The fourth issue of the sporadic Multiverse magazine is now out. Subjected to delays for various reasons it appears that the comics news magazine is on a more reliable frequency, which is good to see.
Contents of the 52 page full colour issue include comments by writers of some of the "New 52" DC Comics, an obituary to Gene Colan, pencil roughs of John Byrne's new series Cold War, news, reviews, and more.
With the instant accessibility of the Internet do people still have interest for a comics news magazine in print? Editors Mike Conroy and Barry Renshaw obviously believe so, and with Multiverse they've produced a magazine that's well written, sharply designed, and often more in-depth than online news items might be. And it's 100% troll-free, which is an added bonus.
Those of you looking for news items on traditional British comics won't find it in this issue unfortunately. Multiverse is pretty much American superhero/fantasy - centric. It makes sense to favour those genres as the magazine is mainly sold in comic specialist shops frequented by customers with those interests. It would be nice to at least see a page devoted to traditional UK material though because, after all, Multiverse is a British magazine, but I'd guess that depends on whether British publishers are sending them news releases or not.
To be fair, there is a four page article on independent UK publisher Com.X and their new 64 page one-shot BlueSpear, and there's an interview with UK writer Rob Williams on his new Ghost Rider series for Marvel USA. It seems that Multiverse isn't deliberately avoiding running news on British comics but they can only work with what they're given. One could argue that any journalist should seek out the news him/herself but any news editor looking at the jumbled bagged product on the shelves of British newsagents isn't going to know where to start. (Especially when many of the titles don't even feature comic strips, and many newsagents don't stock all titles anyway.) It's up to publishers to contact magazines such as Multiverse and Comic Heroes in order to promote their wares. The core readership of Multiverse might not give a damn about who's drawing for the latest Beano or Commando, but (as I've discovered with Blimey!) a percentage of them certainly would, and it might raise the awareness of UK comics with other readers.
You'll be pleased to hear that subscriptions to Multiverse are now available for 6 or 12 issues. Full details are at the magazine's website here:
http://www.multiverse-magazine.com/
Recent times have seen the demise of comics news mag Wizard in the USA and the prestigious Comics Journal making its move to digital. Therefore it's heartening to see that here in the UK we can still support print editions of comics-dedicated magazines. (Update: The Comics Journal still exists as an annual in book format, but the regular magazine is no more.)
Comic Heroes reached its sixth issue recently and despite carrying a £7.99 price tag seems to have found a loyal readership. This issue comes packaged in a card envelope as usual, and this month the "free" gifts are the regular Sidekick comic (previewing upcoming comics), a DC Comics promo poster, and, great news chums, a set of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen fridge magnets with artwork by Kevin O'Neill.
As we've now come to expect, the contents of the 132 page issue show the variety of comics out there these days, with features ranging from the X-Men to Fables, with spotlights on Italian artist Lorenzo Mattotti to writer Matt Fraction.
If your tastes are solely devoted to UK comics there's a few items that should be of interest, including Gary Millidge talking about his forthcoming biography on Alan Moore...
...to Rob Power talking about Battle Picture Weekly and Pat Mills saying how it rebooted the increasingly lifeless boys' adventure comic scene of the 1970s.
There are also extensive reviews and a section giving practical advice to aspiring inkers. All in all another great issue.
Another magazine that appeared recently was Multiverse No.2. Slimmer than Comic Heroes and, at £2.50, substantially cheaper, it still packs a lot into its 52 pages. Very nicely designed by Barry Renshaw and published/edited by Mike Conroy, Multiverse offers us a bit more depth to the news stories that websites might perhaps only cover superficially.
The majority of items in Multiverse focus on American comics. That's understandable. The mag is only sold in comic book stores, not newsagents, so it's targeting that demographic of teen to adult readers. Although it'd be nice to see an item on current British mainstream comics I'm not sure if Multiverse's readers would warm to it. Unlike Comic Heroes, there aren't any nostalgic features on old comics in Multiverse, because its aim is to focus on current developments which is fair enough. No one would wish the two magazines to be too similar, and I find that Multiverse and Comic Heroes compliment each other and are both essential reads for anyone interested in comics.
As good as online comic news sites are, it's useful to have the information in print. (Not to mention it being easier on the eyes.) When it comes to having a relaxing read, digital still can't compete with paper just yet.
There are two main attractions with digital. A) the news is free, and B) they can immediately post their opinions and interact with like-minded fans. (Or, given the number of arguments on the net, not so like-minded.) However, the really important stuff, such as a well-written article one can relax and enjoy, is still presented better in paper format in my opinion.
Thirty years or more ago I was a regular subscriber to fanzines such as Bem and Comic Media News. Eventually all those fanzines faded away, so it's good to see two professional comics mags still holding their own. Remember the fates of Wizard and The Comics Journal and give your support to Multiverse and Comic Heroes.
Comic Heroes is available from WH Smith and other newsagents. Multiverse is available from comics specialist shops such as Nostalgia & Comics.
http://www.comicheroesmagazine.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Multiverse/156064871100900?sk=info
Here's the latest press release from the editors of Britain's newest magazine about comics regarding the next two issues to hit the shelves:
MULTIVERSE RETURNS FULLY REFRESHED FROM ITS WINTER BREAK
The second 52-page issue of Multiverse is now at the printer with copies due to go on sale at the end of the month.
Alongside the £2.50/$3.99 title’s regular news and reviews sections and Frame to Frame, Multiverse #2 also includes exclusive interviews with Garth Ennis, Frank Quitely, David Lapham, Mark Waid and the new Silver Surfer creative team of Greg Pak and Stephen Segovia. Also, newcomer Ross Mackintosh talks about his new com.X graphic novel, Seeds, while Dave West discusses Fall of the Wolfmen and the burgeoning British small press scene.
Multiverse #3 is scheduled to hit shops on April 21. Among exclusives lined up for the issue are Missy Suicide and artist David Hahn talking Suicide Girls; Peter Milligan, Tomm Coker and editor Sebastian Girner discussing Marvel’s latest Wolverine saga, 5 Ronin; writer Chris Roberson discusses Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse and Elric: The Balance Lost; and Christopher Monfette reveals all about resurrecting Clive Barker’s Hellraiser.
http://www.multiverse-magazine.com
