Review by Ian Keogh
DC fans of some standing may remember “Elseworlds” stories, looking at places where the familiar was twisted into something new via an alternate universe. The same premise applies to Tales From the Dark Multiverse, except as the title suggests, there’s little cheery or optimistic to be found here.
With both this and Volume II, the impact is lessened if readers aren’t familiar with how things originally played out in stories anything up to 25 years previously, even if some relevant parts are reprinted after the 21st century material. The stories are connected by Tempus Fuginaut, the Watcher in all but name, who hops between dimensions to witness events and act as a tour guide. The disadvantage of compiling what were originally issued as one-shots is there being considerable repetition as the character is introduced time and again.
Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins visit a world where Azrael remained Batman after almost killing Bruce Wayne, who remains alive, but not in any viable form. It’s an exceptionally violent story looking to be heading toward redemption until taking a turn before the end. It’s overwritten, but successfully captures that 1990s atmosphere, while there’s no visual restraint from Javier Fernandez in showing the extreme violence, so it’ll be too distasteful and explicit for some.
As the original Superman dies he’s replaced by a more vengeful alternative courtesy of Jeff Loveness and Brad Walker in what’s a slightly better outing. The new character is unrestrained, not holding back with those who knew Superman wouldn’t kill them, the result being a version of Superman’s earliest days as a wish-fulfilment fantasy putting the world to rights. Loveness explains the original circumstances of Superman’s death, but the arrival of substitutes comes from nowhere if you’ve not read the 1990s material, while Walker’s art (sample page) evokes the period.
Tim Seeley is the first writer to really surprise. Taking the events of Blackest Night and reversing the result is predictable enough, but his story concentrates on Lobo, possibly because most heroes are dead after the reversal. Kyle Hotz revels in the cartoon violence, but Seeley swerves all over the shop, and some story points are conveniences not foreshadowed.
James Tynion IV and Aaron Lopresti ensure Blue Beetle survives his execution and sets about forestalling the events that originally led to the Infinite Crisis. It’s by some distance the best offering in this collection, not least for having some optimism about it, while starring someone readers can actually care about attempting to do the right things in looking out for humanity rather than seeking power and control. Corruption does play a part, as Tynion comes up with some interesting ideas as to who menaces are, and it eventually plays into the theme of darkness, but it’s a viable alternative set of events well drawn.
In 1980s Teen Titans continuity Terra was a spy planted by Deathstroke, but revealed in time. Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom here have her release her potential in horrific fashion. Tom Raney draws it in the style of the time, and it’s a decent period adventure.
A criticism that could be levelled is not every reader will know such old stories, hence the material on which the variations are based being reprinted in the back. From the corporate view it’s great news as it doubles the page count and the price. For most of these the reputation rests on an event making the story classic, rather than the quality, and they drag down the overall rating.
