vaughan brought to life a world where men had suddenly gone almost extinct. For a story set in a world of women, though, “Y” is predominantly concerned with men, and one man in particular: slacker Yorick Brown, a 20something who, by some strange twist of fate, fails to drop dead when the rest of the world’s men are struck by a mysterious fatal illness. The comic follows Brown as he travels across the globe to find his girlfriend, Beth, rejecting the weight of cosmic responsibility forced upon him in his role as the last man on earth.
“Y: The Last Man” is many things — a wildly entertaining story, for one — but it is primarily a look at the man of the 21st century. With the gradual shift of gender roles, the scarcity of the jobs by which men define themselves, and the seeming lack of control we have on our own lives, what makes a man? While Vaughan, Guerra, and Sudžuka may not be able to answer us directly, “Y: The Last Man” is full of food for thought.
Special Features
- All sixty issues of the critically acclaimed comic series in one volume Continued below
- Brian K. Vaughan’s script for the never produced film adaptation
- An interview with Pia Guerra regarding the visual design of the post-apocalyptic, post-male landscape of the series
- “The Last Men”, a collection of essays by writers from different analytical backgrounds on Yorick’s role as the male of the 21st century
#20: The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson
Collection curated by Michelle White
Originally serialized in 2000 A.D., “Halo Jones” is a landmark of character-driven science fiction. Telling the story of a woman who is completely unremarkable, except for the thing that makes her truly remarkable – her desire to escape her circumstances – Moore and Gibson paint a compelling portrait of a woman who stands in conflict with a busy and brutal future universe. Transitioning from a light-hearted tone in its first two volumes, to a much darker one as it reaches its third, “Halo Jones” spans a whole complex of themes, from celebrity culture to the horrors of war. In the middle of it all, Halo Jones stands supreme as a a sympathetic character who undergoes tangible change and growth. As absorbing and relevant a read now as it was three decades ago, “Halo Jones” is essential reading for the modern science fiction connoisseur.
Presented in its original black and white, while preserving the oversize formatting of its initial run, the three volumes of “Halo Jones” feature all-new, full-colour covers by Ian Gibson.
Special Features
- “Slappy Mammoths”, an illustrated glossary of terms and slang employed throughout the series
- “Nice Talking To You”, essay by Moore about Glyph as a character and his-her centrality to the Clara Pandy arc
- A detailed map of The Hoop, with notes on its planning and architecture
- “Chop Party”, all-new short comic by Moore and Gibson about the origins of Lux Roth Chop
- Capsule summaries of three seasons’ worth of Halo’s favourite soap operas
- “The Yortlebluzzgubbly Songbook”, music and lyrics to the greatest hits of the 50th century
- A gallery of covers from the Quality comics reissue, with tongue-in-cheek commentary by Gibson
- “Just Out”, short essay by Moore outlining his plans for the unrealized future issues
#21: 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa
Collection curated by special guest Joe Eisma
20th CENTURY BOYS, the epic, multi-generational conspiracy story from legendary Mangaka Naoki Urasawa helped transcend comic genres. Uncover the mysterious identity of The Friend and his true motivations alongside Kenji, Otcho, Kanna and dozens more. How did a story concocted by boys with active imaginations evolve into a formula for global genocide? Urasawa captivates the reader by weaving a mysterious tale spanning through the years of Kenji’s youth and adulthood, and beyond with his niece, Kanna.
Special Features
- Commentary from the creator himself, Naoki Urasawa
- “20th CENTURY TUNES”, a documentary chronicling the importance of music in the story of 20th Century Boys, as well as creator Naoki Urasawa’s musical endeavors.
- Interactive Timeline of Story Events
- Character Bios
- “BEHIND THE CENTURY”, a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the series, chronicling Urasawa’s earliest inspirations, to the production and release.
- “20TH CENTURY INFLUENCE”, noted comic creators from around the world discuss Urasawa and the influence of 20th Century Boys
