Newuniversal
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- The correct title of this article is newuniversal. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
newuniversal is a comic book series by writer Warren Ellis and artists Salvador Larroca and Jason Keith, published by Marvel Comics. The series is a re-imagining of Marvel's New Universe, launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the New Universe's creation in 1986.
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[edit] History
newuniversal revisits and reinvents concepts and characters originally introduced as part of Marvel's New Universe line in the 1980s. The New Universe was a set of eight linked titles launched in 1986 to celebrate Marvel's 25th anniversary, championed by Marvel's editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.
The original New Universe had no links to the Marvel Universe shared setting and did not present traditional superheroes - instead, it offered "the world outside your window", a world suddenly changed by the mysterious White Event, an incident which gifted some humans with inexplicable powers. However, in the long term the comics were not successful, with four titles cancelled after a year and all of the line cancelled by the end of 1989.
Ellis has stated that "I don't think the original creators and editors realized until it was too late -- it was all a single story. It shouldn't have been eight books (or whatever) that were eventually consolidated into ensemble miniseries. It was a single story that should've spun new series and serials off of it"[1]. Ellis has taken this approach to newuniversal, with his first storyline intentionally revolving around the four "lead" books of the original New Universe[1] - Justice, Nightmask, Star Brand and Spitfire and the Troubleshooters.
Artist Salvador Larocca has stated that he "wasn't a big fan"[2] of the original New Universe, while Ellis has mentioned that he "paid little or no attention"[1] to the New Universe books when they were first published.
Ellis has also stated that the alternate universe of newuniversal is part of the larger Marvel Multiverse, designated at Earth-555[1].
[edit] Story
[edit] Setting
Ellis describes the setting of newuniversal as "an alternate world where America is somewhat isolationist, Soviet Russia fell apart early and China took the lead in spaceflight"[1]. There are also other, smaller changes to the world's history - Paul McCartney is dead and John Lennon is still alive, for example.
Unlike many ongoing comics, newuniversal states specific dates and times for its events, something which is in keeping with the original New Universe concept - and quite different to the established Marvel Universe, where characters do not age in 'real time' and their histories are sometimes updated.
[edit] Characters
- John Tensen is a NYPD detective, a man with no family who is described as "living for the police". On March 1st 2006, Tensen is left hospitalised after a shooting, in critical condition with a bullet fragment embedded in his brain. When the White Event occurs the next morning, Tensen suddenly wakes, healed and empowered.
- Kenneth Connell wakes after the White Event to find that his right palm now bears the glowing sign of the Star Brand
- Izanami Randall is a Japanese-American girl living in San Francisco, who finds things visiting her dreams after the White Event.
- Dr Leonard Carson, Dr Hannah Ballad and Jim Braddock are archaeologists, first seen investigating unexplained ancient ruins in Latvia.
[edit] Plot
Ellis has further stated that "the first sequence revolves around the old 'lead' books from New Universe" and has confirmed that Spitfire will be included as part of this storyline. Ellis has "named Nightmask as one of the more interesting concepts of the previous New Universe incarnation"[3]. Nightmask will not be Keith Remsen, however - instead it will be an entirely different character, Izanami Randall, "a Japanese-American girl in San Francisco"[1]. Starbrand will be introduced as part of the first newuniversal storyline and that he does not see the character "as a Superman figure", but as a "spectacularly ordinary American kid from the Midwest, not too bright, who is sent magic powers from space"[1]
[edit] Creators
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g www.comicbookresources.com - CCI, DAY 4: ELLIS TALKS "NEWUNIVERSAL"
- ^ www.comicon.com - THE NEW UNIVERSAL & SALVADOR LARROCA
- ^ www.newsarama.com MARVEL's NEXTWAVE/ULTIMATE EXTINCTION PRESS CONFERENCE
