Back in 1986, Marvel Comics was busy celebrating their 25th anniversary as a comic book company, and as they approach their 50th, I thought I would share with you the story of a marketing plan that had everything going for it: Marvel's "New Universe", a comic book universe separate yet equal to the universe where Spiderman, the X-Men, Captain America, and the Avengers exist.  It was a great idea, to start writing internally consistent comic books with all new characters and new sensibilities, and the results died on the vine under the indifferent skies of Marvel fandom.

The New Universe was a collection of 8 books, great story lines each, named, Star Brand, D.P.7, Psi Force, Justice, Codename: Spitfire, Merc, Nightmask, and Kickers Incorporated.  The idea was that these comic books would all share a "New Universe", where the characters would interact with one another, but not the more famous and 25 year old comic book universe of the original Marvel Worlds.  With great optimism and a lot of advertising, Marvel Comics set forth publishing these new storylines, and they turned out to be some of the least favorite in the history of comics.  In my opinion, as I read and collected every one of the New Universe titles, they were among the greatest comic books of all time, and I have the complete collection, where I occasionally sample from to this very day.

Sure some of the ideas in the New Universe were just New Renditions on old themes.  Merc was just the Punisher in fatigues.  Codename: Spitfire, was Ironman as a woman, and paranormals was just another word for mutants - all of this aside these comics books were great.  Psi Force, a tale of teenagers forced to go on the run due to the new powers they experienced after a cosmic event was fresh not due to cosmic events or powers, (re: X-Men/Fantastic Four) but it was entirely new as these kids were forced to live in an orphanage, and then on the run, relying on one another to survive not just super fights but just the problems of living on the streets.  Star Brand was Superman meets Green Lantern, with a powerful weapon that gave him the powers of the classic superhero.  Nightmask was actually the most original as he walked through dreams like Freddy Krueger looking for bad guys to stomp in an effort to help the psychology of the mind he was trying to heal.  Justice was a kind of amnesiac Hulk with powers instead of muscles.  I even found Kicker's Inc. exciting, god knows why, looking back at those books is a little uncool as they mixed Captain America's super serum with a football team metaphor that I never fully understood.

So if they are so derivative why do I say I like the comics?  Simple, for what they are, an attempt at a whole new Marvel Universe, without characters that some comic book fans may have become sick of, they are the cheapest comic book buys in the land.  I picked up the holes in my original collection for 10 cents a comic at a comic book shop.  None of the New Universe titles sell for even cover price on-line, and if you want to read an epic storyline with interlocking comics, as well as take lessons in why some comic books don't succeed, then try reading the New Universe; it will surely dissapoint you on some level, but the suprises and original spin should win you over.

There is enough originality, especially in how the comics end, (and I'm sorry to say that to all extents and purposes these stories definitely peter out), that it is worth reading to the end of the story to see what happens.  Essentially a war is justified by an apparent act of terrorism on American soil (back in 1992) and the paranormals are all gathered to serve as an army under the command of the Kickers Captain.  These final books hold up as impressive post-Watchmen reading, and I believe that after they got the red light on the rest of the books they decided to have a lot of fun with "The Draft"  and "The War" #1-4.  Reading the entire collection beforehand is not necessary but recommended as they make many references to the original series.

It is easy to talk about the greats in the history of comics, but occasionally we need more bang for one or two bucks.  That's why I offer you the Marvel New Universe, the greatest cheapest comic books of all time.  Sure, there is very little chance that they will gain in price over the next twenty years, but if you are looking for a good read in the shade during the hot summer then these books should be a perfect lark or impulse buy.  Enjoy!