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
#006: “Preacher” by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
Collection curated by Matthew Meylikhov
One of the defining entries into the Golden Days of Vertigo Comics, “Preacher” is a monumental work and the highlight of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s collaborative efforts with one another. With a wide cast of larger than life characters in a hauntingly real setting of impossibilities, “Preacher” is a series that would shape both of the creators involved into the respective medium giants that they are today.
Starring Jesse Custer and telling the tale of a down and out preacher on a quest against the very deity that sanctions his purpose in life, “Preacher” is a beautiful, touching and violent meditation on the effects of religion and its impact on our lives, all set against the backdrop of John Wayne’s fabled Old West. Mixing sensibilities of Fred Zinnemann, Howard Hanks and Delmer Daves with Ennis and Dillon’s now familiar sense of grit and passion, “Preacher” is one of the most important comics to come out of the 90’s and the rise of Vertigo’s darker creator-owned world
It remains a must-read/must-own for any comic book fan to this day.
Special Features
- “Man of God, Man of Booze,” a feature documentary in which top psychologists and psychoanalysts look at Jesse Custer’s journeys and evolution and discuss his various states of mental health and anxiety
- “Hell Hath No Fury,” a documentary looking at Tulip’s role in the series, analyzed by prominent feminist analysts
- “No Sparkles Allowed,” a documentary looking at Cassidy the vampire, comparing him with classic and current famous vampires and how this particular iteration fits in with the overall idea of vampires in pop culture
- “Until the End of the World,” a documentary in which prominent figures in the comic book world discuss the influence Preacher had on books during and after its initial run
- “High Noon,” an analysis of Preacher’s use of the Western genre
- Each edition comes packed with a limited edition engraved FUCK COMMUNISM lighter
#007: “The Red Wing” by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra
Collection curated by Brian Salvatore
“The Red Wing” is a small, but potent, story about destiny and the choices that we make throughout our lives. Set in a future where time travel is a reality, this story is anything but your typical messy, jumping around in the time-space continuum tale. It is a focused, almost antiseptically clean version of a time travel story, but one that rises about that cleanliness by having more heart in it than could have been expected at the outset. A story about fathers and sons in a more complex society is still a story about fathers and sons.
Continued belowSpecial Features
- Commentary by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Nick Pitarra
- “The Hangar,” Pitarra shows all the various designs for the ships that would, eventually, become the Red Wing itself
- “The Linear Wing,” an alternate version of the story presented in as close to chronological order as possible in the style of “The Godfather Saga”
- A miniature die-cast Red Wing
#008: “All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Collection curated by Vince Ostrowski
At once a celebration of everything that Superman embodies and a bold, modern venture in the character’s vast history, “All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely succeeds at teasing our minds in every glorious, gorgeous issue. If Superman means “hope” to you, then “All-Star Superman” will make you believe that man is capable of anything. If Superman signifies “imagination”, then Quitely’s visuals have provided a palette for your imaginations to dwell in – a place for your childhood and adult thoughts on Superman to co-mingle and endure. And if Superman represents the endurance of an ideal, then Morrison and Quitely have crafted the definition of a timeless classic.
Special Features
- “You’re Much Stronger Than You Think You Are,” a 28-minute audio lecture from Grant Morrison about the invention of “The Superman” and what he has meant to us as a society for more than 75 years
- “Trust Me.” a documentary gives a chronological recount of Morrison’s pitch for “All-Star Superman”, it’s development, and a step-by-step process piece on the production of the very first, classic issue
- “The 12 Labors,” Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely reflect together on each issue with a free-form introduction to every chapter of the 12-part story
- “Join Him in the Sun” Gary Frank, J.H. Williams III, Jae Lee, J.G. Jones, Cameron Stewart, Chris Burnham, and Yanick Paquette reinterpret scenes, characters, and concepts from “All-Star Superman” in 7 gorgeous foldout posters
- “The Dust of Dead Stars,” a reprinting of the never-before seen sketchbook of early Frank Quitely concept art, alongside select sketches and storyboards drawn by Grant Morrison himself
- Bonus: Comes packaged with a unique download code for a copy of the “All-Star Superman” animated film
#009: “Planetary” by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday
Collection curated by Walter Richardson
Though it took approximately ten years to complete, Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, and Laura Martin’s “Planetary” was worth waiting for. In its pages, Ellis and company to do the impossible: the story is built around seemingly every single sort of fiction that influenced the superhero genre, and yet manages to avoid coming across as a superhero story at all. Of course, it is a superhero comic — a team of individuals with different sets of powers teaming up to explore the fantastic and stand up to other super-powered beings — but Ellis avoids the tired storytelling conventions that dominate the genre, managing to turn the familiar into the unique.
Beyond plot, “Plantery” is one of the finest examples of the episodic, issue-by-issue comic — so much so that we almost feel guilty collecting it in a single hardcover. Nearly every issue is an entire story, with a definite beginning, middle, and end, while still contributing to the tapestry of the whole. Every issue brings something to the series that has a payoff by the time the series enters its final issues, showing the perfect synergy of the one-and-done format with an overarching story.
The story is brought to life by the combined talents of John Cassaday and Laura Martin, who deliver page after breathtaking page of sheer visual majesty. Just as Ellis adapts his scripting style, Cassaday modifies the tone of his pages to match the story being told, and Martin follows suit beautifully. While Cassaday’s art impresses on every page, it particularly shines in the action sequences, which burst from the page, brimming with energy. However, the true gift that Cassaday brought to the series was his amazing sense of cover design, every issue looking completely different from the one preceding it — and yet no less astonishing. As always, the Multiversity Collection has reprinted “Planetary” in a high resolution format, allowing you to experience these two artistic wonders like you never have before.
Continued belowSpecial Features
- “The Planetary Guide,” a selection of prose by Ellis further detailing the history of The Fourth Man’s sometimes shadowy organization through the century, with new illustrations by Cassaday
- Process work for every single one of Cassaday’s covers
- Each of the Planetary crossovers: “Planetary/Batman,” “Planetary/JLA,” and “Planetary/The Authority”
#010: “Echo” by Terry Moore
Collection curated by Michelle White
Terry Moore’s “Echo” is an enduring example of the kind of rich universe and arresting story that a confident single voice can bring to the medium. Centering on Julie Martin, a photographer who witnesses a top-secret weapons test and subsequently finds herself metamorphosing into a bomb, this is a comic with both plot-level intrigue and enthralling symbolic depth. Moving slowly, and gradually developing the characters alongside the concepts, “Echo” evokes themes of redemption and revelation alongside exploration of scientific concepts. What Moore’s earlier “Strangers in Paradise” did for the intricacies of interpersonal relationships, “Echo” does for the dire questions as to what humanity is capable of; and while the overlap between what is human and what is destructive is one volatile grey area, Terry Moore’s storytelling explores this place with a keen eye for detail and nuance, making this subtle tale a landmark of philosophical science fiction.
Presented in cloth-bound hardback and featuring full-colour issue covers, this edition comes specially packaged in a chrome-effect engraved case.
Special Features
- Introduction and notes by Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Terry Moore sketchbook featuring animals, architecture, and everyday objects which correspond to the Golden Ratio
- Blueprints of the Phi Collider and excerpts from its safety protocol handbook
- Faux CIA dossier containing full-colour art prints of the photographs Julie takes in the first issue
- Mini comic centering on Annie and Dillon’s relationship before the events of “Echo”.
#011: “The Fourth World Saga” by Jack Kirby
Collection curated by special guest Michael Moreci
After years of dissatisfaction and mistreatment at the House of Ideas, Jack Kirby left Marvel for the greener pastures of DC. There, he was given the freedom to create his own universe, the Fourth World. Spanning four comic titles—New Gods, Mister Miracle, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, and the Forever People—the Fourth World was a massive undertaking inspired by 60s counterculture and Greek/Norse mythology and showcased Kirby’s unbridled imagination. The resultant series was epic and ambitious, equal parts silly and tender. The story was unfortunately cut short due to slumping sales.
Nonetheless, the Fourth World remains highly influential to this date and is often considered one of Kirby’s best. The series gave readers a superhero story in the grandest sense and introduced landmark characters Darkseid, Orion, and Mister Miracle. And, of course, Boom Tubes.
Special Features
- “Jack Kirby: Forever Person,” a documentary by Mark Evanier tracing Kirby’s creative process throughout the creation of the Fourth World.
- Never-before-seen notes that chronicle Kirby’s plans for the Fourth World, prior to cancellation
- “Masters of the Kirbyverse?,” an interview with director Gary Goddard where he candidly details how his 1987 feature film Masters of the Universe was inspired, to a great extent, by the Fourth World
- Original sketches showing Kirby’s version of Superman before DC rendered his appearance
- Limited edition Oberon bobblehead
