newuniversal: Everything Went White

by Warren Ellis, Salvador Larroca (Illustrator)

Planet Earth. Inhabited by six billion people. People leading ordinary lives, coping with everyday struggles. But on a night like any other, the Earth is rocked by the most startling celestial event ever witnessed by the human race. The White Event. And from its wake, a handful of humans emerge as something more. Acclaimed writer Warren Ellis ( Agents of H.A.T.E.) and superstar artist Salvador Larroca (X-Men) bring you this new universe - a universe witnessing superhuman power for the first time. Collects Newuniversal #1-6.

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

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Warren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.

The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.

He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.

Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.

A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.

Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.

Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favourite work of Warren Ellis’... which is more than a little frustrating, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I was a fan of a couple of the original New Universe books back in ‘86 (mainly Star Brand and Spitfire and, yes, I’m old; what of it?) so I was intrigued when this reboot was first published to mark the twentieth anniversary of this mostly-forgotten sideline. To be honest, I’m genuinely surprised Marvel didn’t just want to leave it forgotten, as it was hardly a runaway success, to say the least.

Ellis did a fantastic job of breathing new life into a new New Universe. This volume is intriguing, engaging, exciting, horrifying, intelligent and just all over great. I was champing at the bit for a continuation... which brings me back to the frustrating part.

There was a continuation... of sorts. Shortly after this first mini series was released, Marvel put out two prequel one-shots by different writers, one of which was great and the other... well, the less said the better really, and then the first two issues of a continuation that ended on a cliffhanger and abruptly vanished up Ellis’ backside. As I said; frustrating. It’s the same feeling as when your favourite tv show gets cancelled without having the chance to tie up any of the dangling story threads. We are left with a bad case of narrative blue balls...

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

the New Universe imprint celebrated Marvel's 25th anniversary with a whole new universe outside of Marvel continuity; this place would have people who gain powers solely via the mysterious White Event - no mutants, no super science, no aliens, no magic, none of that. It also had new rules: be realistic and take place in real time. The imprint's line of 8 titles all crashed and burned within 3 years. some celebration! despite the talent of many of its writers, the imprint was plagued with unexciting storylines and amateurish dialogue, and quite quickly started breaking its own rules. alas for failed experiments. but I did enjoy D.P. 7, which was fun in the beginning and delivered genuine pathos, courtesy of Mark Gruenwald.

a couple decades later, Marvel bizarrely decided to celebrate New Universe's 20th year anniversary by having Warren Ellis launch newuniversal, a reboot of that imprint. strange to celebrate a very late-term abortion (sorry, terrible analogy) but I suppose all comic companies hate seeing things die.

this graphic novel collects the first 6 issues of what never became an ongoing series because newuniversal failed too. same as it ever was...

Ellis does a couple really smart things: he unifies a number of the original titles as one overarching narrative involving different threads that will eventually be woven together and he explains The White Event in a way that make sense (in a science fictional way) while making sure that the event stays terrifying and awe-inspiring. the first few issues in this collection are pretty good because Ellis is ingenious at re-imagining some rather flat and uninteresting powers into ones that also inspire awe and terror. and kudos for putting Spitfire in there, because the comic world needs more female scientists who can commune with machines and have built themselves a giant battle-robot suit. but then I began to miss the realism and the real-time narratives of the original New Universe because everything started to feel real familiar real fast. Especially as later issues delve into deeply corny territory, including Native American mysticism, wisecracking and culturally woke gangbangers, and an array of predictable military-industrial-complex types. alas for failed second experiments.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Warren Ellis, so I expected nothing short of excellent and I was not disappointed. He smoothly brings the ideas of the original Marvel series into his own style as well as a more current timeline and setting. He truly brings out the iconic nature of these mythic archetypes. The art is top notch as well and provides you with a visual feast to go with the story. I always liked the character of Justice in the original series, but now he blazes to life with cold rage at the wrongs done by the world. Then there is the Nightmask, the character from the original series that I thought was the lamest. I couldn't get behind liking this guy, and now he is a she and is awsome!! Check this series out, you will not be dissappointed.

[GD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read only a few comics a year, and I usually like them, they're just too expensive. But I found this at an incredible bargain, and it kicked ass. I like Warren Ellis, and he doesn't disappoint here. A lot of the other reviews said the first Newuniversal was horrible, but I wouldn't know, I never read it. But this is really good. I would really like to know what's going to happen next, but I don't know if the series is continued. Anyone know?

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was dope. An event happens where the sky turns bright white. Four people around the world find themselves with abilities afterward. The why behind it was a very cool concept that Ellis does a great job with. Following these characters as they come to grips on what has happened to them was a very interesting ride. This book has a very high sci-fi vibe to it that I was into. Plus Larroca’s art was at the best I’ve seen from him. Great book! Highly recommended.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is Warren Ellis picking apart the scrapheap of one of Marvel's failures of the 1980s, the New Universe, and turning it into something mildly thought-provoking and fairly fun. He imbues not especially memorable characters with some neat ideas and scifi mumbo-jumbo, and makes them respectable, if not interesting.
(The only New Universe book I remember was Kickers, Inc., a nonsensical title that isn't name-dropped here.) Yes, the world-spanning plot is a bit too reminiscent of Heroes, but Ellis makes it his own. His take on Spitfire, a government agency that takes a heavy-handed approach to superheroes, is really interesting. The story isn't anywhere near being resolved, so some characters, like John Tensen or the archaeologists in Latvia, go nowhere. Ellis has said he'll eventually get around to wrapping up the story, and it should be worthwhile, but I think everyone can stand the wait.
The worst part of the book is Salvador Larocca's blatant use of actors as stand-ins for the main characters. Yeah, it's kind of neat to see LOST's Josh Holloway in the starring role, but it's jarring to see James Cromwell and Nicole Kidman pop up. Glaring photo-reference is more palatable in established superhero comics--even if he looks like Tommy Lee Jones, you know who Norman Osbourne is--and much smarter when used intentionally in Wanted. Here, you don't really know who these characters are, and the casting seems superficial, and not especially well-thought-out. For example, Holloway's character is supposed to be a high school football player. Drawing Holloway in that role just saddles the book with Hollywood's problem of using adults in high school-aged roles. Larocca does a fine job on all of Ellis' weird scifi stuff (including the titular whitening), but his artistic casting doesn't make sense..

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise here is brilliant: a strange event gives a few people abilities for a special Earth event. The regular humans are more than ready not only to mobilize regular troops against what they perceive as a threat, but also a secret organization that handled superhumans decades before. It's this fear of what they don't undestrand that leads them to act to maintain the status quo.

The White Event results in the creation of several superpowered individuals. In Latvia a landslide exposes an ancient tomb and a city that may have predated the earliest cities in recorded history. Project Spitfire is a US organization that is tasked, after being on a 50-year hiatus, to resume operations against superpowered individuals and kill them rather than allow them to threaten humanity.

The paradigm shift has the universe send four superpowered beings called Justice, Cipher, Nightmask and Starbrand, each with a vital role in the coming changes.

John Tensen is the Justice. The power helps him recover from a gunshot wound to the head and also gives him the ability to read people's wrongdoings. He is compelled to punish them and embraces this task.

Starbrand is meant to provide security and it has access to very destructive energies. After a confusing period that leaves many dead, the young man who gets this role, Kenneth Connell, is visited by himself from the future and two others from parallel Earths to explain what his goal is. Izanami Randall is the Nightmask who can travel through the Superflow. She saves Kenneth from a nuclear missile that the US Army wanted to launch against him.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call it 4.5 stars.

I knew nothing about this when I picked it up. I understand that there is some level of connection to distant Marvel titles, but as a reboot of the story, "Everything Went White" stands effectively in its own right.

Ellis has already proven himself through his writing with superhuman comics and other series. Picking up an Ellis comic, I expect complex sci-fi / fantasy plots, humor, grittiness, and deeper--sometimes philosophical--themes. newuniversal delivers on all of these expectations.

Volume 1 is clearly setting up a much more expansive storyline, and it does well to get things moving right from the start. The characters are diverse, and there are some effective moments of emotion mixed in with a dramatic story of earth moving into a new chapter of reality. The story is dramatic and sometimes shocking, but Ellis is a strong writer, and Larroca's art--along with the rest of the creative team--deliver a bold beginning to a story that I am curious to explore further.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun! If the original New Universe titles had been this good, they wouldn't have been cancelled. As is probably true of most comics fans of a certain age, I bought all of Marvel's New Universe titles when they came out back in the mid-80's or so. I haven't read them since. They're tucked away in long boxes in the basement awaiting posterity or mold or nostalgia on my part or something. What Warren Ellis has done with this book is to breathe new life into them, sort of an Ultimate New Universe if you will. We're off to a promising beginning, and the only NU title I can recall that isn't referenced here is DP 7. Maybe in volume 2 ...

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Ellis' 'reboot' of the 1986 New Universe from Marvel....way back when I was starting to collect comics. I only wish this included my favorite title from that line: D.P.7 written by Oshkosh native Mark Gruenwald. Otherwise, a nice visit back to this universe.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, yeah, I have a lot of affection for the New Universe. But that is definitely not a prerequisite-- pretend that it never existed and this will still be an awesome series. It's mostly Ellis being Ellis, and not at all Ellis being Jim Shooter.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhangers, man. They only work if you eventually get to see what happens next. Otherwise they’re just cruel.

When I first started reading comics way back in the late 1980s, some of the first books I collected were those in the Marvel Comics New Universe line, which was still pretty young, and had claimed to be “the world outside your window”--that is until the White Event set things in motion. For 32 issues, I loved those books. Since the line was cancelled in 1989 I’ve lugged those comics around with me from house to house, listing them among my “in case of fire” saves. Were they great books? Not really. But they still hold a place in my heart.

In late 2006 writer Warren Ellis and artist Salvador Larroca tried to go back to the concept of the New Universe and do it right. In Ellis’s view the story was one big story, not eight smaller ones, and that was what he would attempt to tell; the STORY of the New Universe.

newuniversal ran for 6 issues before ending the first arc, “Everything Went White”. A few one-shots followed, but the series never picked back up with the ongoing story. Which means, for me, reading the collected version ends with a cliffhanger to which I will never see the follow-up. And I call BULLSHT!!!!!!

I’d like to take this opportunity to pretty much demand Ellis finish his story, dmmit!

Anyway, back to newuniversal: Everything Went White.

LOVED it.

What made the original New Universe unique was the White Event. This was a mysterious and unexpected blinding flash of light one day that blanketed the entire planet, endowing many people with paranormal powers. Thus was born the New Universe line of comics, MERC, NIGHTMASK, SPITFIRE AND THE TROUBLESHOOTERS, KICKERS, INC., DP7, PSI-FORCE, JUSTICE, and STAR BRAND. From the beginning of his new take on the idea, Ellis has whittled that cast down to just 4: Ken Connell (STAR BRAND), John Tensen (JUSTICE), Jenny Swann (SPITFIRE) and Izanimi Randall (NIGHTMASK). And in this case, it’s not a good portion of the population suddenly developing strange powers, it’s just these four. As is explained to Izanimi:

“The universe hangs in a web of strange matter which we term newuniversal structure . . . When a world enters the newuniversal web, the machine alters several sentients on that world to act as heralds of the new time to come. Paradigm shift always creates chaos. These designates are empowered to smooth the way into the new time. A nightmask. A star brand. A justice. A cipher….”

Only in this world, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. And the Spitfire protocol was put in place in 1959 to deal with the threat of superhumans on earth--deal with it being a euphemism for “destroy”.

I have to admit there are aspects to Ellis’s overall arc that smack of cliché--hell, even THE MATRIX did the whole ‘this has happened before’ shtick first--but seeing some of these old standby ideas applied to this universe I love so much was a breath of fresh air for me. Not the IDEAS, but the very fact anyone cared enough to even TRY. For that alone, I’ll read any and all future newuniversal stories Warren Ellis wants to tell.

The frustrating thing about newuniversal is knowing there was more story to tell, but that I’ll probably never see it. Everything about this collection screams “prologue”. These 6 issues were just setting things up to get really interesting.

It’s March 2, 2006, and all is normal. Officer John Tensen is recovering from emergency surgery after being shot in the head. Tech developer Jenny Swann is getting drunk over her failed robotics project. Ken Connell and his girlfriend Maddie are coming down off their own drunk out on a hillside in Oklahoma. And in San Fransisco, party girl Izanami is already passed out in her bed.

Then everything goes white.

In the aftermath, John Tensen’s body rises from his hospital bed, and he is releasing blades made of light from his hands, killing everyone he deems a sinner. Ken Connell wakes up to find a mysterious mark on his palm and Maddie is a burned husk beside him. Jenny Swann, who works for the NSA, which runs the Spitfire Protocol set up to destroy these superhumans, find herself able to interact with electronic devices. And Izinami “wakes” up to a dream world in which she’s charged with gathering the other three individuals before they can be hunted and destroyed. And in Latvia, an archeological dig had revealed the remains of an ancient city, thousands of years older than Christ, that had electric lights in place.

And that’s where things end. What the hell?

newuniversal is an intriguing mystical journey into a world full of promise, which was then dropped like a hot potato just as things were coming together. Ellis wanted to tell one story, and as he was finally bringing those individual threads together, the story was over. newuniversal: EVERYTHING WENT WHITE is an exercise in wasted potential, but for those six issues, it was twenty kinds of awesome and I’m glad I bought it. I can’t recommend it to anyone who is either unfamiliar with the New Universe already, or to someone who insists on a nice tidy ending to their stories, but if you go into this book understanding upfront the cliffhanger will never be resolved, then hell yes I wholeheartedly recommend it. Because newuniversal may be an exercise in wasted potential, but it’s also an exercise in taking an old idea and making something brand new out of it. The way Ellis took those old books and old ideas and warped them into this, I’m simply in awe of what he can do as a writer. The experience of reading newuniversal: EVERYTHING WENT WHITE was, for me, much like my first experience reading Alan Moore’s MIRACLEMAN, which is my other “in case of fire” save. It’s just wildly ambitious and brave and I salute him.

Now a word about the art. Salvador Larroca is so incredibly talented. I had a small problem with how some of his characters looked slightly different from panel to panel, especially Jenny Swann who seemed to gain or lose 10 pounds between frames in a few sequences. But his action scenes, his displays of the wonders of the new universe, his sense of storytelling when there are no words to carry him are all pure brilliance. His panel layout flows smoothly and is never confusing. And the panels where Izinami is confronted by the communications station, plus Ken’s discovery of Maddie’s body, and the subsequent long-shot of him alone on the hillside beside a gigantic star brand burned into the ground, these are both awe-inspiring, and they’re only two of a good dozen or more such panels.

newuniversal is a book I sadly passed up when it was coming out monthly, because I didn’t understand the concept at first, and I didn’t know how long it would run. I wish now I had bought those first individual issues, if only just to have them and store them with my other New Universe books. But I didn’t, so too bad for me. But I can own and treasure the collected edition, which I will do for a long time. Meanwhile I’ll just keep holding out hope that one day Ellis will return to this world and finish what he started, because I’m still dying to see what happened next!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heyyyy! it's Warren Ellis. Otherwise, I would've bought copies of this book just to burn it. Marvel's mid-eighties concoction, "New Universe," which consisted of some half a dozen titles featuring as many characters, was separate from the entire continuity of the Marvel Universe. It was terrible. This is a re-launch of that, with Ellis taking the same characters and concepts, and updating them for the 21st Century. I think it could've warranted being an "Ultimates" title, though I suppose that's an unnecessary deliniation.

I really thought this book was great, and it reminded me of how much I love when Ellis writes for Marvel. He always does something ground-breaking with the characters (check out: "Iron Man: Extremis," the "Ultimate Galactus" trilogy, and his current run on "Thunderbolts"), usually permanently effecting the Marvel U. Ellis loves science & technology. If he can use experimental theory to explain something, he will. And "Newuniversal" is reaping the benefits of it thoroughly.

He's made these all-but-forgotten characters (rightly so) stand out, and given them life. He's also essentially brought his Wild Storm Publishing concept of "the Bleed" to Marvel, but still is somehow managing to keep it separate and truly different. This book is a little slow at times, but all in all, it's really excellent. Great characters, beautiful art by Salvador LaRocca, and a book that like any great re-launching, is finally interesting and told in a way that it should've been 20+years before. My only complaint is how long it takes Ellis to publish these.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another of Ellis' stillborn projects. He has form with those but this one is probably one of the most blatant ones. Projects he starts and drops at some point like dead weight with them having gone nowhere. See: The Wild Storm, Doktor Sleepless etc).

The problems with this comic come from the fact that this is a mix of a lot of terrible comic book trends that started in the 00s (Ellis can take part of the blame for some of those):

- Decompressed narrative (meaning nothing much happens on a given issue and even a full paperback like this feels like more or less a single issue instead of 6)

- Widescreen narrative (Ellis' The Authority is usually pointed as the origin of this, which again means a lot of pages focus on spectacular drawings with larger frames that give less narrative space)

- Characters that look like famous people (See: The Ultimates making Nick Fury look like Samuel L. Jackson. Millar is really the master of this pitiful "I am begging you to be my character" trend, but I've never seen a worse comic than this one regarding this problem)

As you can imagine from the previous comments, the main issue with this comic is that is tells us nothing. 6 full issues to tell a story that could have been done in 24 pages. And then all the narrative ideas are left hanging there. And yes, there is another miniseries later on, but by definition a mini series should tell you a complete story, something that NewUniversal does not.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, as others have commented, the faces can be a bit distracting. I felt that I recognized too many of the characters as facsimiles of actors. That aside, the art is pretty good overall. I've been a fan of Larroca's for a while, and it's usually quite consistent. I read the graphic novel that collects issues 1-6. The writing by Ellis is good, though I have to admit that at the end of issue one I had zero investment in any of the characters and felt that too much was being introduced in that single issue. I'm glad I decided to proceed to issue two, because it started to gel a bit more and become more coherent. What is most frustrating is that by issue five, I was really starting to enjoy this, and by the end of issue six I was excited to see what was going to happen next only to learn that issue six was the last one. The series went on hiatus for a while and apparently was concluded in just two more issues at a later point (I have yet to read them), but Larroca wasn't the artist. Oh well, I'll still check them out but this story had tons of potential that apparently hasn't been fulfilled.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A noble, if only mildly successful attempt to take a bunch of pretty weak characters created in the 80's and rework them into something cool.

Putting all these characters into one series a good idea. Gives it a nice ensemble feel. Like the TV show 'Heroe's, except in NewUniversal things actually seem to be happening.
At the same time, Warren makes the same mistake as 'Heroes' in thinking that cynical and slightly messed up = realistic and while it does mean that most of the characters have more personality than in the 80's, ( not a huge feat) it doesn't make them much more likable.

Warren did a nice job with Nightmask and Justice, but I thought Spitfire was a stumble.
Plus, the whole, huge meta-plot felt a bit to over done and the art was kind of muddy.

Nice try, I like some of the ideas, but there wasn't enough to keep me sticking around.
Might have actually worked better as a TV show like 'Heroes'.

Though, then people would think NewUniversal was ripping off Heroes, when it's actually the other way around.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this based on the strength of Warren Ellis' writing but the art absolutely killed this book for me. It seems a trend in comics lately has been to appropriate celebrity likenesses for character designs. All the characters in this book look like the artist copied them out of production stills from movies and television shows. At first glance, I recognize Josh Holloway from Lost, Angelina Jolie, James Cromwell, Johnny Depp, and Bruce Willis.

I am sure art like this is to someone's tastes, but it seems lazy to me and hindered me from enjoying the story.

Now that being said, the story is pretty rote as well, although this might have more to do with the genre than this book in particular. Ellis is good at taking the superhero elements and coming up with new spins on them... but there are SO many superhero comic books out there, that NewUniversal didn't distinguish itself to me all that much. I did like one key scene toward the end involving "the starbrand" meeting other starbrands. Time travel is involved and it provided a nice twist I didn't see coming.

[Mouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I remember Marvel's 'New Universe' back in the 80's and I remember how it fell flat on its face waaay quick. I'm not sure how this ties in to it but I was surprised at how good this book was.
This book is well written and quite thought provoking at times, it dabbles in science, religion, politics, ethics, and so much more.
The characters are very real and it has a sort of Watchmen type vibe to it. I love the part where Connell gets his powers, that part felt very much like Tetsuo's awakening in the anime Akira.
Also, I thought it was clever when Izanami made contact with the aliens and they mentioned they'd tried this before. The whole thing was very tongue-in-cheek in regards to the previous attempt at Marvel's New Universe.
I love the little yellow note thingies that are at the beginning of each new chapter to help the reader know what has happened.
One part that bugged me was: Where did Det Tensen get the big ol butcher knife from when he killed the nurse? I didn't know hospitals kept butcher knives around in patient rooms?!?!

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expanding upon the original 1986 New Universe, Warren Ellis here applies his formula: Cool Smart People + Weird Fuckers + Major Metaphysical Event = Cool Comic Story. I wish there had been more of this - unfortunately, it looks like this went the way of the original New Universe and died on the vine very shortly after this point. There might be a second volume out there called NewUniversal: Shockfront, so I'm on the lookout for that. I enjoyed this, found it typically strange and clever, but with no long game, it'll cliffhang & disappoint most comics readers.

Or maybe I come back and amend this when/if I find the second arc.

[Andrew Uys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from the amazing Mr. Warren Ellis, the NewUniversal world is making a big comeback in Jonathan Hickman's Avengers series, and this earlier work (though not the 1st material for the NewUniversal line - for that one must look to the 80's....I think;) serves as the inspiration. Fun read!

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was never a reader of the old Marvel New Universe titles, but Warren Ellis' reimagining of their concepts is an excellent read, and it's always nice to see Ellis in control of his own world. This is all very much set up, so I'm interested to see where this goes.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic writing and artwork by two of my favorite people in the business. Well paced and put together. My favorite aspect of the book is the portrayal of superhumans in a very frighteningly alien way. Very disappointed that they barely continued what would have been a fantastic series.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. I enjoyed this comic. Its been awhile since one really grabbed me like this one. Hope to continue the story.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended reading to help understand Hickman's current Avengers run. Liked it a whole lot! The celebrity photo referencing is a bit much.

[Sonic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is excellent, … though it feels like a build-up, …

… a build-up for what?
I don't know, …

is there a book 2?

[pastiesandpages - Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

'This is a paradigm shift. Everything you know has changed. Please remain calm.'

This hardback collects issues 1-6 of this high-concept sci-fi/superhuman drama filled with mystery & suspense, political tension and a few scenes of graphic violence.

In the 1980s, Marvel comics created the New Universe. A handful of superhumans in a self-contained universe, a version of our world rather than the Marvel Universe of heroes and villains. It was short lived but twenty years later, writer Warren Ellis took the concept and modernised it with this gritty futuristic version.

Getting Salvador Larroca on board as the artist is a big positive as his design work and fluid, epic art style suits the depiction of this world plunged into mayhem as the skies go white.

Ordinary people are turned into powered heralds of the new time to come with devastating consequences.
A Nightmask. Izanami Randall. Bay Area partygoer, goth girl and manhua shop worker.
A Justice. John Tensen. A gunned down detective on the brink of death rises from his hospital bed with terrible power.
A Starbrand. Kenneth Connell. Oklahoma boy waking on a starlit night to find himself branded and his girlfriend dead beside him.
A Cipher. Jenny Swann. A government tech developer working on top secret Project Spitfire. She's become one of the beings the tech is supposed to hunt and destroy.

Add in a landslide in Latvia exposing an ancient lost city and we have all the elements for a great series.

However, despite good writing and fantastic art its a slow burn and it's not until issue 6 that everything comes together ready to be continued. And that's the biggest problem. There's no volume 2 😢.
Research tells me the story was continued to some degree in a two issue mini and then two one-off issues but then the project got shelved.

So much potential and an enjoyable volume but the lack of conclusion and missed opportunity means I can't give it more than ✨✨✨3 stars.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

El fallido "Nuevo Universo" que Marvel Comics propuso promediando la década ochenta, replanteado de cara al siglo XXI y con carta blanca por Warren Ellis. El resultado exhibe los aciertos que caracterizan el trabajo del escritor inglés - buenos diálogos, alusiones tecnológicas, política y violencia hermanadas -, aunque también padece su gran bemol: Dejar a medio camino la proyectada miniserie de 12 números. Esto reduce su interés a los lectores más acérrimos, que al menos disfrutarán con su usual calidad.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reboot of Jim Shooter's mediocre New Universe, this series combines the various characters into a single 'universe' narrative, and does so brilliantly. The characters are varied and for the most part free of the author's signature snark, the art by Larrocca communicates both emotion and also a stunning sense of cosmic scale when required. This is one of comics' (or at least, Warren Ellis') great abandoned series (as Ellis apparently lost his notes for the followup).

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great - art and story.
Only issue is that it is another victim of the hard drive incident from Ellis. I don't understand why he couldn't continue writing the series', but that was his choice.

So much intrigue and great drama. Definitely read this.

[Jason Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this was the opening act of a roughly 3-year long story that will never be finished, and that's too bad, because it was a really good first act.