Unlimited Access #4

After 3 issues full of members from both the DC and Marvel Universes taking up residence in worlds that were not their own, it finally happened... the Amalgam Universe has returned! Only this is a different mix-up of heroes unlike those unveiled in the previous DC/Marvel cross-overs. 

Since the main baddies of this story are Darkseid and Magneto, the Amalgam characters that are introduced are mostly taken from the X-Men and JLA. I really liked the new Amalgam baddies- the Brotherhood of Evil Gods! 

I'm kinda glad that Karl Kesel decided to come up with his own Amalgam characters and not use the ones created by Ron Marz and Peter David. It helped a story that seemed to be getting a little stale and off the rails somewhat.

This issue marks the general end of the DC and Marvel crossovers. There might have been one or two one-shots still to come after this. But that was pretty much it. Now with Disney in charge of Marvel, it is probably a long shot that any such crossover between these two powerhouses will occur again any time soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Unlimited Access #1

Axel Asher, also known as in inter-dimensional skipping hero Access is back. 

This time, he doesn't just have to prevent heroes from both the DC and Marvel universes from jumping between worlds, he now has to prevent them from screwing up with the time-line.

During a period of lost time, Access discovers that the believed long dead Hal Jordan Green Latern has returned! Not only that, but the Hulk has been sent back in time to the Old West. 

Generally, when a hero from one world enters the other world, there's a loose period of time in which Access must return the interloper to their original world. To go past that limit could mean the return of the Amalgam Universe; another dimension in which the Marvel and DC Universes are blended into one. But when people are starting to be sent back and forwards in time, those rules are no longer in play.

There's no telling how much time Access has to fix time before the Amalgam world returns...

Written by Karl Kesel, a writer with experience in both DC and Marvel lore, Unlimited Access is in good hands. But this 1997 miniseries isn't written by someone who was involved with the three prior stories in the DC/Marvel crossover Saga. Having time travel being thrown into the mix was a brilliant twist. It really makes the story of Access that much more interesting and fresh.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC/Marvel All Access #1

After the events of DC Versus Marvel, the two universes had combined into an Amalgam of the two planes of reality. Thankfully the two worlds were able to be unmixed but that doesn't mean that the danger to the fabric of reality is over.

If ever the DC and Marvel Universes ever touch again for too long, the Amalgam Universe will again dominate the two. Thus a new hero called Access was formed. He is able to cross over from side to side to eliminate any such crossovers. For the most part, Access has been able to reverse the occasional crossing. However the frequency of such events is becoming way too often and it's causing this new hero to cut things way too close.

Penned but DC Versus Marvel’s Ron Marz, this is a pretty clever way to recapture the magic of that amazing crossover that started everything. The artwork by Jackson 'Butch' Guice is quite good too. A really enjoyable and plausible opening chapter.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars!