Phoenix Resurrection

These books kind of slipped under my radar when I first started collecting Ultraverse stuff. I re-read them this week, but I’m still not entirely sure what happened. Characters from the Marvel Universe joined the Ultraversians, Phoenix went wild and split in two and the story continues in Firefox.

I think by this point the Ultraverse was being pulled in too many directions and the main characters were losing their focus, but these books have good art and pacing nonetheless.

Each main book in the series had an Ultra Gold Limited Edition counterpart. When I was trying to fill out my collection I thought these were tough to find but I’ve seen quite a few lately. They tend to arrive on eBay in waves. This week I bought a set of all four golds for $5 shipped.

 

 

 

 

The Red Shift version is the same as the regular Resurrection issue with an extra story. It’s also fairly easy to find cheap online but you have to keep an eye out for Phoenix Resurrection lots where it is included. It’s often easier (and costs about the same) to buy that way than by seeking it out as an individual issue.

Rune and Silver Surfer

Rune and Silver Surfer got the flip-book treatment for a one-shot deal. The story starts with the Rune side to about the middle of the book and then you flip it over and start reading the Silver Surfer side.

 

There are two other versions of the book, and although the book is bound differently the interiors seem to be the same. Each has the same Silver Surfer flip-cover.

These are fairly common on eBay. I picked up all three as part of a large lot of Rune books (he was featured in a number of different Ultraverse titles) for $15. I wouldn’t pay $15 for just the Silver Surfer books, though … $5, maybe.

 

The scan doesn’t do justice to the white Collector’s Limited Edition. It is one of the nicest-looking of all the Ultraverse books …  pristine white, shiny cardstock cover with perfect squared-off corners.

Rune and Conan

Rune was created by Ultraverse Editor-in-Chief Chris Ulm to be one of the lynchpins of the Ultraverse, a bad guy on the level of Doctor Doom or Lex Luthor. Barry Windsor-Smith was brought into the project later and he and Ulm redeveloped the character. They plotted the issues together with Windsor-Smith providing the art and Ulm the dialogue. (Edit: Info courtesy of Tom Mason)

These were some of my favorite books that the Ultraverse put out, especially the early ones that were drawn by Windsor-Smith.

After Marvel bought up the rights there were a couple of crossovers involving Rune. Conan seemed like a natural fit.

There was one book where they shared the title (Conan vs. Rune), and Rune appeared in issue No. 4 of the monthly Conan book (along with a small flashback appearance in No. 5) and Conan The Savage magazine.

 

These are a little tougher to find since they are pretty far off the beaten track. If you can’t find them in a cheap lot they are readily available at places like Mile High or mycomicshop.com, but they’re going to charge you a few bucks.

It’s better to be patient on eBay.

The Conan The Savage magazine is pretty cool. It’s black and white inside which looks perfect for the content. I wish they had done more books like this for Rune (there are a bazillion Conan black-and-white magazines).

Storing it is kind of a pain since I don’t have any magazine boxes. I just keep it flat in a closet with a few other magazines.

One of the cool things about the original Conan series, the one that started in the late 1960s and made BWS famous, is the ninth issue.

There on the cover is a flying bluish guy that looks kind of like Rune. It isn’t, of course, but maybe the idea stuck in his head as a prototype for later use.

In any case it doesn’t belong on an Ultraverse checklist but I’ve had my eye out for a cheap copy for a while now. In nice condition those early Conans can be pretty expensive.

Foxfire

Foxfire was a short-lived series from the relaunch, spinning out of the Phoenix Revelation stuff. It mixed and matched with some Marvel characters, notably the Punisher.

All I have to say is that the Ultraverse Punisher is a complete doosh, with a stupid ponytail and impossibly tight pants that reveal the fact he has no man parts. No wonder he wanted to kill everyone.

The first issue of Foxfire had a couple of variant covers. One was just your standard variation, but the other had an “Ultra Gold” stamp and a gold logo. I suppose this was the new version of the Ultra 5,000 series, but I bet the print run was a lot lower.

They’re easy to pick up on eBay and online comic shops, rarely for more than a buck or two. In fact it’s pretty easy to get the full four-issue series as part of a larger lot … I see these all the time.