The comics world is buzzing thanks to the recently-announcedMarvel/DCcrossover, but there’s one piece of both companies’ shared past readers hope makes a comeback.Amalgam Comicswas a line of titles that featured mash-ups of DC and Marvel characters for an all-new universe co-owned by both publishers. They’ve been lying dormant since 1997, but now,hopefully characters like Dark Claw, Super-Soldier and Spider-Boy can make their grand return.
Amalgam Comicsspun out of the massiveDC Versus Marvelcrossoverseries, released in 1996. The first wave ofAmalgamtitles came between issues #3 and #4 of that series, explained in-story as a way for both fictional universes to survive being wiped out in a cross-dimensional battle.
DC and Marvel released twelve one-shots initially in 1996, and theAmalgamline was so successful both companies teamed up again the following year to produce another twelve. As the years went on, Marvel and DC weren’t as willing to produce intercompany crossovers, leaving the Amalgam Universe dormant for nearly twenty-five years.
The Announcement Of A New Marvel/DC Crossover Has Fans Clamoring For An Amalgam Universe Revival
It Is A Legit Possibility
Part of the fun was seeing which characters from each universe combined together into theirAmalgamcounterparts, with some surprising combinations along the way.Wolverine and Batman merged to become the Dark Claw, Captain America and Superman became Super-Soldier, Iron Man and Green Lantern became Iron Lantern and Justice League and the X-Men came together to become JLX. Although it was the very essence of a marketing gimmick, many of the twenty-four issues released in theAmalgamline wound up being fantastic comics in their own right, with many coming from some of the top creators of the ’90s.
After decades of being out-of-print, DC and Marvel recently released an omnibus collection of most of the original Amalgam Comics line.
Now, Marvel and DC are once more working together for theupcoming pair of crossover specials, perhaps that will open the door to future collaborations. And if that is the case, then hopefully we’ll see a return to the Amalgam universe. There are several tantalizing possibilities for how Amalgam could return,most notably them the idea of expandingAmalgambeyond a series of one-shots into a full line of comics.While it seems like a long-shot, the idea of an entire imprint focused on the Amalgam universe seems like too ripe an opportunity to miss out on.
Amalgam Comics Is Overdue For A Revival & It’s Now More Likely Than Ever
AnAmalgamCrossover Would Be An Instant-Hit
Another route that both publishers could take would be to have the Amalgam heroes encounter their progenitors in the Marvel and DC universes. Longtime comic book readers aren’t alone in wanting to find what would happen if Wolverine and Batman were to cross paths with Dark Claw, and a three-way dance between all three universes would allow for several such legendary confrontations. There is also the opportunity for new characters to be “Amalgamized,” as a lot of major characters like Damien Wayne, Kamala Khan and Miles Morales didn’t exist during the original run.
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Thanks to DC Comics and Marvel’s shared Amalgam Universe, there are numerous fascinating supervillains co-owned by the two comic publishers.
No creative teams or any further details about the new Marvel/DC crossover have been announced, sothe sky is the limit for fan expectations at this time.All fans know is that there will be two specials released sometime this year, but hopefully both companies can continue to play nice so that we can get more on down the line. Comic fans are all excited about the newMarvel/DCcrossover, but many hardcore readers are hoping the Amalgam heroes return in some form or another.
