newuniversal # 3

newuniversal # 3: Mathematics

Warren Ellis/Salvador Larroca/Jason Keith/Ron Wooton/Daniel Ketchum/Alex Alonso
April, 2007 (released February 7, 2007)
Marvel
$2.99

Plot Highlights: An interesting conversation about the nature of the newly emerged super-powered person(s). Some brutal revenge/justice. Discoveries of ancient city and artifacts, what they might mean, and how to handle them.


Despite my unfamiliarity with the previous iteration(s) of the New Universe, I started picking up this series from # 1 a couple of weeks ago. I have enjoyed Larroca's art in the past, so this was a natural draw. I have not read anything by Ellis (that I can recall at the moment), but he has been well regarded. There was the danger that after at least some exposure in recent years to things like Rising Stars, Supreme Power, the X-Men films and Heroes, that another setting newly injected with individuals with extraordinary powers would fall flat in terms of freshness at this point. However, the first two issues were interesting and enjoyable.

The covers of this series are essentially just remixes of interior imagery. The title design eschews typical capitalization, size and spacing. The issue number is larger than normal. The monochromatic coloring washes out the details on an initial viewing and comes across as easy to throw together. A cynical (or grateful) person might feel this last item saves some time and gets the series out faster. While that might be a side effect, the overall design does give the book a distinctive, if not quite totally compelling, look.

The conversation between Voight and Swann early in the issue is nearly worth the price of admission. I am impressed with the way that they are both fierce and intelligent advocates for their respective positions. Ultimately, they cannot prove either of their speculative theories at this point, but Swann's points are good.

There are neat moments of visual storytelling in the scenes after Swann leaves Voight's office. The content of those scenes is unexpected, and I am already satisfied with purchasing the issue by this point.

Glimpses of Tensen's brutal slayings in the preview art released for this issue had me worried this would degenerate into a slasher comic. The level of violence is overkill but played better than I expected because of the circumstances of the scene. The depictions are still quite unnerving in their brutality.

Despite the fact that the character is butchering terrible people, I wonder how long this behavior can remain even partially sympathetic to the reader. At some point an unending string of violent merciless allocations of justice will grow tiresome or too repulsive. Then again, comics creations like Punisher, Spectre and Ghost Rider have long endured. It also leaves open as to how he will interact with the other fledgling powered characters. Will he work with them all? Or perhaps he will find them wanting, and destructive struggles will erupt. For now Tensen provides some action during the set up stages, which some are sure to appreciate.

The closing pages leave open the intriguing possibility of learning much more of the powered from the earlier era. My curiosity is piqued by this archaeological component to the tale and what story avenues it might provide. I expect Carson and his team might be called to aide the government as the best qualified experts.

One element of the art, the resemblance of faces to real actors, does create some interesting questions. When I look at Carson, I first think Johnny Depp. Should I hear his voice for the character in my mind? Should I assign some of his traits or those of roles he has played? Perhaps not. I am free to treat it as a new role, I suppose.

I am pleased with this series so far. If you asked me a month or two ago, I would have had little interest in buying this project. It is a nice surprise, and I expect to continue reading.