This next New Universe release was a bit of an outlier, as it didn't truly have anything to do with the overarching concept of the New Universe at all. It featured no super-powers, no White Event, nothing at all extraordinary or beyond the realm of believability. What it was instead was an attempt to do … Continue reading Brand Echh: MARK HAZZARD: MERC #1
The New Universe was a bit of a confounding launch in that it is clear that all of the titles that were a part of it were terribly rushed and under the gun, to the point where none of them were bale to keep a steady creative team for more than a couple of issues. … Continue reading Brand Echh: NIGHTMASK #1
Among the assorted titles launched as a part of the New Universe in 1986, PSI-FORCE was one of the more consistent and popular, though as with the other series in the group, it went through a bit of a creative shakeup due to having been started so far under the gun. It also suffered from … Continue reading Brand Echh: PSI-FORCE #1
The development of the New Universe line had been a haphazard process. After several months had been spent in pursuit of high-minded goals in terms of creative innovation and the pedigree of those who would innovate said titles, in the end there was a mad dash to the finish line in terms of launching the … Continue reading Brand Echh: JUSTICE #1
On the surface of things, KICKERS INC should have been one of the more stable and solidly-crafted of the titles launching as part of Marvel's 1986 anniversary initiative, the New Universe. It had a creative team with an established track record on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, writer Tom DeFalco and artists Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema. But … Continue reading Brand Echh: KICKERS INC. #1
The second of the New Universe titles to make its debut (at the same time as STAR BRAND #1) was ultimately one of the line's more troubled outings, right from the get-go. It only lasted a little bit over a year, a casualty of the line being contracted and re-envisioned following Editor in Chief Jim … Continue reading Brand Echh: SPITFIRE AND THE TROUBLESHOOTERS #1
The eight New Universe titles rolled out two-a-week across a month's worth of time, and I sampled all of them. The promotion around this initiative made it feel like a seminal event, and so I was determined not to miss the moment. Ultimately, I found myself disappointed with pretty much all of the launch titles, … Continue reading Brand Echh: STAR BRAND #1
The New Universe was a bit of an epic fiasco in the history of Marvel Comics. it had been conceived as a way to mark the company's 25th Anniversary as a popular publisher. Instead, it turned out to be an almost-instantly stillborn blemish, a complete creative misfire that was reviled and derided by the fans … Continue reading Brand Echh: THE NEW UNIVERSE
It's been a long time since we last looked at the unique work produced by veteran creator Manny Stallman on the short-lived Raven strip that ran in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents for the Tower Comics imprint. As opposed to the rest of the title, which was steeped in the clean and elegant linework of creator Wally Wood, … Continue reading Brand Echh – T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #10
In 1988, Eclipse comics was celebrating its ten-year anniversary as a publisher. Founded by Jan and Dean Mullaney, Eclipse was one of the earliest entrants into the nascent Direct Sales marketplace of Comic Book specialty shops. The company was also a proponent of creator-ownership and offered a better publishing arrangement than the mainstream outfits of … Continue reading Brand Echh: TOTAL ECLIPSE #1
The Tom Brevoort Experience 