Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s Universe X: Volume I collects issues #0-7 with new appendices, Universe X: 4, Universe X: Spidey, and Universe X: Cap illustrated by Doug Braithwaite with Thomas Yeats, Jackson Guice, and Brent Anderson; inks by Bill Reinhold with Al Williamson, Robin Riggs, Garry Leach, John Totleben, Ron Randal, John Romita Sr., Al Milgrom, John Stanisci, and Will Blyberg; colors by Laura Depuy with Pete Pantazis and Nick Bell; and letters by Todd Klein. The series continues to chronicle the end of the Marvel Universe in the same vein as Ross’ Kingdom Come did for the DC Universe. Beginning with Earth X, the series forms a narrative akin to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Chapter Three makes this clear with a direct reference to the Divine Comedy and Purgatorio.

As Universe X begins, Reed Richards prevented the destruction of the Earth at the hands of the Celestials by summoning Galactus, secretly Franklin Richards who has reached the highest form of evolution and is susceptible to the identity others project upon him. Thus, Reed and X-51 – the Machine Man – must never acknowledge him for who he truly is. Meanwhile, Reed has installed Human Torches around the world to burn off the Terrigen mists that transformed humanity. Humanity is loath to relinquish its new abilities, but larger changes are afoot. Steve Rogers looks after the resurrected Mar-Vell, who promises to return the dead to life. He has begun by bringing back Susan Richards and now travels with Captain America to collect what he needs in order to achieve his victory over death. Kyle Richmond, the former Nighthawk, narrates this volume in conversation with the Gargoyle, Isaac Christians, revealing events going on elsewhere in the world including the actions of Immortus’ church and the Tong of Creel, who seek to gather the broken parts of the Absorbing Man. Flashbacks reveal that it was the Absorbing Man who defeated the Avengers, setting the stage for Hydra and Norman Osborn to further shatter America.

This volume only collects the first half of Universe X, which is the middle volume of the larger trilogy. It primarily sets up the final confrontation while using the epistolary format to deepen the background of the world that Earth X introduced. An interesting narrative experiment that served as a possible conclusion to the Marvel Universe, it never quite achieved the same staying power as Alex Ross’ Marvels, which looked at the early years of the Marvel Universe, or his Kingdom Come, that told a similar story for the DC Universe. Still, this narrative features gorgeous artwork and the storytelling helped to expand experimentation in mainstream comics. ( )

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"The story has gotten more complicated, and there were many parts I enjoyed more on a second reading. The plot's suddenly stepped itself up a notch, just as the title made the transition from 'Earth' to 'Universe'. We now have to worry about multiple realities, dimensions, and yes, even the realm of the Dead (which appeared in E-X but didn't matter much to the overall plot, they matter here)." ( )