Comics Review for August: What I Read

Multiversity #1 (Grant Morrison/Ivan Reis; DC) Cursed comics! Diseased and dying universes! We start with a dying Earth-7, follow an aboriginal superhero called the Thunderer to a meeting with Calvin Ellis, aka President Superman of Earth-23, and Captain Carrot of the Amazing Zoo Crew. The team begins a rescue Nix Uotan only to gain a hint of a menace spreading through all 52 universes represented in the Orrery of Worlds. If you like Grant Morrison's work, you'll love this. Multiversity is the culmination of his career thus far.

Ragnarok #1 (Walt Simonson; IDW) Ragnarok has come and the enemies of Asgard have taken the day. Brynja, svartalf and assassin, is tasked with removing those who will disrupt the lives of those who survived that horrible day. Her current assignment is to kill a dead god. From the man who brought the Norse back to Marvel's Thor.

Storm #1 (Greg Pak, Victor Ibanez; Marvel) Goddess, queen, mutant, thief, Ororo Munroe has been all these things. She now moves to the global stage and becomes proactive in world events. The first issue is a statement of intent and introduction for the ongoing series. Worth keeping an eye on.

Trees #1-4 (Warren Ellis, Jason Howard; Image) Ten years ago, Trees landed on the earth. Tall cylinders, tubes, whatever, stretching high, branching low, and seeming unconcerned about the life forms around them. Trees. Society has been disrupted by their presence. This is the longform science fiction series we've wanted from Ellis. He's writing a large cast, all the better to give us the global scope of the Trees and how they've changed the world, how humanity has adapted to their presence. While there are many Ellis spices in the mix, this is mature Ellis, easily his best work to date.

Low #1 (Rick Remender, Greg Tocchini; Image) Set mere generations away fro the destruction of the earth caused by the expansion of the sun, our protags are a family attempting to protect the undersea cities of mankind and find a way to rescue mankind from future disaster. A family drama with pirates, future tech, and lost tech. Beautiful art. I really want to see where Remender is taking this one.

Supreme Blue Rose #1-2 (Warren Ellis, Tula Lotay; Image) Diana Dane is tasked by Darius Dax with finding out about something that fell from the sky and landed in Littlehaven. Ethan Crane may be connected with the crash in some way. This is Rob Liefeld's Supreme but there is no pseudo-Superman heroics. This is the next step beyond Alan Moore's Supreme but no previous series knowledge is required; we're all confused together. This is Warren Ellis walking around a landscape with pop myths literalized.

The Sandman: Overture #3 (Neil Gaiman, JH Williams III; DC) Beautiful art by JH Williams, but you knew that. This Sandman miniseries tells us what happened to Dream just before Sandman #1. Each issue uses the same story type as one of the longer arcs from the older series. Issue three is the buddy road movie, essentially echoing "Brief Lives." There are hints here and in the old series where we're going even when the path ahead isn't clear. I will follow this path to the end.