I haven’t really been super interested in DC Comics offerings since the Death of the Family story arc and Batman: Gates of Gotham. I prefer the diversity of Marvel, but when I saw The Multiversity #1, I was super intrigued because Superman is black. Yes, on Earth-23 Superman is not only black, but he’s the President of the United States, hiding his superhero abilities and deeds from his staff. Most of the Justice League on Earth-23 is black including Green Lantern and Wonder Woman (!!!) as well.
The Good
The idea of multiple alternate universes is actually pretty appealing. The characters change, and their stories and origins vary, keeping things pretty fresh. For the first time in ever, I was super excited for a Wonder Woman because I felt like I could relate to her, and the story didn’t seem stale. Another positive was seeing all the different versions of DC Universe characters, but also getting to know characters that were super obscure. I’d never heard of Captain Carrot before The Multiversity #1. Seeing them all occupy the same space and attempting to get to know each other was a highlight for me. The art was also very impressive featuring bold and bright colors.
The Bad
The story is a bit confusing, though. There’s a haunted comic, and some kid reading it who apparently is some sort of cosmic defender that has been corrupted by an evil force in an alternate universe. It sucks the life and will to live out of you, turning the cosmic defender and his talking ape sidekick into evil, hateful creatures. Earth-23 Superman gets sucked into some alternate universe, and by the end, I’ve had more questions than answers. This is why I struggled with this review. The story is interesting, but all over the place. And I would love to know why the bad guys are using the type of language I would see in a text message between prepubescent girls. I couldn’t even parse my thoughts together.
The Bottom Line
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Multiversity #1, and I support telling diverse stories in comics. I look forward to the second issue, but I’m still kind of trying to figure out what the hell the endgame is here.