DC Versus Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus

DC versus Marvel Omnibus Collection

by Peter David, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus collects:
DC Versus Marvel #1-4
DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4
Unlimited Access #1-4
Bat-Thing #1
Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Bullets and Bracelets #1
Challengers of the Fantastic #1
Doctor Strangefate #1
Iron Lantern #1
Legends of the Dark Claw #1
Lobo the Duck #1
Speed Demon #1
Spider-Boy #1
Super Soldier #1
Thorion of the New Asgods #1
X-Patrol #1
and more, plus a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Marvel, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Batman, Superheroes

1216 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2024

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Brandon Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading comics at the time of the DC vs Marvel showdown and voting. I remember having a good time reading these the first time around.

Some of the Amalgams are better or make more sense then others but they can be serious, fun, goofy, or interesting. I liked all the behind the scenes stories and artwork including the alternate fight endings.

[Lukáš Kudela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see there’s a strong sense of nostalgia here… and I get it. But since I didn’t personally experience the Amalgam craze when it originally came out, I’m keeping a much cooler head when evaluating these stories. So, what about the stories themselves? Most of them are honestly pretty bad. I don’t mind that these mash-ups feel like something kids would come up with on a playground — that’s fine, that’s what I expected, and that’s part of the charm. But the fact that most of the stories are genuinely boring and not fun is a real problem.

There are, however, a few bright spots — like Dark Claw, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the surprisingly enjoyable Iron Lantern, and the excellent Lobo the Duck. The rest, though, remain deeply average and largely forgettable. Even the “main event” with Access isn’t much to write home about — aside from the final issue, which had a few interesting ideas (especially the connection to Darkseid), it didn’t do much for me.

To my surprise, I actually enjoyed the first DC vs. Marvel Omnibus much more. Still, I’m glad the Amalgam Omnibus has a place in my collection. It’s a charming, if dull, and bizarre relic of its time — definitely a piece of comic book history that doesn’t come around often. What I’m really looking forward to, though, is the inevitable third omnibus featuring the current Batman vs. Deadpool event, which is miles ahead in quality compared to the previous DC/Marvel crossovers. Hopefully, we’ll see it sooner rather than later.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

DC Versus Marvel #1-4
DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4
Unlimited Access #1-4
Bat-Thing #1
Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Bullets and Bracelets #1
Challengers of the Fantastic #1
Doctor Strangefate #1
Iron Lantern #1
Legends of the Dark Claw #1
Lobo the Duck #1
Speed Demon #1
Spider-Boy #1
Super Soldier #1
Thorion of the New Asgods #1
X-Patrol #1

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dream can come true twice!!

This is a special hardcover ominibus collecting the “DC vs Marvel”” event and the following “Amalgam Universe” event along its follow-up one year later.

However for some unknown reason, in the collected issues are missing “JLX” #1 and “Magneto and the Magnetic Men” #1, which I am lucky to have them in their original single issue format. I don’t know, why in these kind of omnibuses editions, they tend to take out some issues, since in the omnibuses of “New Teen Titans” (that I have too) they left out the issue of “Who is Donna Troy?”, which luckily, I was able to get later in a box of used comic books in perfect state).

MUST-BUY OMNIBUS FOR ANY AMALGAM FAN

I was uncertain of buying this omnibus since it was quite expensive and I already have most of the Amalgam original single comics, even the DC vs Marvel event in its original single issues too, BUT I am truly glad that I decided to buy it at the end, since not only was able to read some few comic issues remaining of the Amalgam event BUT this omnibus also contains the FULL COLLECTION of images of the Trading Cards of DC vs Marvel and Amalgam (which I have several of them but hardly most of them) and if that wasn’t enough, the omnibus includes too the alternative endings not-published pages of the battle between Lobo/Wolverine, Superman/Hulk, Wonder Woman/Storm and Superboy/Spider-man showing how those fights could ended if the other would win. Moreover, reproductions of advertisements of the events along with promo covers in magazines such Wizard and Previews, etc…

Definitely, if you’re fan of the Amalgam Universe event, you’d love to have this omnibus edition! (Obviously with the proviso of the two mentioned missing comic book issues).

DC versus Marvel #1-4

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writers: Ron Marz & Peter David / Illustrators: Dan Jurgens & Claudio Castellini

A clash between DC and Marvel universes happens and iconic characters fight each other with the safety of each universe in the balances… Main battles: Superman vs Hulk, Captain America vs Batman, Wonder Woman vs Storm, Wolverine vs Lobo, Superboy vs Spider-man (Ben Reilly); Secondary battles: Quicksilver vs The Flash, Jubilee vs Robin (Tim Drake), Sub-mariner vs Aquaman, Elektra vs Catwoman, Thor vs Captain Marvel, Silver Surfer vs Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), but the overall result ends in a tie and both universes merge…

…into the Amalgam Universe! A composite fusión of both universes creating new characters!

Where only Axel Asher aka Access knows the truth and he’s doing his best to restore the previous order in both universes.

Super Soldier #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Mark Waid / Illustrator: Dave Gibbons

Super Soldier (a fusion of Captain America and Superman) battles Lex Luthor, the Green Skull (a fusion of Lex Luthor and Red Skull) and his creation, the Ultra-Metallo along forces of HYDRA!

Bruce Wayne: Agent of SHIELD #1

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

Writer: Chuck Dixon / Illustrator: Cary Nord

Here, Colonel Bruce Wayne is director of SHIELD facing HYDRA and its agents, the Green Skull, Baron Zero (fusion of Baron Strucker and Mr Freeze), Nuke (fusion of Nuke and Venom) and Deathlock aka Jason Todd!

Spider-boy #1

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Writer: Karl Kessel / Illustrator: Mike Wieringo

Spider-boy aka Pete Ross (a fusion of Conner Kent, Ben Reilly and Pete Ross) is an agent of Project Cadmus (featuting Dr. Dabney Donovan, Dr. Curt Connors, Dr. Otto Octavius, Dr. Hank Pym) facing threats like the Bizarnage Symbiote (fusion of Bizarro and Carnage).

X-Patrol #1

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

Writer: Karl & Barbara Kessel / Illustrator: Roger Cruz

X-Patrol (a fusion team of the X-Factor and the Doom Patrol) facing Dr. Doomsday (fusion of Dr. Doom and Doomsday).

Legends of the Dark Claw #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Larry Hama / Illustrator: Jim Balent

This is my Top #4 Favorite comic of the whole Amalgam event!

Dark Claw aka Logan Wayne (fusion of Batman and Wolverine) with Sparrow (fusion of Robin and Jubilee) facing Hyena (fusion of the Joker and Sabretooth).

Speed Demon #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writers: Howard Mackie & James Felder / Illustrators: Salvador Larroca & Al Milgrom

Speed Demon aka Blaze Allen (fusion of Ghost Rider, Etrigan and Impulse) facing Night Spectre (fusion of Moon Knight and the Spectre).

Assassins #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: D.G. Chichester / Illustrator: Scott McDaniel

This is my Top #1 favorite comic of the whole Amalgam event!

Catsai aka Elektra Kyle (fusion of Elektra and Catwoman) & Dare the Terminator aka Slade Murdock (fusion of Deathstroke and Daredevil but shaping a female character), both are female profesional assassins with the mission of making their way through each floor of Arkham Tower, headquarters of the Big Question (fusion of Kingpin and the Riddler) who is the corrupt mayor of New Gotham City, where both have to kill zillions of hired goons.

Bullets and Bracelets #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: John Ostrander / Illustrator: Gary Frank

The Punisher aka Trevor Castle (fusion of Steve Trevor and the Punisher) and Diana Prince are dealing first with the Hand but soon enough they are transported to Apokolips and battling the Female Furies and later facing Thanoseid (fusion of Darkseid and Thanos).

Amazon #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer & Illustrator: John Byrne

Ororo of Themyscira (fusion of Storm and Wonder Woman) facing the god Poseidon.

Doctor Strangefate #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Ron Marz / Illustrator: Jose Luis García-Lopez

This is my Top #2 Favorite comic of the whole Amalgam event!

Dr. Strangefate (fusion of Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate AND a secret character that I won’t spoil!) (easily the coolest character (even cooler than Dark Claw!) of the Amalgam Universe with the coolest costume too!) is aware of the fusion of DC and Marvel Universe and since he is the guardian of the Amalgam Universe, he is doing all in his power to keep the present status quo, along with the help of his personal assistant, Myx (fusion of Mr. Mxyzptlk and Wong), he sends his agents, Jade Nova aka Frankie Rayner (fusion of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Jade & Nova Frankie Raye shaping a female character), Skulk aka Bruce Banner (fusion of Solomon Grundy and Hulk) and White Witch aka Wanda Zatara (fusion of Zatanna and the Scarlet Witch) to trap Access aka Axel Asher, the only one capable to disrupt the Amalgan Universe.

DC/Marvel All Access #1-4

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Ron Marz / Illustrators: Jackson Guice & Josef Rubinstein

Access aka Axel Asher is traveling through the original DC and Marvel Universes along with the eventual Amalgam Universe, investigating the event and finding a way to restore the original order.

**After the selling success of the first wave of Amalgam comics, DC and Marvel worked together again a year later publishing a second wave of Amalgam comics, revisiting previous created characters along with creating even more new Amalgam characters…

Generation Hex #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Peter Mulligan / Illustrator: Adam Pollina

Set in the past of the Amalgam Universe, in the Old West period. Jono Hex (fusion of Jonah Hex and Chamber) leads a team of mutants called “The Malforms” dealing with the prejudice in a town named Humanity.

Super Soldier: Man of War #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writers: Mark Waid & Dave Gibbons / Illustrator: Dave Gibbons

In this second entry of the character of Super Soldier is telling the events, during WWII, leading to the plot of previous published comic of the character.

The Exciting X-Patrol #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Barbara Kessel / Illustrator: Bryan Hitch

The X-Patrol team returns now to face Brother Brood (fusion of Brother Blood and the Brood Queen).

Dark Claw Adventures #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Ty Temppleton / Illustrator: Rick Burchett

This is my Top #3 Favorite comic of the whole Amalgam event!

Dark Claw returns in a totally cool Batman: The Animated Series graphic style! Lady Talia seeks revenge against Dark Claw for the death of her father Ra’s a-Pocalyse (fusion of Apocalypse and Ra’s al Ghul).

Bat-Thing #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Larry Hama / Illustrator: Rodolfo Damaggio

The Bat-Thing (fusion of Man-Bat and Man-thing) terrorizes New Gotham City.

JLX Unleashed #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Christopher Priest / Illustrator: Oscar Jimenez

The JLX (fusion of the JLA and the X-Men) returns (but the omnibus lacks of their first entry) to face the Hellfire League of Injustice (fusion of the Hellfire Club and the Injustice League) since they conjure the Fin Fang Flame dragon (fusion of Fin Fang Foom and Brimstone).

The Magnetic Men featuring Magneto #1

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

Writer: Tom Peyer / Illustrator: Barry Kitson

The Magnetic Men (fusion of the Metal Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) returns (but the omnibus lacks of their first entry) to face the Sinister Society (fusion of the Secret Society and the Sinister Six).

Spider-boy Team Up #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: R.K. Sternsel (a fusion pen name of Roger Stern & Karl Kessel / Illustrator: José Ladrönn
Spider-boy teams up with the Legion of Galactic Guardians 2099 (fusion team of the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy) set in the future.

Challengers of the Fantastic #1

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

Writer: Karl Kessel / Illustrator: Tom Grummett

The Challengers of the Fantastic (fusion team of the Fantastic Four and the Challengers of the Unknown) are facing the threats of Dr. Doomsday and Galactiac (fusion of Galactus and Brainiac).

Iron Lantern #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Kurt Busiek / Illustrator: Paul Smith

Hal Stark (fusion of Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Iron Man) while testing a flight simulator is taken to the crash site of a Green Lantern spaceship where he meets a dying GL Rhomann Sur (fusion of Nova Prime Rhomann Dey and GL Abin Sur). Hal Stark is injured due the taking therefore he combines the GL Battery with an armor of his own invention and becoming Iron Lantern, for later faces several villains like Mandarinestro (fusion of the Mandarin and Sinestro), H.E.C.T.O.R. (fusion of M.O.D.O.K. and Hector Hammond) and Madame Sapphire aka Pepper Ferris (fusion of Pepper Potts, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris & Madame Masque).

Thorion of the New Asgods #1

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Keith Giffen / Illustrator: John Romita Jr.

Thorion (fusion of Thor and Orion) faces his insidious plans of his brother L’ok D’saad (fusion of Loki and Dessad).

Lobo the Duck #1

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Al Grant / Illustrator: Val Semeiks

This is my Top #5 Favorite comic of the whole Amalgam event!

Lobo the Duck (fusion of Lobo and Howard the Duck) along with his faithful shapeshifting dog, the Impossible Dawg (fusion of the Impossible Man and Mutt aka Dawg shaping an animal character) is working as bounty hunter and currently investigating the mysterious murders of several Amalgam heroes.

Green Lantern #87

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Ron Marz / Illustrator: Tom Grindberg

Features a secondary short story with Access aka Axel Asher.

Unlimited Access #1-4

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Karl Kessel / Illustrator: Pat Olliffe

Access aka Axel Asher returns to visit both DC and Marvel Universes.

[Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Nearly all company-wide comics events (the Crises, Secret Wars, Civil Wars, etc.) end up being a mixed bag at best or a bunch of gobbledygook at worse. While I could understand the latter accusation being thrown at this project, or the claim it was all only done for the money, I'd argue there was actually more at play in this one.

For one, the "who would win?" aspect has been a component of comics culture for decades, so to finally do it on a massive scale with the companies on board and major creatives at play felt inevitable. Then there's the actual run of the 4-part miniseries, universe bleed-overs, and fights. It's all quite fun and very well drawn. This is absolutely trying to be a fun book first and foremost, and it succeeds.

For the Amalgam part of the run, this is where the mixed bag comes in a bit. There are some really good works in here both in terms of story and especially art - Super Soldier, Dark Claw, Spider-Boy, Amazon, Bruce Wayne Agent of SHIELD and Iron Lantern are all standouts. Other ones are ok to middling to bad, often living and dying on the quality or lack thereof of the art, and how cutesy or eyerolling the writers get with some of the mashups, names, and references.

But the Amalgam project itself is an exciting concept no one was expecting and took things beyond the simple fight conceit. And reading this compendium, which really covers (nearly) everything, you can see how the people involved really did approach the project as fans of the comics, the characters, the companies, and the storied debates. They wanted this to be an epic and fun project, and I think they mostly succeeded.

The collection, if you can find it - it sold out nearly immediately and now goes much higher in resale markets - is definitely worth the read through at least once. And it's also filled with detailed info on the conception and execution of the project, along with images of the original trading cards, artwork, development and story ideas, and more. The only downside is it actually lacks two titles - one of the JLX books and one of the Magnetos. That is because the original writer of these works has committed some crimes neither DC nor Marvel want to be associated with. Understandable, but still unfortunate that it makes for an incomplete collection. However, both issues can be picked up cheaply online.

[RunningRed NightBringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the original issues back in the 90s, sold them, and bought this omnibus out of a sense of nostalgia.
The omnibus collects the DC versus Marvel mini series, the Amalgam comics and the subsequent Access mini series.
The only items missing are two issues, JLX #1 and Magneto And His Magnetic Men #1. The general consensus online is these were omitted due to the writer of those issues having been arrested in 2016 for possessing child pornography.

DC versus Marvel starts with heroes and villains spontaneously appearing in the opposing universes. It's revealed the universes are manifested in two cosmic beings, "brothers," who start fighting. To prevent them from destroying each other, a Contest of Champions was held where specific thematic pairings of heroes would fight. Whichever universe lost the most matches would be destroyed. Wolverine vs Lobo, Wonder Woman vs Storm of the X-Men, etc. The winners of each match were decided in real life by a reader poll. The brothers didn't accept the verdict and were merged into an Amalgamated Universe.
The Amalgam comics featured mash-ups of various heroes, villains and side characters. Wolverine and Batman become Dark Claw. Kingpin and The Riddler become Big Question. A fun conceit was treating the characters and titles as if they and the shared universe always existed. References to other titles or past adventures, including editorial notes citing the previous issues those adventures took place. They even had letter columns in the back.

The series includes a new character, Access. A young man who becomes a guardian of sort, protecting crossovers from occurring. He's able to move between the DC and Marvel universes and can bring characters along with him. He's instrumental in restoring the DC and Marvel universes and the sequel series show him learning to control his powers and discover the ability to bring heroes from different time periods.

Unfortunately, Access hasn't been used since. Even in the later crossover series, JLA/Avengers.

DC versus Marvel is an okay series. A couple of pages satisfying nerd desire to see Superman punch Venom, for example, but mostly sets up the pieces for the battles. Some of the battles were pretty good. Before her match with Storm, Wonder Woman was able to lift Thor's Mjǫllnir, but set it down so it'd be a fair fight. Batman and Captain America argue over having to fight when they should be finding a way to save both universes. On the other paw, Wolverine and Lobo traded a few blows before ending their fight hidden from view behind a bar.

The Amalgam issues were totally worth it. It felt very much like the writers and artists had a lot of fun not only deciding which characters to mash up, but also to come up with coherent backstories for them so the in universe histories would be consistent across the titles.

The sequel series had okay stories but felt like they were excuses to cram as many cameos and teamups as possible within a few issues, as if they knew the series wouldn't last forever. In one of the creator commentaries, they mention an idea to have recurring crossovers where a character from each spend a year in the other universe, swapping out annually, but the idea was nixed by the legal department. There was a nice throwaway line by Access implying that the previous DC and Marvel crossovers were connected and he was working behind the scenes to get the characters back to their respective universes.

I found it a fun collection. Writing and art were pretty good, and it's a lighthearted collection, compared to a lot of the two companies' output in recent years. Especially funny as the 90s were supposed to be the grim and gritty era of comic publishing.

I admit my fondness may be colored by nostalgia, remembering the decade when I got into comic collecting and they were fun reads. But honestly, wouldn't you want to read about a character who's part Wolverine, part Batman?

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic and far exceeded my expectations.

Unlike the other Omnibus, DC Versus Marvel Omnibus, this volume has an ongoing storyline from beginning to end and I much prefer this reading experience to the jambled and random stories.

The Amalgam Universe is the mashed up version of Marvel and DC. It is established in the beginning of the volume, in the DC Versus Marvel mini series, which also features interesting matchups between the most popular heroes. But the most fun I've had here, was to explore the new amalgamated version of the characters in their own single issues, of which there are plenty.

Now the writers only have a single issue (sometimes two), to establish the characters and the world building, while drawing from two universes and mixing ideas together. In addition, that single issue needs to have a compelling story, that gives the reader only a glimpse at a larger narrative. It's an incredibly difficult task, but most of the stories actually deliver.

It helps to have some knowledge about both Marvel and DC characters, but there's a lot of characters that seem random, while others are obvious (Doctor Doomsday or Iron Lantern). While this is often times obvious for the main hero and villain, I was frequently impressed by how well the writers did this with the lesser known supporting cast.

There's also two other mini series in here, which deal with the underlying condition of the Amalgam Universe and how it affects the main universes. Again, these minis could be boring, but the writers manage to make these fun as well, by having characters from both universe interact with each other in interesting and novel ways.

Not everything is perfect in this volume and there are some tropes of the 90s prevalent. I realize my rating might be on the high end, but I feel like this book gets a bad reputation online, which I don't think is fair, as the book manages to entertain and delivers a compelling story at the same time, that does feel like a proper universe(s)-spanning event.

[Paul Cocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit it—DC Versus Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus wasn’t an instant purchase for me. This crossover came out during a period when I had stepped away from comics entirely. The mid-90s felt like a low point for the industry—overproduced, gimmicky, and hollow. I wasn’t the audience Marvel and DC were chasing at the time. But now, nearly 30 years later, the kid inside me was too curious to resist. I already had the DC Versus Marvel Omnibus, and this felt like the Frankenstein’s monster stitched together from its leftover parts. Weird, awkward… but strangely appealing.

If you ask me, DC and Marvel hook us with the sheer chaos of the concepts. Superman becomes a Herald of Galactus. Wonder Woman fights Storm. Jubilee and Robin go on a date. Lobo takes down Wolverine. The Batman and Wolverine mashup, Dark Claw, clashes with the fusion of Joker and Sabretooth, Hyena. These are the kinds of ideas that sound like playground arguments turned real, and that’s part of the charm.

If you’re picking this up for deep storytelling or classic arcs, manage your expectations. The real draw here is the novelty—and even more so, the art. This collection is a playground for artists. Kevin Nowlan’s inks over José Luis García-López’s pencils in Dr. Strangefate are a standout, elevating the surreal vibe of that story. You also get Gary Frank on Super Soldier, Dave Gibbons on Iron Lantern, and Bill Sienkiewicz letting loose on Assassins. Even the animated-style Dark Claw Adventures embraces the absurdity with flair. There’s also a healthy stack of bonus content at the back: behind-the-scenes sketches, concept art, and those long-lost alternate endings to the DC vs. Marvel battles. 

Not every one-shot lands, and a couple are noticeably absent, but the book as a whole is a gorgeous and grotesque patchwork science experiment—a comic book curiosity resurrected from the longboxes of the '90s and stitched together with equal parts nostalgia and absurdity.

[AviChaim Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a weird but undeniably fun book. While I didn’t fully understand some of the plot choices—Access’s storyline in particular left me scratching my head—I still enjoyed the overall ride. Many plot choices seemed to exist solely to showcase that the creators thought about how to blend “important” traits of each character, like the bizarre Wong and Mxyzptlk fusion, which seemed to be included just because… why not?
This omnibus collects both the main narrative that explains the amalgamated universe and various one-shot issues that expand on these new hybrid characters. While the concept is entertaining, the execution had its flaws. A recurring issue was the constant references to past events or issues that don’t actually exist. A few of these fictional “call-backs” can be funny, but when they appear in every issue, it starts to feel like lazy storytelling. Don’t just tell me something happened—show me.
Some fans have taken issue with the character designs. While I wouldn’t have made some of the same creative choices, I didn’t mind them too much. That said, with so many new characters introduced, the series suffers from a lack of focus. Fewer characters with more developed stories would have gone a long way in helping readers form a real attachment to them.
In the final arc, Unlimited Access, we learn that Access can amalgamate characters on the spot. This was an exciting twist, but I would’ve loved to see it used more creatively—imagine if we got wild combos like Superman fused with Giant-Man or Cyclops instead of the usual Thor/Superman type pairings. The series had great potential to explore more of these fun mashups.
In the end, it’s an enjoyable but uneven read. A little too long, with not quite enough payoff. Still, if you’re a fan of crossover events and comic book “what-ifs,” this is worth checking out.
Grade: B-

[LEONY · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of nostalgia is a flashback to when Marvel and DC comics not only agreed to work together but create an entire universe with their characters mashed up. It is a very fun read and the only reason I did not give it five stars is because sadly, it is incomplete. While there is a good reason behind the omission of two one shot comics, it still would be nice to have a complete collection. There is a lot of bonus material at the back end of this collection that will keep you entertained for hours after you are done reading all of the comics in this hardcover.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of fun superhero comics and this collection delivers it in spades. What starts out as a crossover between DC and Marvel Comics characters, soon evolves into those characters merging together in unexpected ways. Some great creators work on these Amagalmated titles and this collection includes extensive extras that reveal a lot of the behind-the-scenes details that went in to putting this all together.

[Acton Northrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished off the contents of this one 25-odd years after the fact (picked up Unlimited Access on the cheap). Reading which confirmed that Karl Kesel was really one of the all-stars of this whole Amalgam business and 90s cape comics in general.

But Dial H for HUSK is still my favourite.

[Bailey Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly just a lot of fun. Some of them are great, some of them are funny, and some are just cool. Dare The Terminator is a standout. The backmatter was all so interesting!! Gorgeous art throughout. Wish we lived in a time where collaborations like this still seemed possible.

[Rob Schamberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big dumb fun!

[Jeff Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun to read & relive!