Ending Alt 9997: Earth X

Alt 9997: C

There was so much to read. The pages were so densely worded that I felt like I was reading a picture book rather than a comic. It was a chore as I slowly worked my way through each issue, Critics generally loved it, but I found the series a little too pretentious. It was written solely for fanboys with a deep love of the Marvel Age, and the rest of us had to try to follow along. 

The series goes on for a third limited series called Paradise X (and more recently, a prequel called Marvels X). I decided not to spend more money on something that I wasn't really enjoying. The stories were well thought out, and I was genuinely interested in the human elements of loss and regret. The cover art was exceptional, and some of the ideas were novel. It just wasn't enough for me to agree with the critics --- or to keep buying the books. 

Alt 9997, Part 3: Universe X (Part 2)

Grade: D+

The Universe X story is so expansive that it needs to be told in two collections. The second volume digs deeper into Marvel lore with a new look at Balesco, Mephisto, Wakanda, and the Magneto/Toad relationship. Things continue on a downward spiral for our heroes as the Absorbing Man gets closer to being reassembled, the international Human Torches are doused one by one, and the global conditions continue to deteriorate. 

The series marches on with its template of deeply personal journeys of heroes who must overcome tragedy in order to face a new world that they helped shape. Each issue again opens with a long narrative provided by Kyle Ricard (Nighthawk) and X-51 (Aaron/Machine Man).

The one-shots introduced between the series issues are a nice touch. I don't normally like (or buy) the extras of a series, but I found that they really worked here (for both volumes of Universe X). They didn't really incorporate the heavy narrative norms of Earth X or Universe X which allowed the creators to tell some good character development tales. 

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #8

[5-Stars] Universe X: Beasts (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #9

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #10

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #11

[5-Stars] Universe X: Iron Men (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #12

[Missing] Universe X (2000) #X

Collected in Universe X, Vol. 2

Alt 9997, Part 2: Universe X (Part 1)

Grade: D+

Things get worse as the planet's ecological conditions continue to decline after the events of Earth X. Meanwhile, Mr. Fantastic sets up gigantic "human torches" around the globe to burn the Terrigen Mist that turned every human into a mutant, but the growing Church of Immortus wants to douse the flames in order to keep their powers. The mysterious Tong of Creel surfaces to reassemble the Absorbing Man, the villain responsible for destroying the Avengers. The heroes rally around a young Mar-Vell (returned from the dead) in an attempt to  prevent the approaching armageddon 

Universe X doubles down on the dystopian future by showing the devastating consequences of the heroic actions to save the planet from both the Skull and the Celestials. Despite the sacrifices and victories, things continue the downward spiral. Humans will be humans as the series reveals both our inherent greed and our base instinct to survive. It is against that dark backdrop that we can better see the nobility of those who selflessly protect and defend the people around them.

If Earth X feels like a tribute to the Silver Age, then Universe X looks back through the Bronze Age. The series doesn't attempt to reframe past stories, but it still relies on a deep understanding of the heroes and histories -- especially Mar-Vell (Captain Marvel) and Adam Warlock. As with the last series, I was often left scrambling to find cliff notes online to fill in the gaps of my limited knowledge.

Universe X feels like a pale comparison to Earth X (which was already not my favorite read). The themes were less inspiring and the writing agonizing longer. The lengthy prose-like introduction conversations remained a fixture of the series -- this time between Kyle Ricard (Nighthawk) and fellow Defender Gargoyle. 

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #0

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X: 4 (2000) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #2

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #3

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #4

[5-Stars] Universe X: Spidey (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #5

[4-Stars] Universe X: Cap (2001) #1

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #6

[4-Stars] Universe X (2000) #7

Collected in Universe X, Vol. 1