The Original Universe 01.pdf

As everything settled...

A New Zine Emerged!

Number 1

le of Contents

Contents

To remain on the mailing list you have to

contribute The Usual at least once every 2 issues.

Failure to do so gets you bumped from mailings.

You’ll be reminded if you’re close to that point.

Editor’s Corner ………………………….. 3

Review / Commentary: 52 …………….... 5

Review: Sinestro Corps …………………. 6

Comic Comments ................................... 7

Movie Views ……………………………. 9

Leaping Letters ………………………… 12

Rights: all articles, art and letters are © to you.

In the case of characters and concepts belonging

to others, rights revert to them and their

copyrights should be mentioned.

sse is published 6 times a year

on a bi-monthly schedule. Sample issues are

available for $3 Canadian, about the same cost as

many comics. You can also subscribe at a cost of

$12 per year.

ver

eerse

sse

Contact: My e-mail for this zine is

theoriginaluniverse@gmail.com

My Snail-Mail address is

The zine is also available free for The Usual. The

Usual consists of several options:

Jeff Boman

6900 Cote St-Luc Road #708

Montreal, QC H4V 2Y9

CANADA

LOC (Letter of Comment): This is

the most common method, and

recommended even if you use the

other methods as well. This is simply

a letter to the editor giving feedback

on the issue itself, maybe feedback to

other contributors as well. This letter

can be sent in e-mail.

Next Deadline: September 12

About the cover:

With some Photoshop tricks, this original image

came from the Infinite Crisis mini-series. It’s

There are two content rules: a) try to be

interesting. B) don’t start a fight with another or

several other members. I simply won’t publish

those.

ii)

Cover art: I always appreciate this.

Keep in mind not to use copyrighted

characters without proper attribution,

and keep art to PG-13 at most.

iii)

Interior art: “fillos” are a longtime

tradition for zines: small illustrations

to break up sections of text.

iv)

Articles: if you write something to

share with fellow readers, I’ll print it.

Please keep article submissions clean.

Zine trades: If you produce a zine, I’ll

be glad to exchange a copy of this one

for yours.

le of

ble of

The Original Uni

eer

September 12

September 12.

Editor’s Corner

Comicopia, some of

you we are all “meeting” for the first time. To all of you, I saw “Welcome!”. This may be outside of what you’re used

to; I’m used to being a contributor to other zines, but this is my first time behind the chair for editor and publisher.

Please bear with me if I make some mistakes as we go.

Comicopia

Some of the folks reading this already know me, so some of this will be familiar to them – probably most of this in

fact. I’ll just make sure that, good or bad, all my readers will be up to speed.

Comicopia, an APA (Amateur Press

Association) devoted to comicbooks. A friend offered to run the legwork on it. Two others came after him on that, and I

went along with that. It’s about time for me to “ get my hands dirty ” , so to speak. :)

Comicopia

I started using a word processor on an Atari ST computer, then used a DTP program on it. When I got a PC, I began

that route all over, only Pub

Publisher

lisher was my DTP program and save for a brief sojourn with Wor

oordP

ddPerf

erfect

ect, Wor

oord became

my standard word processor. Currently I’m using Open Of

Open Office W

ice Writer

riter for that purpose. [I’m back on Wor

oord as I write

riter was giving me formatting headaches.]

My DTP program is also changed. This will either be in Pag

aagemak

emaker

eer (which I’m accustomed to) or Indesign

Indesign if I come to

grips with it.

That covers the mechanical stuff, but what of me personally? Outside of the above-mentioned APA, I write for tabletop

roleplaying games (I currently have 6 published credits, 2 to come this year), fiction which I’ll include in this zine from

time to time (here I have a small pile of rejection slips so far), screenplays (I’m an animation grad from university,

specialized in scripts. I won Script Frenzy in June), and I’m also a computer software geek. I taught myself HTML,

ended up the backup teacher in an Adult Ed program on Information Technology.

On top of comics I’m a fan of professional wrestling (more on that in a bit), science fiction (I was on my local SF

convention committee for 6 years), above-mentioned RPGs, SF TV... I’m an all-around nerd for these things and proud

of it!

One thing you’ll often hear me gush about here: I’m an uncle. My nephew Adam Benjamin Dyer is 11, starting junior

high school in the fall (wow). My twin nieces (same mom) Amanda Kathleen and Rebecca Lianne are 8.

They are all taking after their dad in terms of height. Currently I’m wearing sandals that Adam has outgrown, and I

have a pair of boots from him for the winter that he has as well. Yes, my 11-year old nephew has outgrown the foot size

of his 40-year old uncle.

I wear hand-me-downs from many of my family. These I call more realistically hand-me-ups though.

I said I was a fan of wrestling, and there’s a big story about it in the news at the moment. I’ll speak out on it: the

tragedy in the home of Chris Benoit.

Chris gave last minute warning to WWE that he wouldn’t be at their Vengeance Pay-per-View because of a “family

emergency”. By the morning, he, his wife Nancy and son Daniel were found dead.

Welcome to this first issue of The Original Universe. Some of you I know from my 16+ years in Comicopia

First, some history: I’m the guy who in 1990 came up with the idea and name for Comicopia

Pub

lisher

oor

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Open Of

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Indesign

That night WWE had a tribute show for him – but by the Tuesday afterwards more grisly details were revealed: it was a

double murder-suicide. Chris had strangled his wife and son over that weekend, then hung himself in his weight room.

He had steroids and other drugs in his possession. A full toxicology report hasn’t been done yet, but something set him

off. The drugs (whatever he took) were likely the cause; he loved his son dearly, and wouldn’t have done this awful thing

otherwise.

This really has me conflicted. On one hand he was an amazing ring performer. Many of the best matches of the past

10+ years had him involved. He was a tremendous worker, and even when he lost a match fans would cheer him.

On the other hand: in no way can I forgive or excuse these actions. Regardless of how great he was in the ring he was a

monster in the end.

Like many suggest, I want to wait for the final results to make a full decision. It’s a shame how a wrestling future legend

destroyed his legacy, however. Regardless of any spin, these awful actions will be what he’s remembered for from now

on.

Changing to something pleasant: I’m the sole TRUE Montreal winner of Script Frenzy. I produced a 20 000 word

screenplay in the 30 days of June.

I’ve been a member of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Montreal chapter since 2003. For that I write

the 50 thousand word first draft of a novel in the 30 days of November.

I say I’m a TRUE Montreal winner because one other winner listed was a winner – but he stated his home was in

Brussels, Belgium. How he chose Montreal as his region I don’t understand.

I’m counting the days and minutes until August 4th. The reason is that a massive high school reunion will be held at

my old school in the Laurentians (the country, if you don’t know Québec well). Grads from 1981 through 1984 will be

there. I graduated in 84, but I have friends going back to 82.

In 1999 I made a New Year’s Resolution to track down my old schoolmates. Unlike most resolutions, I’ve actually been

keeping it. :) I’ve managed to reconnect with 8 people so far; this reunion from the sound of it will grow my total of

people I re-meet greatly.

It’s been 23 years since then for me. For some it will be 26. Incredible how many years have passed!

Finally I should explain why I’m using the spelling ‘comicbook’:

In 2006 I attended the Paradise City Comic-Con in Toronto. Stan Lee was originally supposed to be the Guest of Honor

but had to cancel for other commitments. He appeared on a video piece instead.

On it, he asked that we always spell Spider-Man as two words, but comicbook as 1. He explained that ‘comic book’

implied it was only humorous, not to be taken seriously. The 1-word term could help to change that – so I’m attempting

to.

Series Thoughts: 55 5552

The spoilers f

s flag is up here

lag is up here. A

. Avoid this if

oid this if y

ou want to be suprised.

ant to be suprised.

Early in May of 2007, 555552 wrapped up.

ar III titles didn’t really in my opinion.

Outside of really being another cash grab, I didn’t see that the 4 titles really added anything to the overall story. The

reasons initially given (to fill in changes in characters the maxi-series had no room for) were pretty much things that

happened in a brief few panels – this they could fit here and there in 555552. I think there would have been room for the 4-5

panels that Aquaman became the dweller in, for instance.

ld War III

ar III

Overall though the series held together well, I found. It managed to handle all of the different storylines, and though

some (like the space heroes) were resolved far more quickly than they built up, there were no dangling storylines. Some

were left for other series and specials (the Crime Bible, Booster Gold, Infinity Inc.), but nothing was just dropped in the

hope of it being forgotten. No Chris Claremont X-Men

X-Men plot danglers, in other words. :)

(Remind me to explain danglers better in another issue of the zine.)

The ultimate resolution however I’m still the middle of the road on. DC

DDC now has a multiverse again, one of 52 universes

total.

On one hand, I’m happy a version of it is back. It’s not the original, and characters from those worlds still exist on New

Earth, with different versions in the other universes as well. It also gave a justification for the Countdo

Countdowwwwwn series.

On the other hand: it came out of the blue. The series hinted at 52 being a big deal, Dan Didio hinted at it a month or

so before in his DC Direct column... but as far as the story goes, it was very rushed. Single issue rushed. It only seems

mentioned in big detail in issue 52 (52, title. 52, issue. Get it?). Oops! The Guardians on Oa also cryptically mention it

in the Ion

Ion series as well.

In a way (one plus): Ted Kord hasn’t become the Blue Beetle in his universe yet, I think. The character they show looks

like he’s in the Dan Garrett outfit. In any event, Kord is still alive. I’m one of the people who has always been a fan of

his character, and I was upset when he was killed in Countdo

Countdown to Inf

wn to Inf

wn to Infinite Crisis

inite Crisis.

Only a handful of the 52 universes have been defined. There’s still much open territory for other writers. One universe

is the Wildstorm one. That fits well; if Wildstorm ever leaves DC

DDC

DDC are pretty much

nil, but it’s still shows some clever foresight. It also fits the idea in the Captain Atom mini-series of it being there for

him.

DDC

555552 fits one of the concepts of what works in a self-contained series, at least for comics: as it ended, it made other stories

open from it. If Inf

Infinite Crisis

Series Thoughts:

The spoiler

s f

lag is up here

. A

oid this if

y y

ou w

y you w

As an overall story, different parts of it held together. Well, the Wooooorld W

ld W

X-Men

DDC

Countdo

Ion

Countdo

inite Crisis

DDC, their universe is (at least so far) self-contained, and

eliminating it wouldn’t really impact other dimensions. Granted the chances of Wildstorm leaving DC

inite Crisis had this much room to breath, it might not have disappointed so many readers – well,

except for the high body count... but that’s material for another article.

Inf

inite Crisis

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