newuniversal: Conqueror

  • Title: newuniversal: Conqueror (One-shot)
  • Comic Vine: link

“The year is 2689 B.C., Slayer King Starr strides along a corridor within Zardath, the shining city.”

The newuniversal historical one-shots continue with this look back at the first heroes adapted by the newuniversal structure thousands of years ago including Starr the Slayer, ruler of the prehistoric city of Zardath.

The shining city of Zardath was a beacon of light in the darkness of prehistoric times.  Here Starr the Slayer ruled, the first Starbrand of the planet Earth, changed by the newuniversal structure to be its first hero.  But something is wrong.

The world’s Nightmask, Trull, has gone insane with a greed for power.  He has destroyed the mind of Zardath’s Justice, Ukru, and killed any other superhumans who have arrived in the city without the king’s knowledge.  An arrival of a mute witch begins to make Starr question the status quo, and wonder aloud what hidden darkness the city of light might be hiding.

This one-shot is a brief glimpse at the reimagined Chamber of Darkness saga as an important first piece of newuniversal.  Although not as strong as the first one-shot, newuniversal: 1959 (read that review) there is much here worth seeing.

The art by Eric Nguyen is well done, especially with the various monsters and battle scenes.  Writer Simon Spurrier works the old Marvel characters into the newuniverse rather well, though the limited space allows for only a brief glimpse at this part of history.  It may wet your appetite, but won’t do much more.

Another piece of the newuniveral puzzle, this one-shot makes a nice, if somewhat incomplete, beginning to the reimaginged saga.  We’re given clues and glimpses as to why this first attempt at installing the newuniversal structure on Earth failed, but it’s unfinished.  It’s also not a great jumping in point for those who haven’t read previous issues of the saga.  I was never a big fan of the original Starr, so those looking back with a more nostalgic eye might enjoy this one more than I, but either way, as a part of newuniversal, it’s worth a look.