New Universe reading order?

[Brother J]

This is probably more aimed towards Todd than anyone since I think he is a collector of the New Universe books. Is there any particular reading order to read the New Universe books? I imagine I could go by release date or read each title by itself if the books are pretty much self contained. What seems to be the best way?

[toddluck]

That's a good question. I think either works.

My NU issues are spotty at best but from what I've read I can tell you this: For the most part, it seems safe to read them in the order of the month they were published if you're trying to read them in chronological order. Their are some exceptions to that like the DP7 and PsiForce annuals, which tell origin stories that would have to thrown in there with the number ones and the recently published Untold Tales (though each of those has a prologue that explains where they fit).

You're right that they're very self contained at the beginning. After Shooter leaves and the Pitt happens the books become very connected with lots cross continuity references (but they seem to just reference whatever is happening that month in the other titles, so again publishing order is still good). However, even when they do start throwing around the heavy continuity the titles seem to read well on their own so reading them individually shouldn't be a problem. You'll have some aberrations to that just like in any comic line (cross title x-overs, event comics like the Pitt, etc) but their's no comics in there that I've found that force you to regularly buy another title to understand what's going in (like Post-Shooter Ria and Magnus, WarDancer and Charlemagne, the 90's Superman titles, etc) .

If you have a full run, a nice guide to what happened when would is the official time line they serialized in their editorial page. Form what I have, it appears to have began in their July 1988 publishing month (Justice 21, DP7 21, PsiForce 21, and Star Brand 14).

[Brother J]

Thanks to Mile High Comics, I'm only 26 books away from having a complete New Universe set. People are always ripping on Chuck because of his prices and hucksterism, but every once in a while you can find a real good deal if it's a book Mile High has a bunch of. I bought 82 comics during the recent codeword sale and paid .50 each for them, all listed as NM books (and most of them were graded correctly).

[Brother J]

..and thanks for the help, Todd. I'm getting close enough that I'm going to try to read these soon. One more question, do you think Starblast and some of the later New Universe appearances (Quasar issues) are worthwhile to have? I know they are listed on the checklist at forgottenuniverses.com, but wasn't sure if I wanted them.

[toddluck]

brotherj said:

..and thanks for the help, Todd. I'm getting close enough that I'm going to try to read these soon. One more question, do you think Starblast and some of the later New Universe appearances (Quasar issues) are worthwhile to have? I know they are listed on the checklist at forgottenuniverses.com, but wasn't sure if I wanted them.

I've never read Starblast and Quasar.

The recent Untold tales that were published a few monthes ago were decent but only barely so. The only one I really enjoyed was a Merc back-up in Amazing Fantasy but I got to say that it was really neat the way they used the Nightmask one to finish up the book's original plotline (with the Gnome), which was mysteriously abandoned back in the day.

Starblast and Quasar were put out by a very different Marvel so I suspect it's a different cup of tea all together. Your question prompted me to look them up on Forgotten Universes and the covers were intrigueing (DP7 and antibodies in Quasar, Adam Warlock in Starblast, ect). Gruenwald as the writer of Starblast definiately gives me some hope. I think I'll pick them up myself if I see them in the mega discount bin (home of all 90's comics . I've heard Spiderman 2099 was a good series too (Tensen aka Justice made a few appearances in the series).

[Quato]

brotherj said:

..and thanks for the help, Todd. I'm getting close enough that I'm going to try to read these soon. One more question, do you think Starblast and some of the later New Universe appearances (Quasar issues) are worthwhile to have? I know they are listed on the checklist at forgottenuniverses.com, but wasn't sure if I wanted them.

I'm obviously not Todd and I'm don't own it, but I'd say it's definitely relevant. People were really excited about it at the time. If I was collecting these I'd feel like the Quasar issues were important.

Q

[Brother J]

quato said:

brotherj said:

..and thanks for the help, Todd. I'm getting close enough that I'm going to try to read these soon. One more question, do you think Starblast and some of the later New Universe appearances (Quasar issues) are worthwhile to have? I know they are listed on the checklist at forgottenuniverses.com, but wasn't sure if I wanted them.

I'm obviously not Todd and I'm don't own it, but I'd say it's definitely relevant. People were really excited about it at the time. If I was collecting these I'd feel like the Quasar issues were important.

Q

I saw a few issues in a cheap bin at the last show I was at, probably should have picked them up. I'll probably give them a shot if I really get into them after I read the regular New Universe books.

[rocket2600]

home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/comics/newu/checklist.shtml

Here is a rundown on the Quasar and Starblast issues among others.

[toddluck]

Anytime a dead universe gets an appearance it's going to create some excitement among the old fans and the curious. Heck, I'm not even a big NU fan and even I was excited about a few of the Untold Tales but then I read them and that changed that But like I said, having one of the guys behind the New Universe involved in Starblast makes it a different situation all together.

Everyone's aware that Marvel is supposed to be coming out with an ongoing series called New Universal by Warren Ellis that will feature a rebooted New Universe, right?

[Quato]

I haven't been following any new comics at all. I don't even look in Previews anymore. If not for messageboards taliking about comics, I wouldn't even know anything about what's going on. Even when I visit the LCS, I talk to the girl behind the counter about movies, friends, television and life in general.

Q

[toddluck]

quato said:

I haven't been following any new comics at all. I don't even look in Previews anymore. If not for messageboards taliking about comics, I wouldn't even know anything about what's going on. Even when I visit the LCS, I talk to the girl behind the counter about movies, friends, television and life in general.

Q

And where do you think I learned about New Universal from?

I haven't picked up Previews or any comic magazine in a decade (not that it would be in Previews yet, I haven't heard anything to indicate it's past the planning stages yet) and I haven't had time to have many conversations in a comic shop in very a long time. The net keeps me acutely aware of some of the new comics that are out (or in this case, supposedly coming out at some point).

[Quato]

toddluck said:

quato said:

I haven't been following any new comics at all. I don't even look in Previews anymore. If not for messageboards taliking about comics, I wouldn't even know anything about what's going on. Even when I visit the LCS, I talk to the girl behind the counter about movies, friends, television and life in general.

Q

And where do you think I learned about New Universal from?

I haven't picked up Previews or any comic magazine in a decade (not that it would be in Previews yet, I haven't heard anything to indicate it's past the planning stages yet) and I haven't had time to have many conversations in a comic shop in very a long time. The net keeps me acutely aware of some of the new comics that are out (or in this case, supposedly coming out at some point).

Kinda sad don't you think?

Quato

[Brother J]

well, I'm still getting Previews every month. I enjoy looking at the print catalog much more than looking at an online order form. I think there's still some pretty good stuff being published today, even if most of the DC and Marvel heroes stuff is recycled crap. Vertigo is putting out several quality books in particular.

Also, without Previews I would never know about new obscure stuff since I don't have the time to look for new comic stuff online. You can also find new non-comics related stuff in there. For a while, I hadn't gotten Previews for years, and once I started getting it again, I realized how much stuff I was missing out on.

The only disadvantage to ordering stuff in advance is that it's a pain when you want to drop a title. You often order a book several issues into the run and then decide after a few issues that the book is not for you. However, you've already had the comic shop order the next few issues for you. I know it pisses my comic shop guys off, but if it's a comic that they order a lot of, I just tell them I dropped it and give it back. However, if it's a book that they specially ordered for me and I decide later I don't want it, I'm kind of stuck buying it. Guess it's only fair, but I hate spending money on books I don't really want.

[toddluck]

quato said:

toddluck said:

And where do you think I learned about New Universal from?

I haven't picked up Previews or any comic magazine in a decade (not that it would be in Previews yet, I haven't heard anything to indicate it's past the planning stages yet) and I haven't had time to have many conversations in a comic shop in very a long time. The net keeps me acutely aware of some of the new comics that are out (or in this case, supposedly coming out at some point).

Kinda sad don't you think?


Quato

What is?

[Quato]

toddluck said:

quato said:

Kinda sad don't you think?


Quato

What is?

When people as vocal, opinionated, and active as you and I don't even take the time to sort through what's coming out new each month. Not only that, I meet plenty of others who don't look at new material anymore. How much better would comics be doing if people like us supported just three titles a month? I think the numbers could be significant.

Q

[toddluck]

quato said:

toddluck said:

What is?

When people as vocal, opinionated, and active as you and I don't even take the time to sort through what's coming out new each month. Not only that, I meet plenty of others who don't look at new material anymore. How much better would comics be doing if people like us supported just three titles a month? I think the numbers could be significant.

Q

Wouldn't make a whole lof of difference. I actually currently get 3-6 titles a month (depending on what issues come out that month) It used to be 5-8 but the only two DCU titles I followed got canned. I go to a comic shop once a month and am fairly aware of the major DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse offerings. Unfortunately, I simply can't afford to even try most of them out anymore at 2.95 or more an issue.