COVER STORY: Ultraverse Origins #1

What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.

What do you do if you have created a comic book universe of colorful Ultra-powered characters and the like, and you want to introduce the greatest number of readers to them and their stories? Well, you get an artist on the rise like Joe Quesada – current Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment – to create a gatefold cover that dynamically renders your heroes to the masses via Malibu Entertainment’s Ultraverse Origins.

Offered to readers for 99¢ (it was originally priced at a then-expensive $1.25), the encyclopedia for the Ultra set featured Quesada’s epic grouping of the then new universe’s most memorable and intriguing characters, such as Prime, Rune, and Firearm, among others. By attaching a name creator like Quesada, who was a rising star back in January 1994, it allowed promotion of the publisher’s heroes at maximum effect.  

While it was not as lucrative as Image or Valiant, the Ultraverse – known as “The Writer’s Universe” – was arguably more successful relative to other universes such as those published by Triumphant and Defiant. The line boasted improved production values over traditional comics (especially digital coloring and higher quality paper), and a roster of respected and talented writers and new, cutting edge artists. Following the Valiant formula to some degree, Ultraverse emphasized tight continuity between the various series in its line. For example, Malibu made extensive use of crossovers, in which a story that began in one series would be continued in the next-shipping issue of another series. Various promotions for special editions or limited print stories also encouraged readers to sample issues of the entire line. Many comics fans enjoyed the sheer scope of storytelling this approach allowed, while others complained of the effort and cost of buying the issues necessary to keep track of it all. Regardless, the Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu’s catalog.

Tough to find after the comic book implosion of the 1990s, this book featuring the work of one of today’s finest illustrators is a hidden treasure for sure. Seek it out.

–Scott Braden