What a ridiculously awesome read.

Grant Morrison has long said that Multiversity is “the ultimate statement of what DC is”, and this issue really punches things into gear. Or at least, this issue is where I’ve started to notice more of the connective tissue. The main thrust of the book deals with an earth where the heroes of DCs 90s era have won the day, and the current batch of supers has nothing to do. The earth (designated 16 here) is a wonderful mix of dour inevitabilities - if the heroes do in fact win the day, and our current reality’s fascination with celebrity life and culture continues unabated, this is the kind of world that would emerge. Power and responsibility steeping in boredom ’til the point of breaking.

As for the overarching plot, this issue brings the idea that the Multiversity comics that have been, and will be, are missives from other realities, bleeding into existence as a dire warning and/or mysterious doom. This simmers all through out the book as various superheroes pick up the comics and have a myriad of opinions on the ridiculousness of the superhero genre and comics in general. The whole thing is a joy to read, and will be a further joy to go back and parse when all is said and done. A great part of a whole, and a great single issue read, I’d say anyone could pick this issue up and have fun.