On Friday, we asked our readers which creator-owned shared universe was their favorite. I’m not sure what we expected on a site that has been known for its Mignola coverage for nearly a decade now, but the Hellboy Universe, the Mignolaverse if you will, dominated our poll with 75.1% of the vote. What is amazing about that number is that, while undoubtedly a great setting and character set, it is not without its ups and downs, especially under the pen of the now-gone (hopefully for good) Scott Allie for the last few years. But folks know how good the good was, and so Mignola trounced the competition.
Coming in a distant second was another Dark Horse property, Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s “Black Hammer” universe with 7.7%. This is, perhaps, the most rapidly expanding universe in comics, with a new spin-off popping up all the time, and with a level of quality that is rivaling the peak Mignola time. Who knows, maybe in 2030 when we do this poll again, this will top the list.
Tied for third with 3.3% was John Allison’s Bobbinverse (“Giant Days,” “Wicked Things”) and Bill Willingham’s “Fables,” both of which likely deserved more than what they got.
