SW10/REVIEW: Catalog of Earths, 2014 Update #4 of 5: The Legacy Universes

[Scott Eiler]

UNIVERSE:  Godling

- Type:  Superhuman

- Chronicler(s):  Joachim Vandersteen

- Chronicler's Web Site:  apparently not

- Activity:  Twice monthly or so

- Relevance:  Could interact with the Council

- Threat Analysis:  Standard superhuman, as for last year.

- Critique:  Standard superhuman, but with some changes since last year. 
  The gods have come down to Earth, the main hero Godling has been 
replaced, and new heroes including one Octo-Boy are active.  If one 
admits the point of this universe is to tell heroic stories on a 
personal scale, one can appreciate its success.

- Hyper-Piper's Comments:  I sneeze upon this Godling.  Surely he shall 
be replaced *again* within two years, when his whimsical gods withdraw 
their favor.  But this Octo-Boy bears watching.  I know that 
universe-altering heroes come from the unlikeliest places, and the 
youngest will lead the way.

---

UNIVERSE:  Eightfold (Jolt City / Journey Into / Orphans of Mars / 
Mighty Medley)

- Type:  Superhuman

- Chroniclers:  Tom and Mary Russell plus numerous guest writers

- Chronicler's Web Site:  apparently not

- Activity:  Every one or two weeks

- Relevance:  Major and approaching catastrophic, a high increase from 
last year

- Threat Analysis:  Incredible.  Previous series "Jolt City" and 
"Orphans of Mars" continue, for those who follow personal adventure.  A 
"Mighty Medley" series collects other stories, both short and serial. 
Outside those, imperial aliens known as the Pulse Collective wish to 
conquer modern-day Earth and exploit its cosmic connections - but cosmic 
forces have tried to beat them to it, in the mini-series "Red Hart".

- Critique:  ... and in Red Hart, the major villains speak in 
Shakespearean sonnets.  There is nothing like it being widely published 
today.  That series is over, but the Pulse War remains to be fought. 
This is exciting reading.

- Hyper-Piper's Comments:  If I did not make a hobby of *averting* 
Hyperpocalypses, I would offer this one my services.

---

UNIVERSE:  Academy of Super-Heroes

- Type:  Superhuman

- Chronicler(s):  Dave van Domelen

- Chronicler's Web Site:  http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH/

- Activity:  sporadic

- Relevance:  Could interact with the Council, but not likely

- Threat Analysis:  Standard superhuman, mostly in eras removed from us. 
  Unchanged from last year.

- Critique:  Only the series Coherent Super Stories has published issues 
this year.  The stories in that series are individual and pleasant on a 
personal scale.  The flagship series Academy of Super-Heroes set up an 
interesting menace last year, but has yet to revisit it.

- Hyper-Piper's Comments:  So, the sun went out last year?  How did that 
work out for everyone?  ... Oh, it's still out?  A universe where time 
is stuck is under the worst curse of all - as you well know from your 
own "Turkworld", Chancellor.


--- Next:  PART 5:  Recently-Discovered Universes ---

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.