In 1996, something magical happened that comic book nerds never thought possible: The big two, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, combined their deep catalog of characters . Amalgam was a unique one-time shot, one that probably we’ll never see the likes of again… thanks to lawyers.
I remember when this all happened. I was 26, and I was still collecting with a passion non-stop since I was 9. This was an exciting event, at least it was to me. Since the very beginning I had always been a “Big Two” fan. The stables of DC and Marvel had always been a mainstay in my collection. Sure, I had several titles like Shuriken, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Beast Warriors of Shaolin, and Vampirella, that I would pick up from time to time. But I digress… the Amalgam universe was special, I didn’t get into all of the pairings, but I really enjoyed the concept. There wasn’t an issue that I would miss. It was incredible, here was a set of monthly books doing what I had been doing since I was a child, fusing my favorite heroes into all new characters.
In 2006, I ceased collecting. Occasionally I have dabbled in an issue or two, but nothing to involved. With the digital age of comics being ushered in, I felt it was time to check back into the worlds of DC and Marvel. I’ve replaced much of my physical collection with digital issues, except my original X-Men (Jack Kirby through Jim Lee’s run). The last physical title I’ve collected in the past five years have been Future Quest series, and that didn’t last long. Marvel hasn’t piqued my interest in a long time. Now if they would bring back the Amalgam Universe, or even another round of JLA/Avengers, then I would be all in… again.
This is a re-posting of my original article on the now defunct
Quantum-Multiverse from 30 April, 2017.
WordPress
Facebook
Disqus